random-ness
This quote from Jan’s article on depression fascinated me! And confirmed
what I’ve always believed — that control doesn’t necessarily have a
whole lot to do with complications.
Which is comforting…I like the idea that if/when I develop ‘em, it
won’t be because I ate birthday cake. Last year a diabetic friend (we
were romance-writing buddies before discovering we were both T-1s) died
of kidney complications, and some other writers who thought I must be
terrified kept telling me, "Don’t worry, I’m sure Patty didn’t take care
of herself as well as you do."
Well, darn it, Patty DID! And I hate the idea that someday people might
tell their diabetic friends, "Oh, Laurie didn’t take care of herself." I
don’t WANT to take the blame (assuming I’m not irresponsible, which is a
whole different thing) if and when something goes wrong.
And maybe I’m borrowing trouble — nothing’s gone wrong yet — but even
so, it’s a huge comfort to think this is more of a random business than I
grew up hearing.
Laurie, surprised at how much energy I have on this
November 9th, 2004 at 10:09 am
These statements, while they surely represent an honest and thoughtful
point of view, cannot be left unchallenged. Lest anyone have missed it,
the DCCT established a direct link between diabetic complications (kidney
failure, circulatory failure, blindness, loss of limbs)and the quality of
blood glucose control. The fact that a few lucky diabetics are able to
tolerate bad control better than most is fortunate for those few but it
mustn’t be allowed to turn the relationship upside down!
Of course every diabetic is permitted to make their own bed and, in an
abstract sense, they know that they might be working toward their own doom
but it is that subtile trick — denial — that does the most harm.
No one is perfect and no one has perfect control of their blood sugars. It
just isn’t possible but don’t let the fact that it can’t be done perfectly
prevent the diabetic from trying to control his/her BG as well as he/she can.
Some of us will die without struggeling with complications but most will
have to cope with some. Don’t forget that our efforts to maintain normal
BGs will always reduce the occurance and the severity of complications. No
matter what our genetic propensity for those complications is.
Bob Blakely
November 10th, 2004 at 7:23 pm
<< These statements, while they surely represent an honest and thoughtful
point of view, cannot be left unchallenged. Lest anyone have missed it,
the DCCT established a direct link between diabetic complications (kidney
failure, circulatory failure, blindness, loss of limbs)and the quality of
blood glucose control. The fact that a few lucky diabetics are able to
tolerate bad control better than most is fortunate for those few but it
mustn’t be allowed to turn the relationship upside down!
Of course every diabetic is permitted to make their own bed and, in an
abstract sense, they know that they might be working toward their own doom
but it is that subtile trick — denial — that does the most harm.
No one is perfect and no one has perfect control of their blood sugars. It
just isn’t possible but don’t let the fact that it can’t be done perfectly
prevent the diabetic from trying to control his/her BG as well as he/she can.
Some of us will die without struggeling with complications but most will
have to cope with some. Don’t forget that our efforts to maintain normal
BGs will always reduce the occurance and the severity of complications. No
matter what our genetic propensity for those complications is.
Bob Blakely
November 11th, 2004 at 8:33 am
The study that was done on tight control only lasted for 10 yrs. So didn’t
really prove anything about those of us that have had it a lifetime.
Gail
November 11th, 2004 at 4:33 pm
I have a newspaper article about the longest living man on insulin. John
Grant had it 73 years. He died of a heart attack in about ‘96 - the article
was written in ‘94. Insulin was discovered in ‘21. He didn’t pump nor have
Humalog - certainly lived a long time before home BGs. I’ve been doing them
only since ‘82.
Jan