Just a thought (but a scary one!)

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Carina1962

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Like all of us on here, i am so so scared of the complications that diabetes can bring and was wondering, i know we've heard of people (including my grandfather) that have had horrible complication brought on by diabetes but have these people not taken their diabetes seriously? ie not tested and carried on as though they hadn't got it? when i'm trying to get at is are these complications inevitable if you are well controlled? i know that nothing is guaranteed but it is a scary thought :(
 
my neuropathy was brought on by my sheer stupidity. I didn't test my blood sugars, didn't inject. In all honesty I feel lucky to be here with nueropathy rather than in a wooden box six feet under.
 
The general feeling now tends to be that if you can keep well controlled, ie. HbA1c below 7, eat low GI, exercise, etc then you are more or less on the same odds as non-diabetics.

There's always an increased risk with eyes and extremities but there's plenty of healthy people with poor vision or circulation, so it's not something that's exclusive to us.

Rob
 
I've gone 19 years without a single complication. Not even a problem with my eyesight. I am incredibly grateful and lucky for that, I know. I've always been relatively stable - I'm having some issues at the moment, but averaged over 19 years I'm pretty stable which again, I am very thankful for.

In theory, it isn't inevitable you will get complications, and I hope that if I can avoid them for the rest of my life, I'll be one of those to prove it 🙂
 
I know people who have lived with diabetes for many years and no complications. The better control you have the less likely you are to have complications. I know there are people who are in denial or who are very cavalier about the diabetes until something happens and stops them in their tracks. Then they take control and reduce the complications.
 
I'm one who at first did not take my diabetes serious then realised when i was having poor control just how rubbish it was making me feel then i had a candid chat with my GP who showed me with some pictures what cound happen to me and i thought like hell do i want to be like that i must sit up and take this deadly serious, I guess its already been said the better the control you have the less likely you are to have complications.
 
I've had type one for 33 years. Have recently had some eye lasering but apart from that I'm ok. Hope that encourages some of you.
 
Because of the lifestyle changes you have to make when you are diagnosed, i certainly feel better with my weight loss (although i still have quite a way to go) and eating healthier (have just prepared a lovely healthy salad for lunch tom 🙂 i'm walking which is something i never used to do i actually do feel better in myself. My grandfather was in denial and at age 73 he was faced with the choice of amputation and refused and you know what the outcome was. I have a strong family history of diabetes but i am determined to do everything i need to do to keep good control.
 
Hi Carina

I hope you do your best to stay positive, you've obviously seen first hand some of the complications. I feel (most days) that nothing is inevitable (except that I will play the lottery and not win!) and try and balance a healthy life with a life, from what you say you perhaps feel healthier, I do too and think it is a bit of a wake up call to try and behave a bit more healthily, and I am trying!

Good luck with keeping on top of it all.

Rossi 🙂
 
I wouldn't say they are inevitable, but then again good control doesn't always guarentee no complications. I have have reasonable control for the 10 years I have had diabetes and still have neuropathy. For me I think I need to have the tightest control i can safely achieve. I think genetics must play a part, complications are no entirely dependant on control.
 
I don't have diabetes myself, my little girl got type 1 and I do worry, also I have coelaic disease but I feel it is nothing compared to her diabetes. Im saying as non diabetes everyone do worry if its not diabetes, its cancer, heart disease, etc. Let's just live for now and be happy 🙂
 
sofaraway said:
I wouldn't say they are inevitable, but then again good control doesn't always guarentee no complications. I have have reasonable control for the 10 years I have had diabetes and still have neuropathy. For me I think I need to have the tightest control i can safely achieve. I think genetics must play a part, complications are no entirely dependant on control.
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I'd agree. Also on the flip side, poor control is not always a choice thing - those ancient gits amongst us (including myself! :D) who have notched up several decades with this condition will know how much better control is possible now, whether with MDI or pumps, even if we still wish for even better control! I was diagnosed at 11 months, and put on 2 injections a day. My parents had to help me try & achieve some kind of control (let alone tight control) through the erratic activity levels, growth spurts, hormonal changes etc etc of infancy, childhood & puberty, using the pretty much inadequate tool of just 2 injections a day. (On the plus side, they kept me alive, mustn't grumble lol! 🙂)

So it's hardly surprising that despite trying to achieve good control (which has got better over the years as my understanding & the tools available to me have improved), having had diabetes for 31 years now, & through 2 pregnancies, I'm starting to show some signs of wear & tear in the form of proliferative retinopathy. Fingers crossed though, that as there will be no more pregnancies (which generally accelerate retinopathy), this will settle down again post treatment. I guess that all you can do is maintain the best control you can, & try & live healthily & stay as positive as possible...
 
Obviously there is no guarantee that you will never get any complications, but maintaining good overall control of your BG's will lessen the chances of complications developing.
 
Twitchy said:
I'd agree. Also on the flip side, poor control is not always a choice thing - those ancient gits amongst us (including myself! :D) who have notched up several decades with this condition will know how much better control is possible now, whether with MDI or pumps, even if we still wish for even better control! I was diagnosed at 11 months, and put on 2 injections a day. My parents had to help me try & achieve some kind of control (let alone tight control) through the erratic activity levels, growth spurts, hormonal changes etc etc of infancy, childhood & puberty, using the pretty much inadequate tool of just 2 injections a day. (On the plus side, they kept me alive, mustn't grumble lol! 🙂)

So it's hardly surprising that despite trying to achieve good control (which has got better over the years as my understanding & the tools available to me have improved), having had diabetes for 31 years now, & through 2 pregnancies, I'm starting to show some signs of wear & tear in the form of proliferative retinopathy. Fingers crossed though, that as there will be no more pregnancies (which generally accelerate retinopathy), this will settle down again post treatment. I guess that all you can do is maintain the best control you can, & try & live healthily & stay as positive as possible...
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So what ur saying twitchy is that your better being a man with diabetes.... I Knew it 😛 hehehe xx
 
You know the first rule of psychological self therapy : think positive and everything will be positive! negative thoughts attract negative accidents!! take a good care of Your treatment and think less of complications - don't be scared beforehand!!!
 
xxlou_lxx said:
So what ur saying twitchy is that your better being a man with diabetes.... I Knew it 😛 hehehe xx
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Yep - the boys have no monthly hormonal swings, no pregnancy problems, no excuse! :D😉 (Suspect I'm going to pay for that comment hehe!!)
 
Twitchy said:
Yep - the boys have no monthly hormonal swings, no pregnancy problems, no excuse! :D😉 (Suspect I'm going to pay for that comment hehe!!)
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I can concur that it is better being a bloke. 😉

Andy "Stands back and admires the fireworks" HB
 
But males have higher death rates from cardio vascular disease, regardless of diabetes or not, and women, on average, live longer. Pregnancy protects against some conditions in the longer term, but obviously not all women want to, or are able to, become pregnant or achieve a live birth.
 
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