Today, my friend and fellow author, Buffy Christopher (check out her website here) posted that it was Diabetes Alert Day.
I figured, in honor of this day, I would share something a little personal with you blogophiles.
My mom recently dropped about a hundred pounds and lost a bunch of hair and I didn't know what caused it. I thought maybe stress. My kids, who visit her overnight upon occasion, said that she was still eating normally when I wasn't around and she was eating when I took her out so I didn't know what was up but I knew it wasn't cool and that she needed to see a doctor.
She has no insurance. She isn't rich. She didn't want to go and fall into a sinkhole of debt.
So I took her to my sister's house in Pennsylvania for a week.
My sister, a diabetic herself, recognized something that I didn't see. So she tested my mom's blood sugar.
My mom, in the week that we were in PA, ranged around 500.
Terrifying.
Today, she and I visited a doctor that didn't require insurance and found out the expected. She is a Type 2 diabetic.
My mom has now started treatment and will be following up but she is not the only one going through something like this. I attached the cool chart that Buffy found as a picture for anyone who thinks they may have symptoms or who just read what I said about my mom and thought...hey, that sounds like me!
There are three types of diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. Gestational diabetes is what many pregnant mothers face. And then there is Type 2, which is what my mom is dealing with.
Millions of Americans have been diagnosed with Type 2. It means either your body isn't producing enough insulin or your body is ignoring the insulin you are producing so the cells are basically starving. (The doc today even described my mom as malnourished due to it.)
Glucose is the food for the cells, what keeps them alive. The body normally breaks down sugars into glucose to feed the cells. In diabetics, the sugar is just kind of hanging out in the bloodstream rather than going to the cells. (This is all from what I understand of today.)
Again, if you think you may have symptoms, get checked. If you want to learn more, check out
http://www.diabetes.org
It isn't something that you can put off.
Celebrate this holiday with me. Let's spread awareness and save lives.
I, too, have type 2 diabetes. But I was wondering about the 3rd type. I have never heard of type 3. ???
ReplyDeleteGestational isn't called Type 3 but it is the third type of diabetes. I got that info from the American Diabetes Association.
ReplyDeleteSo it is:
Type 1- formerly called Juvenile diabetes-usually found in childhood
Type 2-lack of insulin production/body ignoring the insulin
Gestational (the third type) which happens during pregnancy.
Many people who suffer from Gestational diabetes will develop Type 2 later in life.
Also, Hi! How have you been? :D
ReplyDelete