Health for life

Showing posts with label diabetic. Show all posts

Diabetic Retinopathy Vs Macular Degeneration

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Many people with diabetes wonder if their blurred vision signals the beginning of diabetic retinopathy or perhaps another common cause of vision loss, macular degeneration.

While blurred vision occurs with both conditions, there are distinct differences between diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

First, macular degeneration generally results in central vision loss while diabetic retinopathy results in dispersed areas of vision loss.

Heres a normal view:

Heres that same view through the eyes of someone with macular degeneration:

Heres that same view through the eyes of someone with diabetic retinopathy:

You may be able to turn your head to compensate for central vision loss. Compensation for dispersed loss from retinopathy is more challenging.

Another difference between the two is the age at which they develop.

Where age-related macular degeneration usually occurs in an older age group (60 years and older), diabetic retinopathy can and does strike a younger population.

The ADA states:

"After 20 years of diabetes, nearly all patients with type 1 diabetes and >60% of patients with type 2 diabetes have some degree of retinopathy."
- American Diabetes Association: Diabetic Retinopathy

The average age for diagnosis of type 2 diabetes has shifted from the 40s and 50s in recent years towards a younger population, occurring with troubling frequency in adolescents. Type 1 diabetes can occur in children as young as 2 years old.

Twenty years on from childhood or the teen years places someone with diabetes at risk of losing their eyesight at the height of midlife. The ADA says:

"Diabetic retinopathy is estimated to be the most frequent cause of new cases of blindness among adults aged 20–74 years."

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Photos of vision loss from NIH National Eye Institute via Wikipedia.

A Diabetic Manifesto

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

I love my Christmas tree... I light it. I enjoy its silent cheer; its proud glow. Perhaps, a memory of a perfect childhood, at least, in my own imagination. The room is messy, but the tree makes it come to life. It brings a certain peace to my heart. It makes everything... perfect. I probably wont take it down for a few more weeks.

Peace is a little hard to come by, these days... The worries of adulthood, and the insecurities of employment and finances, really take their toll... on ones joy, ones dreams, ones relationships, ones family, you name it. Still, I sit, and wonder... at the magic of it all. When folks sort of stop paying attention to the "mess" in their lives, for a moment, and just stop for some peace.

And peace, hope, growth, and prosperity is what I wish for all of you, this holiday season. I wish all of you to be BLESSED in one way, or another... And to make NO resolutions.

NO RESOLUTIONS. Instead, look back upon the year, with bittersweetness; say goodbye to friendships that are parted, and welcome new ones... Say thanks for all the hardships, lessons, and opportunities life has awarded you, and for all the mistakes you have made. Especially, for all the mistakes you have made. Cheer on the challenge a new year will present, and be hopeful for whats to come.

Be hopeful...

That friends and family will embrace, love, and support their fellow diabetics through this hard and challenging journey, without recrimination, and judgment, but with education, and a listening ear.
That diabetic patients receive the respect and dignity every person with a chronic illness DESERVES to be afforded, without gimmicks, media misinformation, doctors selling their profession for fame and a quick buck, and discrimination.
That government, and employers, strive to learn, educate themselves, and accommodate diabetics and their needs, and realize that we are just as capable, and just as willing to do a good, and proper job. That we can be just as productive, and caul good citizens, as anyone else.
That doctors will EDUCATE themselves, and not make insensitive comments or unfair comparisons, uneducated assessments, guilt trip patients with the blame game, give uneducated guidelines, and endanger patients lives. That they become aware of the HUMAN EQUATION, and grow some bedside manners.
That patients presenting diabetic symptoms will NOT be ignored until its dangerously late, and they have developed irreversible complications.
That patients will be properly educated at diagnosis time about their disease, and ALL their treatment options, and not left wondering in the dark about what to do, or how to make adjustments, and NOT DENIED access to proper specialists, such as endocrinologists, certified diabetes educators, or dietitians, but be left with only limited options such gastric bypass for those who are overweight... either because of professional ego, or because of insurance restrictions.
That patients will not be diagnosed based on biases -- but that every person out there presenting diabetic symptoms be given COMPLETE testing to determine not just whether they have diabetes, but where their insulin production stands, and their type of diabetes, REGARDLESS of their age, or their weight, so that they can receive the PROPER CARE they need to manage their condition, and educate themselves without much danger, second guessing, grief, and confusion.
That patients will receive proper access to medicines, and NOT DENIED access to insulin, needles, or test strips. That patients be allowed to test as often as THEY deem necessary. It is THEIR right to be vigilant, and it is THEIR right to stay alive. Test strips might seem expensive, but they are not, in comparison to the costs of the complications of poorly controlled blood glucose levels.
That patients will receive proper access to any care they need, and any tools to management they need, including pumps and CGMs, and diabetes alert dogs, without exorbitant expenses, or insurance games; in fact, that insurance companies will one day not be necessary.
That diabetic research organizations devote enough resources and work into finding a true CURE, because we are not a lost cause once we have gotten diabetes... We are just as important as those they hope to help avoid the risk of getting diabetes. ALL of us deserve a TRUE cure. Not gimmicks.
That together, we can tackle the challenges we face because of our many health concerns, and realize that we are all the same... Just folks wanting to be acknowledged, and heard; folks wanting to be UNDERSTOOD.

This is what I long for, hope for, and work for... in the year 2012... It is my Diabetic Manifesto. If we work together, we can slowly turn the tide... Wont you join me?

(I am sure glad that, in my culture, the holidays last a little longer... At least for now, Ill have a little more hope, and a little less mess.)

Burnt Out on Judgment The Not So Simple Motions of Diabetic Living

Sunday, March 16, 2014

This might seem silly... I know. I know I dont have to try hard, or go far, to ask my readers to imagine for a moment being a person with diabetes. (Naw... You dont say!) ☺

But still...! Imagine, for a moment that youre a person living with diabetes, and have lived with it for many, many years... Imagine its been challenging. Youve gone through many phases of burn out, and phases of challenge. Its been a deep struggle, for various reasons:

Managing this crap every day is a roller coaster, and well, it seldom likes to actually do what we expect it to do. Einstein once said that "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" was the definition of insanity. I like to call it... Diabetes.
You have some white coat person always reminding you if you dont take care of yourself, youre going to die. And NOT in uncertain terms, either.

Youll get retinopathy...
Youll get nephropathy...
Youll get neuropathy...
All the opathies...
Youll get your limbs amputated...
Youll lose bladder function...
Youll be impotent...
Youll have congestive heart failure, or a stroke...
Youll go into DKA, or insulin shock...
Youll DIE.

You may not necessarily have many close friendships, in your immediate circle of acquaintances, that can actually understand you.
You have some family members constantly reminding you of the things the white coat person was reminding you...
You have friends, coworkers, and other relatives, wanting you to FORGET about what the white coats, and the other family members, keep reminding you, and then just go live life with them... "just live a little." (And its always living thats centered around food, or alcohol.)
You have your own deep desires to want to just be NORMAL, or as close to normal as you can be... and "just live a little."
Youve carried the heavy load of discipline, and care, however individualized your load might be, for a long, long time. You are very AWARE of how serious it is if you dont carry the load.
You get tired... You burn out. You drop the load.

Now... most of us understand this circle. We understand that it gets OLD carrying the load, and we get burnout. We stop... we go through the motions. Often, we even get eating disorders, etc.

So we crusade long and hard for our folks, because, we dont want people to think we gave ourselves complications, when they happen. No one consciously says "Im going to chug donuts! I want retinopathy!" -- Burnout IS a part of chronic illness. It is NOT a character flaw. It is not simply "people not doing their part," or not taking responsibility. It is simply... people being TIRED from taking on so much responsibility.

By contrast, we may have well been doing our part, and were just genetically predisposed to complications... But the world outside of us does not understand "genetically predisposed." The media doesnt tell ANYONE about "genetically predisposed" -- only about you can prevent and avoid complications, if you just take care of yourself. Why? Because the media is not interested in shades of gray -- the media has a job, and that job is to gain viewership, and ratings. The only way you get viewership, readership, and ratings... is by generating controversy... And the only way you get controversy is by getting folks to think in the inflexible lanes of black and white. And when you scare people about the rising cost of diabetes (uncontrolled diabetes, mind you), and then show them articles about "My aunt Bonnie, who didnt take care of her diabetes, and was irresponsible, etc, etc..." people get MAD. Angry. Unsupportive. Unsympathetic.

Does that make sense? Im sure it does.

Now, imagine a non-diabetic person... living their life as usual. They want to be normal, and keep living, just like anyone else... and as usual. They have the same family members, coworkers, and friends pressuring them to "just live a little."

They go to their doctor, and hear:

"Meh, you could lose a couple of pounds, but youre fine."
"You maaaaaay, or maaaaaaay not get diabetes down the long road... Its just not easy to say. But dont worry about it. Youll be fine. Just walk it off."
"Meh, youre blood sugar is a little high, but youre fine! Theres no way you have any issues... Just walk it off..."
"Nah, I dont think we need to test anything, youre fine... Just walk it off..."

Now... If it is hard for us to get our minds wrapped around the realities and burdens of illness, when we HAVE illness... Imagine how hard it is for an illness-free person to get their minds wrapped around the POTENTIALS of illness, and some "boogieman" of illness, out there, somewhere, over the hill... that may come, or not come... but they cant really say for sure... Its just some hazy smoke and mirrors thing. Imagine being "genetically predisposed", but only if you trip! "Dont you ever TRIP!" (Of course, they dont ever mention the trip can also be almost anything, besides weight and diet...)

Sure, hindsight is 20/20. Id love to go back in a time machine, and slap the crap out of Liz, and tell her "hey, start carrying the load a little sooner!" (Not that itd be of much help, with all my other health conditions, medications, and predispositions... They are, together, a much stronger trigger than lifestyle...) Some might say I was damned if I didnt, and damned if I did... But Im not quite sure what Id be avoiding, frankly...

"Live sternly, as a diabetic, so that you dont become a diabetic."

Seems a bit off putting... It might be hard to convince Liz. Especially if no ones serious about the boogieman... Its never around, and just some foggy illusion thing... And EVERYONE says you can get rid of it, if you do get it... (snark, snark) I mean, yeah, we should ALL do our best to be healthy, and everything... but Liz might want to enjoy a burden free life for a little longer -- at least, as long as she can. I mean, isnt that what we long for when were burnt out? A bit of freedom? Choices? Splurging without going into some diabetic hell episode? Having a little more than a 1/2 cup of moderation?

Yeah, I thought so... What burnt out people want is not that different than what illness free people want. A little freedom, a little empathy, a little break, a little life.

So we should crusade long and hard for folks, because, people should not think we gave ourselves diseases, when they happen. Chronic illness is NOT easy to manage, but neither is it exactly so easy to avoid... No one consciously says "Im going to chug donuts! I want diabetes!," and most people arent binge eating disordered individuals... (And so what if some are... People have demons. People fight them as they can... or struggle, as they tire of their loads... Life is hard.) They are just people living... and illness IS a part of living. Illness doesnt really care if you gave it to yourself, or not. It is NOT a character flaw. It just is... It is simply... people going through the motions of LIVING...

Announcing Healthy Diet Diabetic Friendly Recipes

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Time to think about diabetic friendly dishes, yep this months Healthy diet is going to be diabetic friendly recipes. If you have diabetes or are cooking for someone with diabetic, dont forget to send your entries.Any dishes from breakfast,lunch and dinner that suits pect for diabetic peoples are welcome for this event.Living with diabetes is a challenge but still we can make food easily with many healthy stuffs in it. Finding a delicious diabetic recipe doesnt need to be difficult. We can make thousands of recipes for diabetic peoples which also includes numerous dessert recipes for diabetics to satisfy their sweet tooth too.

You can eat well with diabetes,so dont forget to send diabetic friendly recipes from today onwards, so that it may be very useful for peoples who are all searching for diabetic friendly recipes. They could learn and enjoy the foods you share for this event.

You need to do:

1)Cook anything as diabetic friendly dishes, both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes are accepted from today to 12th July 2103..

2)Post as many dishes as you can in your blog from today onwards..many entries per person are allowed..

3)Link back your entry to this Healthy Diet event announcement page..

4)Ill accept the old entries, if they are reposted with this page link..

5)Using Logo is very much appreciated..

6)Please take care to send all your delicious entries before 12th July 2013.

);

The History of Diabetic Test Strips

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Diabetic test strips have made it possible for diabetes patients to manage their illness on their own. It would not be wrong to er to these products as a revolutionary invention capable of determining precise numbers facilitating patients controlling diabetes and enjoy life better.

The present day test strips for diabetes used by most people across the globe are based on a detection pattern erred to as ‘blood analyte levels’. Kevin J. Phillips was the inventor of these strips. A patent was applied for in the year 1994. It was approved in the year 1996. Initially, it was hard for diabetics to self-test due to the level of equipment that was crucial to place the analytes within human blood firstly. The reason behind this is that originally spectroscopy and spectroscopic equipment was quite bulky and costly to be effective for self-use.

The strips used initially used to change color due to a chemical reaction. The reaction occurred between the chemicals in the blood and chemicals available on the strip. The color indicated the level of glucose within the blood. The scale was inscribed on a chart and it simply involved matching the color available on the strip to the color on the chart.

Unfortunately, the test was not the most accurate of diabetes tests due to the change of color system involved. With advancement in technology, this test transformed into a digital read out. This involved Diabetic Test Strips and made it very easy for home users to test their blood sugar.

However, the basics of the diabetes test strips is still the same. These test strips have made the lives of diabetics easier. These are easily available on the World Wide Web these days at reputed online medical stores.

Diabetic Joke Fail

Friday, February 28, 2014

Im a little conflicted, lately.

I have a pretty good sense of humor, if I do say so myself. (You have to have a sense of humor to call yourself "The Angry Type 2 Diabetic" and still be able to handle every preachy a-hole out there thinking youre just bitter about your diabetes, and needing to get some anger management classes...)

But... what exactly is OKAY as a diabetes joke? I find myself... somewhat at odds.

Lets see... at the "feather weight" level of jokes are erences to the things we do every day, and thats awesome. I think it definitely HELPS heaps when people can sort of join in with us on how we see the world... Whether its our struggles, or just things that make us go "hmmm..."

Then there are expressions, or tattoos that might encourage some mild debate... like "Sugar Free," and that can be okay, as well. This tattoo picture has provoked some argument and discussion in my Facebook diabetes group, and folks have gotten a chance to weigh in on the irony/misconception/message, however one might see it.

I kind of actually see it... as a way to tell The Sugar, aka Diabetes, that I am not its slave. (Lots of people HATE IT when diabetes is called "The Sugar," by the way. Dont be surprised if when you call it as such, objects go flying in your direction.)

Now, a while back, the satirical, fake news publication, "The Onion," made an article making fun of Jay Cutler, a football athlete with Type 1 Diabetes... Lots of folks interpreted the article as though it was outright making fun of Type 1 Diabetes, when in fact, it seems they were really just trying to call Cutler a whiny bore... albeit, in a poorly thought out manner. They could have just erenced regular kids, NEVER mentioning diabetes at all, and still gotten the point across. (Me thinks those people, funny as they are sometimes, need a needle jab or two on the behind.) Clearly, this kind of humor is unacceptable... or is it? Is there a point when we can divorce our fears of losing our loved ones, or our own lives, so we can laugh at a joke? Yeah, on paper, this all seems good and well... in reality, Im gonna tell you to go f off with that joke. lol

Then theres jokes where people laugh... uncomfortably so. Like these ones... Or the ones where people joke about "falling limbs" from eating too much candy. These types of jokes get most diabetics riled up... because they showcase a terrible misconception that we cant have sugar, or candy, or worse... that were all just going to lose life and limbs from even having as much as one bar too many. Youll find most diabetics standing up against these types of jokes, and I admit, they make me pretty crabby...

Theres also the "well intentioned" (or so I try to tell myself), yet still incredibly ignorant person wholl reply something along the lines of "Oh, thats just Type 2 Diabetes... Theres two kinds, you know." I think THAT makes me angrier than the joke itself, really. How is correcting one stereotype, by feeding another, suddenly acceptable in any way?

Then theres the McDonalds jokes... Im sorry... but if you cant laugh at a candy bar joke, Im not going to laugh at a Diabetes/McDonalds joke.

So... did all of us who got Type 2 Diabetes go pig out at McDonalds or something? Really? Or, are we trying to say anyone who eats at McDonalds is going to get Diabetes? Do we want to do that to Type 2 Diabetics... by spreading the myth that pigging out at some favorite fast food place is just going to give someone Type 2 Diabetes eventually or automatically, somehow? Never mind that out of those 300 million people, only 8.3% have diabetes (including ALL types of diabetes, and the undiagnosed)? Never mind that there are MYRIADS of ways to get Type 2 Diabetes, though the media will not cover ANY of them?

Obesity does NOT cause Diabetes. Lots of fat people are going to live long, and full lives, without so much as ever having to prick their fingers... They will NEVER get diabetes. Stop drinking the media Kool-Aid and trying to make yourself feel better by making fun of MY diabetes.

Was I supposed to laugh? *MY* bad.

Diabetic Patients at Increased Risk for Infection

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Infections are difficult to manage for a healthy person, let alone someone with diabetes. Illness can cause blood glucose levels to rise and makes managing those levels even more challenging.

Now a study set to appear in the August 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases adds to the reservoir of clinical data supporting the notion that people with diabetes get sick more often than people without the disease.

The study found that people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes had a greater risk for infection (specifically of the respiratory tract, urinary tract, and skin and mucous membranes) than people without diabetes.

The lead author of the study, Leonie Muller, advises physicians to "be aware of the fact that diabetes patients have an increased risk of common infections." She recommends that people with diabetes take preventative measures such as getting the flu vaccine, drinking plenty of fluids, and not hesitating to contact a physician at the earliest sign of an infection.

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For a summary of the study:
Study Shows Increased Risk of Common Infections in Diabetic Patients

For the study itself (abstract only, subscription required for full article):
Increased Risk of Common Infections in Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus