# mailonline today



## lanzlady (Sep 7, 2010)

Hi, has anyone had a look at the mail online today "the crule cost of ignoring
diabetes" DO NOT READ IF EASILY UPSET. 



Lanzlady


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## novorapidboi26 (Sep 7, 2010)

just shows u.............


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## Donald (Sep 7, 2010)

Here is a link

http://mail.dailymail.co.uk/go.asp?/bDML001/m0QAIN/q9ZSIN/u6B2H4/x986R72


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## squidge63 (Sep 7, 2010)

Sad to say it does happen, I worked on a 12 bed amputee unit and at least half of the patients had amputations due to complications from diabetes, plus many of them smoked as well...


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## Carina1962 (Sep 8, 2010)

I have just read the article and it was very upsetting, it has scared me even more now. Do you have to check your hands for cuts, scratches?  also, was this due to many years of very high levels?  i can't understand how she let this happen without monitoring her levels, it's shocking!  I did mention to my DN that amputations really scare me (like all of us i'm sure) but she told me that it is quite rare these days with good monitoring yet i read articles and hear of lots of this happening - is it a small percentage in reality?  i feel so down now


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## Andy HB (Sep 9, 2010)

carina62 said:


> I have just read the article and it was very upsetting, it has scared me even more now. Do you have to check your hands for cuts, scratches?  also, was this due to many years of very high levels?  i can't understand how she let this happen without monitoring her levels, it's shocking!  I did mention to my DN that amputations really scare me (like all of us i'm sure) but she told me that it is quite rare these days with good monitoring yet i read articles and hear of lots of this happening - is it a small percentage in reality?  i feel so down now



Her problem was most definitely due to years of poor control. Diagnosed at 10 and she didn't start taking diabetes seriously until having her first child.

I really don't think that you have be concerned with amputations if you're being sensible about what you eat and are keeping your levels under good control (which your first HbA1c would seem to confirm).

I think the problem with cuts and scratches comes from not dealing with them promptly and allowing them to get infected. If they're on your hands, you're more likely to notice and treat them effectively.

Andy


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## wallycorker (Sep 9, 2010)

carina62 said:


> I have just read the article and it was very upsetting, it has scared me even more now. Do you have to check your hands for cuts, scratches?  also, was this due to many years of very high levels?  i can't understand how she let this happen without monitoring her levels, it's shocking!  I did mention to my DN that amputations really scare me (like all of us i'm sure) but she told me that it is quite rare these days with good monitoring yet i read articles and hear of lots of this happening - is it a small percentage in reality?  i feel so down now


Hi Carina,

Yes it might be a small percentage in reality but it is something that we would all be wise to be concerned about. 

Here is a statistic from DUK:



> Three people die from diabetes-related complications every hour and 100 toe, foot and lower limb amputations a week are caused by diabetes.




- i.e. that works out at around 5,000 amputations per year.

Here is a BBC News article on the subject:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8427937.stm

You will note that the number of amputations has reduced for Type 1s but that it has risen dramatically for Type 2s:



> The number of people in England having a limb amputated because of type-two diabetes has risen dramatically, a study has shown.Type 2s but reducing in Type 1s.




Might that statistic be being influenced by the poor "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate advice" given out by healthcare professionals to many Type 2s.

According to anything that I have read these amputations do not need to happen with good control of blood glucose levels. 

Last year, when I broke and smashed open two of my toes by dropping a car-size battery on my foot, I feared the worst. However, despite great concern from all of the medical people who saw the wounds, my toes healed quickly and in the words of the specialist when he discharged me ".........quicker than I would have expected of a non-diabetic patient".

Certainly, given my current level of control, I do not consider myself to be at risk of such amputations. However, only time will tell!

John


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## sas77 (Sep 9, 2010)

I started to read that on the bus.  What a bad idea.  The tears were coming from me and I could not stop them.  Does anyone else feel like something was missing though.  There did not seem to be much of a build up.

However, I would not recommend someone who has had not many complications to read it.  It is a bit "worst case scenario" even though the article makes it out like we will all have this if we have high sugars for a couple of years.


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