Diabetic Caution in Taiwan

Life Health & Fitness
1

I was diagnosed with Diabetes in Taiwan. I was told that I had type II diabetes, which is adult onset diabetes. Most people who get this kind of diabetes are fat. I had never been fat.

I lived with this condition since the year 2001 and had been given oral medication. I had kept an eye on my diet and did the things that I should have done to control my condition. It didn’t work. The doctors always put pressure on me and told me that I ‘wasn’t doing a good enough job’ to control my diabetes. I felt persecuted.

The medication kept on increasing and my blood sugar continued to sky rocket. I started to lose massive amounts of weight and looked really bad.

In the end I gave up. I started drinking beer on a regular basis to let me go to sleep without constantly being worried about my weight. My last beer, or two, was on the plane leaving Taiwan.

I arrived in New Zealand and went to see the Dr. here. It was then that I learnt that I had been misdiagnosed in Taiwan. I am TYPE I and NOT type II. Since then I have started injecting insulin and checking my blood sugars more than three times a day. I am more alert than I have been in years. I am now at the controls of this condition. I have put on over 7kgs since returning to NZ, most of it muscle. I feel good and look much better.

Here’s the thing. Drs. in Taiwan have a very high chance of getting it wrong with Diabetes because type I is not as common in Taiwan. This comes from a leading specialist in NZ. My specialist was very concerned that this situation could have gone on for so long in Taiwan. All the medical experts here say that their medical goof could have cost me my life.

Please, if you have any condition in Taiwan and you aren’t getting better, get yourself checked out at home as soon as possible. It could very well mean your life.

I have ranted about Diabetes before on Forumosa, but now I am at the bottom of things. Something that almost ruined my life and came close to destroying me as a person was as simple as a medical blunder.

I am not mad or bitter about it, I am just happy to be able to move on and finally be in control of my life. No, it’s not nice to have to stick yourself with needles every day, but it IS better than being dead.

2

Wow!

I’m glad you got the treatment you needed before it was too late.

Thanks for warning the rest of us.

3

Glad to hear you finally have things under control Bassman. How many opinions did you get in Taiwan? Thank god, I haven’t been seriously ill here, but I’d never trust a hospital doctor here. Or the UK, for that matter. Second, third, fourth opinions is the only way to go.

4

I agree with what Sandman said, but I’d say that it goes for any place in the world. Because of trusting doctors I almost died a few years ago. I had malaria and for ten days I couldn’t hold down anything, not even water. I turned yellow(er), and lost a lot of weight. Somebody told me to go for a second opinion and with he correct diagnosis, I was well within days. On the other hand, an American doctor in Taiwan has been able to correcly diagnose a problem that I’ve had for years.

5

You and me both. :slight_smile:

I started out with about 4 different Drs in the same hospital. Wouldn’t expect a second opinion there. To understand my condition I checked the internet several thousand times and found that it is sometimes possible to be misdiagnosed. So, I asked a Dr at a clinic if this was possible in my case. He was educated in the U.S. He said it was not possible.

I even had Drs in Taiwan, because of my age, seriously doubt me when I told them that I am diabetic.

I do remember one Dr suggesting that I go on insulin injections, however, he used that as a threat because he thought that my high sugars were my fault and knew that I didn’t like needles at all.

I’d love to be able to see those Drs again and tell them that they were wrong… it may help them be better Drs.