Diabetes, injuries and risk aversion

For a few years before I was diagnosed with diabetes, I had been a fairly regular trekker, frequenting the Western Ghats near Mumbai/Pune. On the treks I was quite open to taking reasonable risks, not worried about a few falls, cuts and bruises.

Ever since I was declared diabetic, I have become aware of becoming averse to risk of even minor injuries to the body in the general and to the feet in particular. Literature on diabetes warns diabetics that their wounds may not heal as quickly as those who are normal and the 'extremities' i.e. the feet and the hands especially need to be guarded against injury. This is followed by guidelines on choosing the right kind of footwear - it should cover your feet, be comfortable and not too tight etc.etc. I believe I have let all this have an effect on me. I do go for treks even today. I completed a 5-day trek just recently. But on this trek and all the ones I did after I was declared diabetic I found myself being very careful and focused on being injury-free. Otherwise too, where earlier a minor cut from the knife would just be treated with flowing water from the tap and light pressure, now I am anxious to see the bleeding stop as early as possible and worry about possible infection. I have started using antiseptic even on relatively minor cuts. Am I getting paranoid about injuries? Is this behavior normal for diabetics and such care essential? Or am I letting this whole issue get a bit too much under my skin?

The speed at which wounds of a diabetic heal is impacted by the blood sugar level. If the blood sugar levels are closer to the normal and for longer periods, the healing can be expected to proceed at a near-normal pace. When dentists need to extract teeth of diabetics they insist on a blood sugar check before the extraction and advise stricter control after. The same applies to wounds too.

So if I have good control on my sugar levels, will awareness of this fact make me less risk averse to non-serious injuries? I do not think so it will work that way for me. The risk aversion has now become fairly deep-seated. But then, may be it is a good thing. I will then be encouraged to keep better control as an insurance when I do get cut in-spite of all the care.

Just recently I carelessly nicked the outside of my right-hand thumb. When the bleeding did not stop for quite some time I resorted to home remedy of using turmeric powder to stop the flow and also as an anti-septic. Wondering if the bleeding did not stop because of high-sugar level, I tested. To my relief it wasn't high. This incident actually set me thinking about all that I have posted here. By the way, now that I can see the cut clearly, the bleeding was consistent with the cut.

So I think I need to relax, just do all the right things a diabetic should and rest assured that nature will do its best.

 

Patterns of behavior of non-diabetics towards diabetics

At work and play, diabetics have to get along with people who are not diabetics. Their knowledge of diabetes as a condition, presence of diabetics in the family etc. factors influence their behaviour and attitude towards diabetics. This is particularly true when food is a part of the socializing agenda, which is quite often. How normal people treat known diabetics when food accompanies discussion is an interesting subject and as a diabetic I have experienced different kinds of behaviour from friends, colleagues, relatives and acquaintances. 

I have tried to identify behaviour patterns and map them to well-known symbols of such behaviour. I have identified five such behaviour patterns. Though these are the fundamental patterns, quite a few display one of the hybrid behaviour patterns, which I have discussed later.

I have identified and described these patterns in the commonly occurring context of sweets being offered in a situation where roughly 4-10 people are together and one of them, you, is 'the' diabetic. The setting for this can be home, a restaurant or canteen or even a break during a meeting at work.

The basic patterns of behaviour towards diabetics:

The Monk - Is quite detached even though aware of your diabetic condition. Treats you just like anybody else, you are no one special. E.g. casually offers you sweets just as to anyone else and does not comment on your reaction, whatever it be, to that offer.

The Bull - Like the Cat, shows no overt concern for your condition. But if you refuse to have the sweets, tries to convince you that you are being unduly finicky ('come on, this small piece is not going to kill you'). Gives examples of people they know whose sugar levels have been 'permanently above 300 for years' and yet are doing fine. 

The Hawk - Immediately reminds you of your diabetic condition if you reach out for anything sweet. Keeps a hawk eye on you, but leaves it at reminding.

The Crow - Claims your share of the sweet since you are not supposed to have it and thanks you for that.

The Dog - Guards you against sweets. Takes effective action to keep sweets away from you using verbal and physical means to achieve that.

Some of the hybrid patterns are described below. I am sure more can be identified from experience.

Monk-Haw - Initially offers you sweets just as to the others, then casually mentions that you are diabetic and leaves it at that.

Bull-Crow -  Tries to convince you to have the sweets even when stating that you are diabetic and if you insist on not having, claims your share.

Monk-Crow - Offers sweets, says nothing, but if you refuse, claims your share.

Interestingly, Bull-Dog is not a valid behaviour pattern here.

Diabetic life

I have been a type 2 diabetic for more than 7 years now, diagnosed with the condition in 2004. I have been on oral medication since then. The initial suspicion during a general health checkup and confirmation of the condition through a proper blood sugar test disturbed me quite a bit, though this should not have come as a total surprise given that both my parents were diabetic. I initially started on Ayurvedic medicine ( I have always been a fan of Ayurveda/nature cure). They worked if I kept a very strict control on my diet, but any violation would lead to a high sugar level. I then consulted a diabetologist and started using allopathic oral medication. Soon after that for the first time I experienced hypoglycemia or low blood sugar condition. Soon I adjusted my diet a bit to match the power medicine. I also exercised/walked more regularly.

I have experimented with various types of food, natural substances such as cinnamon (dalchini), okra (bhindi) and fenugreek (methi) that help lower blood sugar. I will soon write about my experience with these later on.