Toe spreaders and foot care

I have left you rather a long time sat on the loo. I am sorry about this. I hope that you managed to get dressed. Forgive me, I have been rather busy...
There is something very important that I must write about today. I have written about podiatry before. It is very important to get a regular podiatry appointment: if your mobility is reduced in the lower limbs you may get into difficulties at some stage when you fancy cutting your toe nails.

My first idea was not the brightest..I had been told that social care did not permit the care assistant to cut toe nails. Even if I was not a diabetic. My eye sight was not good, my ataxia in my arms was not helpful so I bought an extra large long handled pair of scissors. What a waste! I could not use these. I could not find any qualified and wheelchair accessible podiatrist (/poʊˈdaɪətrɪst/ poh-dye-eh-trist). I could not go anywhere near one if I had known one

I found myself trapped by the system. I did not know a friendly supporting person that would have simplified this for me. I hear that in some part of the country they talk about a "care navigator".

I bought a pack of emery files. I had a first toe nail infection before I got referred to the podiatrist. As you will understand it I got a bit obsessed in trying to avoid the infection that remained a threat. There where moments of poor staffing in my area for the toe clipping service with barely any explanation. I had difficulties getting the staff sent to me by the commissioned care company sent by the social services of Bath and North East Somerset to help me file my toe nails at home when I felt pain.

I will cut short this painful story after six toe nail infections to the same bit of the same toe...oh and some

abuse from a care worker. I got myself in the not very frequent toe nail clipping clinic available in my community.

I got in the rhythm: phone after two weeks then filing and clipping two weeks before an appointment...That will take care of odd sharpness. When one day I remarked to the podiatrist that my MS was definitely affecting my toes. I was always twitching and having toes flexing upwards. At the same time I was still using an NHS wheelchair with no foot rests... I explained each time that it was easier for me to approach the loo to empty my catheter leg bag. My commode was always on the loo, just in case.

The very good idea was to buy following a podiatrist's appointment a pair of gel looped toe spreaders. It reduced some of the spasms. I have not needed botulinum toxin injections perfomed by a neurologist and a radiologistsince. Any spasms are due to forgetting the spreaders or placing them wrongly.

These bought spreaders were too wide and my second toe turned black although I did not feel pain. This went on for a couple of years.

I worried about this and mentioned it to the podiatrist. I was lucky, it was very easy to shape a couple of

LR looking at bespoke toe spreaders.

spreaders that would fit me. They are part of my routine. They get rinsed at night and drip dry until the next day. They are individual, lightweight and very important to my well being. They are not interchangeable. They have helped feel less spasms in my right leg. I feel that my leg is less contracted. I am able to use foot rest indoors on my wheelchair now. The Wheelchair Service finally got it that I needed to remove these. I can lift them now, they are light. They have also a heal strap. I got this after pestering and contacting the company that sold it to the NHS.  I know I will be able to remove and replace my feet on my foot rest easily. It has become very "normal". I even followed some advice regarding the angle of my knee to have a good posture. I have less fatigue and no cramps on the right leg.

So, I think that podiatry care should be automatically included in any care plan for a person with many symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis. Why did it take me so long to get to this result? How many people have the same problem? Why did I have six toe nail infections in two years?