Obamacare for diabetics

This was an interesting article: Neo-Neocon

It shows the video where Obama says we should be taking care of the root cause of what causes amputations in diabetes, rather than performing the amputation.

So yes, a diabetic should diet, exercise, test their blood sugar numerous times a day. But that will not CURE the disease and there are still going to be those who need amputations. It may postpone or prolong the need for an amputation. But he said nothing about the plan's provisions for those who need an amputation

I really liked the paragraph that talks about how smoking is a huge risk factor in diabetic amputations. But Obama didn't mention this. Why? Proably because he's a smoker who hasn't been able to quit. How ironic! He is proposing a health care plan that would look at the root cause ofthe problem and ask people to fix that. Yet what is going to happen to him if he get's cancer from smoking all his life? He doesn't seem to want to quit.

So why should he ask a diabetic to eat healthy, exercise and test numerous times a day?

That just doesn't make sense to me.

Just a few of my random thoughts that this legislation probably should be something that each and every one of us - as the spouses of non-compliant diabetics - seriously start to listen to. Because you know our husbands are not going to start becoming compliant just because there's a reform in national healthcare!

I get the whole concept that taking care of yourself from an early age will reduce health care costs at a later age. But as the President of our nation, I think he should be the first to set the example and show everyone exactly how "easy" that is to do. He should give up smoking, stop eating red meat, and we should see him jogging 7 days a week And he should insist that his wife and daughters follow that example.

One of the things that scares me about the proposed legislation is the fact that it would limit healthcare to those over 55 and that's probably the diabetes category that needs the most care.

Aside from that.....will this mean that a doctor or his representative will now come into your home to make sure you are folloiwng their orders so that they can keep health care costs down? I get that from where he said, "monitors whether they're taking their medications in a timely fashion," How does he plan to monitor medications taken in a timely fashion?

DW

You can only do one thing at a time

Tom's wife wrote: I'm sorry, it just never ends, does it? I don't want to bore you, but my husband's brother (45 years old) came out of drug rehab and decided he would try to live with us. This was against my better judgement because I was not convinced he really wanted to be clean and figured our house may be a place to get away with more of the same.

Anyway, he lasted two weeks, and when my husband and I told him that he had to participate in some type of program in order to stay - he freaked out. complained to his family that I kicked him out -- another brother just kept telling us to ask him to pee in a cup and have him drug tested. his mother said, just go to meetings with him.

with everything I do for my diabetic husband (which they just don't fully comprehend) I just can't take on the intense care needed for another adult man - who may or may not want to really be helping himself.

I'm feeling ok my decisions but the last 3 weeks have been really hard. Now I'm going away for a week of business and it will be a difficult week of long days of meetings, but I'll glad to be along in that hotel room every nite with no one to take care of but me!

thinking of you

Tom's Wife

My mom is pretty funny with some of her quotes. One she likes to use is "everyone puts their pants on the same way - one leg at a time". The other is "you can only do one thing at a time".

And while I often try to do more than one thing at a time (type on the computer and talk on the phone is a good example) I usually make a mistake either talking or typing when I try that!

Tom's wife - you really can't be expected to do more than be there for Tom. You certainly can't allow anyone to guilt you into taking care of anyone else. I was going to say "right now"......but I think I will change that to "ever". I think once I am done caring or my husband...I will have nothing left to give to anyone else.

And I agree with you totally. No one really understands how much goes into taking care of someone who has diabetes. It's almost endless. Or should I say it's constant? Even when you are gone traveling on business - you don't stop caring, calling, checking in, making sure all is well, etc. But I also know the true rest that can come while completely alone in a hotel room. Almost worth $100 to get away one night a week!

While my hubby doesn't travel much any more, he is going to travel next week and suddenly, I am looking forward to a week here alone.

Hang in there. You made a good choice in refusing to care for his brother. One at a time is more than enough!

Linda wrote:

I am new to this -went looking for something on the internet in the form of support. My husband has been a diabetic for over 30 years, had a lower left leg amputation in 2003 and is currently fighting an infection on his right foot (that in itself is a very long story). It is coming along but on Monday his blood sugar was so low that I ended up calling 911. I have not been at ease since. Scared me to death, for sure. Praying alot. I will keep reading this blog. Thank you - I feel so overwhelmed at times.

Linda, my suggestion is that you seek professional counseling. I know you must be really scared that he is going to die or something worse is going to happen....but I think you need to mentally prepare yourself for this. Because it's going to happen sooner or later. He might live for quite some time, but he could go tomorrow and as scary as that is, I think each one of us has to prepare ourselves for that very fact.

My husband had an angina attack in May and still hasn't been to see a doctor for that. It's usually a "warning" that a heart attack could happen or a stroke. I waffle between denial (since his has been doing so well) and reality (because he did have an agina attack).

I pray a lot, too. I think the praying helps calm me down - mabye like meditation. It centers me. And I think we all feel overwhelmed most of the time. It's just such a horrible disease. They can go so low, at the drop of a pen. So fast, and you don't have a moment to prepare yourself. You can be engaged in normal every day living one moment and the next moment, the ambulance is at your door and you are on the way to the hospital. It's so nerve-wracking.

I have days when I think I should wipe my calendar clear and just wait But the therapist I saw told me not to do that. She said that I needed to have something to do to keep me busy every day. That I needed to get a job, volunteer, teach, get out of the house, go somewhere - keep myself busy I took her advice and I think it was good. But I still have moments when I think I should quit everything that I do and be here just for him. I'm sort of glad I didn't take that path

Hope you can get past this and back to a more normal life.

DW