A tough hand of cards to accept
DRWF supporter Andy Austin, living with type 1 diabetes, shares the second part of his personal story.
Since my last update (originally published in the Autumn 2025 edition of Diabetes Wellness News) things have progressed well with my Charcot foot, a serious condition that can lead to severe deformity of the foot.
I am still visiting the hospital weekly and having plaster changes each time. My toes have improved and the podiatry team have really worked hard to heal them. Being in a plaster cast tends to squash your toes together more, which causes pressure between the toes.
I had to call the podiatry team due to an issue with my foot and ankle aching.
I was fortunate to visit a podiatrist who was very thorough with me. She was able to perform a Doppler scan of my feet – an ultrasound scan that listens to the blood flowing to your feet.
Firstly, she checked the temperatures of my feet. The difference was vast! There was a 6.5°C increase in my right foot!
She arranged for me to have X-rays taken of my foot the following day.
This was very disappointing news. The podiatry team checked my temperatures on each visit and found the temperatures had stabilised and dropped slightly. I saw the consultant and he said that this was not uncommon for the Charcot to flare up again!
No one had advised us of this previously, and so at that point this news was very depressing! Feeling in despair, I was in such a low mood that I asked for my leg to be amputated! The consultant was a bit taken aback by this and advised me that such a drastic course of action would only give me more issues; not only now, but later on in life as well.
I explained my concerns. I was 62 years old and my parents had both died at around this age! I still had plans for my life! He said that this was a hand of cards that I had been dealt in life. I could either fight it or accept it. We made a compromise. I was to have another plaster cast put on, then be reviewed by the plaster team in three weeks.
Read the first part of Andy’s story here
This article originally appeared in the Winter 2026 edition of Diabetes Wellness News. To subscribe visit here
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Foot Health and Diabetes
Looking after your feet is essential for people living with diabetes.
You should have your feet assessed annually for neuropathy if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
These tests can determine if you have developed neuropathy, the most common cause of loss of feeling in feet and legs.
Neuropathy can affect nerves throughout the body but due to the long length of the nerves to the foot, damage happens there first.
To learn more, we have a dedicated page on looking after your feet with diabetes.
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