Symptoms of Diabetes: excessive thirst, excessive hunger, gaining or weight loss, frequent urination, blurred vision, and wounds slower healing..Those are some of the sign of diabetes.
My husband has had diabetes for 20 years plus. I call it a monster disease because it can be the gateway to a host of other diseases.
The above list are symptoms but the devastating diseases that can strike are life threatening i.e. STROKE, KIDNEY DAMAGE or BLINDNESS JUST TO NAME A FEW.
Being mindful to keep blood sugar in check because it is crucial. Men, more than woman will tend to ignore the symptoms, maybe because it's a "macho" thing I'm not sure.
My husband allowed the negative problems to hit his body , ignoring it until it was too late. He has diabetic macular degeneration, heart disease with a pacemaker and stents, stroke, and kidney problems to name a few.
Shots/injections are a daily occurrence now. He can't take care of his diabetes alone so I have to keep it in check for his survival. I work very hard each day with the problem.
The first thing in the morning is his blood sugar check. I keep a journal which consist of all sugar readings. It usually takes about 6 pricks on his finger a day to keep a decent control of his blood sugar readings.
I give him 2 shots in the morning. One is called Novalog. Novalog is considered an injection shot for short term sugar control. This shot is given before a meal to level out the meal he is about to eat.
Careful carbs counting is critical to make sure the proper amount of insulin is given. His second shot is called Lantus. Lantus is a long term shot that works for 24 hours keeping the sugar more level throughout this time period. He also has a couple more shots of Novalog, the short term shot for his next two meals.
Insulin is a wonderful drug but it can also be a killer one if not carefully monitored. Blood sugar levels can drop to dangerous levels causing a coma or death. This is why I check blood sugar readings appropriately 6 times a day including once during the night.
I'm more mindful of the woes of this terrible disease because we have lost two close friends due to diabetic related problems. A father and son. The son was only in his 40's. Also, a well known doctor in our town lost his wife when her blood sugar plummeted during the night.
These 3 deaths could have been prevented I believe, but insulin is a two headed sword. In most cases it's a life saver, but if a patient or his caregiver gets a little relaxed on the issue, then that's when the sneaky disease can choke out a life prematurely.
I chose to write this blog hoping I can reach more people alerting them of the silent sneaky killer that most people don't want to talk about or perhaps they haven't the full knowledge of what it can do.
Know your numbers or the numbers of your love one. Also have a blood test taken often at your doctor's office.
There is a test called A1C that gives a range where the average blood sugar has averaged the last 3 months. Keeping a good A1C will help minimize some of the devastating issues like strokes or blindness.
I hope this blog is informative and will help possibly you or your love one.
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