This is my story and I am not trying to tell you what you should do - just what I did or did what I now think was wrong.

As a child I was a heavy set person who went on many diets, up and down like a yoyo.  Now I know I probably would have been better to have maintained a good weight if possible - my body didn’t like going up and down.  We live & learn.  You need to. Before you do anything see your Dr. about your medical problems.

At 25, I was pregnant and my blood pressure was very high. I had to stay in hospital for 8 weeks and still lost my son.  They did everything they could - even put me to sleep trying to bring it down.  When I was 22 I got red measles for the second time ( I know I'm not suppose to) and my kidneys were affected.  At 40 weeks my son died; still-born a little over a week later. After a while I had two lovely healthy children, but with health issues that is another story. They didn’t suspect Diabetes then.  At 31 they decided I had type 2 and was in hospital for a while to learn what to do.  Mine was 400+. Now they have a different system; mine is usually 4-12 most of the time. 

Please do research as much as you can.  There are deadly consequences if you don’t - especially to the eyes and feet.  Look what I did at above web site.  You do need to know this is just my way of helping, not telling you what to do.

I was able for a long time to just diet and exercise but then in April 1986, where I worked as a bank teller, I was held up at gun point.  One month later I had heart attack 1.  It was not a major one but very scary just the same

I survived and 1 and 3 were just small ones, but each time some damage was done.

I must say I learned a lot about these operations. I have had 3 angiograms to my heart and watched each one with interest.  God gave me a heart that repairs itself: several of my arteries were blocked and it made by-passes all by itself.

Later I had # 2. It was a major one that left a half dollar size blood clot dangling from my heart. I spent at least one month in hospital, first to thin my blood clot and then to have an angioplasty. I am one of those who never knew she had an attack; if I hadn't gone to the hospital for a urinary track infection, I would have died.  I survived but became very depressed.  If you do, make sure to see someone - you need the help or medicine.

#4 in May of 2004.  I had another heart attack while having the procedure.  Again, a small one but gave concern to my Doctors.  My BP was 50/0.

I have had to have 3 angioplasties to my heart, one to my brain.

OK, getting back to 1991: my first stroke happened without my being aware - except when I woke after supper on Jan. 15 - that night the USA went to war the first time -  it was on TV but I could not talk or move. That was very scary.  My left side was not moving and I couldn’t talk. I didn’t do anything about it but when I went to my Doctor again, I told him. He was very concerned and made me an appointment to see a neurologist who wanted to know what was happening while waiting to see him (isn’t it just like this to happen - I had another small one in June) I saw him in July; he wanted me in hospital yesterday but I wanted to go home that year and said no.  Doctor called my husband and I had to wait while he came to town.  I don’t know what was said but the next week I was in hospital having an angiogram to my brain.  I was able to say there was nothing there LOL.  I did have a blocked carotoid artery.

When he cleaned the artery, my BP went so low I almost died then, too, but I survived that one and another one in 1998 where I lost the use of my left side.  It had blocked up again.  This time I went to Physiotherapy to get the use back. I didn’t lose my speech but the oxygen didn’t get to my right eye causing many problems to it. Glaucoma was 40+ and it should normally be under 20; even now most of the time it is over 25 and this concerns my eye doctor.  My BP kept going too low; I fell a few times and blacked out once, then I lost the use of my left hand for good.  No therapy helped - I need help to dress and bathe too.  Thank God for my Wonderful Hubby and home support.  Don’t wait to tell your doctor: they have new things if you get to the doctor or hospital soon enough.

This stroke lead to my eye going bad.  The eye doctor sent me to Vancouver and he did a surgery.  I ask you please look into the surgery you are having! I thought I did but - in my opinion -I do NOT feel the Molteno shunt was a good thing.

Research everything you can on Molteno shunt before having it done.

From then on I was to eye doctors so often I thought I must live with them. Not funny.  I still lost the sight in my right eye; they tell me I am just lucky I didn’t have to have it taken out or a glass one put in.  UGH!!!

Because of my eye problem and emotions my sugars went crazy and I had to go on insulin.  Before this I had told my doctor I would rather die than take needles but now they have a thing called a pen.

Now you can give yourself the insulin with no problem in my opinion. Keeping your blood sugars under control certainly helps your health.

In 2005 I went blind in my good left eye and had to have an eye operation called a Vitrectomy.

I think it was successful but check it yourself.  I was able to see again with the one eye; nothing can be done with the other.  I see eye doctors all the time and try to rest my eye. I use drops 4 times a day in one eye and another in both at night just to keep the pressure down so I do not lose them.  I was blind 5 months last year (2005) and would not wish this on anyone. 

Back to Diabetes: after the last stroke on my left side, I walked with a limp and dragged my foot.

One day in April 2002 we got colds after not having one for several years. I didn’t check my foot every day like I used to - only for just a week, mind you.  During that time, my heel dried up and split open.  One doctor told me to get an air cast but this was not for me: two weeks later I had an ulcer, and in August it was gangrene.

See my story on foot ulcers and what helped.  YOU DO NOT HAVE TO HAVE IT AMPUTATED!!!!  Tell them "No". I did and still have my foot.  You never know for sure but I keep battling it even after not walking on it for years.  The Wound Vac and Regranix did the trick for me.  See next page

In 1994 they decided I had Fibromyalgia. It made me angry when the doctor said it was all in my head!  But when I talked to my GP, he explained it was in my head that the nerve endings short circuit, and there are pain spots all over your body.

I was terribly depressed over this problem. When the weather changes, so do I: aches all over from my eyes to my toe nails.  Yes, believe it or not, your nails can ache  If I was able to have one gone this would be it.

April 2006 my ulcer on my foot got a blood blister under the callus. My GP started seeing me weekly again until June. They had to debride it every week in May; nurse took an ulcer course and she learned that they are using fine-grain gyproc sandpaper to keep the callus from building up, then breaking down and opening up again.  It didn't work back to scalpel every two weeks.

update September 2006-my foot is still not healed used Promogran; foot Dr is going to try silver something next,  pray please I believe in the power of  prayer.

2007 didn't look like a good year but since then I had a new Doctor mine semi retired many test later I am waiting to hear about by-pass surgery my left leg has an arterial block.  I am hopefull I will be walking agiain this year.

Do not feel you need to do what I do. Talk to someone and make your decisions with someone you trust.  It is with help from Jehovah that I am able to do what I do now and maybe just help someone to live and not die from complications or depression.

  If you find you are having any symptoms, check and let your doctor know. Do what they tell you, not what you find on the internet. This is just my story; perhaps  you can learn something to help yourself.