D-Basics
Diabetes is a very diverse condition. Its not just about eating sugar and having it devastate your body. You can still have a healthy and fruitful life. It is a condition that can be maintained and controlled.
Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels, that result from defects in insulin secretion, or action, or both. Diabetes mellitus, commonly referred to as diabetes, was first identified as a disease associated with “sweet urine,” and excessive muscle loss in the ancient world. Elevated levels of blood glucose (hyperglycemia) lead to spillage of glucose into the urine, hence the meaning of the name being “sweet urine.” In ancient times, people knew a person was diabetic by their urine because the sugar in the urine would attract ants.
Normally, blood glucose levels are tightly controlled by insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. During the digestive process, much of the food that is eaten is converted into glucose, commonly known as blood sugar. Glucose circulates in the bloodstream and is used as food for the body’s cells. But the cells cannot absorb glucose without help. Insulin lowers the blood glucose level. When the blood glucose elevates (for example, after eating food or from the liver), insulin is released from the pancreas to normalize the glucose level. In patients with diabetes, the absence or insufficient production of insulin causes hyperglycemia. When your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or when your body isn’t able to properly use the insulin that it does produce…you can develop diabetes. Diabetes is a chronic medical condition, meaning that although it can be controlled, it lasts a lifetime. There is no cure.
Type 2 Diabetes
Most people do not understand exactly Type 2 diabetes. It is viewed negatively for no reason and is commonly associated with obesity. I had one person tell me that diabetes was a food disease and people should learn to eat less. Of course this is a person that doesn’t know the mechanisms of diabetes and has been influenced by the media. Diabetes is not a disease of obesity. There are genetic factors as well as ethnic factors that have an affect on the development. There is no reason to be ashamed of being diabetic. There is no reason you should hide your condition with from anybody. You should demand respect for your condition in the same way an AIDS or Breast Cancer patients due. You are just as important.
As Type 2 diabetics, we see the world of diabetes a little differently than the average Type 1 diabetic. Diabetes come to as an extreme inconvenience in our lives. Most of us do not have a support system when it happens. We are not prepared to make the lifestyle changes. There are plenty of emotional challenges with diabetes. Don’t feel alone and don’t be afraid. There is a large diabetic community are here to support you and help you!
Please feel free to write me if you need someone to chat with!
