friends dh has just been told he has diabetes ..............................

[blushingm]

he has been ignoring the symptoms for years but he now has a severe foot infection that is spreading up the leg. My friend is beside herself and thinking about organ damage etc - she thinks he has artery damage as apparently he's had no feeling in his feet for years.

what can i do/say to help her. she won't let on but she is very scared as is her dh. He has a hospital app on thursday to 'discuss' the results of his blood tests and his foot. The district nurse has been coming since he went to docs last week

not a lot you can say to help her tbh. It sounds as though he has vascular damage and it may result in an amputation, not uncommon in uncontrolled diabetes.

How old is he?

oh goodness - he's 51

for your friend and her DH.

It is a sad fact that people still don't treat type II diabetes as a serious condition until these sort of complications arise - although I did notice that he has only just been diagnosed - he must have had quite serious symptoms that he has been ignoring, no feeling in the feet is something he should have had checked years ago.

At least it has been diagnosed now - if he starts to take better care of himself now he can help to stabilise the condition but it is likely he has done a fair bit of damage already.

oh god - really. He is incredibly stubborn and has evrn been putting off the optician - he has a fear of medical type people.

what sort of damage - would it be permanent or repairable - sorry but i don't know much about diabetes - and he has been 'ignoring' a lot of symptoms

I'm afraid that the damage to nerves and blood vessels (usually in legs and eyes), as well as kidneys isn't reversible.

My parents both have type II diabetes, and I think my dad will loose at least one foot to it.

Diabetes can cause damage to eyes, the circulatory system, extremities. It can cause erectile problems. This damage is generally permanent.

oh

if the foot is an open wound that means he could lose it then?? Does this sort of thing happen when the diabetes has been left untreated for a long timee or is it quite common?-

Yes - if he has vascular damage, then the body just can't heal the infection and damage to the foot.

It most commonly happens when diabetes has been left untreated, or the compliance hasn't been good, giving high blood sugars.

so it's bad then

i've got to ask as i am thinking it but could he die

Well, he's not likely to die right now from this, I don't think. But having had untreated diabetes for so long means he's likely to die earlier than he would otherwise.

My mom died of a heart attack, but diabetes was a contributory factor.

NQC is right - unless he has deeper complications - he is unlikely to die immediately unless he leaves the infection untreated, in which case he could get septicaemia and die.

Diabetes shortens the lifespan even when it is properly managed - when it isn't the reduction is more.

Sadly though I doubt this is the end of it. When things have got to this state, even managing it now might be too late for his eyes, his kidneys and even his other leg (especially if he has had no feeling in the toes on that side either). It is a progressive degeneration, mostly irreversible, so now you are going to see the results of this degeneration coming out.

So for you and your friends.

thanks TW and NQC and also sorry about your mum NQC

it's sounds like a horrendous condition - my friend is so at him and now so am I