09/12/08
What keeps me enthralled with my job now, is that every bit of my effort helps a diagnosed person to look beyond his circumstances, believe in millions of “could-be”, and rise up to their greatest dreams.
A diabetic patient can run a full marathon.
Diabetics can eat all they can- sweet food, goodies, all their favourites.
well, lest someone quote me and jeopardise his own health, let me clarify. diabetics DO not have the same physiology of insulin production and secretion due to their failing beta cells in their pancreas such that the insulin produced is markly insufficent to account for the molecules of glucose that they consume from their meals. This is in type 2 diabetes. Their reserves of Beta cells are minimial, whilst in Type 1 diabetes, they have empty their reserves. type 1 diabetes have their beta cells wiped out idiopathically by their own immunity. Thus, Type 1 CANNOT survive without insulin injections. And, as the dependent factor is our insulin which is either minimal or fixed by the jabs administered externally, what we can control is the glucose that comes in- our independent factor. Diet is VERY important for Diabetes patients, both type 1 and 2.
What is pivoting that lies on their plate is the proportion of calories they put in. As the insulin amount prevalent does not mount up to the free flow of food they can out into their tummy, they have to make sure that the proportion they eat is not spilling to result in excessively high sugars in their blood. They can still eat a bite of cake, but not more than a humble slice. and the size depends on how sweet is the nature of cake. Tirumisu, dark forest, are general killers. Durians too, 2 seeds of them are enuff to raise sugars to exceeding levels. A rule of a thumb – dont eat till u can fill the heaviness in the tummy, have your meals fill our fuel tank up to a good 60 %, that will do the pancreas a good deal. Another good guideline to check the amount of sugar accue after a meal, is to check their own blood glucose 2 hr after meal. They need to get a home kit to prick and monitor themselves. A trend form after a week gives a good diea n baseline guage on the insulin the body still produces (type 2) and how fast they body utilise insulin and sugars after injection and meals (type 1).
I tried a diabetic diet for a month. Guess what? I lost weight!!! wahaha! A well calculated diabetic meal keeps the amount of calories in check, and avoid unhealthy consumation of carbo and fats.
But then of course, temptations and craves often stands in the way. how many can ignore the lure of tirumisu? Who can stop after takin 2 durian seeds?
The giants are the ones who have a tight locus about their health and are discipline enough to eat whatever they want in calculated proportions. These people stops at nothing despite their ailment. They run marathons, travel widely, hold high position jobs with long hours.
My slides for World Diabetes Day this yr!!
30 th Oct’08
Type 2 diabetes
Aunty small eyes was watching news in the evening, felt a little tired, and the next thing she realised, she found herself in the hospital A&E, being infused profusely with glucose-saline (dextrose). Met up with her by the hospital bed, glinty eyes, she smiled at me innocently and plaintively exclaimed that she did nothing unusual, and ate as normal that evening. Nothing she did to be culpable for the admission.
She’s a type 2 diabetic. These are individuals with their pancreas liken the old and worned out CPU, which cannot cope with the upsurge in glucose level after a meal by responding in adequate insulin secretion. Thus, their blood glucose can be exceeding high leading to acute and chronic complications. Such then, they will be on long term medications to control their post meal glucose level. Mrs small eyes is one of them, put on tablets for over 20 years, it was the first time such trauma happened to her. Her tablets became too overwhelming that the “CPU” overworked and made her glucose plunged dangerously low. The immediate response the body did is to conserve energy by shutting down its functional status, thus resulting in the unconsciousness.
Aunty at the aging phase, is metaboling medicine at a slower rate, thus effects of medicine is stronger than usual. I had to go into her eating regime to encourage the right amt of carbo, and educate her on her eating patterns and medication time. These are primarily only safeguard issues, as continual aging may still have similar drastic consequences. Thus, education extends to not only prevention but awareness of the family as well so that treatment may provided by love ones who notice the first signs.
Aunty has a speedy recovery and was discharged, shaken and stricken with a new fear.
28th Oct’08
TYPE 1 diabetes
I am nannying a 26 yr old fireman.
Waiting for his updates over the weekends, a futile effort I realised and eventually my frustration spilled over the edge and I dialed for him at my lunch break. A droopy voice over the other line, he just returned from his night shift. Well, at least his readings were well below 20 mmol.
Mr F, is a 26 yr old man, diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes 2 days before celebrating his Hari Raya this year. He is the first type 1 case I undertook from the cradle of diagnosis. Being fully dependent on insulin injections now for survival, the first few months of adaptations and acceptance are hazardous and draining both mentally and physically for him. The prick of the needle at least 5-6 times a day to monitor his own blood glucose and instill insulin can be utmost paramount and phobic. And the most drastic truth a type 1 has to face is- he cannot live without those pricks.
And that’s when I step into the picture; an angel if I could be, I have to console him, motivate him and analyze how his body utilise the insulin to fix the dose necessary for him so that he can minimise the poking needed to guage his excursion of glucose. On top of everything else, my role is essentially to empower type 1s such that they can manage their condition in time to come by adjusting their own insulin doses, and get them adapted back to their former daily routine as quickly as possible.
That is my role, my job.
At 26, it is the bud of a life. Well in fact as long as one is under 30, the prime is golden and awaiting. These people are the ones I will watch with all eagles’ eyes that they will understand their condition and hold it in their hands with the right intensity of vigilance and equal guts to dare their youth as those around them.
Diabetes is yet without cure, BUT it can be controlled and contained.
27/10/08
Pages breathe from a hard day’s of work, remnants of sentiments left behind, gilded with expounded facts of medicine.
Here I record accounts of my diabetes patients, with discrete and sensible exposure for awareness of the disease and education for those who are interested.
