Thursday, August 16, 2012

The difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

Type 1 -
 pancreas does not work, insulin not created.
10-15% of all diabetics.
 Juvenile onset.
 Appears before patient is age 40, but can appear after age 40.


Type 2 -
pancreas works.  Either not enough insulin, or insulin does not work properly.
Tends to start later in life but can start in the 20s.  Adult onset
 85 - 90% of all diabetics.

So, when a type 2's pancreas stops working altogether, then there is no difference between the 2 types.

Do they become the same.

My hubby's pancreas no longer works.

He is insulin dependent (takes RU500 which is 5 times concentrated)

Has been told there is no cure.  But told to diet and exercise.

His body no longer makes any insulin.

His diabetes started at age 30.

One website states you can have both type 1 and type 2 diabetes at the same time.  Interesting.

He was insulin resistant until his body quit producing insulin completely, then he became insulin dependent.

"Brittle" means unstable.  He is definitely unstable.

Remember he had c diff when he had his spinal fusion surgery?  Today he read an article in USA Today and then announced to me that he had just had some bad news - he was probably going to die because this is still in his body.  I read the article and told him it is in everyone's body, but yes, eating tums like they are candy, or doing any number of other things could set if off (again).

Hubby had Hepatitis A 35 years ago.  Forever barred from donating blood. Kidney damage at that time and it went undetected?

all just things to contemplate.

His shoulder is absolutely killing him.  I'm sure he needs surgery.  He refuses to see a doctor.  He made some kind of pact with himself that when we moved down here, he was never going to a doctor again.

DW



1 comment:

Boop82 said...

From what I understand (I am no doctor, just worked at a dialysis center who explained diabetes to us) Normally the people who have type 1 and type 2 diabetes are people who started out as type 1, but have lived the life that can cause type 2 diabetes and have those complications as well.

It is interesting how juvenile diabetes is being found in more adults now than used to be (my husband was 19 when he was diagnosed, so borderline juvenile and adult).

I don't know if Type 2s can truly become type 1s. The big difference I think is how their pancreas stops working. Type 1s are normally caused by antibodies attacking the pancreas and Type 2s whose pancreas stops working is due to the pancreas progressivly decreasing it's ability to work.

It doesn't make one less than the other, and it's got to be hard for him and you to get used to new lifestyle requirements to keep from getting to low with the insulin or to high without.

Men are stubborn. I wish he would listen to you more but am glad you have somewhere to vent about it.