Shouldering The Load

Like many of our clients, I recently had to endure an outpatient medical procedure.

The arthroscopic surgery for a painful frozen shoulder included physical manipulation of the shoulder in order to tear adhesions that had formed, and hopefully restore near-normal range of motion (see photo below). 

Before you start to cringe, you should know that I was unconscious and received a complete “nerve block” of my right arm and shoulder.  But once the anesthetic started to wear off, oh boy! The pain really kicked in. By the next day, I was in physical therapy and adjusting to short-term daily life with one working arm. The pain has persisted for the past couple of weeks, but I’m starting to get some function back thanks to regular stretching and PT sessions, and the pain is becoming more tolerable. I’ve been told that I should be back to lifting weights and bricking jump shots on the basketball court within a few months.

For most people, the challenges would end there. But for someone with type-1 diabetes, the challenges seem to be endless. It started the day before surgery with a 12-hour fast, then the anxiety-inducing pre-op process, and continuing into the recovery phase with a marked reduction in my overall physical activity, along with the stress that comes from chronic pain. Luckily, I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned over the years from my team of Diabetes Care Specialists about handling these kinds of situations. Thanks to a series of insulin dose adjustments, my glucose levels have actually been pretty decent. And that matters now more than ever because the rate of healing and recovery is affected greatly by glucose management.

Many people don’t realize the impact their glucose control has on their day-to-day lives. Most have it in the back of their minds that poor control can lead to serious health problems. While that is true, we also benefit from managing our diabetes in the here-and-now. Even if you’re not recovering from major or minor surgery, your day-to-day quality of life matters. Keeping glucose levels within a desirable range allows you to perform better physically, intellectually and emotionally. It helps you to avoid illness and recover faster from illness and injury. It creates a safer environment for you and those around you.

If this sounds like something you want, we can “arm” you with the tools and techniques to make it happen. Give us a call to set up an appointment (virtually or in-person) with one of our expert clinicians:  +1 610-642-6055.

As always, I hope you enjoy this month’s edition of Diabetes Bites. Be sure to check out the clinicians’ columns, news bites, recipes, and fun stuff (trivia, survey, special offers) towards the end.  Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome.

Together, there’s nothing we can’t accomplish!

Gary Scheiner MS, CDCES
Owner, Clinical Director

Nancy’s Featured Finds!

Did you know that if you are a past patient or currently working with us you can now join our TimeOut for Caregivers program for free?

If you are a parent of a Type 1 kid or teen, this is an essential program that lets you join other like-minded people to learn stress-reducing tips and have a safe space to gain support, skills, and strategies for navigating day-to-day life.

Please call me in the office 610-642-6055 with any questions or email me: nancy@integrateddiabetes.com.

Best Always,
Nancy

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Diabetes Bites Monthly Newsletter is published electronically by Integrated Diabetes Services and distributed to more than 10,000 individuals in the diabetes community.