Types of Diabetes
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease in which your body cannot make enough insulin, or your body does not use your insulin. Your blood sugar levels can become much higher than usual.
A normal blood sugar range is about 70 - 110. When people first find out they have diabetes, their blood sugars are often more than 200. To keep your transplant working, and to feel good, you will need to keep your blood sugars as close to normal as possible.
Types of Diabetes
- Type 1 Diabetes
This type of diabetes often occurs before the age of 30. Since your pancreas makes no insulin completely, you must take insulin shots to live and keep blood sugars in a normal range.
- Type 2 Diabetes
Your pancreas still makes insulin, but it is not making enough or your body is resistant to the insulin. This causes high blood sugars. Exercise, diet and medication will help keep blood sugars in a normal range.
- Diabetes Due to Medications
You may get high blood sugars because of medications you are taking to prevent rejection. These medications include:- Steroids - such as Prednisone, Decadron, Solu-Medrol
- Anti-rejection Medications - such as prograf (Tacrolimus)
Even though these medications are causing your blood sugars to go up for now, it is still very important that you continue taking them.
- Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT)
This condition is when blood sugars are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. IGT can lead to Type 2 diabetes. Exercise and healthy eating can prevent this.
Diabetes & Transplant
Some people who did not have diabetes before their transplant may find that they now have high blood sugars.
For those with diabetes before transplant, your diabetes may be very hard to manage. The medications you are taking to prevent rejection may make your blood sugars go up.
To prevent dehydration and reduce the risk of infection, it is very important to keep your blood sugars within the goal that you and your doctor make. This will help with healing and recovery; and you will feel better!