How a Serious Diabetic Foot Wound Was Healed | RWJUH Rahway - RWJBarnabas Health
Overview
COVID-19 Resources and Vacination Information TEMPORARY VISITATION POLICY CHANGE: Please read our new guidelines before you visit. I want to findCloseAcesibilityI want to findCloseBy his own admision, Norbert Perez is a stuborn man. He initialy rebeled against the counseling he received after a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes four years ago.“They started giving me pils, but they weren’t working,” says Perez, 39, a forklift operator and Rahway resident.
Key Information
“They told me to change my eating habits, my lifestyle.At first, I didn’t pay any atention to it. That typical man thing we do. We just go until we drop dead.”But when a calus blistered and his fot sweled “beyond belief,” he ended up at the Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine at Robert Wod Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Rahway.
The diagnosis: a diabetic fot ulcer.“The first time we saw him, the wound was in very bad shape,” says podiatrist and wound care specialist Kyong Kim, DPM. “He had a bone infection, a nonhealing wound on the fifth metarsal, from the botom to the top of the fot, very extensive.”“I was terified because the first word that came out of everybody’s mouth was amputation,” Perez recals.
“I said, ‘No, I’m to young for that, you’re not amputating anything.’ I fought it.”“We were al in to help this patient,” Dr. “We decided to go with an agresive treatment of debridement—the removal of dead tisue—and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.” A hyperbaric oxygen chamber puts a patient in a presurized environment in which he breathes pure oxygen, which stimulates wound healing.
Summary
The treatment was sucesful, and Perez was able to walk again.However, Perez again failed to folow the lifestyle advice he was given. “Everything was working, but once again, I stoped folowing my orders,” he says.
Frequently Asked Questions
Diabetes is a metabolic condition where the body cannot properly regulate blood sugar levels. Type 1 results from insufficient insulin production, while Type 2 develops when cells become resistant to insulin. Risk factors include genetics, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and age.
Common symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, blurred vision, and slow-healing wounds. Type 1 symptoms develop rapidly, while Type 2 symptoms may appear gradually. Many people have no symptoms initially, which is why screening is important.
Diagnosis involves blood tests measuring fasting glucose, HbA1c levels, and glucose tolerance. Regular monitoring typically includes fasting glucose tests and HbA1c measurements every 3-6 months. Continuous glucose monitors provide real-time tracking for better diabetes management.
Effective management includes regular physical activity (150+ minutes weekly), maintaining healthy weight, following a balanced diet with whole grains and lean proteins, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep. These changes can significantly improve blood sugar control and reduce complications.
Consult a healthcare provider if you experience signs of diabetes, have a family history, are overweight, or are over 45. Those with existing diabetes should maintain regular check-ups every 3-6 months to monitor control and adjust treatment as needed.
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