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November 14, 2014

14 Tips for Understanding Diabetes on World Diabetes Day

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Good morning! In honor of World Diabetes Day today, I’m happy to share a guest post from fANNEtastic blog reader and type 1 diabetic Allison Nimlos. I hope you find it interesting and informative!

Take it away, Allison – thank you for sharing with us today!

——

First, I want to say thank you to Anne for allowing me to share a bit of diabetes education today, World Diabetes Day, and during November which is National Diabetes Awareness Month.

photo 1

Diabetes affects approximately 30 million people in the U.S., and yet it is one of the most commonly misunderstood diseases. I’ve had type 1 diabetes for more than 20 years and am active in the Diabetes Online Community (yep — there are online communities for everything!). I’ve also written for some diabetes magazines and websites.

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Since World Diabetes Day is on the 14th of November, I decided to share 14 things that will help you to understand diabetes a little better.

#1: There is more than one type of diabetes.

The media likes to only refer to “diabetes” but there are actually several types of diabetes! The two main types are type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes.

  • Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that affects about 3 million people. The immune system kills off insulin-producing cells. Insulin is a hormone that acts as a key to allow sugar to enter cells so they can use sugar for energy. People with type 1 diabetes must take insulin injections, or they can wear an insulin pump. There is no known cause, but researchers believe it’s a combination of genetics and an unknown environmental component.
  • Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disease that affects the other 27 million people. In this case, the body becomes resistant to the insulin that is produced, causing elevated blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes is heavily influenced by genetics, societal risk factors (such as economic class) and even aging (type 2 diabetes is more likely the older you get, independent of your size), along with lifestyle issues like obesity.

This is why it’s important to specify the type of diabetes, especially when it comes to the cause.

#2: Diabetes is not a fat person’s disease.

Many doctors now see obesity as a trigger for people who are already genetically predisposed to type 2 diabetes, which is why you often see it run in families. Some people can manage their diabetes by losing weight, but they still have type 2 diabetes. They still have those same genes. There are also skinny people with type 2 diabetes because they are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance.

#3: Diabetes is not a kid’s disease.

Type 1 diabetes was called “juvenile diabetes” but it’s often diagnosed in adults too. Symptoms include extreme thirst, frequent urination, weight loss, blurry vision, and persistent hunger.

#4: There is no bad kind of diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are both bad! They both require monitoring of blood sugar, which is expensive and invasive. They both cause the same kinds of complications, like blindness, kidney failure, and heart disease. Some people think type 2 diabetes is easier because they don’t go on insulin shots right away. Well, people with type 2 diabetes have to carefully watch what they eat and get more exercise. We all know how hard it is to watch what you eat and lose weight!

photo 2

#5: Diabetes is stigmatized.

Because of the connection to obesity, a lot of people feel they are blamed for their diabetes. It can be very depressing and discouraging. In addition, many people with type 1 diabetes — who definitely have no control over their diabetes — also feel that they are blamed. Comments like “Did you eat too many candy bars?” is not only inaccurate, it’s hurtful.

#6: Diabetes is complicated.

This isn’t a “pop a pill and you’re done” disease. Diabetes requires a lot of thinking and monitoring. I test my blood sugar 6-8 times a day, in addition to wearing an insulin pump. None of these devices “think” for themselves. I count the carbs in everything I eat and try to balance that with insulin, while also taking into account my activity level (am I about to go for a run?). Unfortunately, there are 22 different things that can cause blood sugar to rise or fall, and I only have control over a couple of them!

#7: Diabetes is confusing.

Like Anne, I love to run. I have a system for how I personally exercise with diabetes, which involves getting up, testing my blood sugar, and working out before I eat anything. Normally this works just fine. But sometimes my blood sugar goes low or high, and usually I don’t know why. Sometimes it is something I miscalculated, but often times there isn’t any rhyme or reason!

photo 4

#8: Diabetes isn’t fair.

Even when we do everything right, things can go wrong. We can monitor our blood sugar, eat healthy, get regular exercise, and still suffer long-term complications. Just because something went wrong with our health doesn’t mean we did something wrong. Sometimes, it’s just diabetes. And that’s why we need a cure.

#9: Diabetes is not quiet.

Insulin pumps buzz. Glucose meters beep. There are audible noises we hear daily. But diabetes is also intrusive. When blood sugar goes high or low, it brings our world to a halt.

Symptoms of high blood sugar usually include thirst, excessive urination, and nausea. Low blood sugar can cause weakness, dizziness, and excessive hunger. You can imagine that either of these will quickly pause whatever you’re doing.

#10: Diabetes is not a spectator sport.

A lot of people like to chime in on how we should manage our diabetes. For example, asking someone at a party, “Are you sure you can eat that?” might seem like an innocent question, but it makes us feel accused of doing something wrong.

#11: Diabetes is not a sugar-free disease.

People with diabetes can eat sugar! I use an insulin pump (pictured below) to match the food I want to eat with the right amount of insulin. Of course, the carbs in homemade goodies and restaurants food are still complicated to calculate, so some people choose not to indulge at all. But everyone is able to make their own decision.

photo 1 (1)

#12: Diabetes is not a joke.

It hurts to hear jokes about some oversized dessert labeled “diabetes.” You don’t see jokes about cancer because it isn’t funny. To think that people find your suffering amusing — regardless of how that suffering came to be — is miserable and dehumanizing.

#13: Diabetes is a big community of awesome people.

Diabetes touches us all. If you or someone you know has diabetes, the Diabetes Online Community is ready to help! From social networks like TuDiabetes and Diabetes Daily to personal blogs like mine (here are a few other blogs that I really like: sixuntilme.com, textingmypancreas.com, scottsdiabetes.com) to weekly Twitter chats, there really is something for everyone!

#14: Diabetes is an obstacle, not a limitation.

Despite diabetes, you can still achieve your dreams! You can be a rock star (Nick Jonas), a pro football player (Jay Cutler), climb Mt. Everest (Will Cross) or perform for the New York City Ballet (Zippora Karz). Sebastian Sasseville, a Canadian with diabetes, just finished running across Canada — all of it! He had to diligently monitor his blood sugar and make adjustments to food and insulin regularly, but he did it!

If you have any questions about diabetes, please feel free to ask in the comments! Did you learn anything new from this post?

- anne
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17 comments
  • Kate B
    November 14, 2014 · 10:06AM:
    I love learning from people who have lived through the experience. Thank you for sharing!
    Reply
  • Lauren November 14, 2014 · 10:46AM:
    Thanks for this post! I thought I knew more about diabetes considering type 1 diabetes runs on both sides of my family, but your post made me realize that there is a lot I don't know, and that some of my thoughts/opinions were misguided.
    Reply
  • Dana | fresh simple five
    November 14, 2014 · 11:16AM:
    Thanks for an informative and eye-opening post. I definitely learned a few things. Allison is inspirational to everyone for showing that setbacks/obstacles (no matter what they are) do not define us or limit us. Get it girl!
    Reply
  • Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment
    November 14, 2014 · 1:17PM:
    Very interesting post! I have only minimal knowledge of diabetes so it was very helpful to read about it from a personal perspective. Great stuff!
    Reply
  • Christina @ The Beautiful Balance
    November 14, 2014 · 1:17PM:
    I feel so much for people that are type 1 DM. I can't imagine having to continuously calculate, evaluate, dose, etc throughout the day.
    Reply
  • Roadrunner November 14, 2014 · 1:28PM:
    Thanks for a very informative, very instructive post. Great stuff, indeed!
    Reply
  • Mary
    November 14, 2014 · 3:06PM:
    Thanks for sharing - really loved hearing about someone's first hand experience!
    Reply
  • Amy November 15, 2014 · 11:00AM:
    Thanks so much for sharing this! My 7 year old son has Type 1 and I so appreciate more awareness of this disease- it helps so much when people are more understanding of all it entails.
    Reply
  • Angela @ HonestlyAngela
    November 15, 2014 · 3:24PM:
    Thank you for this post! A good friend of mine has diabetes and doesn't talk about it very much. This really helped me understand it better.
    Reply
  • Erin November 15, 2014 · 9:05PM:
    Thank you so much for this great post. Allison - I wish you the best. I truly hope there is a cure in the near future. Anne - these kind of posts are really informative. A better understanding of different disorders can lead to more compassion.
    Reply
  • Meaghan November 16, 2014 · 11:54AM:
    Thank you! I loved this post. I have been type 1 for 26 years (am 29 now) and diabetes without a doubt influences every single aspect of my day/life. I completely agree about the stigmatization that still occurs and also get so frustrated when people make "diabetes jokes" that show they don't understand the major differences between types 1 and 2. I am on the Animas Ping pump but am looking to switch over to the OmniPod very soon! Thanks for the post and thank you Anne for another great guest post!
    Reply
  • Amanda
    November 18, 2014 · 10:26AM:
    Thank you for this guest post. It's so important to provide awareness and I do believe that some day there will be a cure. My mom passed away from complications of type 1 diabetes 16 years ago this upcoming Friday. I was 18. She was 46. She was diagnosed when she was 10. She had to have two kidney transplants (although her kidney situation was a-ok when she passed away). This is just another "in my face" reminder that I need to get my act together on my weight loss journey. Thanks again.
    Reply
  • Rainey November 23, 2014 · 8:30PM:
    When I was young they found I was insulin resistant (like my Dad). I am now in my 40s and am a type II insulin dependent diabetic. One of the most difficult aspects of this disease is social. Allison, I Love #10 diabetes is not a spectator sport, and #11 diabetes is not a sugar free disease As a person with diabetes I am constantly aware of the fact that everything I do affects my health in some way. I am very aware of how what I eat affects my blood sugar and I often I abstain from high carbohydrate foods. However, life happens and special occasions arise where I do allow myself a special treat. People mean well and they care, but often I will get friends, family members, and coworkers who feel that a verbal attack over any sugar consumption on my part is being helpful. I am grateful that you pointed out that someone with diabetes can have sugar, we just need to plan ahead on how to deal with the added carbohydrate load. Diabetes is a very common disease, but it is very personal. Each individual deals with their condition in their own way and having supportive and understanding family and friends really helps! Thanks Allison and Anne for this educational and inspiring post!
    Reply
  • Maggie @ Veg Fiend
    November 29, 2014 · 7:05AM:
    Thank you for this wonderful and informative guest post. My career involves diabetes research, and I date a Type 1 diabetic; I think it is fabulous you are spreading knowledge of this disease. It is spreading at an insane rate, and the public should be informed of the seriousness and day-to-day maintenance needed to manage diabetes. Bravo!
    Reply
  • Scott K. Johnson
    December 3, 2014 · 3:55PM:
    Great points, Allison. It's often hard for me to remember diabetes isn't fair, especially when I do the things I'm supposed to and don't get expected results. It's a helpful reminder and good thing to keep in mind as we navigate our lives with d. Thanks for the mention!
    Reply
  • Delores Lyon
    April 9, 2015 · 7:41PM:
    Thank you for sharing these different facts about diabetes, especially on Diabetes Awareness Day! It really is important that people are educated about this disease, especially since it affects so many people. When we are more informed, we can make better lifestyle choices that so we don't develop Type 2 Diabetes.
    Reply
  • Sanjay
    August 19, 2022 · 2:36PM:
    Loved it...
    Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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