My brother-in-law visited my house last Sunday. He was walking with difficulty, and complained of noticing that he had a problem with his right foot. He had developed a “foot drop”.
My brother-in-law is a fashion icon. A powerful dresser. He combines the corporate dressing of James Bond with that of former CNN cross-garterred shoulder-belt dresser – Larry King. He has a rack-full of American shoes and boots. Now he finds it difficult to put on a common pair of sandals, especially on the right foot. How do you console such a person?
Two weeks ago in Gregory University Specialist Hospital, Uturu. A woman who has had diabetes for 17 years, consulted me. She had developed a “foot drop”, as a result of the complications of diabetes. The woman is in her late forties. Still young, and now she cannot walk well. How do you console her?
All the same, after thorough and robust clerking, examination and investigations. I counselled and started her on a course of rehabilitation through physiotherapy.
An old friend of mine(name withheld), has had diabetes for 23 years. On the 15th year of his diabetes he developed a foot drop on the right foot. He was managed overseas regularly, and improved tremendously. He became careless and neglected his management. Then, late last year, he developed gangrene of the right big toe and three other smaller toes. The four toes were subsequently amputated. How do you console such a person.
In my donkey years of medical practice, I have encountered a lot of patients, who gradually and systematically became disabled as they aged. These disabilities have always inflicted psychological traumas on me.
Most of the complications of diabetes mellitus result due to non-meticulous regulation and control of blood glucose. We cannot afford to leave anything to chance. The consequences are too enormous.
So I always tell my diabetic patients, please remember that, negligence of adequate blood-glucose control – today, may lead to complications – tomorrow. Resulting in blindness, foot drop, gangrene, amputation, impotence etc etc.
What galls me today, is that as a retired Permanent Secretary, most of my colleagues who have, had diabetes mellitus for a long time, and did not take adequate management control measures, are gradually becoming blind, developing foot drop, becoming crippled, getting amputated, suffering from strokes.
I wept the other day, when I visited a very senior colleague and a friend of mine, also a retired Permanent Secretary, only to discover he has become crippled and now confined to a wheelchair, due to diabetic neuropathy. He was the one that consoled me, saying that, he had taken his conditionals fate with equanimity.
I cannot in all sincerity, kick my senior colleagues now they are down with disability, by trying to play God, or trying to remind them of my warning 10 to 20 years ago, that is to pay more attention to their blood glucose control. What I will do is to caution all those suffering from diabetes now, and not yet disabled, to pay utmost attention to their blood glucose control.
Now if you are reading me, and you are diabetic. Please in God’s name, get out now and procure the blood-glucose-test device. Monitor your blood sugar level regularly, and please when in doubt consult your doctor or email me.
Note that it is the lack of management and control of excess sugar level in the blood, that leads to accumulation of blood sugar levels, with its attendant destructive effects on blood levels and nerves – leading to micro-aneurysms(blots), micro-haemorrhages(dots), infarts(cotton wool). All these eventually result in nerve lesions, impotence, blindness, gangrene and amputation.
On the precautionary side, if we just take a little time to manage ourselves, no complications would develop and we would live our normal lives without disabilities till the Almighty God calls us back..
Lastly, it is said that “prevention is better than cure”. If you have diabetics mellitus and you are still healthy without complications or disabilities. You will do yourself and your family a lot of good, by meticulously managing your blood glucose level. Please help yourself, so as to save your family from managing your disability, again you could save your self from eternal regret, retribution and agonising suffering. Always be medically guided.
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