Imagine living in a world where missing just one meal could prove fatal. You’re too busy, too distracted, and so you skip lunch. Your body slows down, you take a seat, and you close your eyes. You are completely unaware of the process even as it happens, robbing you of any chance to respond and save yourself. Fade to black.
Welcome to the world of diabetes (Greek for siphon).
I won’t go into too much detail, but among my brother’s medical problems are:
- One astrocytoma (often inoperable) at the base of the cerebellum removed.
- One aneurysm.
- Several strokes.
- Paraplegia.
- Thyroid cancer (resulting in thyroidectomy).
None of these conditions are as dangerous to my brother on a day-to-day basis as is diabetes.
Now, if the first paragraph did not scare you, consider this: you, as happened to a friend of mine, can have diabetes and never know it until you wake up in the hospital, tubes and intravenous lines everywhere, wondering what on earth happened and what that stupid beeping noise is. As for me, I was fortunate enough to be hired by a hospital that runs a fairly complete blood panel on all accepted candidates, so I was diagnosed early and can rely simply on one medication, some mild food restrictions involving portion control more than avoidance, and exercise – the last two of which we should be doing anyway. The problem was that I NEVER had any symptoms to indicate anything was wrong and I felt great!
So, at the risk of sounding like a public service announcement, no matter how old you are or how well you do or don’t feel, have your doctor test you for diabetes. It’s simple, fast, and literally can save life and limbs.
