I am a type 1, diagnosed at 12, now 57.
Last time I went to have my eyes looked at, I was told in the letter there were 'slight changes'. Until then, my eyes were fine.
I have no neuropathy.
I do have Diabetic cheiropathy and Dupuytren's contracture and arthritis in my hands.
My kidneys are working at 98% - normal.
My heart is fine and so are my veins and arteries.
Having had a DVT when I was 18, I do have some lymphedema in my legs. Since it's in both legs (the DVT one worst)I presume this is a diabetic complication as well. Since lymph in the cells will stop oxygen getting to the nerves I do wonder if this could be one of the reasons people get nerve damage. Particularly as our lymph will be rather glucose ridden. I have solved this problem by getting a Hivamat machine which uses electrotherapy to clear lymphedema and it has worked. I've noticed my insulin also works better when injected in my legs now.
These are all the complications I have, despite having very hard to control diabetes, with no warning symptoms (disappeared with 'human insulin in 1982) and a lot of hypos.
I have been on a modern insulin pump since 2000, but trialled one of the original pumps in 1982. I now have a 640 G with a continuous sensor and it is fab. I also have an assistance dog.
I have been offered a pancreas transplant. i am talking to the teams about this. I am very unsure. Mainly because so far I am without too many pesky complications.
I'm finding it hard to decide - a pancreas transplant gives you on average 7-8 years of not being diabetic. For that you have a 3% chance of dying at or around the time of the transplant, have to take immunosuppressant drugs for the rest of the life of the transplant, increase your chances of getting cancer a lot, skin cancer even more, and lay yourself open to many infections including those already in the body (not laid out for me but have read forums, so candida, the complications of chickenpox (shingles) and I suspect if you've had cold sore, herpes and things like that. What is more the drugs attack the kidneys and you lose kidney function - if it is already waning this is more of a problem but even so, this worries me, as when the transplant fails, I don't want to be needing two transplants, as having one already predisposes you to less likelihood of a god outcome next time because of antibodies.
Against that I have to put the likelihood of dying from a hypo (put at 1% per anum until you die of other things, presumably, if not that!) and also COMPLICATIONS.
What I don't seem to be able to find out is - how likely are complications if you've had it a long time and seem to be genetically protected to some degree.
I suppose what I'd like to hear from are diabetics who were fine until 60 but then went downhill, or those who were fine till 60 and are still well and fairly ok at 70, 80... are there any in their 80s here?
What's it like being an old diabetic? Miserable? Bearable? Fine? Would you have taken the risk and had a transplant to have some diabetes free years?