Hi. My mother is considering a facelift procedure in Toronto. She is diabetic and takes insulin daily. She will be turning 60 this July. Is facelift recommended for diabetic patients?
I need to chime in on this one. I am a type 2 diabetic. I am not overweight. I AM on insulin due to the fact that I have an allergy to sulfa which diabetic drugs other than metformin are a cousin to so those other drugs WERE NEVER AN OPTION FOR ME. Please don't assume that we are all fat lazy slobs that don't take care of ourselves. Even my other diabetic friends tend to be a bit finger pointy and say that they are not on insulin like I am even though they are on 2 or 3 different diabetes medications.
youre lucky sunnygirl . blasphemy gets me " moderated " on here as quickly as it takes me to type it up . sometimes i wonder if its even worth trying .
Just in case this was a real question: I am a Type I diabetic and I had upper and lower Blepharplasty (eyelid surgery). Dark circles and puffy eyelids run in my family. I got tired of people asking me if I was tired. I'd agree, even though I wasn't tired. It was embarrassing. I was in my early 40's at the time. I don't regret it and I had no problems. Oh, it is a bigger deal than it appears on tv. Take it seriously.
I had sedation and no general anesthesia. I don't remember a thing.
s'okay cwilliy with all the money ive saved on razors since 1979 i could afford probably a new sausage stuffing press and cool bail top jars for all my spices and dried goods . and a couple of bottles of white out to label em with . having got that off my chest , ill get back to labeling my cool looking jars .
Hey Jeanne I was confused when I wrote my post. I was thinking the person considering the facelift was 97 cause I had been reading another thread. Just disregard my answer. (that is if you haven't already) :)
Just make sure the anesthesiologist is fully aware of her medical problems. My mother got very swollen after hers, but she enjoyed losing her jowls and very droopy eyelids.
I think that sometimes, and I sympathise, people come on to the internet with steam coming out of their ears because their dearly beloved aged parent has announced he/she is about to do something they think is completely daft, and they're looking for back up. Mother, you're a diabetic! Of course you can't have a facelift! Look what all these people say!
Or, as another example from ten years ago, it would have been "is it a good idea for an 82 year old with CHF and hip replacement to go on a wildlife tour in Madagascar while they're having a war? No I don't think so either and neither does my friend in the Foreign Office."
And I don't suppose Liecomand's mother will listen any more than mine did. And I hope she'll be equally fine afterwards.
Hmm ... you know, one of the reasons people have wanted face lifts in the past is because they have lost a lot of weight and they want to tighten up saggy skin. I have NO idea if this applies to Liecomand' mom, but it is at least as possible as that she is overweight and needs to exercise. And as possible that she is type 1.
And it is also possible that Liecomand is a troll. :)
Yes, you did offend me, 97yroldmom, and I accept your apology. You know a lot of people with diabetes. Given how prevalent it is, most of us do. But you don't know Liecomand's mother, and that is my point. Making assumptions the minute you see "diabetes" in a post is just not good practice.
But you certainly don't need to leave this answer for me. Post your views! Just don't be surprised if your assumptions are challenged once in a while.
So sorry I offended you JG. I should have left this question for you and not chimed in with my assumptions. Valid point on diabetic 1 needing insulin. The 1 I know uses the pump and is thin and I forget he is even diabetic. He's very active and looks the picture of health. The 2's I know go off insulin for sure when they exercise and diet which always makes them lose weight. Just a side effect I guess. Some go off all meds. I lost a SIL at age 52 to diabetes. I just lost an uncle in November who was diabetic. He was 95. He was never on insulin. My Inlaws were both diabetic for at least 35 years. Died in their late 80's. Never used insulin. My husband is diabetic, no insulin. His brother has diabetic neuropathy. No insulin. His sister has diabetes. No insulin. He has four cousins with diabetes. But one died of a heart attack. One is on a wait list for a new heart. One of this group uses insulin and you guessed it, he's overweight. His wife had surgery to lose weight. She's off of all meds now. So I guess I picked up the idea somewhere that diet and exercise make people feel better and lose weight. When they feel better they might like what they see in the mirror and not want a face lift. Again, I'm truly sorry if I offended you or anyone else. It certainly was not my intention.
I didn't think face lifts were that common anymore. With all the fillers and botox etc.
Aging gracefully is always more attractive plus if you eat properly, don't smoke, stay out of the sun etc., oh yes and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize you may not need one.
The real question maybe should be does any 60 yr old woman need a facelift? If she is determined I don't think her diabetes alone would be a deterrent, SIL had breast reduction with no complications.
97yroldmom, every type 1 diabetic needs insulin. Losing weight or exercising or levitating won't change that. If you are a type 2 and you've had diabetes for some years your body is likely approaching a similar situation to a type 1 -- it is no longer producing sufficient insulin for your to rely on it alone.
According to Everyday Health, "Although you may be able to treat the condition with lifestyle changes, such as exercise and weight loss, and with oral medications at first, most people with type 2 diabetes eventually need to take insulin."
I don't know what your assumption that by losing weight and exercising she can get off insulin is based on, since we don't even know if this person is overweight or if she is type 1 or type 2. I wish that hearing the word "diabetic" didn't instantly kick off stereotypes in people's heads.
And, as a side note, the American Diabetes Association does not talk about "control" but "management" of diabetes. You go on insulin when other management techniques are not sufficient. It is NOT a sign of failure to "control" your disease well. Believe me, the disease is in control. All we can hope to do is manage it.
Oh dear. I am thinking at 60 your mom is feeling like she can make her own decisions. I can appreciate your concern. I personally would not be onboard with any elective surgery for my friend or family who is diabetic. Since she is on insulin it doesn't sound like she has it under control? Even a cold can make blood sugar elevate. But I imagine her endocrinologist and cardiologist should weigh in and hopefully she would take their advice. Diabetes is such a tough disease. I wonder if losing weight and exercising would make her feel better about herself and reverse the diabetes? If she wanted a face lift after she got off the insulin maybe it would be less likely to cause her increased health issues. Hopefully she's willing to consult her health team. Would that include you as the caretaker as she heals from the procedure? There might be alternate procedures that wouldn't be as invasive as a facelift and help her with her self image. Good luck
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blasphemy gets me " moderated " on here as quickly as it takes me to type it up . sometimes i wonder if its even worth trying .
I had sedation and no general anesthesia. I don't remember a thing.
with all the money ive saved on razors since 1979 i could afford probably a new sausage stuffing press and cool bail top jars for all my spices and dried goods .
and a couple of bottles of white out to label em with .
having got that off my chest , ill get back to labeling my cool looking jars .
Or, as another example from ten years ago, it would have been "is it a good idea for an 82 year old with CHF and hip replacement to go on a wildlife tour in Madagascar while they're having a war? No I don't think so either and neither does my friend in the Foreign Office."
And I don't suppose Liecomand's mother will listen any more than mine did. And I hope she'll be equally fine afterwards.
And it is also possible that Liecomand is a troll. :)
But you certainly don't need to leave this answer for me. Post your views! Just don't be surprised if your assumptions are challenged once in a while.
Valid point on diabetic 1 needing insulin. The 1 I know uses the pump and is thin and I forget he is even diabetic. He's very active and looks the picture of health. The 2's I know go off insulin for sure when they exercise and diet which always makes them lose weight. Just a side effect I guess. Some go off all meds. I lost a SIL at age 52 to diabetes. I just lost an uncle in November who was diabetic. He was 95. He was never on insulin. My Inlaws were both diabetic for at least 35 years. Died in their late 80's. Never used insulin. My husband is diabetic, no insulin. His brother has diabetic neuropathy. No insulin. His sister has diabetes. No insulin. He has four cousins with diabetes. But one died of a heart attack. One is on a wait list for a new heart. One of this group uses insulin and you guessed it, he's overweight. His wife had surgery to lose weight. She's off of all meds now. So I guess I picked up the idea somewhere that diet and exercise make people feel better and lose weight. When they feel better they might like what they see in the mirror and not want a face lift. Again, I'm truly sorry if I offended you or anyone else. It certainly was not my intention.
Aging gracefully is always more attractive plus if you eat properly, don't smoke, stay out of the sun etc., oh yes and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize you may not need one.
If she is determined I don't think her diabetes alone would be a deterrent, SIL had breast reduction with no complications.
According to Everyday Health, "Although you may be able to treat the condition with lifestyle changes, such as exercise and weight loss, and with oral medications at first, most people with type 2 diabetes eventually need to take insulin."
I don't know what your assumption that by losing weight and exercising she can get off insulin is based on, since we don't even know if this person is overweight or if she is type 1 or type 2. I wish that hearing the word "diabetic" didn't instantly kick off stereotypes in people's heads.
And, as a side note, the American Diabetes Association does not talk about "control" but "management" of diabetes. You go on insulin when other management techniques are not sufficient. It is NOT a sign of failure to "control"
your disease well. Believe me, the disease is in control. All we can hope to do is manage it.