SoleSee

19/05/2020

Was it really 2 years ago our Foot Inspection mirror Solesee won Product of the Year 2018 at the Annual Family Network UK Awards?
I still remember feeling so proud that David and I were providing a device that anyone with diabetes could use which had the potential to save limbs and ultimately lives...It was great to have Solesee recognised as the fantastically simple but incredibly empowering device that it is.
Solesee is going from strength to strength and it’s importance cannot be underplayed during the current lockdown. Those that cannot get to see those podiatrist for their monthly foot check or have their friend check their feet when they pop in for a coffee and a chat can now use the device to check their feet themselves. Diabetic foot problems don’t go away just because of the corona virus - they will just develop silently underfoot....
Checking your feet daily is the best way to reduce the risk of this happening.

05/05/2020

Did you know that NHS England spends more on Diabetic Foot Disease than on Breast, Prostate and Lung Cancers combined. Did you also know that 'if the NHS were to reduce the prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers in England by one‐third, the gross annual saving would be more than £250 million?' (taken from a study by Kerr et al 2019).. mind blowing stats aren't they?
Surely checking your feet daily would be a good place to start, to try and reduce the chance of developing diabetic foot disease.....?
This will get you started :-

The simple 3 step daily foot check for anyone with diabetes

01/05/2020

In this blog I will outline a simple 3 step foot check which is easy enough to incorporate into your daily routine if you have diabetes!

Up until lockdown many of you will have had regular podiatrist appointments to have your feet checked, giving you peace of mind. Many of you will also have had a friend of family member regularly pop in for a cuppa who will check your feet while they are there! Since lock down this will not have been happening and we are not certain when social distancing rules will relax enough for those practices to restart.

When you emerge from this period of isolation, the last thing you want to find is that you have developed a problem on your feet which you have been completely unaware of and that could take months to heal - if at all. The preferred option would be to come out with relatively healthy feet which you have become very familiar with that allow you to get on with your life.

The best chance you have of avoiding problems is to start checking them yourself - now.

Please share with your friends and family - we all know someone who has diabetes and this simple 3 step foot check could be the reminder that they need.....

In this blog I will outline a simple 3 step foot check which is easy enough to incorporate into your daily routine if you have diabetes.

23/04/2020

Happy Shakespeare Day! Celebrate the birth of the bard by checking out one of his birthplace’s local businesses, Solesee, who developed and now sell a device for those with diabetes which could potentially save limbs and lives....

21/04/2020

Have you got diabetes or have a friend of family member who does? if so, as its 'National Tea Day', grab a cup of tea and take a few minutes to read our blog on why it is so important to look after your feet if you have diabetes. It is a simple guide to diabetes and the potential risk of lower limb amputations. Hopefully it makes it clear why anyone with diabetes, whether newly diagnosed or someone who has had it for years, needs to be so vigilant with their feet. So put your feet up and have a read!

Here is a simple guide to diabetes and why anyone who has the condition needs to be vigilant with their feet to reduce their amputation risk

16/04/2020

... this includes looking after your feet and contacting your Podiatrist/Diabetes Nurse or GP if you notice any changes

Reminder to people with diabetes not to put their health at risk by not taking safety precautions during COVID-19 pandemic.Health leaders from across the UK have called on the public to continue to seek appropriate medical help during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) health crisis. Although there is no of...

14/04/2020

Please read our new blog on how to keep your feet healthy if you have diabetes.
During the Covid-19 pandemic when the country is in lock down, it is even more important to be checking your feet daily if you have diabetes. If you notice a change in the condition of your feet, a call to your Podiatrist/Diabetes Nurse/GP straight away could really save you weeks/months of anguish in the future, as well as saving the NHS money and resources. If a problem is caught early enough there is less chance of it developing into something more serious. Even if you feel that this isn't relevant to you as your feet are fine, a simple check of the soles of your feet each day either before or after washing and drying them will allow you to familiarise yourself with what they look like when healthy. If a problem occurs in the future you are then more likely to spot it.
Start checking today and take control of your foot health.
Please share with any friends and family that have diabetes.

To be honest, if you have already established the habit of checking the soles and heels of your feet every day then you are doing exactly th

06/03/2020

Congratulations to Karen Cuthbert who is the winner of the Solesee Foot inspection mirror free prize draw promoted by DRWF Diabetes!
Karen, please can you message us at Solesee so that we can arrange to have the mirror sent out to you?

Thanks to everyone else who entered by liking our Solesee FB page. Can you all direct message our Solesee page so that I can then send you the discount code to use when buying yourself or yr family member the Solesee mirror using the 10% discount. The code can only be used when placing an order through our website www.solesee.com.
Thanks again to everyone who entered and I hope that Solesee helps you to make your daily foot check quick and easy and empowers you to take control of your foot-health.

03/03/2020

Thanks to DRWF Diabetes for promoting our free prize draw to win a Solesee foot inspection mirrors which was featured in their November Newsletter alongside their 'Looking after your feet this winter’ article (https://bit.ly/2Dn3uGV)
For those that aren't aware of SoleSee, it is a device which has been specifically designed for people with diabetes to make their daily foot check easier. Solesee has a light shatterproof mirror, set at the perfect angle to see the whole of the sole of your foot and heel from a seated position.
Entry will close at 5pm on Thursday 5th March so if you
would like to win one for yourself or a family member, to enter just click on SoleSee FB page and like the page. Even if you don’t win, all entrants will qualify for a 10% discount when buying through the Solesee website!
The winner will be announced after 5pm on Thursday!
Thanks!

30/11/2019

Black Friday weekend - take the opportunity to buy our potentially limb saving device for your loved ones who have diabetes this Christmas.
Daily foot checks for anyone with diabetes is crucial to maintain good foot health. Too many people are losing toes, feet and lower limbs due to diabetic complications every single week and 80% are preventable....
Buy your loved one a present which will allow them to take control of their foot health.
And no - there is no discount today because of the Black Friday weekend. Solesee is a tiny family run business whose main aim is to enable anyone with diabetes access to this potentially limb saving device. 169 lower limb amputations every week in England is 169 too many....

13/11/2019

On reading this article, I was reminded of conversation I had with someone recently who had diabetes and was a great runner - ultramarathons no less. Because of the amount of time he spent on his feet, he had many areas of thickened skin - calluses. He regularly checked his feet, being very aware of the potential risk diabetes could have on his feet. Luckily he wasn't suffering from neuropathy (lack of feeling) so could feel pain. If a problem occurred - even under the callus he would feel it and have it checked. We spoke about the importance of checking his feet daily - especially the callused areas and to check for changes. These areas of thickened skin can hide infected sites eg. ulcers, which is easy if there is feeling.

The example in this article relates to someone who did have neuropathy. He had an infected abscess which was hidden behind the callus, the patient having no idea it existed.
It is obviously more difficult to spot changes in a callused area of your foot, but the more familiar you are with the soles of your feet, the more likely you are to notice any slight changes and seek help from a professional who can identify whether there is a problem or not.

This is definitely a good reason for establishing a regular foot check, if you have diabetes, even if you have full feeling at present. If your soles of your feet look as familiar as the palms of your hands, any slight change will be noted straight away.

After reading the following quote from this article, prevention really must be the way to go....

"Approximately 40% of individuals with diabetes who develop a foot ulcer get another one within a year. Two-thirds will get another one within three years, and three-quarters will get another within five years. Just as with cancer, men and women with diabetic foot ulcers aren’t healed — they are in remission."

Diabetic foot ulcers are responsible for the vast majority of non-combat amputations among veterans. Yet too little is being done to prevent them.