Future with Type 2 Diabetes

Q: Thanks for giving us this opportunity to ask questions!

My husband (age 57) has had Type II diabetes for about 3 years. He does everything right, monitoring all his levels, lotions his feet every day, exercises regularly, goes to the doctor every 6 months. We are improving our diet (although slowly). My question is: If he continues to maintain this schedule, what will life be like in 10 or 20 years with diabetes?

P

A: Dear P,

Your husband is doing everything right: keeping track of his blood sugar levels and his HgbA1c levels. The studies tell us that people who keep their levels in a normal range have fewer complications. For people who have Type 2 diabetes, the big three areas he needs to watch (with the help of his physician and you) are his glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol. Eating well and exercising will help with all three.

Remember, complications do not generally come from diabetes, they come from UNCONTROLLED diabetes.

Good luck to you both! Ginny

Heart disease and high blood sugar readings

Q: My husband has been diabetic for 14 years now. Recently he had a 6 by pass surgery, since then he has not been able to control his levels. We have tried different medications. But he remains high like over 400-500 maybe higher, our machine only goes to 500 then it says high. Then also he drops very low and I had to get the paremedics here to revive him. I dont know what to do.

A: Please follow up with your husband's family practice or internal medicine doctor, his cardiologist and the diabetes educators that you may have met while your husband was in the hospital.

The medications are used to lower the blood sugars---they match up with everything that makes the blood sugars go up---illness, stress and carbohydrates. If at times he is very high and then drops very low, there isn't a good match. Please meet with his doctors and the diabetes educators to learn more about what the medications are doing and how you can make better matches with the food he is eating.

Is there a diabetes clinic close to you? Please call for an appointment right away.

Please let me know how everything turns out. We want to make sure the blood sugars become lower and much steadier.

Ginny Burns