Permit me to begin this article by requesting you all to pray that Fr. Nascimento Mendonça, a priest-on-the-staff of our Holy Spirit Church, who is suffering from diabetes complications, may bear his brunt with fortitude and courage. Having suffered for many long years from “diabetes mellitus”, a decade ago, he underwent a coronary artery bypass surgery. Recently, his toes were amputated since his blood supply to the legs is nil. He is presently suffering from multi-organ failure and may require another amputation.
In a rare gesture, our Parish Priest, Fr Avinash Rebelo, refuses to shunt him to a Nursing Home and has generously provided a room in the parochial residence, where he gets the best domiciliary medical and nursing care. Fr Avinash vouches, “He has done so much for us for so many years; it is my duty to look after him.” But Avinash is quick to acknowledge the role of his parishioners, saying, “In this difficult task, I must thank each and every parishioner who goes out of his/her way to render help.”
As a priest, Nascimento served in many parishes. Referring to him, executive editor of the Herald, Alexandre Moniz Barbosa, wrote, “The grey hairs of this historian-priest belie the sharp mind and the swiftness of his steps, a direct measure of just how quickly his intellect works. He is one of the most prolific of contemporary church historians at work. His inquiring mind has taken him to delve into the realm of research to write books, which are real gold mines.”
What is Diabetes?
It is a metabolic disorder wherein most of the food we eat turns into glucose. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies. When you have diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use its own insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in the blood. Diabetes can cause serious health complications, including heart disease, blindness, kidney failure and lower-extremity amputation. Over 40 million people across India have been diagnosed with diabetes. The prevalence rate in the urban areas of India is thought to be 9 per cent and in rural areas, it is 3 per cent of the total population. The population of India is 1.3 billion: This helps give an idea of the scale of the problem. It also means that India actually has the highest number of diabetics of any one country in the entire world. Diabetes is also beginning to appear much earlier in life in India, meaning that chronic long-term complications are becoming more common. The implications for the Indian healthcare system are enormous.
Chronic long-term
complications
Heart and Artery Troubles: If you don’t treat diabetes with a healthy diet and exercise, you’re more likely to get “plaque” in your arteries. This sticky substance slows blood flow and increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. About 2 of 3 people with diabetes die of heart disease.
Kidney complications
The longer you have diabetes, the greater the chance you’ll get chronic kidney disease. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. Controlling your blood sugar can lower your risk for this complication.
Eye problems
High blood sugar can damage the tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to the retina, a critical part of your eye. Diabetic retinopathy can lead to vision loss. It’s the leading cause of new cases of blindness in people between the ages of 20 and 74.
Foot Injuries Can Take a Toll: Diabetic nerve damage makes your feet numb and it is hard to feel the ground under them. You might not notice wounds. At the same time, hardening of the arteries reduces blood flow to the area. Even a small injury can cause foot sores and gangrene. In severe cases, it may require an amputation.
Can Diabetes be
prevented?
One of the most surprising things about diabetes is that you can avoid it. To lower your risk, follow the same guidelines for warding off heart disease: Maintain a healthy diet, exercise for 30 minutes for 5 days a week and keep your weight in check.
Some health habits and medical conditions related to your lifestyle can raise your odds of having diabetes: Being overweight, especially around the waist, a couch-potato lifestyle and eating a lot of processed meats, high-fat dairy products and sweets.
It’s not the end of the road
Those who have diabetes may obviously consider it a burden, but let’s remember that it does no good to sit idle and ruminate about our bad luck. Charles Kimball, an American race car driver who won several prizes and awards wrote, “The typical response from people when I tell them I’m diabetic is, ‘Oh, I’m sorry to hear that’… But do you know I’m not? I tell them I’m a better athlete because of diabetes rather than despite it. I’m more aware of my training, my fitness and more aware of nutrition. I’m more proactive about my health.”
I urge my diabetic patients that there shouldn’t be any let up on its methodic control. It is important that every diabetic takes the disease in his/her stride, with a renewed resolve to overcome the illness as far as possible. Let your diabetes be a stepping stone to loftier goals.
(This article was written before Rev Fr Nascimento Mascarenhas passed away on January 7, 2018.)
(Dr Francisco Colaço is a seniormost consulting physician, pioneer of Echocardiography in Goa and past president of the state IMA)
