Getting your leg chopped off. Food for thought.

[Dien Rice]

Hi Gordon,

Wow... My thoughts and prayers are with your brother, that he'll be able to deal with this in the best way possible...

As you know, I had a diabetic foot ulcer, and went to hospital for it, a little over 2 years ago...

In my case, they think something pierced the bottom of my right foot, and I was unaware of it, which enabled bacteria to enter my foot. The bacterial infection spread, from the bottom of my foot, to the top of my foot. Stupidly, I left it... By the time I reached hospital, it had gotten to the stage they were recommending partial amputation...

I didn't tell the whole story here before (I don't think). At the first hospital I went to, the head guy dealing with diabetes was a vascular surgeon, who wanted my consent to partially amputate my foot, to get rid of the infection...

We organized to go to a different hospital (this was recommended by my endocrinologist)... This other hospital had a specialized diabetic foot unit, headed up by an endocrinologist. This endocrinologist had written a Ph.D. thesis on how to reduce the frequency of diabetic foot amputations!

At the second hospital (the Royal Melbourne Hospital), the vascular surgeons there recommended partial amputation of my foot (like the first hospital). However, the endocrinologist in charge said a slower approach, using antibiotics and what they call a "vacuum dressing," could work...

Despite the pleas from the vascular surgeons to be allowed to amputate my foot, I opted for the second option!

I still had surgery... They did what they call "debriding" to cut out the infected tissue. That left a large part of the top of my foot without skin... After that, I started taking antibiotics... They did tests to determine the exact bacteria which were infecting my foot, so they could target them more specifically with the antibiotics. They also put on a "vacuum dressing" which puts negative pressure on the wound (it sucks the air out), which apparently helps it to heal faster...

In my case, it was a good ending... it literally took months, but the bacteria were all killed, and my wound healed... (I was in hospital for 2 weeks, and the rest was recovering at home, but with regular visits to the hospital as an outpatient.)

When I was in the second hospital, for part of the time I shared a room with a lady who had a leg amputated below the knee, also due to a diabetic ulcer that got out of control... She seemed to be taking it well. One day, I mentioned to her that she was taking it well... and she broke down and cried. She had been putting on a brave face... That really made me realize the trauma she was under...

It's not an easy thing. I contemplated what would have happened in my case if it had gone for the worse. It still could happen in future if I'm not careful, or if I'm a little bit unlucky...

On the positive side, losing a leg is better than losing your life... You still have your loved ones. You still have your functional mind. You still have your hands. Things could be a lot worse... I'm a huge believer in counting your blessings!

Thanks Gordon, I hope and pray that the Merciful One helps your brother...

https://gofund.me/89a29254

Best wishes, Dien

Originally Posted by GordonJ

So, two weeks ago my brother had a blister on his right foot. Then, on Wed. July 24, they chopped off his leg at Western Reserve Hospital here in Cuyahoga Falls, OH.

He has a 9 thousand dollar deductible. YIKES. The good news is; his job will be waiting for him when he recovers. It apparently was an infection gone wild, complicated by diabetes (he wasn't diagnosed)...and although I did start a go fund for him

https://gofund.me/89a29254

That is NOT the reason for the post. His friends, family and co-workers are all pitching in to help him out, and since I'm nearby, I'll look after him.

But the real point is this: something I've said many times over; tomorrow is not promised to anyone.

We just don't know what the future holds for us.

Everyday, people are maimed in auto accidents or they go to a rally or concert or movie, or some just go to school, and they die there.

Some of us maintain good health, some by habits and others by good genes. I neither smoke nor drink, but my 94 year old grandfather did both, heavily.

Sometimes, life is a crap shoot.

If you have something you want to do in this world, why the hesitation? Why not some ACTION TODAY.

My young brother just turned 62, and this came out of the blue, and it was a shock to see him post surgery, but also a blessing because loss of limb is better than loss of life.

And since I'm on my rant today, as I got older and older, my projects became shorter and shorter...my long reports became hotsheets.

Today, I advocate for most young people to start fast, stay hot, and FINISH one thing, and build off of that, but it requires constant attention.

Your health needs your undivided ATTENTION, before it demands it via illness or tragedy.

And as long as I'm preaching today, GET YOUR THING DONE, and get all that stored value out of your brain and into the marketplace.

Tomorrow is not promised to everyone.

Gordon