- December 4, 2008 - 3:02 PM
Mediterranean Diet Good for Those with Type II Diabetes - 13WHAM-TV - December 4, 2008 - 2:40 PM
MannKind's inhaled insulin trials meet their goals - Forbes - December 4, 2008 - 12:56 PM
Diabetes Walker's US Trek Hits 10000th Mile In Tampa - Tampa Tribune - December 4, 2008 - 12:45 PM
UPDATE 1-Novo confident on profits and liraglutide - guardian.co.uk - December 4, 2008 - 11:45 AM
Partnership for Peak Healthcare Performance Research Shows ... - MarketWatch
Caring for a loved one with diabetes
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This is the hardest thing I have ever done. Getting support from others who you know have been through this is one of life's most procious gifts. Thank you for making this possible.
people
Impossible is nothing
Caring for loved ones
The toughest part of supporting family members with diabetes is first convincing them how devastating the complications will be. Until they begin to experience the initial impact it is very difficult to get them to take the first steps to help themselves. Early on, my brother and sister did not realize what was happening to them until they began living some of the complications of Type 2 diabetes.
Glaucoma surgeries failed to heal properly ending in no improvement; Foot and leg pains; A constant sensation of pressure around the lower legs; Then they started to get...then confusion sets in on what to do to make these problems go away.
We have persist in trying to help. Most of the time pre-diabetics and diabetics need information they can understand.
A Thankless Task
Motivating T-2 diabetics who don't try as hard to control their blood glucose levels is very frustrating.
Why can't these people do the right things? If they do, they will lower their blood glucose and delay T-2 complications.
•Are they too lazy to change?
•Are they too Confused on what to do?
What do you Think?
In my case, a family member
In my case, a family member (my mother) was diagnosed with diabetes about a decade ago. Given her age and relative good health in other areas, we tended to pay less attention to the diabetes -- after all, she was managing it with oral medication and quarterly visits to her family doctor revealed nothing out of the ordinary.
But time and ignorance took its toll.
About 3 weeks ago, she was diagnosed with a tumor on her pituitary gland. She underwent emergency surgery to remove the cancerous tissue.
I spent 11 days with her in ICU. The days were long for me, but longer for her. (After all, I could retreat to my hotel room every night, but she was constantly tethered to IV's, heart monitors, a catheter and lumbar drain. I could escape but she couldn't.)
Her recovery was hampered by her diabetic condition (made worse by the steroids she was given to reduce brain swelling post-surgery). Well-meaing family and friends, equally ignorant of diabetes, thought nothing of sneaking in Subway sandwiches and Panera bagles (her favorite). Her wounds bled longer than they should have. Her blood sugar resembled a saw tooth - large peaks and valleys. In other words, we were killing her with love.
I looked for a site like this that provided easy to understand, no nonsense information about diabetes. In less than an hour I began to realize that ignorance, complacency and well-meaning family and friends can do more harm than good.
But knowledge is power and sites like this provide abundant knowledge. If you're tasked with caring for a loved one, I encourage you to get educated. It's helped me think about diabetes differently. It's helped me to become a better care giver. And, most importantly, it's helped me think more about my own health and the choice *I* make.
In my case, a family member
That is so awful to have gone through! You are all tapping on one of the most critical issues facing us with managing this disease. People don't know just how bad it can be. It's like a tooth ache.You think you know how bad that can be until it really happens to you. Caring for a loved one is even worse, because your heart breaks as you see them suffering and you are literally helpless to ease their pain!
This site will have worked if more people can learn more about how Diabetes creeps up on you, how scary that can actually be and how that can be prevented.
Let's keep on talking.
calypso
www.imtypefree.com
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