Lymphedema Patients toss the dice – Podiatrist or Pedicurist

What does it take to keep vulnerable senior patients/any patient reasonably cared for in a rehab setting?  How many oversee patients when a podiatrist comes to call and cut toenails?

Is it true that Pedicurists aren’t trained well enough for Lymphedema patients to take a chance on them.  Really?

….I believed it might be true even though I had never seen bloody toenails from a pedicurist cutting nails during my career as a cosmetologist in Washington and California and a small business owner here.  What do I know about medical things?  I’m learning that one thing can and does frequently lead into another.

The comments from a trusted Lymphedema medical professional was enough and I stopped going to a licensed pedicurist I liked who cheerfully gave me well trimmed and bright, jazzy colored painted toenails.

And, like Jacks Beanstalk, my toenails grew … until months later I overheard that a Podiatrist would be available to cut toenails – just’ line up.  I waited until mid-afternoon, then ‘got in line.’

The crowd finally thinned in the hallway. Finally, there was room inside where he and an assistant were working with patients in a semi-circle. I was escorted to an empty seat at the far end of the semi-circle facing the doorway.  Many of the patients were in wheelchairs and I noticed as he made his way around to the left of the circle, some of the people wore band-aids on their toes.   I watched him tap, tap push something against a toe then put the band aid on.  As he got closer to me, one or two chairs away I TOLD him I had lymphedema and COULDN’T GET CUT because I too easily was infected.   I had been fighting the last session almost a year.  Almost nothing, I have experienced compares to the pain of lymphedema.  Nothing.  He did not reply.

That said, many of the bare toes left behind the Podiatrist sprouted Band-Aids as he moved along past the chairs/wheelchairs.

My visions of getting up graciously, majestically and quietly walking away before he reached me did not happen.  I sat there like a stump off a log while he worked his way around to my chair and began cutting my toenails.  I didn’t say a word as he finished one foot and worked on the other.  I watched him get something and go tap, tap, push on the end of my big toe then placed a band aide over the end.  He said something as he moved away and I was escorted out of the room to the wheelchair I pushed away down the hall.  To the other end of the hall elevator and down to the next floor..  I rolled into the physical therapy room where I had an appointment and told the therapist what happened.  I was shaking and she said she would find the nurse on duty when I couldn’t tell her how bad it was – only that he cut my toe.

The nurse pulled the Band-Aid away to see it and said ‘that’s not bad.’  The trouble with Lymphedema – for me, if not most of us – a simple scratch or bruise can develop into a big deal infection.

In addition, I mentioned to her the room upstairs was full of Band-Aid covered toes on patients – some in wheel chairs.  What if they got infected and had to UNNECESSARILY deal with infection caused by cuts on their feet from a podiatrist?  I suggested they check the patients.

I asked her to take photos for me because I couldn’t see it.  The photos were taken, the Band-Aid replaced and I had my physical therapy session.

To be absolutely clear.  I was loaded with antibiotics at the time.  My toe healed nicely.  No lawsuits then or now.  I don’t know how the other patients faired.

My point here is to ask  how you know your loved one is not being cut leading to an infection when a trained podiatrist cuts their toenails.  You don’t know.  Go watch a time or two – check these things out.

Patients be aware – patient centers too.  Make sure that podiatrist is competent.

Who is watching?

Thanks for reading… Sharon O’Hara