Could this be a Negligence case?

My sister has had neuropathy in her feet from unstable diabetes for a year now. It has progressed every month, to the point she can barely walk. :( Her last diabetes doctor essentially said 'You know what diabetes can do.' and that was It. For years she didn't find a plan /way to help assist to lower my sister's sugars- they are very insulin sensitive, so she could barely ever take much insulin. Her sugars unfortunately therefore, remained high, year after year. And last year before her last appt. with her, she said' I don't know' (about how to treat sugars and also neuropathy) and basically then hung up on her. As a specialist,would one not try to Find out then? Any answer or any plan? My sister feels her brushing her off was negligence and she did get worse , from not being treated.

This also occurred with a nerve specialist, who only mentioned a vitamin she could take for neuropathy , then just advised my sister talk to Her PCP for a med for nerve pain. She felt yet Again pushed off- there were multiple treatments out there for neuropathy, and she was not informed of any. And now it is worse , and could be permanent. What are your thoughts? She is at her wit's end, getting no help and having to research treatment on her own.

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JoyfulSilence · 51-55, M

So sorry.

I hope she can find someone who cares.

I am lucky. My doc suggests meds and treatments for most of my ailments, without me even asking. I am often reluctant since sometimes the problem is hidden, and only shows up on a test. And the treatment never makes me feel better (yet sometimes worse), but does yield better test results.

With most of my diabetes complications, the only sure solution is low sugar, so that is the focus. But it does not seem to help repair damage that is already done.

My sugars are down, and neuropathy less. But I have not actively sought help. I still have not seen a neurologist or podiatrist, like my doc suggested. I did see an eye doctor, but for new glasses. She said I had diabetic retinopathy.

I have leaky and mutant capillaries. I have floaters of blood in my eyeball gel. I have been seeing a specialist, who first lasered the peripheral capillaries to stop them growing. Yet now I have injections into one eye to slow down growth in the middle, since a laser is too dangerous there. But everything I read suggests existing floaters usually do not fade, and then surgery is the final option. They suck out my eyball gel and replace it with air (or oil), and it will refill with time(?).

Sigh.

Coralmist · 41-45, F

@JoyfulSilence Keeping sugars fairly close to normal range is key..good for you. I wish my sister wasn't so insulin sensitive so she could take the amount she needed. Then some of this awful neuropathy could lessen. Sorry about the eyes .she also has many floaters. I hope they find a cure for diabetes...we are past due 🌸

JoyfulSilence · 51-55, M

@Coralmist

In the case of type 1, I hope someday they could grow good pancreas cells and inject them into the pancreas, or something. Yet if your sister is responding badly to insulin, maybe being able to make her own won't help.

For type 2, I think it starts with the body losing reactivity to insulin. Sort of like a drug addict, who needs more and more to keep his high. I think high sugar causes more insulin, which the body desensitizes to, which causes more insulin to be needed, until it cannot keep up. This stresses the pancreas, which tires and produces less. So I need more and make less.

I think Ozempic triggers the body to think it just ate, and thus insulin is boosted and the production of sugar by the liver depressed. So blood sugar drops.

But it is just a band-aid: I do not think it makes my body react better to insulin. It does lower sugar, which causes damage.

What they need is a way to battle "insulin resistance."