When Diabetes Can Be A Choice
(photo courtesy of HealthyWomen)
November is Diabetes Awareness Month. This is another box I check when it comes to my health as I am a type 2 diabetic. I was not always this type of diabetic. It was something that developed over the last many years of my survivorship, in fact, I go as far as connecting it to my late side effect issues from my treatments for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Type 1 diabetes did run in my family, but not type 2. And it was not until about fifteen years ago, when type 2 diabetes appeared on the radar. I am always of the mindset, if it was not something I was born with, does not run in my family, and happened post-cancer, then it gets connected to that period in my life. Honestly, I am not really about the “why” stuff happens, I prefer to be “what do I need to do about it?”
What is the difference between type 1 and type 2 diabetes? I am not going to get lost in the weeds explaining the technicalities, but with type 1, the body has a lack of insulin caused by the body’s own immune system destroying insulin-producing cells, causing that shortage. As a result, type 1 diabetics need to monitor their blood sugar and give themselves insulin shots. They also have strict diets as well as other behavior recommendations such as exercises and avoiding certain vices. A type 1 diabetic knows they are type 1 as their symptoms are better recognized, but also severe and quick.
Type 2 diabetes is a resistance to insulin, the body either does not make enough insulin, or it does not process the way it needs to. A type 2 diabetic does not need to do insulin shots necessarily, but should monitor their blood sugar. Side note, as I have written before, this is one thing I am unable to do, as I have written about previously and recently.
Both types of diabetes carry their own potential issues ranging from cardiac to circulatory, optical, and so on. Cardiac can lead to heart disease, circulatory can result in amputation due to “gangrene”, and a condition with the eyes called diabetic retinopathy, where blood vessels in the eye become damaged, causing issues from blurryness to floaters, and possibly loss of vision.
As I mentioned earlier, I attribute my type 2 diabetes to my late effects from treatments. It was about fifteen years ago when my doctor began to monitor my “A1C”, which measures the blood sugar levels over the last three months, so an average of what diabetics check daily. Now here is the thing about the A1C with me, I thought I was being smart. I learned early on, that I could impact my blood tests, when fasting was required, by avoiding things such as cholesterol and sugar, through the week before the blood test, and have great results. The A1C put a stop to that, because while I could have a great blood sugar reading, the A1C proves otherwise.
Initially, my number was around 5.5, which was considered normal, but close to pre-diabetic. Over the years, my A1C would creep higher capping off six years ago at 9.0, full type 2 diabetic. The pancreas is one of the few body organs in me that has not been studied for impacts from my treatments, though I do see an endocrinologist. The loss of my spleen from the staging process of my cancer as well as my thyroid being impacted from treatments, also caused issues with my metabolism which has likely contributed to this.
There are other factors that impact the A1C, such as activity level (exercise), weight, diet, and stress. Medication was also prescribed for me, some that I could afford, some that I could not. I currently take two pills which have lowered my A1C somewhat, while not a great impact, lower is better regardless. Exercise for me is limited to walking. I have lowered my weight to its lowest in thirty years, but I have plateaued as I often do when I get to this level. I do not eat a lot of sugar and the one vice I did have, Coca-Cola, I have all but given up. I do not drink alcohol, do not do drugs, and I don’t smoke. And in recent years, I have finally managed to reduce my stress by 95% and how I respond. My result last month showed my A1C now at 7.4, not great, but going in the right direction.
As for my eyes, I see an eye specialist as well. Nothing has been decided on the retinopathy, though treatment has been talked about in the future. I do have damage to my eyes from the high dose prednisone that I was on during my chemo. And most obvious, I can tell my vision is getting worse.
From the cardiac standpoint, I seem to be holding my own. All my “bionic” repairs to my heart are holding their ground, though new diagnosis have come, but with everything else I have done, I am going in the right direction. I do plan on getting my A1C back into normal range within the next two years.
Paul's Heart 