Gunnard
Ness of Fargo, North Dakota, has had diabetes for about 30 years.
"And my brother and I own eight community newspapers in northeast
North Dakota," said Ness, semi retired now at age 76, in a
recent telephone interview. His newspaper group has published this
column off and on.
"Because of my diabetes, I take insulin twice daily and try
to keep my diet right," he said. "I'm married to a nurse
well acquainted with diabetes. She decides the menu and I eat what
she puts out."
According to the American Diabetes Association website, diabetes
is "a disease in which the body doesn't produce or properly
use insulin." It affects about 20 million Americans.
Due to his diabetes, Ness' doctors in a series of operations beginning
ten years ago first had to amputate several of his toes, then half
his foot, and most recently in 1999 his leg below the knee. And
three years ago he had heart by pass surgery.
People with Type 2 diabetes like Ness have an increased risk of
developing heart disease, blindness, nerve damage and kidney damage.
"But I drive the car still," he said of his daily routine.
"My wife had two hip replacement surgeries, then fell and broke
her kneecap. She can't drive our car anymore, so we get along well
together. She's a hard headed Norwegian like me. She doesn't get
shook up (about our physical problems) too much. But she does use
a cane when walking outside."
Two years ago, the Nesses moved to Fargo, and today live six blocks
away from where Gunnard receives regular physical therapy. One elderly
man he exercises with at physical therapy is missing both his hands
and legs, and has prostheses on both legs.
"Having an amputation isn't the end of the world," Ness
added. "Recently, someone I know had a leg amputated. I made
a point of going to the hospital to show her my prosthesis and how
it wasn't bothering me. After talking, she began relaxing about
her situation a bit. Doctors can say that you will be all right
after an amputation, but the point gets across better when coming
from someone who has been through it."
He emphasized that medical facilities ought to do far more for recent
amputees, including matching them up with more veteran amputees
in order to help ease the transition.
For more, see www.diabetes.org
or danieljvance.com. |
