Complications with Diabetes

[Beshlie]

I totally agree with you... And I understand that I will have alot of complications later on... After talking to this Doctor, it's just I lost hope... If you know what I mean? I can't even picture now starting a family because I'm going to be an inconvenience to my partner and also have no idea if I'm going to be around to see my kids grow up. There are alot of worse medical conditions out there... But this now feels like the death sentence for me.

Callen Naidoo

Callen, there is no reason why you can't have children and see them grow up IF you take good care of yourself. We need to take extra care of ourselves when we have diabetes to avoid real bad complications and the most important way we do that is by keeping our blood sugar levels to within non diabetic numbers, if possible, that is what I try to do and I do feel better for it. I'm not on insulin so I'm unable to comment on that but, from what I have read on this site I believe T2s have been able to stop insulin with good care, but that would be between you and your doctor. I think it's normal to feel low and depressed at times and then the outlook seems gloomy, but there are people here who are winning their own war on diabetes and there is no reason why you can't be one of them. It's just a matter of finding your own personal balance to stay healthy.

Oh, and welcome!

 

[peacetrain]

I have an uncle aged 70 and his sister, my aunt, in her 80s. Both are t2 and have been for about 30 years.


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[cal27naidoo]

Callen

Some Medical people can scare the cra pout of you to try n get you to always take control of your diabetes. Some of them play it down....

Diabetes is not so bad considering odometer other ailments, but you are young and I can remember clearly how I felt, but there wasn't google n internet back then so we pretty much were alone with our thoughts and worries. You certainly never questioned a Doctor, absolutely forbidden!,

So the present time with you..... It is a huge shock to be diagnosed with any diabetes..I cried myself to sleep every night for 6 weeks when I was diagnosed... Still got up and did my management job, but it was hard to be normal initially.

You will get more accepting as your control levels become balanced and you know what foods upset them. You can have basically any food as a type 1 when you know how to adjust bolus's etc... But you will need to try and balance the qtyof desserts, sweets n treats that many non diabetics seem to have on a constant basis.

Complication wise, life is in general what you make it... If you want to minimise complications then that's down to you to find ways to enjoy foods that you like to keep within the target ranges with your levels.

Believe me, I eat minimal during most of year, but December is MY month. I eat every Christmas food there is. Nothing's off limits!! I am lucky that I have a pump so can whack through much higher levels of basal rates for 24 hours a day... Literally until 2nd Jan. The rest of year except my birthday, I have just what I want, but just never want much!!

I'm glad you've got appointments coming up...let us know how you get on..

As for having a family etc... You can do the same as anyone else... A lot of people have fertility problems, miscarriages for women, etc and low sperm counts etc.... That's just part of our human genes nowadays for on diabetics too.

You are lucky that you will always have basic checks of your health made on you...non diabetics don't and can be living with high blood pressure etc and not know it....

You will be fine, be positive...think 'I can do'. I've banned kids that come in to contact with me from saying... "I can't" .. They accept from me that they have to find a way of getting help they need, when they can't do something. Nothing is a can't unless it's illegal... That's how you have to think of your diabetes... It lives with you.... You don't live with it.....make the most of your life Callen. Never have regrets...


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Thank you so much for sharing this with me... I totally agree with you... After speaking to you, I have a more positive and optimistic approach to life thank you

Callen Naidoo

 

[cal27naidoo]

What are your levels currently running at Callen?

Are you carb counting at all? Has your doctor discussed this with you?

Would you feel comfortable being able to adjust your own meds, rather than through the doctor. Only reason I ask is that on a long term basis you need to be able to manage increasing or decreasing meds yourself... Longterm though.. I'm not suggesting now.....it's just that it will give you more freedom to be able to eat the foods that you like and want to eat..


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Now it's on 6.5 before meals and about 8ish after meals... I really don't know how the carb counting works to be honest, all my doctor said was if it doesn't go to 5 I need to increase my insulin to 6 more units... I didn't do this however(getting terrible headaches when my sugar is less than 6)

Callen Naidoo

 

[donnellysdogs]

Callen

You will never get a flat rate of 5 ever. I think your gp is trying to scare the **** out of you.

First of, you must be ABOVE 5 to drive.
2nd blood machines can be up to 20% inaccurate- so when your machine says 5 it could basically be 4 and heading you toward hypo's or it could be 6.0.. Some machines read higher, some lower....

If your gp looking at a hba1c of 5.0 - well that is too low for a young man and you would be having more hypo's, which of course, aren't nice.

My superb consultant at MK hospital likes my hba1c to be no lower than 6.3 but ideally at 6.5 to 6.8. These levels minimise hypo's for me.. And that's important.

I don't know what your daily rate of insulin is, but no consultant has ever told me to alter by 6 units.. They have always advised on injections... 1-2 units a maximum at a time.

I think your doctor is being too harsh with you and some advice is being a little extreme...


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[donnellysdogs]

6.5 could be slightly lower but a rise to 8ish after meals is really, really good.. It means that you haven't got much variance or peaking with the food you eat. The peak would be better if it peaked at less than 8.0 but at this point its the pre meal level that could be very slightly lower which would then make your peak less than 8.0.

Well done, and I am really glad that you are feeling more positive. Honest, life is what people make it, but thank goodness for the forums etc nowadays where you can find out for yourself, that doom n gloom isn't a necessary part of diabetes! Well done, really proud that you are more positive.


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[iHs]

I also agree with what DD has said in her last msg as well. Telling diabetics to be on 5mmol before eating food is all very well but the action time of many bolus insulins is about 4 to 5 hrs and for many, trying to be on 5mmol b4 eating and then being on 7.5mmol 2 .5hrs later, will usually cause a low bg level to come by 3.5hrs and will need a small snack to stop it or face a very low bg by the time 4hrs has gone by. If bolus insulins had an acting time of 3hrs, then tighter control could be achieved without too much risk of low bg, but as yet these insulins are not available.




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[iHs]

A goodish hba1c for many is 6.7 to 7.2%. I have been able to stay within that range for most of my life with type 1 which is 1 year away from 50yrs. I havent suffered from any nerve damage to my legs or feet or needed laser for eye damage. This isnt down to luck, its down to looking after myself with the food that I eat and the insulin I inject and meeting diabetes half way.


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[donnellysdogs]

Getting headaches at 5.0 is probably or could be the start of hypo symptoms..especially if you've had higher levels for a while. Headaches may disappear as your levels become stabilised... But you may have a headache as a symptom of hypo's...


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