Diabetes: A Blessing or a Curse

Diabetes: A Blessing or a Curse

Diabetes: A Blessing or a Curse

I would like to think in my case it surely was a blessing! When you are first diagnosed with diabetes, you totally think it is the “beginning of the end.” You are overwhelmed, i.e., I have to give myself shots every day, test my blood sugar, watch what I eat, see my doctor every three months or sooner . . . lions and tigers and bears, OH MY!!  Yes, I did feel a little like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, but diabetes made me discover exactly how food works with my body.  Since my pancreas decided to no longer do what it was supposed to do, I decided I needed to take charge of my health or it would sooner or later take charge of me. First, I will explain that you need to be aware of how different foods work with your blood sugar because everyone’s body is different.  If you are a Type I diabetic, you most likely are insulin-dependent and your pancreas, or actually the “Islets of Langerhans” (i.e., the islets of langerhans contains beta cells which secrete insulin) no longer does its job of converting sugar/glucose into energy. If you are a Type II diabetic, your pancreas becomes a bit lazy and inhibited by weight gain and/or some other weird reason and does not efficiently convert sugar/glucose into energy.  Usually, if you lose those extra pounds, most likely your pancreas/islets of langerhans begins to work efficiently again or gets a kick-start to get back to working efficiently.  It’s all about the exercising. Each person’s diagnosis is different.  I believe that exercise is key!  You totally need to put “all your ducks in a row” when you are diagnosed with the big “D,” diabetes, Type I or Type II.  This does not mean that you cannot have sugar/glucose, you can, just not a lot of it at one time.  As with everything, especially food, moderation is key and you need to eat healthy as in vegetables, fruits, etc.  You will feel better when you take care of your body.  I know that is easier said than done. For Type II diabetics, exercise will help tremendously.  The more you exercise, the better your body uses sugar/glucose and turns it into energy and you will lose weight. Of course, you need to consume less food as well.  Since Type I diabetics are using insulin to help control their blood sugar/glucose levels, exercise also helps them.  But they need to be careful and be aware of hypoglycemia or, as I call it, “going low.” I can totally feel for anyone diagnosed with hypoglycemia alone, it is not a good feeling when your blood sugar levels bottom out from either too much exercise and not enough food to cover the insulin.  You feel shaky, light-headed, confused, and sometimes, at least for me, I have also experienced numbness in my hands, tongue, etc.  I know that some diabetics who go low have been arrested because the police thought they had been drinking and were confused.  That is why you need to test your blood sugar often to make sure you are not too high or too low. It’s a Catch 22 situation.  Well, that’s enough for my blog today.  I will keep blogging about Diabetes in the future.