Photo: Portrait
From the Editor: Neuropathy, nerve disease, is an often-serious complication
of long-term diabetes. It can be excruciating, and there is no sure-fire treatment.
Folks have evolved a lot of ways to cope. Here, David Wright, who is blind from
diabetes, and has also experienced a lot of neuropathy, shares his strategy,
and his positive outlook:
I would like to say a few things about my life, diabetes, and pain, as they were tough getting through, until I found the way to deal with them. This comes in three challenging steps.
The first can be tough for some, but I found it quite simple.
I put my faith in God, and in Jesus. The second step, to some, is really tough.
This step is EXERCISE. Exercise is the key to better health and better diabetes
control. It can also ease neuropathy pain. I have found that no matter how tough
times are, one can have a daily or bi-daily exercise plan. We need to be sure
to stick to our exercise plan, to keep our bodies strong and functioning properly.
The third and final step coincides with step two: Watch your diet. We need to
watch what we eat, the right types of meals and amounts. Making sure to eat
a snack between meals and especially before exercise is really important. God
gave us our bodies as our temple to live in, so it is up to us to take care
of our temple.
I began using an insulin pen at the beginning of 2000. It allowed me to control my own insulin independently, without any assistance. Even though my diabetic neuropathy is at a point that I do not have much “sense of touch,” I can adjust insulin with my insulin pen. I even use my Regular insulin, in a separate insulin pen, for my sliding scale, if my blood sugar reading is 250 or more.
I still need some help in checking my blood sugar reading. Even though my LifeScan glucose monitor talks, it is difficult to get my blood sample onto the test strip. I find this meter very difficult for a blind person to use without sighted aid. I've just been told of a much easier talking meter for blind diabetics, the AccuChek Voicemate.
I carry an emergency pack with diabetic necessities at all times, including glucose tablets or tube for hypoglycemic emergency times. Be prepared!
I'm glad I've learned what I know. I only wish I would have
known these things years sooner. What a great help it would have been. I hope
that you, the reader, can be better prepared than I was, by reading my story.