Showing posts with label Diabetes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diabetes. Show all posts

Friday, July 13, 2012

Navigating a Type II Diabetes Diagnosis

When my dad was first diagnosed with type II diabetes I was completely oblivious as to how serious it was.

Diabetes just means that you can't eat sugar, right?


Wrong. Diabetes refers to a group of diseases that influence how your body produces and utilizes blood glucose (blood sugar). Think of glucose as the body’s main source of fuel. Problem is that, just like a car, the human body cannot run properly without oil, or insulin. Insulin regulates the glucose in the blood to help ensure that there is not an excess or shortage. Extreme fluctuations in glucose in the blood is very dangerous and can lead to a slew of health problems.

For anyone without diabetes who is reading this and thinking “none of this applies to me, I don’t have diabetes..." chances are you have a relative, neighbor, friend, or co-worker who is either already diabetic or at risk of diabetes.