Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
Anderson Carnegie is diabetic with peripheral vascular disease and is an amputee. Okay, not as dramatic an amputee as you might think, but it is significant to lose any body part. Since 2010, Mr. Carnegie has had all five toes on his left foot removed after battling a bone infection for two years that simply would not go away.
While being treated at the infectious disease office for a bone infection, someone recommended that he make an appointment with Cortez Foot and Ankle Specialists for treatment of a blister on his big toe. “Thankfully, I took that advice. My first appointment was back in April of 2010 and I am grateful for the level of care and support I received from Dr. Handley and the entire staff at Cortez Foot and Ankle.”
Dr. Handley treated the blister and kept a close eye on the infection that Mr. Carnegie had been receiving treatment for at another office. After roughly two years of being on antibiotics, Mr. Carnegie could not get rid of the infection. Dr. Handley realized that something else had to be done to prevent it from spreading.
Because the infection was in the bone, Dr. Handley advised that he remove only half of the toe and have it biopsied. Per Dr. Handley, “I didn’t want to remove any more than was necessary to eliminate the infection since the great toe is important for balance and walking”. Mr. Carnegie appreciated his conservative treatment. However, “When the results came back that the infection was still present, Dr. Handley had to remove a little more of the bone. He always did his best to remove as little as possible, but when the antibiotics were still unable to get rid of the infection, we had no choice but to remove the entire big toe.”
After trying various treatments, numerous antibiotics and the amputation of the toe, the infection would still not go away. Mr. Carnegie recalls that Dr. Handley did his best to save the big toe, but nothing was able to cure the infection. After collaborating with Mr. Carnegie’s infectious disease physician, primary care physician and interventional cardiologist, Dr. Handley removed the remaining toes to ensure that the infection didn’t spread. “After removing all the toes of my left foot, the test results came back that the infection had in fact been removed. After years of battling with it, I was glad to hear it was gone. Now I get to focus my attention on learning to walk with no toes, which has been made a little easier by special shoes for toe amputees.”
For almost two years Mr. Carnegie had to use a wheelchair. He happily reports he is now able to walk with a cane. He praises Dr. Handley and the entire staff at Cortez Foot and Ankle for their determination and working as a team, in conjunction with his other physicians to rid him of the infection and get him walking again.
“The staff kept me positive and upbeat over the two years. No matter how bad it was, I would enter Cortez Foot and Ankle with a smile because the staff became an extended family to me. I actually looked forward to coming into the office to see their smiles and appreciated the encouragement they gave me. I was confident that they were taking the best possible care of me. I highly recommend Cortez Foot and Ankle Specialists to anyone with foot problems. The entire team is very caring and supportive. Although I no longer have the infection, they continue to monitor me closely.”
The Doctors of Cortez Foot and Ankle Specialists are able to care for all of your foot and ankle needs. The saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. So, contact the office for your “ounce of prevention” foot exam.
941-758-8818 | www.cortezfootandankle.com
