World Diabetes Day
November 14th is World Diabetes Day. If you do nothing else, please educate yourself about the diffierence between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 is an autoimmune disease (which I have) and has nothing to do with lifestyle. Type 2 is not an autoimmune disease and *can* be linked to poor diet and an inactive... lifestyle - but not always.
There is no cure for diabetes. No matter what celebrity quacks (yes, Patrick Holford, I'm looking at YOU) say.
Having diabetes, for me, means ALWAYS taking longer than everyone else to get ready in a morning, as I have to check my blood sugar, do two injections, make sure I have my insulin and blood testing kit with me at all times, and ensure I have something to medicate myself with if my blood sugar goes too low.Only then can I think about getting a shower, putting my slap on and getting ready for work.
Every day I inject between 5-7 times. I test my blood sugar 8-10 times. That's a lot of messing about.
And the reward I get for this? Inability to get private health insurance; travel insurance that costs roughly 3x more than that of my non-diabetic travel companion; the possibilty of all sorts of horrible diabetes-related complications and the likelihood that I'll die much earlier than someone without diabetes.
More importantly, kind, well-meaning people buy me "diabetic chocolate" which, as any diabetic knows, tastes like dog chocolate. Only worse.
Putting it into practical terms: I cost you money. In the UK my medicines and treatment are NHS-funded, so they cost you money. If you're in the UK, please think about donating to Diabetes UK(http://www.diabetes.org.uk/). Among lots of other vital work, they research into finding a cure for diabetes. This would mean that your taxes didn't go on my medicine.
It would also mean that Dave didn't waste half his life waiting for me to find my insulin.
Thank you.
There is no cure for diabetes. No matter what celebrity quacks (yes, Patrick Holford, I'm looking at YOU) say.
Having diabetes, for me, means ALWAYS taking longer than everyone else to get ready in a morning, as I have to check my blood sugar, do two injections, make sure I have my insulin and blood testing kit with me at all times, and ensure I have something to medicate myself with if my blood sugar goes too low.Only then can I think about getting a shower, putting my slap on and getting ready for work.
Every day I inject between 5-7 times. I test my blood sugar 8-10 times. That's a lot of messing about.
And the reward I get for this? Inability to get private health insurance; travel insurance that costs roughly 3x more than that of my non-diabetic travel companion; the possibilty of all sorts of horrible diabetes-related complications and the likelihood that I'll die much earlier than someone without diabetes.
More importantly, kind, well-meaning people buy me "diabetic chocolate" which, as any diabetic knows, tastes like dog chocolate. Only worse.
Putting it into practical terms: I cost you money. In the UK my medicines and treatment are NHS-funded, so they cost you money. If you're in the UK, please think about donating to Diabetes UK(http://www.diabetes.org.uk/). Among lots of other vital work, they research into finding a cure for diabetes. This would mean that your taxes didn't go on my medicine.
It would also mean that Dave didn't waste half his life waiting for me to find my insulin.
Thank you.