Diabetes - My Friend

Savita Lakhe discusses how her battle with Diabetes has changed her outlook towards life.

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Name: Savita Lakhe

Age: 42 years

Occupation: Purchase Manager, Healthcare Sector

The journey so far

I have been working in the healthcare sector for the past 18 years. I have always been associated with the most critical areas of healthcare. In 2009, I had experienced a severe and constant headache. I was prescribed painkillers which provided temporary relief but the pain would reoccur after a few hours post medication. I also experienced swelling in my entire body.

I consulted a doctor at my native place and was diagnosed with hypertension. I was then treated for hypertension for two years, but my condition continued to worsen. This doctor failed to treat the underlying cause and only prescribed medication to lower blood pressure levels.

In 2011, during a pre-employment check-up, my urine reports showed high protein levels. A doctor in the hospital I worked at suggested that I undergo a kidney check-up because of on-going episodes of headaches, body swelling and fluctuating blood pressure levels. I consulted a nephrologist and got my kidneys checked. The 24-hour urine report suggested high protein levels in the urine (proteinuria) and swelling in the kidneys. I was asked to undergo a kidney biopsy which showed membranous glomerulonephritis. This is a condition where the filtration capacity of the kidney is severely affected and leads to protein leaking into the urine.

I had also developed migraine and uterine bleeding by this time. The doctor put me on steroids to treat my kidneys. When steroids were prescribed to me, the doctor mentioned that there was a risk of onset of Diabetes as Diabetes is a known side-effect of steroids and hormonal medications. An intrauterine device was implanted to manage the uterine bleeding. But this did not suit me and I needed additional hormonal medicines to stop the bleeding.