# Calcification in legs.



## whitty (Mar 12, 2010)

I had an appointment last week with a vascular surgeon who told me after looking at my scan results that i have got calcification in both legs and there is absolutely nothing he can do for me.Because the calcification is in my lower legs the arteries are to small to operate as they could not be sewn up again and he said about the greater risk of getting infections if he could operate,and that he would only operate on my legs if it was a critical situation,like having gangrene in my legs.Felt pretty s**t for a few days but im getting on with it now.Like we have to.


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## Steff (Mar 12, 2010)

Hi whitty nice to see you posting , sorry to hear about your legs sorry for my ignorance and please dont be offended but what actually is calification? x


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## PhilT (Mar 12, 2010)

Hi Whitty, sorry to hear about your legs.

Steff, I knew someone who had calcification in their knee.

They had had a knee op to remove a torn cartilage and for some reason their body over healed(it was basically trying to regrow the cartilage that had been removed) and the knee joint became very swollen and virtually fused so they couldn't bend it. They had to go back for an operation to de-calcify the knee.

I don't know what causes calcification in the arteries but as Whitty says it is not possible to operate as the arteries are too small.


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## Steff (Mar 12, 2010)

PhilT said:


> Hi Whitty, sorry to hear about your legs.
> 
> Steff, I knew someone who had calcification in their knee.
> 
> ...



Thank for the explanation Phil


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## squidge63 (Mar 12, 2010)

Steff2010 said:


> Hi whitty nice to see you posting , sorry to hear about your legs sorry for my ignorance and please dont be offended but what actually is calification? x



It is a hardening of your arteries due to a build up of calcium, and sadly apart from being a part of the ageing process it is also associated with having diabetes.


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## grahams mum (Mar 12, 2010)

why EVERY medical condition is ALWAYS assocciated with diabetes? it sounds so negative when you have got diabetes i think doctors is the only things they can say is awful isnt it?


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## falcon123 (Mar 12, 2010)

grahams mum said:


> why EVERY medical condition is ALWAYS assocciated with diabetes? it sounds so negative when you have got diabetes i think doctors is the only things they can say is awful isnt it?



It is a throwaway remark made by the medical profession. Just over three years ago I was treated for cataracts (one bad, the other hardly detectable). Initial comment was that this was due to me being diabetic. Strangely (well not really) a non-diabetic and younger friend had the same problem a year later. Connection - jobs that have involved sitting in front of VDUs dfor many hours a day for decades. Quarter of a century ago the old CRT VDUs really radiated you. With modern flat screens this is much less of a problem. If you have an old VDU for the sake of yourself and your family take it to the tip this weekend!

Another one. For the last two years I have had a mild  fungal infection on a couple of toenails. This is due to my diabetes allegedly. So why did an older non-diabetic friend get a very severe fungal infection?

And so it goes on. I accept that having diabetes can cause some of the age related problems to develop earlier but is too easy for the medical profession to blame diabetes and potentially miss an underlying problem. Also I was once admitted to hospital with severe vomiting and got lecturea a number of times about diabetics overeating and drinking at Christmas. It then turned out that I had contacted samonella from iffy chicken at the buffet!


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## grahams mum (Mar 12, 2010)

is like a sin having diabetes


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## RachelT (Mar 12, 2010)

A fungal nail infection!!?? That's a really common ailment, that's mental to blame that on diabetes. The food poisoning's a bit crazy too. Whatever next? "sir, your broken arm is nor due to you falling down stairs, it's because you're diabetic..."?
Maybe the ammount of money the NHS spends on treating diabetes could be much reduced if they realised that sometimes people are just ill...

It's great (insert irony), it's the first thing they tell you when you're diagnosed. By the way, you're now at risk from getting all these horrible complications. And then people wonder why people panic or get depressed...

Rachel


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## squidge63 (Mar 12, 2010)

RachelT said:


> A fungal nail infection!!?? That's a really common ailment, that's mental to blame that on diabetes. The food poisoning's a bit crazy too. Whatever next? "sir, your broken arm is nor due to you falling down stairs, it's because you're diabetic..."?
> Maybe the ammount of money the NHS spends on treating diabetes could be much reduced if they realised that sometimes people are just ill...
> 
> It's great (insert irony), it's the first thing they tell you when you're diagnosed. By the way, you're now at risk from getting all these horrible complications. And then people wonder why people panic or get depressed...
> ...



If they didn't tell us though you would get some people turn round and say "oh well you never told me that when i was diagnosed"


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## Northerner (Mar 12, 2010)

squidge63 said:


> If they didn't tell us though you would get some people turn round and say "oh well you never told me that when i was diagnosed"



Shortly after I was diagnosed I went on an education course where we had a talk from a podiatrist. She made it sound as though it was virtually inevitable that sooner or later your feet would turn black or green and fall off, it was very depressing.


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## margie (Mar 12, 2010)

After I was diagnose I asked the DSN about what it was about diabetes that increased the risk of heart disease.  I got I don't know I suppose its because the blood gets sticky. 

The reason I was asking was I was wondering how the link had been made and whether it was made based on diabetics who has been advised to eat a set type of diet which is thought to increase heart disease. ie was it the condition itself or how it had been managed. 

Mind due I think I just asked difficult questions. I was asked to decide between a syringe and a pen. I asked what gave the most accurate dose and got a don't know in response, followed by a I suppose.
I asked whether there were ever problems with calibration on pens - apparently no one had complained. 
But the best answer was to what size is a unit of insulin. Answer it doesn't have a size its just a unit.


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## Jimbo (Mar 13, 2010)

Diabetes to some, is the new version of the old indiction "oh you're a smoker (or drinker)"
The Docs, as I used to be a smoker, always blamed everything on my bad habit, mainly because I didn't drink alcohol (ever). When I finally chucked the evil weed, I used to love going to the Doc because I then started to feel as though they had to do something to earn their money, instead of blaming booze or fags. (I can be a bid twisted at times  )
Now it's all getting blamed on the diabetes!!!!! aaaarrrrggghhhhh!!!!
 Why can't I win for once?


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