Amputations up by 25% in 2 years

[skb]

A report from Australia says that Diabetes is growing at 7 to 10 % per year & amputations have gone up by 25 % in just 2 years. I think this is a very alarming statistic.

A quote from the article says "It takes between 10 and 20 years for complications to emerge from poorly managed type 2 diabetes as it destroys blood vessels and nerve endings" (emphasis is mine).

It is sad that these eventualities are so easily avoidable.

[Shanny]

I had a conversation today with a friend whose husband has been diabetic for several years, and his blood sugar is what she described as completely out of whack. He seems to have adopted an adequate way-of-eating, lots of fish, a little red meat & lots of salads, but he doesn't TEST! Not at all. Says it's a waste of time. I asked how does he know his new food plan is working, and she said he just counts on it being right (a dietitian suggested it) and goes by his A1c tests. My god in heaven . . . is it any wonder people are going blind and losing their limbs?! And so much of it is placing trust in their doctors who know exactly nothing about it!

This guy might make it if he can stick to it, because his food plan sounds fairly decent, although he's still eating oatmeal for breakfast, and is not incorporating much fat. Plus he's ordered her out of the kitchen and now does all the planning, purchasing and cooking of their meals. I said if he thinks it was her cooking that got him diabetes, he's sadly & seriously misinformed!

[bigskygal]

It is frightening!  My late DH had his leg ampuataed and went blind.  He was dx'd back in 1995 and we sure didn't know all the things we do now about diet and testing.  Heck we didn't even have a computer.  I wish I knew then  what I know now.