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A Fool and His Limb are soon Parted...

A Story About Diabetes, Blue Fish & Aneurysms


by Harvey Levine.

This is a story long overdue. This should also be MUST reading for any person
who is a Diabetic, or those who refuse to see their Doctor.

I became a Diabetic in 1985. That same year I had to be admitted into the Hospital for
emergency surgery for an aneurysm in my left leg that had 'burst' while a guest on a
deep sea fishing boat I was on. It happened at about 10:00 in the morning, while the
fishing boat I was on was about 75 miles off the coast of New Jersey. I had just caught
three Blue Fish of good size. (Keepers)

To any of you who have even been on a public fishing boat, you quickly position yourself
right by any side rail so you can easily drop your line and wait for the action. Well, if it is
action you are looking for, then Blue Fish are for you. (I know I am digressing, but I
found this part of it so interesting, I figured I would also get any fisherman reading
hooked on my story. OUCH!) As you hook a fish they tend to try and run away from you
by going side-to-side, under the boat, away from you, all the while you are trying to walk
the deck to keep up with this fierce competitor. In reeling in one of my keepers I banged
the front of my left leg, resulting in what I thought was a bad bone bruise. About an hour
later I had to put down my pole and ask for help to find a place on the boat for me to lie
down, as I found I could not put much weight on my left leg. Little did I know I had just
burst an aneurysm in my left leg. I was helped up to the upper deck and given a spot to
lie down. The pain was intense and I shortly fell asleep for two hours. When I awoke I
was going to ask the Captain to get me some help, as I was now in a lot of pain and a bit
queasy. I then overheard the Captain talking to the group leader, and they decided to
start heading back to port. At about 1:00 PM we docked. I hobbled to my car, assuring
all around that I was OK to drive. Macho Man indeed! A fool also.

I had all I could do to make the drive back home. It was only about 60 miles, but it took
me about 4 hours to complete this short trip, on a major Highway with a speed limit of 65
miles per hour! Why, you might ask... good question! The pain was getting so intense
that I stopped at every rest area, got out of the car and tried to 'walk it off.' Macho,
indeed! When I look back I did not have a clue of just how serious my condition was.

I did not realize that I had suffered a very serious, life threatening event: I had an artery
'blow up' inside my left leg. I had suffered an aneurysm, which very often is a fatal blow
to any human being, if this happens in most parts of the body. It is probably very unusual
to say I was very lucky that this happened where it did, as my aneurysm happened in the
calf of my left leg, and traveled DOWN to my ankle and foot area. Had this traveled
upward toward my heart or brain, it would have been most likely been instaneously fatal.
In other words, I would not be here today writing this! I would have been Dead instantly!
So, I guess from that standpoint, I am a very lucky guy.

I left the boat about 1 PM and arrived home at about 6 PM. I was greeted by my wife,
who immediately sensed the urgency of the matter. She immediately drove my to the
nearest hospital's emergency room. When I arrived, and was checked in and was given
an initial examination, I was immediately introduced to another Doctor, a Vascular
Surgeon, who informed my wife and I, which I was going to need surgery to repair the
aneurysm. I asked when that would happen... his reply, "as soon as I can scrub up." I
was probably the only one there that was not aware of the critical nature, and life
threatening problem I had.

The last thing I remember was being wheeled into the Operating Room. The next thing I
remember was hearing one of the nurses say, "He's back with us."

Five hours later I was wheeled into the Recovery room, where I was greeted by my
family. A harrowing event, Yes! But, I guess more on them then me.
If you learn anything from this story at all, try to put yourself in the places of your loved
ones... this was much more traumatic on them than me. So, for the sake of your family,
make sure you take care of yourself.

Thanks to great Doctors, Nurses, therapists, and excellent family support, I did fully
regain the use of my legs. For this I am eternally grateful. However, did I really learn
anything... evidently not, because, as it turns out, this was only the forerunner of a worse
thing to come.

A few years later I got a small cut on the bottom of my right great toe. Again, I really
thought nothing of it, but it turned into an infection. So, I went to see my Podiatrist. He
treated it as an infection with an anti-biotic and other methods. However, the infection
never went away, as a matter of fact, it got worse.

I was told that one of the first things I had to do was go to the Hospital's Infusion Center
and receive a daily shot of a heavy duty Anti-Biotics. This went on for 7 straight weeks
as an out patient, 49 straight days, Monday through Sunday for about 2 hours each visit.
Bear in mind, this was my right leg, so I could not drive myself. This treatment did not
stop the infection.

So, on to the Hospital I went where I was treated this time with a series of Intravenous
drugs. This also did not work, so I was then sent to the Hyperbaric Chamber for 31 visits,
most of time as an out patient. If you are the slightest bit claustrobic, this is not for you. I
had 31 treatments in the chamber. The reason for ONLY 31 visits, it was not working for
me. (Normally, they allow up to 40 visits.)

Well, if you think it has been bad so far, well, the worst is yet to come.

After several of my doctors evaluated my situation, it was determined that the only way
to guarantee that this infection would not continue to stay in my body and would not
keep climbing up toward my heart and brain was to remove the area of my leg up to
about 9 inches below the knee. Of course, I was still fighting this suggestion all the way.
Wouldn't you?

So, they decided to remove my toes first to see if there would be any improvement.
There was none. So, on we go until my right leg was removed just below the knee.

As you can imagine, this meant I had to learn to walk all over again. This time, however
with the benefit of a prosthetic leg. I was sent to an excellent Rehab Hospital as an
inpatient for two weeks of training on how to walk with a walker, how to hop with the
walker from room to room, from chair to couch, etc. After this training I was sent home
for the leg to heal in anticipation of returning to be fitted for, and taught how to use my
new prosthetic leg, after I was sufficiently healed for them to fit me. About 6
weeks later I returned as an inpatient for the fitting and training. Believe me,
although this turned my life up side down, I am very grateful for all of this
excellent training. With the help of my therapists and the ever present excellent
support of my lovely wife, I am thriving.

My life will never be as it was before, but, I now drive with my left foot instead of the
right. My car had to be re-fitted so I could do this and I had to take a State test for my
new driver's license. I passed. Hurray!

These days I try to be as normal as possible. When I am wearing long pants it is almost
impossible to tell I am wearing a prosthetic leg. But of course, all my family and friends
know it. I have joined a support group for amputees and they are a constant help. I
recently came across an excellent guide book on diabetes. 'A Guide to Reversing
Diabetes'. I recommend it highly. Check it out. http://tinyurl.com/2w57ugz

Author Harvey Levine is a type 2 diabetic. He was diagnosed about 15 years ago. He is
now insulin dependent, taking it during the day and before retiring at night. In 2007 he
lost his right leg below the knee due to an infection he received in his right great toe,
which started to spread up his leg and body. His doctors were left with no choice but to
amputate the leg to save his life. He heartedly recommends this excellent book on the
subject. http://tinyurl.com/2w57ugz

SUMMARY: This is a personal account of what can happen to a person who disregards
and makes light of warning signs being told to him by his own body. This is written in the
first person and it an accurate account by the author. To make sure you are aware of
these signs check out this excellent information: http://tinyurl.com/2w57ugz

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