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what scares you or worries you most about diabetes?

Posted , 6 users are following.

fran32391
fran32391

What scares you the most about having diabetes, or what worries you the most about having diabetes?

0 likes, 18 replies

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  • fran32391
    fran32391

    Posted

    Do you ever think you'll get Chronic Kidney Disease?

  • sarah87162
    sarah87162 fran32391

    Posted

    What worries me most is the complications you can get with diabetes, particularly regarding the feet and the risk of going blind. A friend of mine has diabetes. He has recently had to have a couple of toes off and is almost totally blind.
    • fran32391
      fran32391 sarah87162

      Posted

      Hi Sarah, 

      From what I've read the odds of getting kidney disease are much higher than amputations or blindness. Amputations are mostly for type 1.  If you check statistics you'll see what I mean. I'm no Dr but if I were you I would keep track of lab reports that you can get from your lab so you can keep track of your numbers. And don't forget to track your kidney function, by knowing your GFR so that doesn't sneak up on you. A diabetic diet is easy compared to a renal(kidney/diabetic diet, so better to keep your A1 c down. You are correct in being concerned.

    • sarah87162
      sarah87162 fran32391

      Posted

      That is really interesting.

      I was diagnosed Diabetic Type 2 a couple of years ago.

      For the whole of last year I had recurrent Urinary Tract Infections and was diagnosed with some large kidney stones.

      No one ever suggested that the stones were due to me being diabetic.

      I had the stones removed by keyhole surgery at the beginning of December and am now much better. It was complicated because I was born with horseshoe kidneys (they are joined together).

      I am 67 and only found out I had horseshoe kidneys 7 years ago. No trouble with them until last year.

      Sarah

    • fran32391
      fran32391 sarah87162

      Posted

      Sarah,

      So glad to hear you are doing better! I've had kidney stones in the past and hope I don't get any more since I only have one good kidney left, that one working at 22 %.  My gfr is now 22. I am no Dr so please remember that but I would say don't hold the urine long so it doesn't back up into your system. When you need to "go" just get to a bathroom and empty your bladder. Keep hydrated also. Keep your sugar low, and keep track of your gfr readings from your labs. After you go in for your labs wait about 4  days then go back and ask for a hard copy. When you go to your Dr ask him what your gfr is if you didn't see it in the lab report.  Most diabetics don't realize they can have kidney problem. Don't know why Drs don't tell them. Watch your kidneys.

    • sarah87162
      sarah87162 fran32391

      Posted

      What is gfr? Don't think I have ever had it tested.

      Had pain again yesterday and today. Went to Dr.this morning.

      Urine sample completely clear no infection and no blood in it.

      Dr thinks it might be something to do with the fact I had gallstones a few years ago and had my gallbladder removed.

      Careful what I eat for a bit!!

      Sarah

    • fran32391
      fran32391 sarah87162

      Posted

      Sarah, I had my gallbladder taken out years ago and the surgeon said it would't change the way I ate. With me it was true.

      GFR is the abbreviation for Glomerular Filtration Rate, it's a test to see how well your kidneys are working.  I think all diabetics should know what their gfr is and keep an eye on their kidneys.

    • gill70346
      gill70346 sarah87162

      Posted

      I have to agree with Fran. I had my gallbladder out many years ago and have had no problems since with pain I can eat just about anything although I cannot have too much fatty stuff as it is makes me feel sick.  If you are still having pain it definitely needs investigating. Where is your pain? If it is in the upper part of the abdomen there is a possibility it is your liver, I only say that because I had that last year. My liver function tests were normal but a CT scan showed I had a lot of stones in my liver and I had to have half of my liver removed last September - 2 weeks before my 70th birthday.
  • wiggey
    wiggey fran32391

    Posted

    My biggest worry is that the specialists told me that i am to old to have a operation on my right leg to open the vein

     I am 90 years old . But apart from being a no 2 diabetic i am in very good health .

    bye from wiggey  p/s I live in a nursing home in Australia 

  • wiggey
    wiggey fran32391

    Posted

    Hello this is a fallow up of the page below.I heard that if people with diabetes was to go on a diet it would help to lower the blood sugar.So 2 months ago I put myself on a no sugar diet i Refuse to eat any food or drink that  might

    have sugar in it .AT meal times I do not have any deserts or ice cream or sugar in my tea or coffee .I have lost 

    1 inch  around my waist with out any exercise. in the past i have spent hundreds of dollars $ trying to lose Waite

    and now i am losing it without trying  it is great  bye from Wiggey    

    • fran32391
      fran32391 wiggey

      Posted

      Wiggy, that's pretty good! 

      Yes, you can improve your numbers by following e diabetic diet and it does help some people loose weight. If you are in a nursing home they probably serve you a good healthy diet. Diabetics are allowed sugar but in very small amounts and not real often. So if they serve you a cookie I would think they have counted the carbs for you.

  • gill70346
    gill70346 fran32391

    Posted

    What worries/scares me most about diabetes is possible complication. I am already badly disabled because of childhood polio. I can walk short distances in the house but outside the home use mostly a wheelchair. I am really scared that I will get neuropathy in my good leg and will end up not been no able to walk at all. I am also somewhat afraid of developing retinopathy as I already have an uncommon chronic eye disease called uveitis and am afraid that if I get retinopathy I will go completely blind. I am 70 and have decided that aging with a disability is not for the fainthearted
    • fran32391
      fran32391 gill70346

      Posted

      Gill,  aging is not for the fainthearted period. I can't imagine having a disability on top of everything else. I always worried about becoming blind also but the worse thing that happened to me was that I got cataracts. I had them removed and now I just use glasses to read. I decided long ago that I will do my best to keep my A1c down, enjoy what I can and just deal with the rest. I should have been watching all my lab numbers including my gfr, it started dropping and just keeps going down, now I have Chromic Kidney Disease. And it's all because of diabetes. We don't have much to choose from do we, so we make the best of what we have. 

    • gill70346
      gill70346 fran32391

      Posted

      Thanks Fran. You're right. We do have to make the best of what we have but I have a number of friends of a similar age who when they retired have in effect given up whereas I just keep going. I still going swimming every week, archery once a fortnight and do a number of other things associated with church. I certainly keep myself busy!!!

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