Type 2 Diabetes and Complications, Essay Example

This is the case of, T.J, a 57-year-old man presenting with a history of 8 years of late-onset type 2 diabetes, as late-onset diabetes occurs in adults over age 35 (Holmes, 2013). He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 8 years ago with symptoms that included chronic hyperglycemia prior to his diagnosis. His fasting blood glucose levels in his records upon initial diagnosis were 121-132 mg/dl. The patient said that he always ate a diet high in carbohydrates and pastries, with little fruits and vegetables. He also consumes a moderate amount of alcohol every week and he is a cigarette smoker. Additionally, the patient was at least 15 pounds overweight at the time of diagnosis and is approximately 30 pounds overweight now.

The patient was referred by his family internist to the diabetes clinic. T.J. presents with foot and lower extremity pain, recent weight gain, excessive thirst, polyuria (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2013) and difficulty controlling his diabetes. He says he has been on various weight control programs to try and lose weight but has not been able to do so. T.J. stated that he had stopped taking his diabetes medicine (2.5 mg daily of glyburide/Diabeta) because it was making him dizzy, sweaty and agitated (Diabeta Oral, n.d.). The patient was admonished for stopping his medicine without doctor approval.

T.J. stated that he does not regularly monitor his blood sugar levels at home because he feels like seeing the levels will do nothing, since the doctors know his blood sugar is high. He also states that he has not been sick his whole life prior to the diabetes diagnosis and was always a productive member of society who took care of his family, and he does not understand why he should all of a sudden start checking his blood sugar every day. This is a sign that T.J. needs to be better educated about his disease.

It has been determined that the cause and persistence of T.J. type 2 diabetes and complications have been caused by behavioral factors. He consumes a diet high in carbohydrates, sugar and alcohol. He is obese, smokes and leads a sedentary lifestyle. This is unstable and dangerous behaviour for someone with diabetes, particularly someone at his age. It is important that T.J. is educated to understand the implications of his lack of self-care for his diabetes. Self-care behaviors at home are keys to controlling and managing the disease, as well as preventing adverse complications from not managing the disease. In addition, he must understand that self-care behaviors need to be consistent and regular.

Additionally, it is important that his healthcare team, particularly his nurses, make him aware that being educated on self-managing his diabetes will give him the confidence and motivation to continue taking care of his health. It will give him problem-solving ability and coping strategies, so that he can apply new behaviors to issues that may arise at home or the knowledge to understand when to call his doctor with any questions. T.J. must learn to better manage his diet, weight and physical activity to get his diabetes under control. He must also be diligent with monitoring his blood sugar levels daily. These newly learned behaviors will help T.J. improve with his diabetes and lead a healthier life, which is what he has stated he is interested in doing (Tomlin & Asimakopoulou, 2014).

References

Diabeta Oral. (n.d.). Retrieved from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/drugs/drug-3773-Diabeta+Oral.aspx?drugid=3773&

Holmes, P. (2013, Apr). Diagnosing diabetes: getting it right from the start. Practice Nursing, 24(4), 187-90.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (2013). Type 2 Diabetes. Retrieved from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/basics/symptoms/con-20031902

Tomlin, A., & Asimakopoulou, K. (2014). Supporting behaviour change in older people with type 2 diabetes. British Journal of Community Nursing, 19(1), 22-7.