Feeling really down

I can understand how your husband feels. I received a letter telling me I'd early signs of retinopathy and was really upset - and I'd been diabetic for over 30 years! I spoke to my GP about it and she told me it COULD be due to high blood sugars I'd had during infections I'd had weeks before, when I'd required antibiotics. She told me my eye screening the following year could very well be clear - and luckily it was!

Has your husband spoken to his GP? . . . To find out he has diabetic nephropathy via an insurance company is diabolical. I would feel so angry and let down - I would also question the result, due to not being informed about it.

If your husband really does have these diabetic complications, I'd look on the positive side - With good diabetic control he can prevent further damage to his eyes and kidneys and can help prevent any of the other horrible complications we can be subject to.

I know that I felt really down during the first couple of years after diagnosis. They now know that diabetics are prone to depression and seem to offer help nowadays. Your hubby needs to speak to someone about the news he's received - whether it's GP, DSN or consultant. He needs reassurance from the professionals. Can he wait a few weeks for the consultant's appointment? If not, it has to be the DSN or GP.

If he keeps his BG blood glucose under control, he'll be fine.
The complications and death rates aren't on the new drugs. They are a lot better now.
Get him to join the forum and he tells his team how he feels. There is help and reality is never as bad as the fears.

There is a free online course and workbooks that may help to refresh
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/newly-diagnosed.60873/#post-583801

Does appear that your husband may be suffering from depression, it's quite common in people with diabetes and as Dancer says he should see his gp and get some help.

As for the retinopathy, many are told that they have the first stage of diabetic retinopathy but it never progresses any further, but unfortunately in some cases it does, however by controlling his bg, bp and cholesterol levels will help prevent it going to the next stage, but be assured that now these changes have been picked up they will monitor his eyes closely from here on.

The following website has some excellent information on diabetic retinopathy, have a good read around:

http://www.diabeticretinopathy.org.uk/Information_for_patients.html

As for the nephropathy, unless his gp or consultant has told him that he has this condition the insurance company may be mistaken, get him to ask his gp/consultant next time he see's them.

Get him to join the forum there are hundreds of people on here of all types who know what he's going through.
The one thing that is certain is that he's not alone in this.