Amount of time you've lived w/ Complications
Anyone care to talk about Diabetes complications?... it's usually a taboo topic (downer topic) on most diabetes message boards but... I'm interested in hearing how long PWD have been living with their complications. It just might inspire someone newly diagnosed with a particular complication that it's not an immediate death sentence (like I thought mine were).
2002- (NPDR) I was diagnosed with "mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy." I have kept my blood sugars in a semi-normal range and luckily there has been no progression. It's been 9 years since my diagnosis.
2002- I was diagnosed with "Mild peripheral Neuropathy" in my lower/calf muscles. I thought I was literally going to be dead within six months when the Neurologist told me the EMG/NCS test result were positive for mild nerve damage. Here I am 9 years later with no progression, *smiles*....oh, and living a fantastic life.
I would love to hear from other PWD that have been living with complications (and for how long etc...). Don't be shy...
Thanks.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Tom T on -
Glad to hear it Danny!
I was dx with mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy in my left eye around 2007ish (about 15 years in). 4 years later, tighter control, no progression and still nothing in the right. No vision changes at all. Not a long time, but still.
As I think most of us do, I struggle whether each and every little ache or pain I get is diabetes related, normal wear and tear on the body, or something else entirely. What were your first symptoms of neuropathy? Not that I need another one to obsess over (I swear I can 'feel' my kidneys screaming when I'm high) but just curious anyway...
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Permalink Reply by Tom T on
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That's great Danny! It definitely is a great discussion to have! I was curious because when it's humid out my feet will tingle after a long run. It's actually not uncommon among other (non-D) runners I've talked to, but still the word 'neuropathy' is always in the back of my brain! Cheers to re-innervation!
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Permalink Reply by KiwiRox on -
What exactly is a floater? Sorry, I don't think I've had them, but sometimes if I close my eyes in the shower, I feel like I am looking at the back of my iris. (I know it sounds weird.) Just wondering what it is.
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Permalink Reply by Corinna on -
Floaters are when you see little strings or clouds floating across your eye. If you move your eye from side to side they seem to be floating in liquid.
Floaters are common in older people with or without diabetes. They can be damn distracting.
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Permalink Reply by dickengel on -
Floaters may be blood dropletsandcan be dangerous. I had them in both eyes, initially treated by laser to cauterize the blood vessels that were growing at the back of my eye. Eventually one of the blood vessels rupotured and blinded be with an eye about 50% full of blood. Fortunately a wonderful doctor at Vanderbilt University performed a Vitrectomy on each eye about a uear or two apart. I was blind but now I see!!! It is amazing what they can do nowadays. When I see any new eye doctor or retina specialist, they always comment on the work that was done on m y eyes and comment what a good job was done!Fortunately no changes and that was about 20 years ago!!! Fine font stilol bothers me but otherwise things are good.
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Permalink Reply by joeynicole on -
I can't speak from direct experience here (I am type 1 of 21 years with no complications), but you might be interested to know that Type 1 diabetic Dr. Richard Bernstein (author of The Diabetic Solution) successfully was able to start reversing his complications all by maintaing healthy low blood sugars by eating a proper diet. He's an older man and was diagnosed back in the day when blood sugar meters weren't yet heard of. His story is really amazing, and his recommendations really do work. If you wish to slow/stop/possibly reverse the progress of your retinopathy and neuropathy, I definitely recommend his book (it's available here on Amazon). It changed the way I handle my diabetes forever. Best of luck to you.
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Permalink Reply by joeynicole on
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Very interesting stuff. I think he does comment somewhere in the book that if you have a higher daily average, that you should drop it slowly over time. Perhaps that's just in the revised version that I have, and not the original? Good food for thought though. I know his book changed the way I handle my diabetes forever, and think every diabetic deserves to have his knowledge. Every one of us needs to tread so carefully though. I think it's great that your symptoms have not progressed, and hope that it stays that way for you.
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Permalink Reply by Kari on -
Yes! My retinopathy got 10x worse when I dropped my A1c about 4% in 3 months. I was never warned to drop it slowly.....It wasn't until after the fact that my retinologist 'fessed up to knowing this could be a problem!
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Permalink Reply by Anne on -
Do you know what is a "normal/good" range?
I probably won't have severe problems since my A1c is in the 6.x, so I couldn't drop it drastically anyway, but it's never wrong to know.
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Permalink Reply by Natalie ._c- on -
Non-diabetic A1c's are in the 4's and 5's. Some non-diabetics do go into the low 6's, but then it's time to watch them to be sure they don't go higher.
For a diabetic, it really depends. Some people, particularly early-stage Type 2's, can get into the 5's fairly easily with diet and exercise. Others, like some full-blown Type 1's, have a hard time getting below 8. People DO glycate differently. Other Type 1's have successfully gotten into the 5's -- there is even a group of them here.
If you're in the 6's, you're not doing badly. It depends on how much work you want to put in to get into the 5's, and it may or may not be worth it to you. I've always been in the 6's for 20 years, except for 6 months last year, when I was in the 10's (long story), and have no complications. Could be genetics, could be just plain luck!
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Permalink Reply by Xanthasun on -
I had wondered about this as well because I didn't have any complications at all until I dropped my A1c 3-4 points in a matter of a few months and that's just when NPDR showed up. After some tx, things are stable for now luckily and no other complications.
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