Ron Carlson had been hampered by various health problems for several years.

The Rockford resident has lived with diabetes for 30 years. Nearly 20 years ago, Carlson had quadruple bypass surgery.

Then in 2022, the retired salesman developed a sore above his left ankle that wouldn’t go away. 

Carlson says it was a significant-sized wound. “When I first looked at it, my concern was, 'Hey, I'm not going to have a foot.' And they said, 'Yes, you will. And we can get through this, but it's going to take a while.' They were absolutely right.”

“They said it was an ulcer that had to heal from the inside. Well, never healed and never healed. Just kept getting worse,” he added. “And so finally, that's what eventually led me to Dr Cox.”

Samantha Cox, DO, is a vascular surgeon with OSF HealthCare, who determined that Carlson needed limb salvage surgery as part of his care plan.

Limb salvage is surgery to repair and restore a limb (arm, leg or foot) that’s diseased or injured. The surgery is an attempt to save a limb instead of opting for amputation.

“When it comes to limb salvage, he hits on all the pieces,” says Dr. Cox. “He's got arterial disease, he's got venous disease, he's got diabetes. He's had a long-standing wound; all those things play into it.”

Dr. Cox says it’s important to take a holistic view of limb salvage when attempting to improve someone's lower extremity vascular disease. Surgery is becoming more common around the world as the number of people with diabetes increases.

Complex case 

Carlson had an extremely complex issue. In addition to his leg wound, Carlson had peripheral arterial disease (PAD), a condition where the arteries narrow and reduce blood flow to the arms or legs and causes pain. PAD can be the result of high cholesterol or diabetes.

“We had to get his blood sugar under control; we had to optimize his nutrition; we had to get into the wound care center,” says Dr. Cox. “We had to fix his arterial disease; we had to fix and maintain his venous disease.”

Dr. Cox performed two surgeries on Carlson to repair the arterial and venous diseases. Then she fixed his wound before sending him to the wound care center for further treatment.

Feeling good again 

Carlson is happy to be back on his feet again.

With help from his wife, Carlson manages to care for his wound daily, including cleaning and changing the dressing. Carlson says his leg looks much better, and the circulation in his leg has improved.

And he has no restrictions. He’s watching his six grandkids play sports and other activities.

“I couldn't really travel anywhere to go see them, to a sporting event or anything like that,” Carlson says. “Just lately, I've been able to make that distance in traveling, for an hour or two hours, whatever it takes to get to where they're going. I can do that now.”

Many people experience leg pain or heaviness, especially as they get older. Dr. Cox says it’s important to have a conversation with your primary care provider to determine if you have a problem and the best way to approach treatment.  

“The sooner you seek help from a professional, the quicker you are going to be on the road to recovery,” says Dr. Cox. “These are very complex issues. We often say when it comes to limb salvage, it takes a village, and it truly takes a village of support for patients to get through these issues, whether it's management of arterial disease or venous disease, as in this patient's case. If it's a matter of wound care, we have resources to help people.”

For more information on vascular programs and services, visit the OSF Cardiovascular Institute website.

Dr. Samantha Cox Interview Clips

Ron Carlson Interview Clips 

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For mom

Anderson says it’s no problem for pregnant women to have onions in their diet.

“They are very rich in antioxidants. That’s something we don’t get a lot of. They’re really high in vitamin C,” Anderson says. “They have fiber, magnesium and potassium. Fiber and magnesium help with digestion, and magnesium helps with cramps. Potassium is really good for blood circulation and blood pressure.”

But, there are the usual precautions. When adding raw onions to a meal (a salad, for example), wash them to remove any bacteria. And don’t overindulge. For example, don’t have a greasy, processed cheeseburger as an excuse to get your daily onion intake.

“Onions are a high FODMAP food, which means there are carbohydrates that are harder for some people to digest,” Anderson adds, noting that a woman’s digestive system changes a lot when carrying a baby. “So if you have a sensitive digestive system, onions could cause bloating. If you have irritable bowel syndrome, onions can make that flare up. Cooking onions helps break down some of those carbohydrates and aids digestion.”

For baby

Infants should consume breastmilk or formula exclusively for at least the first six months, Anderson reminds. But after that, introducing onions is like introducing any other food: Slow and steady wins the race.

One option: Sauté some onions to soften them, cut the food into small pieces to prevent choking then work the onions into the store-bought baby food.

“Make it easy for baby to chew. They’ve never had to do that before,” Anderson points out. “It’s good to let them learn how to chew, but we need to make sure the foods are easy to chew.

“Onions help develop a baby’s palette,” Anderson adds of the benefits of the vegetable. “Experts are finding that introducing strong flavors like that can prevent picky eating in the future.”

Precautions and warning signs to know: If the baby is extra fussy or gassy or has an allergic reaction like a rash or diarrhea, take the onions out of the diet and see if that improves things. See a health care provider if symptoms don’t improve.

Myth vs. fact

Do a web search for “babies and onions,” and you’ll find a lot of claims.

• Can onions help with colic, a condition where a healthy baby cries for a long time? Not so fast, Anderson says. In fact, onion-induced gassiness could make the baby even more fussy.
   
• Some say putting an onion in my baby’s crib or sock or giving them onion water can help with baby’s health. 
  
  “It’s supposed to draw out toxins,” Anderson says, repeating what she calls an “old wives’ tale.”
  
  But, Anderson says science doesn’t back the claims up. In fact, onions can irritate a child’s skin and eyes.
   
• Can eating onions help with teething, when the baby’s teeth emerge? There’s actually some truth to this one, Anderson says. To try it, skip other types and focus on green onions. Let the food cool in the refrigerator before giving it to the little one.
  
  “It’s teaching them to bring things to their mouth and chew. It’s a food that’s cool and not super hard. As they chew, it will break down. But it’s not going to disintegrate in the mouth,” Anderson says.
  
  All this can help with pain and inflammation, Anderson says. Just watch your youngster at all times while chewing.

Learn more

Read more about how to have a successful pregnancy and birth on the OSF HealthCare website. The health system or social service agency near you may also offer classes to master baby feeding.

Interview clips

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