Worried about elderly mum's foot - anyone with medical knowledge around?

[Gravity1]

Hiya. My mum is mid 70s, very over weight (tho is on the 5:2 diet and has lost 5 stone.) She is diabetic and on meds for blood pressure, thyroid, cholesterol and possibly more. Her foot swelled up last Thursday and was very very sore on the sole. Over the weekend the pain moved to the top of the foot and her big toe (which is arthritic from a previous break) and by Monday the swelling was up to her knee, tho mostly the foot. It feels warm, a bit red near the toe, but mostly just swollen and painful. She doesnt feel unwell as such but is in immense pain today. I took her to a walk in place at the local hospital who sent us to the GP to get blood tests. She didnt actually get to see a GP but has had blood taken to rule out gout and infection. She is driving me spare because I know how stoic she is, and if she says it hurts, it must be agony. How can I persuade her to actually see a doc. No one has actually ruled out a break for instance. Or would a broken foot bone be more obvious?

She cant really rest it since she is a carer for her husband who has alzheimers. I have 2 small DCs and live an hour away

Any wise words?

[CMOTDibbler]

She really needs to see her GP urgently - she can't take any chances at all with her diabetes and feet can go very, very wrong very quickly.

Where my dad lives, there is an emergency care scheme for when a carer is injured or unwell, so she may be able to get help that way

[r3dsquirrel]

She needs to see a doctor asap. It sounds like cellulitis (an infection) and this can be serious in diabetics (including progressing to infection of the bone). It sounds to me like she needs an admission for xrays and iv antibiotics so aswell as getting her to a doctor youll need to think about care for your father.

[Gravity1]

Thanks for the replies, may well use them to scare her into seeing the GP. Have to say tho, the swelling is slightly better this afternoon and the big toe is very red so maybe it is gout. If it is, I had no idea how painful it can be!

That said, if she has another bad night Im taking her to the GP whether she wants to or not. As you both say, you just can't take a chance with a diabetic.

As an aside- her husband isn't my dad - which is another whole can of worms. His own daughters want nothing to do with him. God knows what we would do if my mum was incapacitated; there isnt a great deal of love between him and I either. Tho I do feel very sorry for him now he is so confused.

Anyway, thats another thread entirely!

[CMOTDibbler]

Gout can get infected very easily, and in someone with diabetes, the skin breakdown from gout crystals may not heal easily either. My dad has gout and diabetes, and its been a huge issue. She needs to see the GP today - tell her the internet says so!

Has your mum had a carer assessment? I'm slowly getting my parents to accept more help, and its been a slow process. If theres money to pay privately, its fairly easy to arrange private carers to come in, or to find a respite care place, but SS is a much slower process

[digerd]

Could be cellultis, which I had and was given Anti-biotics at GPs as not to be ignored.

[Antidote]

Might also be a dvt (blood clot).

Definitely back to gp or walk in center. Unlikely to be a fracture given the history.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Tell her my father lost a toe and very nearly his whole foot because he ignored something similar and is diabetic.