Diabetes in Adults...What's your story?

[zuriyahe]

I was going to post this a while ago, but since Brightness posted her thread on the subject, I felt that now would be a good time to talk about this...

How many of us have family members/friends with diabetes? Which kind of diabetes?:

1) Type 1 (requiring injections of insulin)

2) Type 2 (can be controlled by diet or meds)


Both of my parents have type 2 diabetes.

[Brightness]

To my knowledge, neither of my parents has it or maybe they do now and I haven't bothered to become informed. I know they both take medicines for a variety of things.

However, I know my maternal grandmother and that side of the family has a whole host of health problems. That's pretty much why at a very young age (7 or 8 yrs old) I looked at them and what they were doing and did the exact opposite. . .but that's kinda off on another tangent.

I knew of three co-workers who took insulin shots. Two were white and had been diagnosed relatively young. . .adolescent or so.

The other one was black and she was obese and just flat out wouldn't do what it took to lose the weight to get it under control. The way she explained it was that her body only made enough insulin for a person 135 lbs (or something like that) and since she didn't believe she'd get there again. . .she pretty much didn't try. This woman would eat and eat, cook and cook. . .this type of way of life bothers me. But ultimately it's her life and she's making the choices for her.

I once saw her going into some kind of diabetic moment and although I was scared. . .I couldn't help thinking that this is what all that reckless abandon you treat your body with will get you.

[Brightness]

I've always been a little fuzzy about diabetes and I think in part that it's because of the way I've seen it treat in my family and in the Black community at large. It's talked about like it's a birthmark or something. . you know, like it's an inevitability or something that just happens and you don't get all hyped or concern that you have it.

I gather if you have a family history that you're more predisposed to it. But is there a way you can "make yourself" diabetic so to speak?

I just had a co-worker have to go through testing because she had "sugar" show up in some tests and was having some symptoms. . .they recommended a diet for her but said that she doesn't have what could be clinically diagnosed as diabetes.

She's around 25-26 and if I had to guess, carrying at least 65-70 lbs more than she could/should on her frame.

[nubianx2]

My mother has Type 2. She's had it now for about 5 years. Thank God she takes very good care of herself by eating right and controlling her weight. I've started getting checked for diabetes every year now.

[misha]

Diabetes is part of my family in a big way. My mother had Type 1, she used insulin, she had it since before I was born. And she took good care of herself for years.

My father has type 2 and takes medication for it. He doesn't diet much, he watches what he eats but doesn't deprive himself too much because of his age. My brother has Type 2 and also takes medication. He is very strict with his diet and has lost alot of weight since he was diagnosed.

I have been tested and drilled my entire life about diabetes. To the point that I don't even want to hear about it.

From what I understand about the disease, it is the bodies, namely the pancreas inability to produce insulin, or in the case of being overweight, the pancreas inability to produce enough insulin for your body.

With my problems with weight, I know that if I don't do something, this will happen to me. So I have been doing everything I know how to in order to lose weight.

[mystkev]

Originally posted by Brightness+
I gather if you have a family history that you're more predisposed to it. But is there a way you can "make yourself" diabetic so to speak? By gaining too much weight.

[Brightness]

Okay. . .

Can eating too much sugar and sweets cause you to become diabetic?

Does that overload your body and promote the occurrence of diabetes?

You can be overweight and your body still process/breakdown sugars, right?

Originally posted by mystkev+
By gaining too much weight.

[mystkev]

It's not eating too much sugar or sweets per se. But having a poor diet that is high in fatty foods could lead to diabetes.


Here's a list of your probable risk based on family members w/diabetes.

Family Member Your Chances*
Brother or sister 75%
Mother 19%
Father 14%
Both Parents 25%

*Mayo Clinic Data

[mystkev]

Originally posted by Brightness+
You can be overweight and your body still process/breakdown sugars, right?
Yes. Everyone's body is different, meaning what their bodies can sustain are different as well. There are a lot of overweight people that are healthy and whose bodies function properly.

[zuriyahe]

Yes. I believe that there are a number of things that can lead to a person getting type 2 diabetes. I have heard that WEIGHT and Genetics plays a BIG factor. I've read that, just as others have mentioned, that with extra weight, the pancreas creates extra insulin...and in some cases, the pancreas gets kinda worn out...

For type 1 diabetes, most people get it when they are young. The pancreas cannot create insulin anymore. In this case, you MUST add insulin into the body...

Or the body will STARVE to death...

It's pretty interesting....

[Brightness]

Well, I don't have a real sweet tooth either like cakes, pies, cobblers, ice cream etc. but I do like candy, that's my primary source of sugar because I also don't drink koolaid, sodas and hardly add sugar to my coffee or tea.

[que90nek]

what about starches?

sugar comes in many forms

my mom is type 2....

my grandmother died from it...ultimately

[mystkev]

Originally posted by que90nek+
what about starches?
Right. Carbohydrates turn to sugar.

[HulaSista]

1) Type 1 (requiring injections of insulin)

my grandmother used to do this. i used to help her when i was a little girl.

2) Type 2 (can be controlled by diet or meds)

my cousin and an ex boyfriend.

with my ex though, the meds he was taking destroyed his kidneys and now he has to go on dialysis and what for kidney donors. :( he's only 31 years old

[zuriyahe]

It seems that diabetes is a HUGE factor in our community.

But Diabetes is a "silent" killer. Mainly because the symptoms can be mistaken for something else.

But what can be the consequence of not keeping yourself healthy?


1) Diabetes is the leading cause of BLINDNESS.

2) Diabetes can lead to a person getting parts of their body amputated

3) Diabetes can lead to other troubles that will be mentioned later.

But the symptoms can be tricky...

(Borrowed from Brightness's post on children and Diabetes)
******************************
_Unusual thirst.


_Frequent urination.


_Unexplained weight loss despite obesity.


_Blurry vision.


_Excessive hunger.


_Cuts that do not heal.


_Yeast or fungal infections in girls.
*******************************

Constant urination? Constant thirst? Some people may dismiss the constant urination with being a result of drinking a lot of water...which is a result of your constant thirst. Right? Also, I would not be surprised if some people would dismiss this constant urination as being a result of a "weak bladder" or something...

But the truth is that when the body takes in too much sugar, the body, being unable to process and convert that sugar for the body to use, will allow the sugar to build up in the blood. Since too much sugar in the blood can damage the body, the body uses the kidneys to FLUSH the sugar out of the body...and hence...the constant urination (more interesting facts on this later...:D )

See? It's easy to mistake the symptoms of Diabetes with something else. But the more interesting thing is that when detected early, Type 2 Diabetes may be able to be controlled by diet alone. I would think that controlling one's diet may be better than having to take meds.

[CLSmooove]

"Sugar" runs rampant in my family....Especially my Fathers side of the family.... My grandfather died from it.... he ended up blind with no legs because of Diabetes....Now almost all his children have it with the exception of my father who has yet to be diagnosed with it..... High Blood Pressure also runs in my family....

I have a fear of Diabetes cause I saw what it did to my grandfather.....

[KissableSexyShortStuff]

I was told years back that I am boarderline hypoglycemia

Had to give up certain things... like soda/chocolate etc....


Have to be careful..... My great grandmother, her sister, and I think one of her brothers had Type 1 Dabetes...

My great grandmother died of a stroke and her sister/brother had heart attacks..

Two of my moms sisters have Diabetes.. Both take/took med but not insulin

[OhSoPrecious]

Diabetes and High Blood Pressure runs in my family. . no one in the immediate family has Diabetes, however, a few of us have been diagnosed with High Blood Pressure! :(

I had a co-worker once that had Type 1 Diabetes and she would leave her needles in the refrigerator at work. . where everyone could see them! :rolleyes:

[Juicey1]

Diabetes runs in my family too. My aunt had it, my mom & dad has it and now my daughter has it.

[que90nek]

i must lose weight...or i will die just like my grandmother...with one of her feet cut off.....

:(

[zuriyahe]

This is a fun trivia quiz about diabetes. I hope that you will enjoy.

Question:

Diabetes is officially known as:

Diabetes mellitus


1) Mellitus? What does Mellitus mean?

2) if you know the answer to #1...what is Mellitus referring to?

[que90nek]

i'll hold my tongue....http://skins.hotbar.com/skins/mailskins/em/042602/042602_2269_835_prv.gif

[zuriyahe]

That was an EXCELLENT, hint, Que! :beer

[zuriyahe]

Originally posted by zuriyahe+
This is a fun trivia quiz about diabetes. I hope that you will enjoy.

Question:

Diabetes is officially known as:

Diabetes mellitus


1) Mellitus? What does Mellitus mean?

2) if you know the answer to #1...what is Mellitus referring to?

Ok, here is the answer:

New Latin diabts melltus : Latin diabts, diabetes + Latin melltus, honey-sweet.


1) Mellitus means "Honey-sweet"

2) Mellitus is referring to the TASTE of the urine...which apparently was a way that they were able to diagnose people with Diabetes...thousands of years ago. Sugar was not being processed by the body and thus was passed through in the URINE.

And all that people need to do now is to just do a simple test...no tasting required.

[Joi :)]

I am so glad ya'll are discussing this now...my great grandmother died of type two, my grandmothers is dying of type 2 along with high blood pressure, heart disease, etc..and my mother has type 2 and during my last pregnancy i had gestational diabeties so I have been basically told that unless I make drastic changes that I may end up like them.

So I've done what I could aside from losing weight which is a life long struggle (another thread :D) but my doctor recently told me that I show signs of being borderline...that scared me....so she put me on "preventative" medicine she says, thursday i go for my fasting test to ultimatly see....and im nervous....about the disease itself, about the changes I will be forced to make and im afraid i wont be able to...so many things.....:(

[zuriyahe]

Joi. Diabetes can be a scary thing. But it does not have to be THAT scary or THAT life changing. On the good side, if you loose a lot of weight (easier said than done) and keep the bad sugar/carbs down and keep the exercise up, then you will be in better shape.

You can still eat sugar...but you will have to keep it under control.

Your doctor should allow you to get a blood monitoring device. May I recommend the "One Touch Ultra" testor? More information can be found at: http://www.lifescan.com/

The One Touch Ultra testor has to ability to download results to a computer and you can use the software to track your progress. It's really cool!

The above web site has some GREAT free guides to help you with monitoring your diabetes...if you happen to have it. But whether you have it or not...starting a plan to eat better, and exercise will do wonders! :D

This web site has a lot of good info as well.

http://www.diabetes.org/

Feel free to discuss your journey...it would be good for all of us...and a good wakeup call.

[Andre98]

I been told for years that my triglyerides are high and chronic obesity is a risk for Diabetes. But so far, I haven't crossed the line. With the arthritis and then the PC springing up, I have been trying to improve my lifestyle as a whole. I have no immediate family with it, which is cool. Pops had PC, so there was little I could do, I was told.

Compared to this time last year, my sugar intake is way way down! Them Skittles and Hot Tamales are piling up on the store shelves.

[Brightness]

Why would a doctor tell you that you need to "sweat" 3 times a week?

What exactly does this do?

The person that the doctor told this didn't know what effect this would have on lowering their sugar level. . .aside from diet and weight loss, what exactly is the link with sweating?

[zuriyahe]

Originally posted by Brightness+
Why would a doctor tell you that you need to "sweat" 3 times a week?

What exactly does this do?

The person that the doctor told this didn't know what effect this would have on lowering their sugar level. . .aside from diet and weight loss, what exactly is the link with sweating?

Gurrrrrl, you know what "sweat" means!!

"Sweat" is another word for exercise. You need to exercise 3 times a week. And sweat is a good word to describe it. If you work up a sweat, you are keeping your heart rate up. And that is what needs to happen. Just lifting weights is not going to be as effective as "working up a sweat". A good way to work up a sweat? Brisk walking. Walking up the stairs...etc.

And when you exercise, your muscles use the sugar in your blood more...so therefore, exercising, asside from just being healthy for you, is a excellent way of keeping your blood sugar down. Especially if a person has type 2 diabetes.

[que90nek]

i concur...

please...please....exercise.

*que looks in mirror*

please.

[Brightness]

You falling off on the exercise?

This really isn't the time in your life to be doing that. . .

Originally posted by que90nek+
i concur...

please...please....exercise.

*que looks in mirror*

please.

[que90nek]

Originally posted by Brightness+
You falling off on the exercise?

This really isn't the time in your life to be doing that. . .



lol

me falling off means that i am not working out 6 times a week.....its down to 2-3.

[zuriyahe]

...and 2 - 3 times a week is WAYYYY better than none.

Some of us...

Aren't even doing THAT.

(speaking of myself)

But I really REALLY need to do it...I will start by walking...

um...

soon.:D

[Brightness]

Does anyone know any skinny/average weight person with diabetes?

I knew one White guy who had Type 1 from childhood. . .I've never come across anyone black that was. . .

Is type 2 associated more with heredity or with weight/diet, etc.?

[zuriyahe]

Originally posted by Brightness+
Does anyone know any skinny/average weight person with diabetes?

I knew one White guy who had Type 1 from childhood. . .I've never come across anyone black that was. . .

Is type 2 associated more with heredity or with weight/diet, etc.?

Halle Berry has type 2 diabetes. She's pretty slim.

http://www.drdonnica.com/display.asp?article=5784

A list of celebrities with diabetes can be found HERE (http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_celebrities_with_diabetes)

There are multiple reasons for why people come down with diabetes. Here are the biggest factors:

1) Genetics, Bad luck
2) Poor diets/seditary lifestyle/ Being overweight

But eating healthy food, getting exercise, and keeping the weight down can GREATLY reduce your chances of getting it.

[que90nek]

thanks, zuri.

[Brightness]

So. . .is the Type 2 more likely to cause amputations, blindness, kidney problems, etc. since it can generally go undetected?

[zuriyahe]

Yes.

This happens because having too much sugar in the bloodstream can initially damage the small blood vessels. This is why Diabetes causes blindness and amputations.

It's kinda funny...because, in concept, it makes sense.

The sugar in the blood damages the small blood vessels. And the blood vessels is what is needed to feed the other parts of your body. The small blood vessels will be damaged first. The eyes have really small blood vessels (or else, you would not be able to see through them...I suppose). The fingers have small blood vessels too. And the foot (which is the part of the body that is commonly amputated) is the MOST DISTANT body part from the Heart.

The Kidney problems occur because the kidney is overworked...because it is trying to filter all of the sugar out of the blood (constant urination is a common symptom of type 2 diabetes).

And in many cases, a person can go on for years and years and not suspect anything.

It is the silence that makes this disease so harmful.

[Brightness]

You know what's scary is that we are passing our bad habits on to our children and I shudder to think of the life they will have ahead of them looking at what happens when you barely turn 50.

Oh, I forgot to mention other diabetes stories. . .former co-worker, double amputee due to diabetes and my friend's father has been on dialysis, 3x a week for I don't know how long. . .I'm thinking it's been at least 2 years. . .that's pretty sad. At least he hasn't had anything cut off yet but he's in a nursing home so they keep up with his healthcare. . .NOW.

This is a really distressing condition. . .which can be controlled but sadly is ignored til it's too late.

[Brightness]

My friend called me at work a couple of days ago to tell me they've decided to stop the dialysis treatment and her father will pass away in the next week or so.

I'm not totally sure I understand but I think that his body will just basically poison itself since it can't filter out the waste properly.

I don't know if he'll lapse into a coma or what, I hope he just goes in his sleep.

I've already said I hate death/dying but I've got to be there for my friend. . .she's asked me to make some calls for her and put people on alert.

I can't help thinking "what if" he had done something differently. . . .


Originally posted by Brightness
and my friend's father has been on dialysis, 3x a week for I don't know how long. . .I'm thinking it's been at least 2 years. . .that's pretty sad. At least he hasn't had anything cut off yet but he's in a nursing home so they keep up with his healthcare. . .NOW.

This is a really distressing condition. . .which can be controlled but sadly is ignored til it's too late.

[zuriyahe]

Oh noo!
This is really unfortunate!

I hope that others can learn from this. Dying is not a happy thing...especially since those who die will be leaving people behind who will really miss them.

It's even worse when we die unnecessarily. :(

[mystkev]

I found out that diabetes is considered to be a autoimmune disease much like lupus, AIDS.

What I find interesting about that is that some genetic autoimmune diseases can be triggered by certain foods that we eat. I know that alfalfa sprouts is one of them.

I also learned that pretnazones (sp) can bring an onset of diabetes for individuals who are genetically predisposed to the disease. I know that pretnazones generally cause you to gain weight so that is probably part of the reason.

I also learned that individuals who get gestational diabetes are more than most likely going to have some form of diabetes later on in life.

[mystkev]

Originally posted by Brightness
Why would a doctor tell you that you need to "sweat" 3 times a week?

What exactly does this do?

The person that the doctor told this didn't know what effect this would have on lowering their sugar level. . .aside from diet and weight loss, what exactly is the link with sweating? I know Zuriyahe already answered this question. Exercise is also important b/c it enhances/encourages insulin production. As you know that's what diabetes is all about. Not producing enough/any insulin, nor not using it effectively.

[zuriyahe]

I forgot to add that I have diabetes type 2. I have had it since...1999? Well, up to now, I have been attempting to control it through diet alone.

What a great time to be alive! There are soo many ways/foods out there to help people with diabetes.

And believe it or not, keeping the "bad" carbs down is a good thing!

I test myself pretty regularly and when I got tested almost a year ago...that was after I kinda fell off of the sugar wagon. But my doctor threatened to put me on medication and so I decided to get back on track....and when I went back, my doctor was very very pleased...she said that my average levels were sooo low that it was almost normal. Well, I am sure that if I tested now that I would be ok, but not as good as my last test...but my daily testing is showing that I am doing pretty good.