My personal experience with someone suffering from diabetes , dementia & stroke was my mother .

Welcome to the 4th edition of the DiaBeaters Magazine titled ‘ Diabetes Head on ’. It addresses complications of diabetes relating to the CEPHALIC ( head ) region , i . e . stroke , dementia , mental health , eyes , ears , oral health , head / neck cancers etc ., to name a few .

This edition covers the signs , symptoms , stroke treatment , aphasia , and physiotherapy for stroke patients , diabetes and dementia ( a double dilemma ), headaches , oral health and innovations in the eye , mental health , stroke recovery and many more .

Diabetes , as most people are aware , is a complex condition with so many facets to manage . I am sure we all have known someone in our lives whose diabetes journey has been affected by these conditions at some point in time .

The 4th edition is close to my heart .

My personal experience with someone suffering from diabetes , dementia and stroke was my mother .

As a family , we had to draw on our patience to ensure we did not make my mother feel inferior as she would forget conversations , birthdays , and sometimes even us . Some days were more challenging than others as she would repeat the same thing numerous times ,

each time we would be looking to provide different answers to break the monotony .

Recognising a stroke ’ s signs and symptoms whilst on a What ’ s App call with my family in the UK was upsetting . My mother had suffered an Ischemic stroke . It was during COVID-19 ’ s first peak . The timing put us in a predicament as to whether it was safe to admit her into hospital , and if not , then what other options did we have . Nevertheless , she was admitted and discharged two days later , only to go back into the hospital for another two weeks .

It was the first time we felt vulnerable as we had never let our mother out of our sight . She now was in the hands of total strangers , and no visitors were allowed . It was difficult for us as my mother already had dementia and now a stroke . We had to face more testing times .

The National Health Service ( NHS ) was overwhelmed with COVID-19 cases , and we were unable to make contact with the hospital to find out how her treatment was progressing . When my mother finally came home some two weeks later , she was in a total state – confused , petrified , complete loss of confidence and to add to her woes ; she had pressure ( bed ) sores . To see her like this was completely disheartening .

My mother was bedridden . The stroke had affected her mobility , weakening her muscles , swallowing was a problem . It was a downward spiral from then on as we battled for four months , trying our very best to nurse her back to health but to no avail , and she passed away . These four months were harrowing times . I feel this edition will resonate with many of us having similar stories to share .

A sincere thank you to the American Stroke Association ( ASA ), our global pool of talented Authors , hospitals , organisations , and respectable pharmaceutical companies partners ( providers of medicines , devices , and innovations in healthcare ).

I hope this 4th edition will bring awareness and knowledge to carers to provide better care and support for their loved ones and information for those in similar circumstances .

We may have to fight more than one battle , but we have the inner strength to carry on to defeat - Diabetes Head On !

Diabetes Awareness - Because it matters .

DiaBeaters .