Diabetes doesn’t run in my family, but I’ve just been told I’m a Diabetic…
Diabetes is a well know problem today and over 20 million people have it. Until I was 31 I never knew what it was and didn’t care. Over 15 years ago when I was diagonsed with type 2 diabetes (adult onset) I didn’t even know anyone that was a diabetic. Today, Diabetes is well known and it’s likely you know someone that is a Diabetic.
Thats 1 out of every 14 people in this country! Every day, everywhere you go we are there. In addition to diabetics, there are other problems that sugar causes for people today. 1 in 5 people have these other problems. Over 60 Million Americans have sugar issues!
Also known as type 2 diabetes, the symptoms are not always immediately noticeable. Adult onset diabetes is something that you have more control over than you think and weight is a one of the most common issues putting you at risk. I was 60 lbs. overweight and had severe symptoms when I was diagnosed. They included:
Rapid unplanned weight loss ” I lost 20 lbs. in 2 weeks
Thirst ” I was drinking 1-2 gallons of fluid a day
Urination ” I was always looking for a bathroom
Listlessness – I was always tired
Type 2 Diabetes usually comes on much more slowly. Most people dont have severe symptoms like this, however a simple 5 second blood test can tell you if you are at risk or need treatment for diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when you dont produce enough insulin or your fat cells become resistant to the insulin. As you eat and your body breaks the food down it converts it to sugar and releases this energy into your blood. Your body is designed to deliver insulin to your blood when you eat food. It is the job of insulin to convert that sugar to fat.
Controlling type 2 diabetes is possible and there are plenty of ways you can do this. Next visit you have to your Dr. ask for the finger prick test. They should all have hand held meters. If your blood sugar reading is over 100 (a prediabetes level) or 120 (diabetes level) you should retest fasting or have a test called the HBA1C. This test checks your blood sugar over the life of your blood cells (4-6 months). If your blood sugar is 325 like mine was immediate action is necessary. For me that was insulin.
If your HBA1C says that your blood sugar is between 5% and 6% of your blood you are fine. You may still have issues to look into and you should locate an Endocrinologist (Diabetes specialist) who can help you manage your life as a diabetic. I recommend an Endocrinologist because there is a lot of information out there and when it comes to diabetes, this is the specialist that focuses on the problem.
I never thought at 47 I’d be happy I became diabetic (I’m not) but I do have more control over my health than ever before. I see my Endocrinologist quarterly and alway track my HBA1C and daily blood sugar results.
