Hi all,
Just joined but wanted to write a post about how I am currently as I imagine there will be others who are possibly heading down the same road and if i can help then hopefully it will achieve something.
Short background, was diagnosed at 9 years old and being honest have not looked after myself as in drinking, smoking, not testing, eating what ever alway thinking that I was invincible. I imagine there may be a few others who are/were similar.
About a month a go, I had what was probably an overdue wake up call, I awoke to a red blood line through my vision and went to Eye A & E and the long and short of it is that have the Diabetic Retinopathy and have subsequently had laser eye surgery and they informed me that my eyesight has deteriorated, I could barely do the third line on the Eye exam... The Doctor told me that if I had gone to my regular eye screening exams (which I have ignored) the whole process & damage could have been avoided. I also found out my HBA1c is running between 9 and 10.
So where am I now? well aside from being knocked for 6 initially I have made some lifestyle changes which have included dramatically lowering my carb intake and doing simple things - like Blood tests! allthough Im on the first few steps it has made me realise that diabetes is managable you just need to do the simple things right.. Im hoping that with good control what has happended may be reversible or at least not get any worse...
But please if you are reading this and the first few paragraphs sound familiar please just do the simple things, get your eyes checked when they tell you to and test regularly
Im on a long long road but hopefully its the start of a healthier one - would like to hear if anyone has been in similiar and managed to turn it around to,
Thanks
Michael
Just joined but wanted to write a post about how I am currently as I imagine there will be others who are possibly heading down the same road and if i can help then hopefully it will achieve something.
Short background, was diagnosed at 9 years old and being honest have not looked after myself as in drinking, smoking, not testing, eating what ever alway thinking that I was invincible. I imagine there may be a few others who are/were similar.
About a month a go, I had what was probably an overdue wake up call, I awoke to a red blood line through my vision and went to Eye A & E and the long and short of it is that have the Diabetic Retinopathy and have subsequently had laser eye surgery and they informed me that my eyesight has deteriorated, I could barely do the third line on the Eye exam... The Doctor told me that if I had gone to my regular eye screening exams (which I have ignored) the whole process & damage could have been avoided. I also found out my HBA1c is running between 9 and 10.
So where am I now? well aside from being knocked for 6 initially I have made some lifestyle changes which have included dramatically lowering my carb intake and doing simple things - like Blood tests! allthough Im on the first few steps it has made me realise that diabetes is managable you just need to do the simple things right.. Im hoping that with good control what has happended may be reversible or at least not get any worse...
But please if you are reading this and the first few paragraphs sound familiar please just do the simple things, get your eyes checked when they tell you to and test regularly
Im on a long long road but hopefully its the start of a healthier one - would like to hear if anyone has been in similiar and managed to turn it around to,
Thanks
Michael
