Neuropathy (Nerve Damage). Nerve damage from diabetes is called diabetic neuropathy (new-ROP-uh-thee). About half of all people with diabetes have some form of nerve damage. It is more common in those who have had the disease for a number of years and can lead to many kinds of problems. If you keep your blood glucose levels on target, you may help prevent or delay nerve damage. If you already have nerve damage, this will help prevent or delay further damage.
Since other orchid varieties will not bloom again from the same flower spike, you can cut their spikes back to the base of plants after flowers fall.
Cut back the spent stems of small (with leaves only 3 to 4 inches long), young (orchids that have bloomed for the first time) or thin, wilted orchids. Use a pair of pruning shears to cut the stem back as close to its base as possible without cutting any of the leaves. This will prevent the plant from re-flowering on that stem, which takes energy that it may not have. The orchid will flower again in a year or so when it grows a new stem.