Head Injury, Rising Heart Rate, and Diabetes: A Crappy Combo

Shireen Jeejeebhoy, Brain Injury Blog, September 30, 2010

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As I absorbed this new information, I started to wonder if my head injury set me up to develop diabetes Type 2 at a lower weight than should have. Although I’d noticed my blood sugar rising steadily all these years, the doctors, including endocrinologists, didn’t think too much of it as it was in the normal range. I did a quick google search this week and discovered 2 things: endocrine disruption and diabetes insipidus is a known thing to happen post-injury but knowledge about diabetes mellitus (kind I have) vis a vis head or brain injury is limited. They know it exacerbates recovery but have barely started research into that, never mind into the other way round. But given what we do know, I have to wonder why blood work and regular monitoring of it is not done??? Why GPs don’t even know this? Meanwhile, doctors in general ignore all the other physical symptoms like the bloating, being too hot, etc. as no big deal — cause they don’t have to live with it — but that’s changing with a 1998 study looking into just how prevalent these symptoms are. One hospital in the US has been taking these symptoms seriously. But I live in Canada, where doctors, except my new GP who referred me to my brilliant trainer, pretty much don’t have a fucking clue and are not interested in getting it either, so they can stay fucking ignorant and not have to deal with me.

I live in Canada where head injury, brain injury ignorance is bliss. I feel like giving every doctor I know a big, fat, hard smack upside the head.

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