If we hadn't dragged her kicking and screaming to the podiatrist (several yrs. of patiently explaining that all diabetics need to go having done no good at all) I'm sure she would have lost the foot fairly soon to either sepsis from an ulcer or just the Charcot getting too far gone to save. We spent all last week thinking she was headed for surgery and an external fixator - and I suspect if she was 65 instead of 85 they might have done that anyway. But the surgeon is willing to try a cast and then a brace and see if it will work. She may never be able to fully put her weight on it again. She also has post-polio syndrome which contributes to the neuropathy. We keep telling her she was lucky as hell she made it 57 years after the polio without needing a wheelchair or brace - she really shouldn't complain!