Many talk about having a “diabetes team” to help with your diabetes treatment. I found out that a diabetes team can save your life.
Diabetes Can Be a Killer
I have had diabetes for more than one year and every day learn something new. A short while ago, I learned quite quickly that diabetes can be a killer – I came within a whisker of crossing that great divide, which has taken me from knowing that diabetes is serious to taking everything I do related to my diabetes treatment and lowering my blood sugar as serious.
That includes exercising, my weight, the food I eat and monitoring my efforts to lower my blood sugar. Some may suggest, “you are overreacting.” Go through a near death experience and see if one does not take their diabetes treatment as serious.
My Near Death Experience
In early March, we hopped a plane to travel to Lima, Peru. All was well, the mood was upbeat and we were off to visit family. I felt tired and somewhat lethargic, but put it down to the after-effects of COVID that I had just gone through.
The doctors suggested, just wait it out and it will go away. No discussion about potential impacts from having diabetes and no testing - and I did not ask – big mistake.
I finally pushed for testing and the results came back to my doctor while I was literally getting close to taking my last breath on the plane.
Landing, my wife’s phone showed a note from my doctor – get to emergency immediately. My organs were shutting down.
The Hospital Experience
Arriving at the hospital, I was immediately evaluated by an Internist. Then it was up to ICU and the tests. Arriving in ICU, the team was ready – heart, kidney, liver, diabetes, the internist – along with 3 nurse specialists.
I was put on an immediate “rescue plan” while they figured out what was going on. They kept me alive and I am still here to talk about it. Five days in ICU and 3 days on the regular ward, then time to go home.
The “hotel rooms” – oops, hospital rooms I had were large and spotless. The food was also exceptional and surprisingly, the contract was held by a Canadian company.
The service from the doctors? The five visited each day and spent as long as I wanted to chat.
Now that I am Out?
Has the standard of care continued now that I am out? You bet. I have met with the team and am now on a treatment plan. The doctors talk to each other about my treatment and now I am in the tweaking stage of my plan. Interesting, my medicine regime has been reduced dramatically and I am no longer fighting to keep things like cholesterol, uric acid, blood pressure, and the list could go on, in check.
What happens Next?
I have a schedule for meeting with the specialists – even when I go back to Canada. They are all adept at using Zoom and I have their cell phone numbers which they encourage me to call if I have any questions. Somewhat like having a family doctor in Canada 40 years ago when they would do house calls.
The End
I have seen the inside of the medical system in two countries. What I learned is that I do not have to deal with diabetes alone, but I just do not know how we get there in Canada. And that is where Damndiabetes comes in.
At Damndiabetes, we do not want you to have to do diabetes alone. Together, we can make your diabetes suck less. We know it's not a one-size-fits-all disease and we are here to help you figure out what works for you. Food, exercise, logging your blood sugar, and sometimes just listening. Call us today at Damndiabetes.ca so you are not having to deal with your diabetes treatment all alone. We are here to help you with your diabetes treatment plan to help you to a better quality of life living with diabetes. Best wishes
The Team at Damndiabetes.ca
Wayne Drury has beendiagnosedwithType II Diabetes. He wasfrustratedwiththelackof usable informationonthetreatmentof diabetes and howtolowerbloodsugareffectively. Hispassionnow, usingall he has foundwith diabetes research, ishelpingotherson a pathto a betterqualityoflife living with diabetes, which he shares onhiswebsite.
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