Can mild cellulitis heal by itself? In a type 1 diabetic?

[dodgytoe]

Really unsure what to do. Around the top of my toe is very swollen, tight and shiny and it is so sore. I have a fucking fungal nail and just was assuming it was something to do with that, but now I am wondering if it is cellulitis because the fungal nail has never looked like this or hurt like this before?

I do have type 1 diabetes but usually heal quickly so not sure how to approach this. At the minute I don't think I can cope with a shoe touching the toe so not sure how I can get to a doctor.

Should I give it 24 hours? If it is cellulitis does it always need antibiotics or can it resolve?

@L1ttledrummergirl

No, you're just concern trolling.

There is a difference in governmental campaigns for public health, and somebody like you gleefully sharing a sad story about a diabetic having gruesome amputations.

You would not do the same if it was cancer, so don't pretend you would.

Oh, come on, you started a thread implying that you were going to hope what you thought could be cellulitis went away by itself despite being diabetic. Any foot infection is a red flag in diabetics precisely because they can easily result in necrosis and amputation and sepsis. Any post saying somebody found a lump in their breast and their nipple was bleeding would get people saying to get it checked immediately, as would anyone with chest pain radiating to their left arm or their baby had a fever and non blanching rash.

Nobody was picking on you - they just didn't want you to be in intensive care minus your leg in a fortnight.

@NeverDropYourMooncup

Nobody was picking on you - they just didn't want you to be in intensive care minus your leg in a fortnight.

So you're still doing it, after being asked not to.

There is a difference in urging somebody to go to hospital or get something checked out (and lots of posters did that, and I am appreciative) and the gleeful hyperbolic detailing of amputations and death as a couple of people have done.

And no - you would not describe in the same amount of detail what exactly the worst outcome would be for somebody with a breast lump, or to a parent of a sick baby with fever, you just won't admit that.

There is a sick satisfaction some people get in "telling off" diabetics - everyone thinks it is their right to say this shit to us. And don't see any issue with it, as you have demonstrated.

You simply don't get it.

I don't give a shit if I get nagged when I'm talking about potentially putting my life and literally limb at risk (I take medication that affects my immune system). It's usually my diabetic best mate who does it, as he's ignored things and paid the price, anyhow - if he's telling me 'don't be stupid, stop fucking around and see the doctor today', he's going to be right.

The people being blunt with you don't have to take time out of their day to try and impress on you that it isn't going to go away without seeking immediate attention. But they did. Yet you're complaining they were mean to you because they told you how serious ignoring it and hoping it healed by itself could be - in the hope of you not becoming another statistic.

@NeverDropYourMooncup

More hyperbole from you, I see.

No, I didn't say anyone was "being mean" or "picking on me".

I pointed out that it can be counterproductive to try to scare people. And I pointed out that is tone deaf and shitty to try to do so.

As I said - I appreciated the people who were kind enough to post, WITHOUT posting unnecessary gory details about amputations and dying and the finger wagging patronising attitude that goes along with that.

There is a world of difference in telling somebody to go to the fucking doctor like your mate does, and detailing how somebody died after having multiple bits chopped of them. There is no need for the latter.

Oh, he goes into detail when he thinks he needs to get his point across.

@NeverDropYourMooncup

Actually look I don't mean to fight with you.

I think part of the issue is there are several generations of women who were shamed and terrified and treated very poorly all through adolescence as young type 1 diabetics.

That

Posted too soon...

The attitudes toward teen diabetics up until quite recently did an awful lot of damage and left a lot of scars. The thinking was they could scare us into being model type 1s.

Lots of young people simply switch off. Some forever, and it is disastrous. Others get their shit together once away from that toxic environment and with supportive clinicians.

That has been recognised as really damaging now and thankfully, most young people now have a different experience.

God almighty, op! What on earth is your problem?

Diabetic burnout, and medical ptsd from witnessing too many deaths recently.

I get it OP. T1 for 30+ years and honestly nobody understands it. They just don’t get how all consuming it is, how it is the last thing you think about at night and the first thing you think about in the morning. They don’t understand how terrifying it is to live with something that takes over ever element of your life and is so difficult to control. So many people think they understand it because they knew somebody who had it or they saw an episode of some tv program where somebody had it. I too have struggled with burnout and PTSD from some of the medical issues I’ve had and I’ve had to leave friendships due to the insensitive comments I’ve had. So many times I’ve heard versions of ‘x person had/is diabetic and they died/lost a limb/went blind/ had a stroke, but they kind of deserved it because they once saw them eat chocolate’ 🙄
I think there is a move to try and educate people on how difficult Type 1 is to manage. You can give it your all but due to the temperature/how stressed you are at work/the time of the month/how far you walked yesterday/the million other things that impact your blood sugars you can still end up with life changing issues.
I’m sorry you have to deal with it too and I’m happy your foot looks to be on the mend.

@JackyinaTracky thank you, I agree with all you've said there.

sending hugs, it is hard and I hope you are ok too.

Unlurked to reply to this, please please get this checked, my son has recently had to have a third of his foot amputated from what seemed like a small wound, he was back and forth to foot clinic and a&e but because the consultant at a&e told him to give the antibiotics time to work the infection took hold, he's been off work for 6 weeks now and still got a long recovery ahead, diabetes makes it hard for your body to fight infection on its own.

Sorry op hadn't read the full post, really glad it's healing now, hope I didn't frighten you but really wanted you to get seen, I'm sorry you're having such a hard time with it all, I really hate diabetes for how hard it makes life for my son, I know most people really don't get it and don't see that it it's a constant battle and affects every second of your life and every decision you make.

It’s enough to encourage people to get seen without having to give gory details of amputations etc. Yes whilst it can be a risk, there will be many many more people who just receive treatment and recover and people with T1 are really sick of everyone using fear to get the best treatment compliance. For those 20-30 years down the line even the medical profession have been doing this rather than being supportive. It really doesn’t work as complications can happen to anyone regardless of how well controlled you are, and can lead to people going ‘fuck it, it’s not worth trying’ because it is relentlessly mentally draining to deal with.

Just. Stop.