www.incontinentsupport.org

Support for dealing with incontinence
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 5:01 pm

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Thu Jul 01, 2021 9:20 am 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:13 pm
Posts: 455
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
I thought I'd take a moment today and share some thoughts about diabetes (type-2), since it affects so many people today and how it relates to incontinence. Disclaimer: I am not a doctor.

Not managing diabetes well, leads to many health problems, which include:
  • feet and lower legs (possibly requiring amputation)
  • kidney disease (possibly requiring dialysis)
  • loss of eyesight (through bleeding of the retina)
  • urgent bladder incontinence

When I was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes, I was invited to a seminar put on by volunteer nurses. One of the things they mentioned was that a muffin can cause higher glucose levels than a Boston cream donut. It's all about the carbohydrates that get converted into blood sugars. It's not about eating sweet things, though it tends to be related. The other mention was that some of us would become incontinent. I'm not sure if that would have made a difference but I wish that was stressed more. At the time I dismissed it as something that wouldn't apply to me.

My father went blind from the disease and doctors were considering amputation before he passed away. He had severe problems with his feet. Diabetes is often inherited. I have a brother who is suffering from feet issues. It can also affect your lower legs leading to sharp pains. I have lost some feeling in my own feet but have been relatively fortunate so far. I do get sharp pains periodically.

You want to avoid kidney damage at all costs obviously. It also affects your eyesight. Hi glucose levels lead to the swelling of the retina as well as bleeding. It's the bleeding that leads to blindness because the blood that leaks into the eye forms a red fog that you can't see through. You might see shapes, but no detail. Treatment for the eye includes injections (at the side of your eye). These injections are expensive and obviously are not fun to receive.

The other treatment is argon laser treatment to prevent the retina from bleeding. It works by burning the leaky blood vessels. This allows the body to heal them in a way that usually stops the bleeding. This treatment is very painful, feeling like the laser is burning through your head starting with your eyes. I've only been able to endure the pain with the help of cannabis before the appointment (gummies). I otherwise don't use. With gummies you have to time it -- in my case I need to consume them three hours before the argon treatment so that it has maximum benefit. The internet jury is divided between CBD oils and other mixes including THC for best effect. I use a mixture that includes THC so that I don't care as much about the pain.

Then there is the nerve damage that comes with years of high glucose levels. In my case, the IC came after about 20 years of managing my diabetes. It came as a total surprise. When it arrived, I didn't understand what was going on because I was unprepared. If you're diabetic and reading this, then I hope this info will help prepare you.

Urgent bladder incontinence happens when your bladder becomes sufficiently full. A working bladder knows when it needs to empty. Normally, your brain can veto the bladder and command "not now bladder-- wait until I have given the ok, when we are in front of a toilet". But with nerve damage, your brain cannot speak to and veto the bladder. So the bladder has its own way and starts the void even when you're standing in the public checkout line.

The urge feeling is sudden, usually without warning. The first time it happened to me I wondered what was going on. Somehow I mustered all the inner strength I could find and managed to barely stop it (I was in a store checkout line). But it reoccured in the weeks that followed. If you block yourself from peeing (guys by pinching), you might send your bladder into a convulsion. That's not recommended, and it can be painful.

So for the diabetic, the trick is not allowing the bladder to become nearly full. At home and the office, you merely need to use the toilet before it is too late. When the bladder decides to void, you may not have very much time. For me, it's only about 10-15 seconds. Other diabetics might lose the sensation of whether they are full or not (likely due to nerve damage). This all sounds quite manageable, but don't put away those diapers yet. There will be accidents. Even when you can sense a full bladder, we sometimes lose track (software developers can get really involved in troubleshooting). Or the washroom(s) may be occupied when your bladder goes rogue. Or someone can keep you on the telephone for too long. You get the idea.

But when away from home/office, you have a bigger problem. With no washroom, or none within seconds of reach, you will need a diaper (pull-up or brief). Your bladder will run the show and so you must be prepared for that to avoid embarrassment.

This posting is obviously not comprehensive. The nerve damage may lead to nighttime issues as well. My management is to use barely enough protection at home/office in the form of low cost pull-ups. Some choose to use guards/pads. But when I go shopping or otherwise away from home, I have to wear something more absorbent because that diaper may get used multiple times.

So if you're diabetic, glucose level management is highly important. It's difficult because it means giving up many things that others around you enjoy. Whether chips, cheesies, desserts, or cakes with real icing, it is a challenge! Or maybe it is just the quantity of good food. Probably the most important things to protect are your eyes and kidneys. But you'll also want to avoid incontinence as well. Don't think that it can't happen to you.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:11 am 
Offline

Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2019 1:15 pm
Posts: 110
Location: Germany
Hello Wayne,

here is my 2ct... I am also type-2, but my bladder problems started before this diagnosis. In general, high sugar can cause all the things you mentioned. Then when it comes to incontinence, usually the nerves are damaged, which is then what causes the IC. For me, I can say that there are basically two things that have proven to be problematic, besides the usual things when I don't stick to my diet or drink enough.

1) BMI. The more I gain, the worse the sugar and the worse the UIC problems. Weight for me is a key that can greatly improve-or worsen-both the sugar and incontinence problems.

2) I suffer from IC. Interestingly, there seems to be a correlation with sugar here as well. I have significantly more pain with high sugar levels than with normal levels. At some point I noticed that, for example, small wounds heal worse when the sugar level is high. I suspect that the sugar has a similar effect on the bladder wall - which then regenerates worse. No one has confirmed this to me, but it is at least my explanation for it.

Unfortunately, it is not so easy to get the BMI under control - especially at Corona times, but I suspect that if I manage to get it under 25, things will get better again. At the moment I fluctuate between 28 and 30. At 30 and above it gets really bad.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Jul 13, 2021 1:36 pm 
Offline
User avatar

Joined: Mon Jan 25, 2021 2:13 pm
Posts: 455
Location: Southern Ontario, Canada
Hi Michael: I am fortunate in that I am not overweight, though my daughters say that I do have a little "kitten tummy". But slowly, I am losing some weight (prolly due to general loss of appetite).

My worst struggle right now is avoiding eye damage. With elevated glucose levels, the blood vessels in my eyes start to leak. My father was legally blind from it (having to look through a red fog in his eyes). I hate being IC but losing my eyesight seems more serious. So I am trying hard to keep my A1C lower. I check my glucose every morning so that I know if I am winning or losing at the start of the day. If I am winning, I can enjoy a toast at breakfast with a teeny tiny bit of raspberry jam on it. :lol:


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 9 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group