Complications - feeling scared

[Yorksman]

I hadn't been worried until the Doomsday lecture from the nurse! She basically made it sound like if u get foot nurothapy that you'd be dead in a few years!

She should have added that most of the complications are avoidable with care and checking.

Medical statistics are notoriously badly collated. They include data from 50 years ago when knowledge about care was not as advanced and they include data about people who haven't given a jot about their health and people who carry on as normal when they take their meds as if meds alone will sort everything out for them and people who started to look after themselves only years after complications had set in but not before and so on and so on. People who smoke have their toes and limbs amputated and which box does a HCP tick for a diabetic who smokes and who has had an amputation, cause 1. smoking or 2 diabetes?

If you asked for data on how many diabetics who carefully follow the advice, have regular checkups, watch what they eat and generally look after themselves, you probably won't find any information. No one collates data on trouble free diabetics.

I don't know anything about the disease Type 1 but the statistics on overall life expectancy are improving. 30 years ago a woman without type 1 may have lived 20 years longer than someone with type 1. Now the gap is down to 10 with some data showing the gap as low as 5 to 7 years. This is based on a woman being diagnosed in her 20s and the average age for a woman being 83. The aim is to get the difference down to zero. By far the greatest factor for the improvement is better glycaemic control.

Moreover, the improved stats on life expectancy still include all those patients who are rather carefree about their care, 'I can't be bothered today'. It also includes people who smoke, eat unhealthy diets, have high blood pressure etc etc. Whilst it is important that anyone should look after their health, it is especially important that diabetics look after their health. If you do, there is no particular reason why you should worry unduly about it. Just be aware and take care of yourself.

 

[Emmotha]

Thanks.

I worry more because I've been a smoker and only just quit :-(

 

[jack412]

no need to worry, just take your diabetes seriously

 

[Yorksman]

Thank you.

What are statins?

They are a group of drugs which lower your blood lipids and thereby your cholesterol. There are different types of statin and many have side effects, one of which ironically, is type 2 diabetes. It used to be thought that high cholesterol in the blood was bad and coupd lead to heart disease, strokes etc so it was thought that the benefits of statins outweighed the risks.

Whilst there are suggestions that higher levels of cholesterol are not as bad as they used to think, if you want to lower your cholesterol level, you can do so by being careful with what you eat. In my case that means more fish, vegetables, oils like olive oil, poultry and less pork, lamb and beef. I still eat those meats, just not as much and I cut off the excess fats.

There is a nice rule of thumb from France - the softer the cold animal fat, the better it is for you. So fish oils are best, with poultry next best, pork fat better than beef fat which is better than mutton fat.

Once again though, some people who are given statins think they can eat as much hard fat as they want because the magic pill will make everything OK and common sense goes out the window.

 

[Yorksman]

Thanks.

I worry more because I've been a smoker and only just quit :-(

Well, you will now start seeing the health benefits, not to mention the financial benefits. When I gave up smoking, I started to feel better in distinct stages, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and felt very very different after one year. Effectively, it is one less thing to worry about once you stop.

To alleviate the loss of smoking, I took up cooking and when I was diagnosed with type 2, I started to cook healthy meals. When I got things under control, I started to exercise and when I got fitter, I started to do different types of exercise. Because I saved a lot of money on cigarettes, I could afford to buy some nice bicycles. There is always something you can do if you look for it.

 

[yingtong]

Well here is a Type1 of over 50 years and I am still in one piece,I do have a few very minor complications,I stress you must look after your diabeties.i am no goody two shoe and in my young days did abuse it quite a bit,but thankfully I got to grips with it and if possible I want to celebrate 75 years of being Type 1.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Incidentally, do take note of podiatrists advice as well. I was told on diagnosis to wear flat lace ups as the norm and not to squeeze feet in to high heel slip ons unless for weddings or funerals!!! Best advice ever.
My feet still have amazing circulation and my tie up skechers are amazing. I live and will die in them. Like wearing slippers on feet all day, everyday. Before skechers I had plain speedy ducks as my first "diabetic shoes" and wore them till they were hanging off my feet. I still remember my dad offering me money to buy new shoes as they were so worn out, but by then the italian shoe company had disappeared.

I still have amazing circulation, and this I solely (ha,ha) put down to not cramping my feet in to high heeled slip on shoes. My adviser did tell me 30 years ago the only thing that keeps your feet in those shoes are because they are too tight.

Kept to minimal wear of higher shoes.. Infact for my 50th I did buy a pair of 5" heels... Still in box unworn!!!

 

[noblehead]

Well here is a Type1 of over 50 years and I am still in one piece,I do have a few very minor complications,I stress you must look after your diabeties.i am no goody two shoe and in my young days did abuse it quite a bit,but thankfully I got to grips with it and if possible I want to celebrate 75 years of being Type 1.

Hope you get to the 75th year Yingtong

btw, how's things going with regards to your pump, have you made the change over yet?

 

[yingtong]

Hope you get to the 75th year Yingtong

btw, how's things going with regards to your pump, have you made the change over yet?

With the allocation system the PCT works on I will be getting in March,I've been a long time sticking needles in myself I manage the wait.Thanks for your inquiry.

 

[noblehead]

With the allocation system the PCT works on I will be getting in March,I've been a long time sticking needles in myself I manage the wait.Thanks for your inquiry.

Not too long to wait then, really hope it goes well for you.

 

[LucySW]

Thanks.

I worry more because I've been a smoker and only just quit :-(

You've stopped now Emmotha though, so things will only get better.

From now on in, your goal is to keep post-prandial BS to 6.6 or under. Dr Bernstein's goal of 5.6 would obviously be even better, but it's hard to achieve. Which means trying very hard and often failing. Which is discouraging. But the < 6.6 target will keep you pretty safe.

Have you looked at this site? It brings together research on this question and it's reliable:

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045678.php

It's a bit ghoulish, but the point is that you can see where damage starts, ie the level below which you're pretty safe.

I've found that exercise plays a very important part in all this, especially for us LADAs. For me it seems to push my efforts over the edge into working, as opposed to not working. I recommend trying it out. Hard exercise - pushing up heart rate, or weight-bearing ex (ie anaerobic / exercises in gyms). It also makes you feel fit and strong, which is really, really nice. It's a good feeling.

Myself I think lo-carb is the only way for T1s to lower their BS/A1c. (Because it's safe to aim lower because of the smaller insulin doses.) That means high fat (LCHF) or else you'll starve slowly away. Have you tried the Jenny Ruhl nutritional calculator, which gives you a guideline for how much fat to eat, given your other vital statistix? It's here:

http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/33614154.php

Lucy
Still in my LADA honeymoon. Diagnosed four months ago and managing okay-ish BS thro LCHF, but also taking teeny NPH basal insulin doses, currently 2u night and morning, and ever trying to get them better.