Diabetes occurs when a person’s blood sugar can’t be controlled by natural Insulin excreted by the pancreas. There is an imbalance of sugar and insulin in the body. Sugar in the body becomes too high or too low. Hypoglycemia is Low Blood Sugar and Hyperglycemia is High Blood Sugar. This can be a life-threatening condition. Symptoms may include Feeling and looking ill, changes in level of consciousness or mood, dizziness, sweating or confusion, and a possible seizure. Give someone with a suspected Diabetic Emergency 15 to 20 grams of sugar such as: fruit juice, soda, chewable candy, peanut butter. If you don’t have a sugar source or the person becomes unresponsive, call 911.
Diabetes is a common disease among the aging. It causes degeneration in other organs of the body and can affect many organs permanently. Eating healthy and keeping carbs to a minimum in your diet can prevent these problems for type 2 Diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is when a person’s pancreas does not produce insulin at all. This can be hereditary or a result from another disease attacking the pancreas causing it to not work properly. Type 1 diabetes usually has an early age onset.
My mother is a Type 1 Diabetic. Now, I find it fascinating that she took Insulin shots daily, pricked her finger to check her blood sugar several times a day, and ate very few sweets. (Not Normal, right?) It was just what happened our house. I never realized the impact it had on her body over the years. My mom was a hard worker and never sat still. I can hardly remember her sitting down to watch television. I have two vivid memories of her having a diabetic emergency when I was a child. The first was when I was searching for her. I found her in the bathroom sitting on the toilet. I asked her a question (don’t remember what it was) she was talking gibberish and was unrolling the toilet paper roll. (Like the entire toilet paper roll). The next time I can recall seeing her in a diabetic emergency was when my dad and her were refinishing the brick floors in our house. After a long day working on the floors, she went outside and was lying in the yard on her back. I can remember being so worried that something serious was wrong with her. There were many other times that scared me but are somewhat fuzzy. I know one thing, it is a disease that is difficult to live with and requires a lot of planning and self- control.
Later in life… I realized the impact it has on a person’s body. I believe it was after I was married, my mom had a wreck leaving the mall. She ran into the back of another car. After the fact she admitted that she couldn’t see well anymore. I didn’t know the magnitude of the situation until she was diagnosed as legally blind. I watched a very independent woman become very dependent on others. I’ve also seen it affect other organs in her body that restrict her from various activities.
If you or a loved one is diagnosed with diabetes, please take good care of yourself and see your primary care doctor or your specialist regularly especially if you notice any changes in your health.