I just wanted to know if anyone else gets anxiety about the long term effects of diabetes. I tend to get down sometimes when I think about all the “bad things” like renal failure, retinopathy, losing limbs,etc. I know that the goal is to take good care of yourself and these things will be minimal, but I can’t help but think about it. Even people with good control are still at risk. For example working at an eye doctors has really opened my eyes. I see people all the time with great A1C’s that have retinopathy. Anyways I just wanted to know if anyone else worries about these things.
yes.
but the problem for me is this: if I ruin today worrying about losing my toes in another 15 years, I have accomplished nothing except ruining today.
I have retinopathy, a bit of nerve damage, frozen shoulders (both now) and trigger fingers, blah and blah. I try to take care of myself the best I can, I try not to live too much in the past or too much in the future, and I try to be grateful for many, many great things I have in my life.
“A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.” ~ Michel de Montaigne
this anxiety is a struggle, but talking about the fears is what makes support pages great. hope you are okay.
That is a great quote! I love it. Its not that I worry every day, but certain days it can be a downer. Yes, this site has definitely been what ive needed.
=) nobody’s perfect. I have my days too. try not to be hard on yourself either, it can damage self-esteem. I am glad you like the site!
I used to have your same concerns. My fear made me start researching and what I learned surprised me. While complications can happen, they aren’t inevitable. Because of modern insulins, glucose meters, ACE inhibitors, eye exams and laser eye surgeries, complications can now be prevented and treated much better. That’s cut complications in half in the last 20 years!! And for the big stuff that we all fear, did you know that as a person with type 1 you have only a 1% chance of going blind, needing a kidney transplant, or having an amputation?
Though controlling blood sugars is important, researchers in the Joslin 50 Year Medalist study think that there are other factors that also contribute to people developing complications.
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/4/968
https://www.joslin.org/medalist/6268.html
Statistically diabetes related complications are declining. But even more important, you are not a statistic. You are a person with your own unique experience with diabetes. I’ve had diabetes for 36 years and had such horrible control for about 15 years of that time that I’m sure a few of my doctors would be shocked to know I’m still alive. But I’m complication-free and have decent control.
Don’t live in fear. Try to keep blood sugars in decent range so you’ll feel good and won’t be on the sidelines recovering from a high or low. Then just live a good life. Take care.
thank you guys so much!
I definitely get where you are coming from w/being in healthcare making the worrying worse. My first semester in my nursing “clinical” program (after you take all the basic classes) was awful. It felt like every day my teachers were giving me my new death sentence, like every disorder we went over had diabetes listed in the “risk factors” section, and then you would go to clinical and see those patients. I just wanted to run away and hide. But most days are good, and I just try to take it one day at a time and not worry that much about what could happen (and focus on the patients that are healthy!)
Totally.
In 2005, my anxiety became so bad I hit a really bad depression that I am lucky to be out of. I found that once I really started taking care of me in the moment instead of worrying about long term issues I started feeling better. It took me about 7 years to realize that but, I promised myself, my family and friends I’d never get back to that point in my life ever again. Now, more than ever because I have a baby boy to be around for!
The thing about the “long term” that used to get me was from my initial diagnosis. I remember being told at the very beginning by someone about all the dangers of high blood sugar. So I did everything in my power to never have a high. I made so many mistakes in treatment, in dosing, in so many lows back at that time, I cannot even begin to imagine the implications that the constant lows might have had on me.
However, I know that is the future. Do I worry about it now. Sometimes, however at the same time I truly am trying anything and everything to keep my focus on the now and making sure I do everything for my health now. Do I still worry yes, but at the same time as long as I/we all keep on top of things from appointments with who we are supposed to be meeting with, the chances of those things happening or catching us off guard greatly diminishes and that is what I try to do.