Diabetes can affect any and all parts of the body. It is the leading cause of adult blindness in the U.S., a major risk factor for heart attacks, can cause kidney failure, serious digestive tract illnesses, strokes, nerve damage/neuropathy, foot problems, skin problems, and the list goes on and on. Any of these complications can cause serious discomfort and death. This is only a brief summary, for a more in-depth discussion, see the American Diabetes Association website. Tight control is the best preventative for avoiding complications; the longer the time the blood glucose reading remains high (measured in hours), the more at risk you are for these complications. After you have the disease for a few years, the disease wears down many of your body parts and functions. This may happen even with tight control, but is normally much worse without it. |
| My intention in telling of my experiences is that maybe some one will pick up a bit of information he or she does not already know, that they might be encouraged to do all they can for better control, and that they might know they are not alone in their struggle against a sometimes relentless array of problems. I would also encourage people to join support groups either online or in person or both. You gain so much more information that way and you make some wonderful friends that are glad to help during the bad times; additionally if you are unsure about something, there is usually someone in these groups who's had that experience or is familiar with it. |
I've always done really well, especially in contrast to many other diabetics. However living with it for over 50 years has begun to take its toll. Still in comparison, I really have no reason to complain. I think my first real complication was about 1988 or 1989 (after about 31 or 32 years of diabetes) when the ophthalmologist told me I had diabetic cataracts. However they did not affect my vision and I could not tell that I had them for a long time. |
During the summer of 1998 I began having terrible lower back pain especially on arising from bed and after sitting for a long time. The doctor determined that this was caused by degeneration of the nerve endings in my lower back. I went to therapy for two weeks where the therapist showed me stretching exercises, also the proper way to lie down/sit up without damaging your back further. Degeneration cannot be reversed; I can't lie on my back or stomach and I am very stiff when I get up, can't bend or stoop until I've been up moving around for a while. If I stay in bed longer than five or six hours, the pain is almost unbearable so I don't ever sleep late. |
In October of 1988 at the age of 50, I had a very unexpected heart attack. That was a real eye opener and made me realize that I needed to take my diabetes much more seriously. I will say more about this on my "Heart Disease in Women" page. The myocardial infarction caused a mild case of heart failure which can be controlled with medication and a healthy lifestyle. |
| After the heart attack, I was put on several medications. Some of them made me extremely sick, diarrhea and vomiting. This sickness was much worse than the heart attack and continued for several months; I was ready to give up. We finally found medications I could tolerate so then I finally began to improve. That was not the end of my stomach problems; I started having exceedingly distressful stomach upsets, so bad I could not function. This happened at least once a week, sometimes more frequently; could not be traced to foods or medication. Finally I went to see a gastroenterologist who narrowed the cause down to diabetes. He gave me medication to relieve the discomfort. Many diabetics have a condition called gastroparesis, where the stomach loses its ability to move food through the digestive system as quickly as it should. This may result in acid reflux, vomiting, bloating, and/or diarrhea. Diabetics can also have other types of stomach malfunctions. |
In 1999 and 2000 the vision in my right eye grew continually worse; the doctor said it was because of my cataract. In June of 2000 I had it removed and received a lens implant. It took several weeks for my eyesight to gradually improve enough to function normally. |
During 2000 and 2001 I began having pain in my knees while walking. Now I was introduced to yet another doctor who told me the cartilage in my knees was degenerating. He prescribed physical therapy and an anti- inflammatory drug, which helped some initially but it grew worse until the pain was so great I could not bear to walk. It was then I had arthroscopic surgery to generate some scar tissue to replace the missing cartilage. This procedure worked wonders, however I still have some pain and require medication for it. My orthopaedic surgeon says that when the anti-inflammatory drug no longer does enough good, I will need knee replacement surgery. |
The years 2001/2002 brought yet another problem, excruciating pain in my left shoulder. I had three months of therapy without success, then determined that I could probably live with it as long as I took the anti-inflammatory medication. However it grew steadily worse until it hurt even if I didn't move it. I had surgery for the condition in Nov. 2004 where the orthopaedic surgeon performed a manipulation to release the frozen shoulder. The surgery is followed by aggressive physical therapy. Diabetics are prone to have a condition called diabetic capsulitis where you lose movement in the arm from inactivity because moving the arm and shoulder are extremely painful from inflammation. It is also referred to as frozen shoulder. The following page contains a research summary, several links to articles, and tells of my experiences. |
| See my Frozen Shoulder page for more information about this condition. |
In 2003 it seemed like I was getting another cataract in the same eye. There is a film behind the implanted lens that is left in and it can become cloudy over time; to correct this the doctor "poked" a hole in the film with the laser. It was a simple procedure. Also in 2003 I noticed my left eye declining; this cataract was removed and a new lens implanted in June of 2004. This time I could see well immediately! The ophthalmologist is continually amazed that I've never had any bleeding or sign of retinopathy; he says this is unusual for someone who has been a diabetic for so long. |
Earlier in 2004 I started seeing a podiatrist every couple of months because of continuing problems with my feet. I have hammer toes which causes lots of corns and callouses, making it very painful to walk. I also have ten ingrown toenails. The doctor cuts my nails and scrapes the callouses and corns; she also ordered a pair of diabetic inserts for my shoes which should help to protect my feet and hopefully enable me to walk better. A diabetic should see a podiatrist at least once a year or more frequently if having feet problems. |
Have you ever heard of a condition called trigger finger? I hadn't until my thumb started bothering me in early 2004; then I saw posts about the condition on one of my online diabetes groups. Apparently very common in diabetics, it is an inflammation of tissue inside your finger or thumb. It is also called tenosynovitis. Tendons that attach muscle to bone and allow you to bend the joints become swollen, making it difficult to straighten the finger or thumb. When the locked tendon releases, the finger jumps. My thumb straightened itself out after a couple of months, probably aided by the celebrex I take. After having the same condition in my middle finger for several months that was quite painful at times, I had surgery in March 2005 to open the sheath that allows the tendons to slide as I bend my finger. |
By July 2006 I had reached the point where I needed a full replacement in my right knee. The procedure was done on July 19, 2006. You can read about this on My Knee Replacement page. One week after being discharged from the hospital, I was readmitted with a high fever and vomiting of unknown origin. This turned out to be a bladder infection. I did not experience the normal symptoms because I was taking a pain killer. The condition reached serious status because of the bacteria that was being spilled into my blood. You can read about this on my "Great Escape" page. |
| The bottom line is that we must achieve tight control. This is always a challenge so we need all the education we can absorb as well as support from medical professionals and other diabetics. Support can make a world of difference to your well-being. |
| From these lists of medical doctors and medications/supplies below, you can see that adequate insurance is a defnite need: |
| Current prescription medications include: insulin an ace inhibitor a beta blocker a diuretic an anti-inflammatory drug 2 cholesterol-lowering drugs iron -------------------------------- Medical Supplies and equipment include: insulin pump & batteries related infusion sets cartridges, surgical dressing site prep pads adhesive remover pads glucose testing meter & supplies related test strips -------------------------------- Over the Counter Medications Advised by Doctor: Ecotrin (coated aspirin-blood thinner) Fibercon (fiber therapy) Multiple Vitamin plus Minerals |
Another side effect of diabetes and its complications is the necessity of seeing an ever-growing number of different doctors and other medical professionals. My medical team consists of: a family practice doctor a cardiologist an endocrinologist a certified diabetes educator a dietitian an orthopaedic doctor physical therapists a dentist a podiatrist a gastroenterologist an opthamologist an infectious disease doctor Keeps me quite busy just trying to keep up with appointments. Many of these people also send me for numerous tests, i.e. blood tests, xrays, MRI's, nuclear stress tests, angiograms, and others. |
| I still feel very fortunate when I hear about the problems experienced by other diabetics. I have been truly blessed. So many times I read about their problems and cry as I pray for them; their sense of humor and willingness to help others is truly an inspiration. One such person is Jan Hughey; I first became acquainted with Jan on the diabetes email list, Insulin-Pumpers.org. Then I looked at her website and sent her a private email. After that she invited me to join an email list she had started. On this list I have come to know a number of really nice people; we share laughter and joy and we also cry and pray together. Jan has written a book about diabetes called “Tolerating the Sweet Life.” She has also published a collection of poems she wrote called "A C.L.I.P of Poems: Communication, Life, Inspiration, People/pet." For a description of Jan's books and for a link to order, go the this link http://maxpages.com/TSLandCLIP Jan's picture is on my personal page "More Friends" Here is a link to her main website page: http://maxpages.com/bludasue |
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After my knee replacement in 2006, I quit taking Celebrex and found that my left knee was also in pretty bad shape. I resumed the Celebrex twice a day which bought me some time, but in April of 2007 I began experiencing excrutiating pain which disabled me from walking. I gave in to a cortisone shot in the knee; it took effect gradually and kept me mostly pain free but I then resolved that I would not go through that pain again. On July 13, 2007 I had my left knee replaced with the fairly new Zimmer "female" knee that is made to conform better to a woman's anatomy. I sincerely hope I don't need to replace any more body parts. |