Hi, this question is for anyone who has experienced complications - from minor to major. Honestly, if there is a complication that comes with diabetes, I have probably encountered it. How do you cope mentally with your complications? Physically, I am doing the best I can - but some days the complications that I have experienced have become such a drag that I don’t even want to get out of bed. And it is a struggle to find people to talk to as I get stuck in that “they just don’t get it” mindset. I’m in one of those funks right now.
I am hoping for a little bit more than the typical “I’m just happy that things aren’t worse” type of answers.
Hi Michael @Mjhaskin, during my more than 60 years living well and very actively I’ve had many other “complications” but for the most part I don’t blame them on diabetes - for instance, there are more people who DO NOT have diabetes who develop heart complications which I have had] and die from them than do people with diabetes. Nephrology and neuropathy are commonly associated with diabetes but I know more people without diabetes who have those conditions. Yes, it is easy to blame diabetes.
I will blame my total disregard for my diabetes for the retinopathy with which I have been dealing since diagnosis in 1966; yeah, many surgeries the latest being last month. Other than for my recent [successful] eye surgery last month, I have been under total anesthesia six [6] other times since 2010 to fix other stuff that has broken down. How do I deal with these setbacks? I go at these things with an open mind, and think positive that I will come out on top - yeah, pushing 80 and I’ve out lived almost half of my high-school graduating class. Just think positive.
Look back a few years and you will see that what we now call “TypeOne” was called “juvenile diabetes” and that was for good reason - when I was diagnosed in the 1950’s life expectancy said I would never see adulthood. Yes, I give thanks everyday when I put my feet on the floor and walk and look forward to a full and active day.
In my almost 20 years with dm I’ve never had complications. But I recently found out I had a small spot on my eye. My doctors say that it’s relatively normal and could very easily reabsorb and be reversed. Even with those helpful encouraging words I can’t help but have the most severe anxiety I have ever had regarding this specifically. Have I ruined my body? Am I now just destined to be blind and on dialysis… these are the thoughts that go through my head. I know they are irrational but I go down the rabbit hole with my anxiety regarding my diabetes.
Tommy @tommyhop14 , I strongly urge you to seek-out and consult with a competent ophthalmologist who understands “diabetes eye diseases” and follow her/his advice. The sooner you do this the better off you will be. I was diagnosed with “diabetic retinopathy”, at that time the world’s leading cause of adult blindness, 63 years ago before I was aware of any spot(s) on my eye; I sot out an ophthalmologist wanting to experiment with a possible solution [not a cure] and volunteered. Result, I still see well enough to read and drive, and have led a fuul, active life; that solution discovered in 1966 is available to you along with several other solutions since developed.
" Am I now just destined to be blind and on dialysis… "
These Tommy, are thoughts of a quitter. You are what you make yourself - for better or for worse. Decide now how you want for future to play out, it is up mostly to you.
Not for nothing, irrational is more like a fear that a black cat will murder you in your sleep. Fear of Eye disease isn’t necessarily irrational but it will wreck an otherwise good day for you.
No one gets out of this alive. So the sooner you make peace with our bit of having to manage blood sugar manually, the better off you’ll be.
A healthy person can get hit by a cement mixer, nothing in this life is guaranteed and there is nothing normal about life. This is your one shot. Make it worth it and be the hero in your own story.
@joe@Dennis
I understand that my fears are in my own head. I see an eye specialist frequently and try my hardest to keep healthy. I exercise 4-5 times weekly and have kept my a1c regulated for sometime now.
I haven’t always felt this way—once I became a health professional the worse it got.
I really appreciate both of your inspiring words to me. This is exactly why I sought out a forum like this. Just knowing that I’m not alone.
Thank you both. Truly.
I think Tommy @tommyhop14 that ALL of us are trying - otherwise you, me, Joe and 26 thousand other users would not be visiting this page. I came to this page [before it was affiliated with JDRF] about 15 years ago because I was at a point in my journey with diabetes that I needed support and suggestions about what I was trying to do - and I received much more than I expected.
“Exercising” 4 or five times every week and normalizing an HbA1c are awesome and require effort, and I also suspect that your employment provides plenty of moving about. U don’t know where you practice your medical-care, but I know our daughter’s tracker told her that she was covering 20 miles when working her 12-hour ER shift.
My eye deterioration - retinopathy to begin, most likely came about because during the decade prior to diagnosis I didn’t take care of myself at all, didn’t visit a doctor and hence didn’t know my blood sugar level - hospital lab was the only place to get that done. That said, I know other PWD who have developed retinopathy even though they always attempted to keep close watch of their diabetes - some things just happen.