Low Purine Diet

I have finally found a website that shows photos that look similar to hubby's feet. The huge lump on the right photo....well, my hubby has multiple lumps like this on both feet.

http://www.arthritis.co.za/gout.html

Yes...you wonder how he walks at all. Well...not well. He mostly just limps. I do know that he has a very high pain threshold and I wonder if that isn't from years of dealing with this problem...being told that there was nothing that could be done...it was his Scottish DNA!

Upon further reading, I have found where these are quite dangerous for diabetics because sores can start from the inside and work their way outward.

In addition to these, he has all the little boils on his feet. The look like this:

http://health-pictures.com/conditions2/Carbuncle-picture.htm

But I believe they are caused by uric acid build up. I'm still doing my research on these.

Thinking today is the day to share some of my research....this site is very informative, yet rather scary....about memory loss in uncontrolled sugar levels.

http://www.diabetesselfmanagement.com/article.cfm?AID=367&SSL=n&page=1


And then I found this site, which particularily helped me to understand all the nerves that can be damaged by uncontrolled diabetes. I had really only heard about feet and eyes. This explains a lot of the diarrhea....as I'm sure the nerves in his stomach and intestines have been affected at this point.

http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/neuropathies/#types

What scares me is the damage that you cannot see. I see his feet every day. I do not see what's going on in his heart. We know that his kidneys are down to 30% function. What else has been damaged?

Tomorrow we are going to start the low purine diet. I pray that he can stick with it for 6 weeks at least. He said that he would like to lose 10 pounds. He probably needs to lose 40-50 pounds if not more. OK...I'm just saying that he needs to lose that much within the next year...and then we can go from there.

Problem is that he literally can't walk....due to his feet....so dieting without exercise has to be to get healthy so that he can exercise to diet to lose weight. What a cycle!!!

I am not really looking forward to this holiday season because I know he will indulge in sugar....but perhaps if he will stick to this eating plan...he will see the benefits...and start to understand that diet and nutrition can have an impact on diabetes. Remember...he's the guy who's doctors tell him a carb is a carb is a carb....and he'd much rather get his carbs all from cookies, cake and donuts!