Complications are a diabetic's worst nightmare
Right now, things aren't easy. I have three exams in one day, my hsc, temp work, my driving hours/test and my diabetes to manage. And on the diabetes front, I'm not doing so well. For months now I've been having sharp pain in my nerves that comes and go's, but lately it's been getting worse. As many of you know, neuropathy is a complication of diabetes, but normally one that sets in after years of having the disease and from instability in blood sugars. Prior to my 8.7 A1c, my levels had been brilliant, which makes it seem unlikely to be neuropathy. But that's the thing, diabetes complications are scary, because they can affect almost any diabetic, even at a young age and for no particular reason.
So, now I have to have a nerve conductor study, which is apparently rather painful but will assess what's going on. Assessing the entire situation, it's unlikely to be diabetic neuropathy, but this just serves as a reminder of what could happen when I'm older, because of my diabetes.
Complications are not talked about a lot within the diabetes community, purely because they are so devastating. Kidney failure, heart failure, blindness, amputations, nerve damage, a life span shortened by 15 years... the list goes on. A lot of people ask me why I bother managing my diabetes so thoroughly, to quote some 'I would just die if I had to do that'
I do it because I don't want that to happen to me. I couldn't imagine a life where I didn't have good health, especially a life with no limbs. I'm a pianist, and something that really bothers me is that one day, I may not be able to play the piano, which I guess sounds silly. But to me, it's almost indescribable, being able to play an instrument. It's a stress reliever for one thing, but the ability to create such powerful sounds, to create joy in others through music, to teach that same skill to other people so they can have it too- it's so important. I play the piano, it's my 'thing'.
But for now, I'll live in the present, where yes things are getting pretty stressful (not to mention final!), but I'm relatively happy, healthy and hopefully free from complications.
Now, enough with the sad topics!! See you Monday with something fun :)
So, now I have to have a nerve conductor study, which is apparently rather painful but will assess what's going on. Assessing the entire situation, it's unlikely to be diabetic neuropathy, but this just serves as a reminder of what could happen when I'm older, because of my diabetes.
Complications are not talked about a lot within the diabetes community, purely because they are so devastating. Kidney failure, heart failure, blindness, amputations, nerve damage, a life span shortened by 15 years... the list goes on. A lot of people ask me why I bother managing my diabetes so thoroughly, to quote some 'I would just die if I had to do that'
I do it because I don't want that to happen to me. I couldn't imagine a life where I didn't have good health, especially a life with no limbs. I'm a pianist, and something that really bothers me is that one day, I may not be able to play the piano, which I guess sounds silly. But to me, it's almost indescribable, being able to play an instrument. It's a stress reliever for one thing, but the ability to create such powerful sounds, to create joy in others through music, to teach that same skill to other people so they can have it too- it's so important. I play the piano, it's my 'thing'.
But for now, I'll live in the present, where yes things are getting pretty stressful (not to mention final!), but I'm relatively happy, healthy and hopefully free from complications.
Now, enough with the sad topics!! See you Monday with something fun :)
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