A NURSE who has fought for years to save her feet is urging others to be mindful of complications of diabetes.

Lesley Weeks was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 30 years ago – but had never experienced problems with her feet until she was on holiday two decades later.

Ms Weeks, who is an urgent care nurse, has been receiving treatment from staff at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust who diagnosed her a serious condition linked to diabetes.

She said: “About ten years ago I was in Tenerife on holiday, I was walking along and felt a sharp excruciating pain in my right foot.

“It became red and swollen. Being a nurse, I did all the right things, resting it, keeping it upright when possible and so on.

“When I got back home I had x- rays and it was discovered that I had a condition called Charcot foot.”

Ms Weeks was shocked when her doctor advised amputations may be necessary since the condition was causing the bones of her feet to become fragile and prone to braking or dislocating when simply standing or walking.

The most common cause of Charcot foot is diabetes, however the rare condition can affect people with nerve damage. It can lead to gross deformity or ulceration of the foot.

Ms Weeks, a 59-year-old mother-of-three, added: “Just after Christmas I lost feeling in both my feet and I developed huge blisters in both feet. I woke up one morning and one of them had burst. I just had a hole in my foot. I was so upset.

"Since then I have been visiting the podiatrists every week to have them dressed.”

Her toes were also badly sunburnt on a recent holiday after losing feeling in her feet.

She said: “I am very careful. As a nurse and someone who has had diabetes many years, I know the risks. But I still get caught out sometimes.”

As well as taking insulin every day, Ms Weeks also takes antibiotics and strong painkillers to treat her condition and has a team of specialist doctors, nurses, podiatrists and dieticians who she regularly sees.

She added: “Every bit of your body is affected by diabetes.

"I just want to warn others in the same position to be cautious and mindful of what can happen.”

Claire O’Malley, a high risk specialist podiatrist at the trust, said: “With the Charcot process, there is sadly no time frame for the active or destructive phase. The treatment plan requires the patient to be in a cast to support and protect the foot from further deformity.

“We must monitor the foot on a weekly basis and check the temperature difference – if there is more than two degrees difference between the feet this indicates the process remains active. Which means the foot is re-plastered again and the process continues, which can be anywhere between six to 18 months.

"This is clearly very frustrating for patients like Lesley who are doing everything they can to lower the risks.

“We ask our patients to be aware of the risks. Diabetes can cause problems with sensation and reduced blood flow to feet and legs, so people may not notice any issues with their feet until a problem has developed.

“They may not notice an issue until the end of the day. By then they may have developed the start of an ulcer which can cause further damage.

“Working together with the diabetes specialist nurses, consultants and dietitians, we treat and advise our patients. You can never be too careful. Our advice is to regularly check your feet. It’s about early intervention.”