Press Feature by Shamkoe Pilé
Abandoning the idea of using an old-time remedy of raw salt-fish skin and onion to heal a “nail-jook” in her big toe, Yvonne Shallow, a 55-year-old security supervisor and a type-two diabetic, said, “I am happy I opted to go to the hospital instead.”
Admitting that when she awoke from an afternoon nap to discover a rusty nail pointing though the sole of her rubber slipper, “I wasn’t thinking about me being a diabetic. I just remembered the remedies my mum and grandmother used when I was a child.”
Maybe that initial reaction came because a few days earlier, Yvonne had bid a final farewell to her mother. Fresh with thoughts of her childhood and her mum’s funeral, she had just returned to Barbados from St. Vincent that Saturday morning. On arrival home, she decided to help her son fix the roof of the house.
“We were working outside all morning. We decided to take a break, so I went to lie down. When I woke up about an hour or so later, I look down, only to see a nail pointing up through the slipper and my toe was bleeding,” the mother of five said.
Persons not familiar with diabetes maybe wondering why Yvonne never felt the nail in her toe, but as she explained to Diabetes Today, “My toes are numb, so I never felt a thing. I can’t even tell you how long I was walking around with the nail in my foot.” What Yvonne didn’t know at that time, was that she was suffering from diabetic neuropathy – a complication which causes damage to the nerves, particularly in the feet, legs, arms and hands.
Shocked at the sight of the nail and blood, she immediately shouted for her daughter, Jasmein Shallow. Showing her youngest child what had happened, Yvonne remarked, “I was annoyed with my daughter’s reaction because she called my son and his girlfriend to take me to the hospital. I said, no way, I am not going there!”
Declaring that she thought everyone was overreacting, she recalled, “At that point, to me, it was just a nail jook, something small that I could fix. But they kept on arguing, saying that it was rusty and that I might lose my foot.”
It was at that moment that Jasmein interjected. She had been sitting quietly, listening to her mum recap the details to Diabetes Today. The 24 year-old exclaimed, “We were all freaking out because she had a nail in her foot and she didn’t feel a thing. That is just not normal!”
Yvonne disclosed that it was this lingering fact that worried her as well. Laughing, she remembered her seven-year-old grand-daughter exclaimed, “That mean Gran Gran could walk on fire now!” But eventually, stubbornness gave away to better judgment, and Yvonne decided to go to the hospital.
It was only after she spoke to the doctors and saw a photo of the wound, that the type-two diabetic realised the seriousness of the issue. Doctors immediately admitted her to hospital. They cut, cleaned, scraped and dressed the wound and kept her there for the remainder of the week.
“The doctors kept telling me it was good that I came in so fast,” she said, adding that although she has been diagnosed with diabetes for 13 years that was the first time she had experienced “a complication this big”.
“I thought it was poor circulation that caused the numbness in my toes but the doctors told me it was the diabetes that killed the nerve endings in my feet,” Yvonne explained, further disclosing that she never knew the non-communicable disease could have such a bad effect on the feet.
During the week in the hospital, Yvonne learnt that diabetic neuropathy is a serious complication of diabetes. Usually caused by high blood sugar, it is commonplace in diabetics who are overweight and have difficulties controlling their blood glucose levels and their blood pressure. With increased age and duration of the disease, diabetics become more susceptible to neuropathy. Symptoms include tingling, numbness and pain in the arms, hands, feet and legs.
What is particularly dangerous about diabetic neuropathy is that its presence often means that other nerves in the body are being attacked. It could eventually affect the heart, the digestive system, the lungs and eyes, ultimately causing respiratory problems, blindness or death.
Equally threatening is the fact that with the numbness, objects[A1]
But as Yvonne discovered this complication is easily curable. “The doctors did say that it can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle. They said that once I control my sugar, eat more vegetables and exercise, it would get better,” she outlined.
The type-two diabetic has improved her nutrition since the “nail jook” experience, but readily admits that she still struggles with her cravings for junk food. “I would not lie. I still eat a nut cake or Shirley biscuits every now and then, but I eat a banana, apple and orange every day, and I try to include more green leafy vegetables in my meals.”
Noting that she replaced soft drinks with natural teas, she drinks neem, parsley or cerasee bush teas several times a week. Ground provisions have also become a regular staple in her meals.
Yvonne further noted that the entire experience helped her to appreciate all she had learnt about proper foot care over the years. “I examine my feet several times a day instead of once a daily, and I wear enclosed shoes more often now.”
When asked about the exercise, she and Jasmeim looked at each other, laughed and blurted, “We are working on that!” However, Yvonne added that at work she now uses the stairs instead of the elevator.
A mother and grandmother, Yvonne stressed that family support was a critical factor in a diabetic’s life. “Sometimes it is hard to do it by yourself, but I must say my family and friends are there for me, especially my sisters and my children, mainly Jasmein. She and the grandkids like to watch what I eat.”
Yvonne pointed out that the “nail jook” had been a learning experience for her and the entire family. Jasmein reiterated this, noting that the ordeal forced her to watch her health and lifestyle because, as she stressed, “I do not want to become a diabetic.”
