Diabetes, Type 2

You forgot Kidney Disease! In Texas, especially San Antonio, it seems as if 90 % of those on Dialysis have Diabetes and there are close to 100 Dialysis centers in San Antonio alone, never mind the smaller communities around S. A. If going blind or losing sensation in your feet (or losing your feet!!) doesn't scare you into following the diet/lifestyle changes needed to control your blood sugars then think about this: Being tied to a machine at least 3 hrs 3 times a week watching your blood running through some plastic tubing and a special filter then being sent back into your body.... all of which requires some kind of access to your blood...i.e. needles!..... 2-14gauge needles stuck in your arm each time you go for treatment........ I worked in a Dialysis unit when I first came here and have been diabetic (type II) since 1993. Ending up on dialysis is my worst fear when it comes to being diabetic, even more than nerve damage and amputation!

Yes, Kathleen, I did forget kidney failure as a complication. Not a good one to forget. And of course, you are right about dialysis. I had a friend that passed away last July. He had been on dialysis for five years and was finally very near the top of the transplant list. He had a device implanted in his arm, a port I believe it is called, so they could do the dialysis. It became infected and he died within hours. It was very sad.

I am diabetic type 1. Was diagnosed in the spring of 1994 when I collapsed at work and went into a coma. The whole ordeal was very frightening for my family.

I can imagine, Paul. Mine was discovered when I went in for surgery for a cyst on my wrist. The pre-op lab work came back with a very high glucose reading. They called my doctor and he assured them I could not be diabetic. They did the surgery. I had a rough time healing then my doctor ran the test again and again. Bingo! Diagnosis.

Just for claification sake: Type I diabetes is Juvenile onset and can ONLY be treated with Insulin: whereas Type II is adult onset and can be treated with both pills and insulin (as well as some of the newer drugs like Bayetta) although some Type II's only respond well to insulin.
Even some of my fellow healthcare professionals forget these definitions.
By the way, one of the best 'gateways' to further information on Diabetes and all things health related is 'Medline Plus" at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/medlineplus.html

Oooooooops! I meant 'clarification'! Wish these had 'Spell Check'!!

I will be posting more information on diabetes. As far as anything and everything I have read about the two types, they are no longer referred to as adult onset and juvenile onset. The current terminology is Type 1 is insulin dependent and can occur in childhood or as an adult. Type 2 is not insulin dependent (oral medications) and can also occur at any age. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas DOES NOT produce insulin. In Type 2, the pancreas STILL PRODUCES insulin but the body does not break it down into the needed nutrients. The fastest growing population of diabetics are currently the pre-teen and early teen years.

This has been great information Corina.

Exerpt from: National Diabetes Clearinghouse; a Service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases NIH

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/type1and2/

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"What kind of diabetes do you have?
People can get diabetes at any age. There are three main kinds. Type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is usually first diagnosed in children, teenagers, or young adults. With this form of diabetes, the beta cells of the pancreas no longer make insulin because the body's immune system has attacked and destroyed them. Treatment for type 1 diabetes includes taking insulin, making wise food choices, being physically active, taking aspirin daily (for some), and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes. People can develop type 2 diabetes at any age—even during childhood. This form of diabetes usually begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which fat, muscle, and liver cells do not use insulin properly. At first, the pancreas keeps up with the added demand by producing more insulin. In time, however, it loses the ability to secrete enough insulin in response to meals. Being overweight and inactive increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Treatment includes using diabetes medicines, making wise food choices, being physically active, taking aspirin daily, and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol.

Some women develop gestational diabetes during the late stages of pregnancy. Although this form of diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born, a woman who has had it is more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life. Gestational diabetes is caused by the hormones of pregnancy or a shortage of insulin."

Thank you, very informative.

Kathleen, in my last pregnancy, I developed gestational diabetes. It was well watched while I was pregnant and I delivered a healthy baby girl by c-section two weeks early because I also had a placenta previa. What my doctor did NOT tell me is that, because I had gestational diabetes, I was at a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life. Had I known that, I would have had it checked regularly and perhaps I would not have developed it eight years later. In my case, my ob-gyn moved about three weeks after I delivered (she moved out of state) and my regular family practitioner also moved out of state when my baby was about 3 months old. So I had new doctors that didn't have all my files and no one told me.

Good information.

Type II here, diagnosed 12 years ago. I've been fortunate on many levels, but these days it feels as if my luck is runing out!

Hi Everyone,

This is a good discussion, and as many of you have had diabetes a long time, it often is something that one comes to "accept". However, there are real changes in care, which you may not have been told about.

I am new to Gather, and I wrote about a new cure for Diabetes as my first article here.

I am not sure if you can get to it by clicking my avatar photo or not, so I will put the link to it here. I hope that is OK.

And, Corina, the problem about changing doctors, and towns and medical plans etc. etc. is fraught with danger. I have had to do the same in the last 3 years, and it's been a real problem, afyer having stable care, in the same system for the 50 years before that.

We really have to be able to bring new doctors up to speed about our care, and most of us don't realize that need.

Especially with a brand new baby, I am sure that this was not on your mind at all. I am so sad that they did not explain to you, at the time, to watch your sugars. I am sure you would have. Just remember to help others know to make a little short history in their mind about what to say to a new doctor. It's a good skill to grow.

Anyway, I hope my article will help each of you. It's at:

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977273713

Take care! Best to all.