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Diabetes Awareness Month
Nov. 2nd, 2016 12:27 pmNovember is Diabetes Awareness month!!
I hope, over time, this blog can give you a better idea about what it's really like to live with this disease, but for now, here are some thoughts on why this month, and raising awareness, is important.
Diabetes is a chronic disease. It effects more and more people every year. If poorly managed it can lead to a host of complications, including death. Many people don’t really understand what Diabetes is or the differences between Types 1 and 2.
This month is important because more awareness could lead to a cure or better technology to help with management. It’s important because parents of young children with Type 1 shouldn’t have to give their babies shots of insulin every time they feed them. It’s important because no one should have to feel sick because they ate an apple and didn’t give enough insulin to cover it. That student with Diabetes shouldn’t have to raise his hand in the middle of class to ask to go to the nurse so he can test his blood sugar and correct for a low.
It’s important because this disease takes a lot out of you—emotionally, physically, and mentally. There are days when I just don’t want to count out a serving of crackers to know exactly how many grams of carbohydrate I’m consuming. There are meals when I’m just really hungry and don’t want to take an extra minute to test my blood sugar. There are nights when I’ll have a high blood sugar after dinner and force myself to stay up to make sure it’s coming down, but all I really want to do is sleep. My blood sugar affects my mood and how I feel physically (more on that in a future post).
Diabetes effects me mentally. I can’t just eat a meal. I am always thinking, “How many carbs are in that sandwich? That serving of fruit? That brownie?” “It’s been two hours since I ate. I know I counted my carbs correctly. My sugar was good before I ate. So how come now I’m 300?” “I’m about to go do something, but my blood sugar’s low! I have to stop to eat.” “I had a low a few weeks ago while I was away from home, so I ate the granola bar in my purse. Did I put another one in when I got home?” “Is my pump calculating that insulin dose correctly? That doesn’t look right to me. I’d better do some mental math or grab a calculator.”
Want to help raise awareness? Here are a few ideas:
• Wear blue on November 14 (World Diabetes Day) and on all four Fridays in November.
• Donate to an organization such as the American Diabetes Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
• Participate in or volunteer at a local Diabetes walk
• Share articles or blogs like this one on social media. There are also many Diabetes organizations and groups that have their own online or social media campaigns to raise awareness.
Happy Diabetes Awareness Month!
I hope, over time, this blog can give you a better idea about what it's really like to live with this disease, but for now, here are some thoughts on why this month, and raising awareness, is important.
Diabetes is a chronic disease. It effects more and more people every year. If poorly managed it can lead to a host of complications, including death. Many people don’t really understand what Diabetes is or the differences between Types 1 and 2.
This month is important because more awareness could lead to a cure or better technology to help with management. It’s important because parents of young children with Type 1 shouldn’t have to give their babies shots of insulin every time they feed them. It’s important because no one should have to feel sick because they ate an apple and didn’t give enough insulin to cover it. That student with Diabetes shouldn’t have to raise his hand in the middle of class to ask to go to the nurse so he can test his blood sugar and correct for a low.
It’s important because this disease takes a lot out of you—emotionally, physically, and mentally. There are days when I just don’t want to count out a serving of crackers to know exactly how many grams of carbohydrate I’m consuming. There are meals when I’m just really hungry and don’t want to take an extra minute to test my blood sugar. There are nights when I’ll have a high blood sugar after dinner and force myself to stay up to make sure it’s coming down, but all I really want to do is sleep. My blood sugar affects my mood and how I feel physically (more on that in a future post).
Diabetes effects me mentally. I can’t just eat a meal. I am always thinking, “How many carbs are in that sandwich? That serving of fruit? That brownie?” “It’s been two hours since I ate. I know I counted my carbs correctly. My sugar was good before I ate. So how come now I’m 300?” “I’m about to go do something, but my blood sugar’s low! I have to stop to eat.” “I had a low a few weeks ago while I was away from home, so I ate the granola bar in my purse. Did I put another one in when I got home?” “Is my pump calculating that insulin dose correctly? That doesn’t look right to me. I’d better do some mental math or grab a calculator.”
Want to help raise awareness? Here are a few ideas:
• Wear blue on November 14 (World Diabetes Day) and on all four Fridays in November.
• Donate to an organization such as the American Diabetes Association or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
• Participate in or volunteer at a local Diabetes walk
• Share articles or blogs like this one on social media. There are also many Diabetes organizations and groups that have their own online or social media campaigns to raise awareness.
Happy Diabetes Awareness Month!
