#i really don't believe certain types of foods cure my illnesses i feel like more people wouldn't be sick then

[wingletblackbird]

you know... this seems an awful lot like a constant battle you're fighting uphill. I don't have people with diabetes in my environment, and I cannot imagine how difficult it can be every single day... damn. So.. I absolutely respect what you do every day. I'm speechless. I read these pro-con posts and your experiences, and I'm more and more frustrated that there isn't more media coverage, or more awareness raised about these symptoms, and how to help the diabetic community. It's eye-opening

It is a constant battle for sure. You have to deal with it 24/7, and there’s no respite, or vacation. Even if you have your diabetes pretty much in control, you can never stop and take a break, or it’ll get out of control again. My diabetes is pretty much under control at the moment, and to put that into perspective that means I am low 2-3 times a week, and slightly high maybe 1-3 times a week. That’s the best it’s been in a few weeks. That sense of being in control will last about 2 weeks, I dare say, (if I’m lucky), before something will happen to throw it off. Then, it’ll take a couple days to find the right patterns again, if not longer, and it could be anything that caused the fluctuations: An infection, a virus you killed quickly before you really felt it, but still made your sugar levels funny; you could be stressed which raises your blood sugar; you could be tired which raises your blood sugar; you could have walked for ten minutes too long, and that lowered your  blood sugar. etc. It’s something you have to constantly watch to make sure you catch everything, and everything you do is relevant to keeping it in line. Even then, sometimes there’s no explanation at all. Then, if you do it all reasonably well, you can hope to have decades before the serious complications set in: (Kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, etc.) 

So, yes, it is difficult, and it is scary. Having said that, you do get used to it. I don’t think about complications, and how taxing it is on a daily basis; I would be downright depressed if I did. I’ve just learned to live with it. The fears are always there, but they’re just something you get so used to it doesn’t really register. You can get used to anything, as they say. However, there do come those bad days when you don’t know why your body is rebelling, and you panic, and feel miserable, because nothing’s going right, and you realise again just how close you are to dying painfully if you’re not careful. Unsurprisingly, there is a high correlation of depression, suicide, and anxiety attacks amongst diabetics. It can be quite stressful.

This is why I get frustrated by the lack of media coverage that you pointed out. It is an issue. Just seeing someone in the media, in a movie, on TV, a character who has diabetes that is represented well mind you, can be a big source of inspiration. It’s someone we can relate to. Someone to make us feel less alone, and someone who can inspire us to keep going. Fiction influences life, and vice versa. Having a diabetic character would help those who have diabetes keep their courage,  and would help those who don’t understand what it’s like know how to help. Moreover, it could help them the day they get their diagnosis, and some of them will. It won’t be such an “out there” concept. They’ll have some idea of what to expect. It could probably also prevent needless deaths that come from people who don’t recognise the symptoms. To some, DKA looks like the flu!

This is doubly important because diabetes is becoming an epidemic. More and more people are becoming diabetic everyday, T2D being especially common. People need to be aware of the symptoms. People need to know what to do. People need to know the difference between T1D, and T2D. The former is not preventable, but the latter can be. T2D is linked to obesity, and weight loss can help prevent it. However, in many cases it is also just plain genetic; you can get it without being overweight. Sometimes, it’s as unpreventable as T1D, but either way being careful about your diet, and your exercise may buy you decades of time before you get it. People need to understand all of this. Diabetes is the 7th most common cause of death in the USA, and the 6th most common in in Canada. Nor is it a condition limited to North America, it is a global phenomenon with million and millions of victims. In spite of this, most people don’t know that T1D isn’t preventable, that there is a difference between T1D and T2D, that there are even two different types of diabetes,in other words, the basics.There are something like 7.2 million undiagnosed T2Ds in the USA alone who probably don’t even know what their symptoms can lead to until it’s far to late, and there are many more pre-diabetics who don’t understand that they’re at risk. It’s imperative that people understand what they can and cannot do to help others and themselves. It’s imperative that people know the warning signs.  I’m so glad you find this eye-opening, because that is exactly what I was hoping for. Too many people die every year, because of ignorance. We seriously need more coverage of this issue. Diabetes causes more deaths than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

I’m not entirely certain why there isn’t more media coverage about diabetes, but I have two guesses. The first is that until the discovery of insulin in the ‘20s, diabetes was a terminal illness. When insulin was finally made available, it was like this miracle drugs, and everyone thought it made everything better, and didn’t stop to consider how hard diabetes as a chronic illness might be. The truth is, insulin doesn’t make you better; it isn’t a cure-all. It just enables you to survive another day. However, this idea that now you’ve got insulin you’re fine, just don’t eat sugar has prevailed, and has never really left. Secondly, the rise of T2D diabetes has been correlated to the Western diet with emphasis on the fast and processed foods in particular, and I doubt the all-mighty corporations want that kind of publicity, so it stays more silent then it should. It’s just a theory, but that’s what I believe. Either way, or whatever the reason is, it’s a major issue, and I’m so glad to hear that my posts have been doing at least their small, tiny part to fill that gap, and thanks, as always, for the support. 😊.

#akai-ayleid