It’s American Diabetes Association Alert Day – 60 Seconds to See if You’re at Risk

Diabetes is something I care very deeply about. I have been trying to live with this complicated affliction for decades and it can be an exhausting battle. One of the things that is much worse than living with and trying to treat diabetes is living with it without even knowing you have it. Today is a great day to see if you are risk of developing type 2 diabetes and it can be as simple as taking a 60 second test.

Today is the American Diabetes Association Alert Day. This is the day to really become educated on type 2 diabetes and it's effects, symptoms and treatment. There is a simple 60 second test you can take that could answer some questions and let you know if you are risk for diabetes. If you are, it is treatable and you can learn to manage and live a relatively normal life with it. I know from experience that is true. I wrote a blog a couple of years ago about a day in the life of a diabetic. I am going to re-post that here for you to read and feel what it is like. Do yourself and your family a favor and get yourself checked out. You could start living a better life today.

  " I hate diabetes. I have had it for a couple of decades now and it is a constant pain in the backside. I know many go this every day and it is something many people just don’t understand. It is one of those silent diseases that you don’t necessarily see from the outside but it is can be hell on the inside. I have my ups and downs and struggle with it on a daily basis. I am going share with you what a day can be like just to help people understand a little better.

I wake up each day and immediately need to load a syringe of insulin and shoot into my stomach. I am reminded right away each day that I am not in control of myself and need medicine to live. That can be draining right away. Some days you just wish you could be in control of yourself and be self sufficient. It can feel kind of helpless. Many days you wake up exhausted without even doing anything yet. If your sugars are not in control in can be hell on your insides not to mention that you may have to get up to go to bathroom every 2 hours throughout the night and never really fall into a deep sleep.

Eating can be a chore because so many things are a no-no for diabetics. Every carb turns into sugar which is what you don’t want. Sugar going through your bloodstream is the equivalent of shards of glass going through your bloodstream, slicing and weakening the walls of your veins and organs. You don’t notice immediately but it has long term devastating effects.There are many companies that make sugar free foods but to be honest they taste like butt and you will need to be near a toilet shortly after eating them. You need to eat fresh foods but even fruits and some veggies can be a problem for blood sugars. It is a complicated affliction. You must monitor it constantly and some days you just want to take a day off from it.

When blood sugars are high you can turn into a zombie. You just stare and have trouble getting a clear thought. The best thing to do is exercise but that can be quite a task when you are already exhausted and your body aches from the internal battle. It is tough. You need to get moving but it is hard to find the strength sometimes. There are times I get things going great and in check and then something happens. If you get an infection of any kind or illness your sugars go out of control trying to heal your body. Even a cold can send it all out of whack.

I tell you these things not for sympathy but for understanding. I am sure you have a friend or relative who is diabetic and maybe you will understand a little bit of what they go through. If they seem a bit tired or foggy. Many people feel it is our own fault that we are diabetic thinking it’s just because of being overweight. There are many skinny diabetics as well. I am going to work harder than ever to keep mine under control. I want to live a long and active life. I may not ever beat it but I will not let it beat me. I just would like a day off now and then. If you are one of the many who go through this….keep fighting and take your meds and do what you need to do. You are not alone."