You know what's a great motivator for dieting? The prospect of going blind. Or having your fingers become permanently numb. Focuses the mind wonderfully.
Or maybe that's just me. I immediately snapped to the idea that diabetes (which I wrote about contracting on Monday) means your body isn't processing insulin properly, causing sugar to overload your bloodstream and rot your plumbing. I leapt to get my blood tested, see a doctor, do whatever I'm told: take drugs, banish sugar and carbohydrates from my diet.
But maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm an exception. How many diabetes patients receive their diagnosis and then do what they're supposed to do?
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| Dr. Anthony Pick |
With nearly half the country overweight, diabetes has skyrocketed — a third of American adults are prediabetic; 10% have the disease.
"It's probably getting worse," Dr. Pick said. "It's fairly depressing when you look at the level of diabetes care. It's a huge public health problem."
Especially given the silly stuff we do obsess over — shark attacks, asteroid strikes — diabetes doesn't get the attention it deserves.
"There's a lack of awareness," agreed Dr. Pick. "Diabetes is the tip of the spear of chronic poor lifestyle disease: fatty liver, sleep apnea. The No. 1 killer is cardiovascular disease, and diabetes feeds right into that."
Diabetes runs in certain populations: Blacks, Latinos, Asian Americans get more than their share.
"Pima Indians have a 90% incidence of diabetes," said Dr. Pick. "In certain populations, the numbers are staggering."
The jury is still out, but it seems that I didn't get mine from poor lifestyle habits — being obese, not exercising, smoking, etc. (Type 2) — but from my body attacking my pancreas (Type 1). A genetic alarm clock went off, perhaps nudged by other factors medicine hasn't yet pinpointed. Dr. Pick said perhaps even COVID might play a role.
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Oh, so you have type 1. This column was very informative.
ReplyDeleteI consider your diabetes columns very informative. This is a teaching moment for everyone. I myself do not have diabetes, but two out of three of my sisters do. One lost eyesight in one eye. The other has kidney issues. It's nothing to fool around with. I for one thank you for educating your readers. I look forward to uodates on your health. Take care of yourself Neil. Judy
ReplyDeleteInteresting you mentioned covid as a possible contributing factor; I've heard that from others, too (will the sequelae of covid never end?).
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've got an excellent relationship with your health provider, which seems to already be helping you manage this beast of a disease.
The (ahem) Tribune had a good column on CGMs yesterday. If folks can afford them, I believe they will make a huge difference.
I've been stuck on a slightly elevated A1C for years. Like you, no risk factors for DM. Changed my diet, and became well-versed in the Glycemic Index. I read losing 10% of body weight often remediated the problem, so i did that, as well as exercise. Got a CGM in September and discovered the charts/recommendations for a low glycemic diet were not accurate in terms of what was going on inside my body. That was extremely frustrating! Blueberries are touted as a healthy food that may even help fend off DM2. I ate a lot of them this past summer and felt virtuous doing so. Now i know they cause glucose spikes for me! A reminder that "knowledge is power". It's probably also true that futility yields indifference. If nothing makes a difference, why try?
Hi Neil, thanks for sharing all this. So many topics touch home. Advocating for yourself,
ReplyDeleteDr shortages, type 2 vs type1and your personal ordeal. I’d like more on any of them. Sometimes hearing another person’s ordeal moves others to action. I don’t hear whining,only education. One topic to consider, childhood diabetes. My grandson was diagnosed at age 4. 5 yrs later, he’s doing great. The kid is my hero!
PS. Needle hurts when you’re 4but you get used to it.
Sorry about your diagnosis. Being insulin dependent is tough, I raised a type 1 diabetic daughter who was diagnosed at 4 years old. What makes me sad is that most type 2 diabetics can be "cured" by lifestyle changes, yet they choose to just take a pill. heavy sigh...
ReplyDeleteMy doctor mentioned in a wellness visit that genetics play a part in risk for diabetes. 2 of my relatives have diabetes, so I made some diet changes. So far so good.
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ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis and I think it's good -- not annoying -- that you share your experience. Too many people are woefully under-informed about healthcare, medical science, and how they can contribute to improving their own lives. The bit you note in your last sentence: “...we don’t have a full-time medical writer covering this stuff....” really sticks in my craw.
I consider it a HUGE failure of local media that it doesn't cover science (of which medical science is clearly a huge part) essentially at all. If journalism could commit malpractice, this is it. Especially in Chicago where we have a multi-billion (that’s a "B"!) science sector with a number of top research universities, research museums (including your beloved Botanic Garden), National Laboratories, as well as a booming private sector with life-science and tech companies large and small. I remember 15 years ago the Tribune had 4 reporters covering science and tech. Now there is not a single one at either the Sun-Times or the Tribune with a dedicated science beat. FWIW, the City & State spend ~$35 million annually of our tax dollars supporting arts & culture outreach and exactly $0 on science outreach (yes, I looked it up). There’s still plenty of media coverage for the arts, but none for science. So it’s not really a mystery that anti-science attitudes hinder addressing climate change, and anti-vaccine ignorance caused tens of thousands to die in the pandemic.
You have my best wishes, Neil, and please keep sharing what you learn as it will benefit others.
NS, today's follow-up on diabetes is very informative. I have a good friend who lost her eyesight to Type 2 when she was in her 20s. She like you is a writer and has published several books. The tools she has available through technology allow her to be very active. Now in her 50s, she teaches memoir writing classes and until recently has had a blog that inspires hundreds of people. Check out her book, "Long Time No See" by Beth Finke. It is truly inspiring.
ReplyDeleteYou got to run back to your doctor after 1 month? And again after 1 week? Actual appointment with the doctor and not a PA or NP appearing instead? In person, not a Zoom chat or a MyChart text? Is your doctor a family member? A childhood or college friend? How does that happen? Even our PCPs send very ill patients to urgent care NPAs around here!
ReplyDeleteI'm very fortunate to have a good doctor. And I've been seeing him for 20 years.
DeleteThe D7 uses two springs to slap that monitor onto your arm. The applicator is completely unrecycleable (although there is a little magnet you can harvest from the applicator). Gotta be a better, less wasteful, way to get the monitor onto your arm.
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