scared of complications

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Carina1962

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Type 2
The more i read about complications the more scared and worried i become. I know that we have to be aware of all this but it really doesn't help when you read that 80% of diabetics die from cardiovascular disease and how the rise in amputations among Type 2's is rising. I did mention my concerns to my GP and she said that i just have to make sure by helping myself that i am the other 50% that doesn't get the complications but what does scare and concern me is that what happens if you are a well controlled diabetic and you still develop complications? it really is a depressing thought
 
Carine its only natural im the same , i dont even bother reading the health section no more unless i hear it on the news or here im none the wise, guess what gp said was right try and be the percentage that beats the stats
 
carina62 said:
The more i read about complications the more scared and worried i become. I know that we have to be aware of all this but it really doesn't help when you read that 80% of diabetics die from cardiovascular disease and how the rise in amputations among Type 2's is rising. I did mention my concerns to my GP and she said that i just have to make sure by helping myself that i am the other 50% that doesn't get the complications but what does scare and concern me is that what happens if you are a well controlled diabetic and you still develop complications? it really is a depressing thought
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Dear carina62,

I would be surprised if there was one of us that didn't worry about complications. However, from what I read of your recent posts you are doing everything you need to reduce the probability that you will be one of the unlucky ones. When we choose what BS targets we are aiming for we are in effect gambling that the choice we make will enable us to avoid complications. The closer to normal the smaller the risk - here's a link I posted recently for reference. The science shows that if we can achieve these targets the probability of complications is low:


Blood Sugar Targets

Warmest Regards Dodger
 
It is natural to worry, we all do it to some degree.

Although it is possible to get the complications, we can do a lot to help ourselves like keeping control of our levels and going to the dcotor when we spot any changes we are unhappy about.

Although we all have our concerns and we come here to get advice or support, I know many people with diabetes who have no complications.

We are all different, so different things will affect us and we all have different ways of dealing with things.

You are doing the right things by keeping in contact with your docotor and asking for help when you need it. All this helps reduce the risk of complications.
 
Use the concern as a driver to keep to a healthy lifestyle, diet, exercise, stress, modertate alcohol consumption and by not smoking.

Keeping good levels and control is critical, but excercie and ensuring your heart works well, circulation is good and you're aware of any changes and get them checked out as soon as possible.

Attend all your clinic and screening appointments, something caught in the early stages is often able to be nipped in the bud and cleared up or managed quicly there leaving a condition for years before doing something about it, you might not be so lucky.

There is no reason why with good control and all round fitness a diabetic can't have a perfectly normal and healthy life - I think in many ways, more so than those who aren't diabetic - they don't get screened once or twice a year as we do.

If there is something you think should be done, that isn't being done, ASK. The NHS is great at not always delivering what is can or should deliver. An appointment may have been lost in the post, your name might not be on the list, you won't be on the list if you don't remind them.

Finally, keep your eyes open for busses - no point working hard on you diabetes to get ploughed down by the number 42 🙄

Oh, and enjoy life - laugh as often as you can, at yourself or at others, better with others, easy for me, I just need to look in a mirror :D
 
Hi again Carina,

As far as I am concerned, the only things that I worry about are things that I can do something about. The rest is out of my hands.

Personally, I am doing everything that I can to get better and better control of my blood glucose levels. I am having a lot of success in doing just that.

Moreover, I believe that doing that will keep me clear of diabetic complications. Hope that I'm right!

Best wishes - John
 
Hi Carina,

Some of us are given the extra worry gene! There's nothing much we can do about it. I'm not too bad but agree it scares the bee-jesers out of me too, so I don't read much and avoid thinking about it, and try and crack on with what I can do! At least we have some professionals checking up on us every year or so!


Take care

Rossi🙂
 
Yes i know you are all right, all i can do is do my best in control although i do feel a bit guilty as i haven't been good every day over Xmas as this is my 1st Xmas since being diagnosed but anyway i will get my HbA1c results next week and take it from there. I will carry on with my weight loss and walking and try and lead a normal life like pre-diagnosis but just be aware in the background of diabetes. I have learned an awful lot since October 2009 and am still learning and thanks to all who reply back on here. Yes you always get stories from people (including myself, my late mother was diabetic) who have had someone in the family with diabetes and who maybe died from a complication from it but technology and the understanding of the disease has improved a lot over the years and the 'old' generation i would guess didn't have the education and understanding of it like we have today so i will try and be positive and look after myself as best as i can. thanks
 
It's good to reward yourself for good general control. Don't live life making every decision for your diabetes, make some for yourself. BUT in moderation.

Have a piece of chocolate, a dessert, perhaps a take away every so often for being good 98% of the time.

If you live entirely for the condition you won't live any longer, it will just feel like you are. 🙄
 
Einstein said:
It's good to reward yourself for good general control. Don't live life making every decision for your diabetes, make some for yourself. BUT in moderation.

Have a piece of chocolate, a dessert, perhaps a take away every so often for being good 98% of the time.

If you live entirely for the condition you won't live any longer, it will just feel like you are. 🙄
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I agree completly, and as usual nicely put. Life is too short to stuff a mushroom...
 
Yes, complications are scary but everybody above is right...if anybody lives a healthy life then chances are they'll have a long one. On the other hand, any of us could get run over by a bus tomorrow (on a Sunday? A bus? You'd have to be very unlucky...😉).
The very act of being aware of these risks probably makes you less likely to suffer from them though. As my practice nurse once told me, my worrying about my diabetes is natural, and at least it shows i'm not in denial. It's not just you Carina, the thought of complications scares the pants off me too somedays. I did that flora/benecol/whatever "heart age" thing that Northerner mentioned in his review, and it seemed to think that my heart was at least twice the age of the rest of me....stupid test thing....😛

In the end, everybody dies of a heart attack anyway. Ultimately, dying is one of the complications of living. Still, i'm watching out for buses, just in case.

Rachel.
 
Lots of good points - my over-riding aim is to have a good life for as long as possible. Years of life are more important to me than my ultimate cause of death - I'd prefer not to upset a driver, nor delay passengers, by falling under vehicle wheels, and I'd prefer not to be discovered dead in a car with pipe from exhaust to back door, as I once discovered someone in a Lake District car park.
So, I'm looking forward to last day before going back to work - cyling to meet friends this morning, yesterday's pumpkin & onion soup for dinner, then cycling to see free film premier with partner this afternoon.
 
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