Destructive diabetes

Losing a limb because of a largely preventable disease is tragic. The rate of amputation for those with Type 2 diabetes is 10 times higher than for those without diabetes.

November is Diabetes Prevention month, and although we at Ability Prosthetics & Orthotics, Inc. in Raleigh make a living providing and fitting artificial limbs, we encourage efforts to reduce the spread of this insidious disease. In our practice, we fit those who have lost limbs with prosthetic devices, and a number of our patients come to us as a result of amputations associated with diabetes. It is a challenging and costly experience that, in many cases, could have been avoided. A typical prosthesis can cost between $6,000 and $10,000.

In North Carolina, 9.3 percent of adults over 20 have diabetes; in Wake County, 7.8 percent of adults are diagnosed. For those who are at risk for diabetes, the best way to avoid losing a limb, and perhaps your life, is to maintain a healthy weight and exercise consistently.

Let’s get to know each other as neighbors and community members instead of as prosthetics providers and patients.

Chris Baughman

Raleigh