The fat bloke gets into a bit of difficulty.
To friends and acquaintances I'm variously annoying, short, amusing (occasionally), dumb, overweight and silly.
I'm also 57 years old and married to the best person on the planet.
As of four months ago I can add Diabetic to the list. Type 2.
There are other types of diabetes but Type 2 is by far the most prevalent.
What you read about here primarily concerns Type 2.
As of one day ago I was also told I have a blocked artery, a symptom of P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease)
The final page tells you about this, although the momentum was building towards diagnosis before that.
So, why have I have decided to document my experiences?
It is NOT for personal gain, I can assure you of that.
I genuinely want to try and help you avoid being saddled with things that are preventable.
WHEN you get to the end please send this link on to anyone you care about.
Humour is a way I have of coping with things, so if I come across as glib at times, don't be fooled, I am taking it seriously.
Most of the pages concern Type 2. (I'm trying to get my thick head round the P.A.D.)
But please read on..........
'It's only Type 2,' I heard one person say the othe day, 'most people have it, it's no big deal.'
What follows is a ramble through my ignorance, diagnosis and various consultations (not all of which go smoothly).
I'll try and explain what Type 2 diabetes is, the causes and symptoms.
I'll also mention associated complications and treatment options.
Finally I'll tell you what I'm trying to do about it.
I have learned a great deal (and merely scratched the surface) so hope to pass on a few morsels.
I'll try and explain what I can, BUT in the interests of accuracy, I'll also pass you on to experts via links.
The links will be in blue and underlined, so please look for yourselves.
You must make of them what you will.
An awful lot of people don't get diabetes (although some say that more than 50% of Americans either have it or are close to it)
To get checked out is easy and it's worth finding out a) to make sure you prevent it and b) to treat it early if you have it.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world. Millions of people have it.
There are some pretty startling statistics here
It is serious, make no bones about that. Untreated there are some nasty complications.
But it it also manageable, in some cases, reversible – although it's perhaps more accurate to say that you can put it into remission.
But crucially, in the vast majority of cases, it's preventable.
In a nutshell, its all about sugar / glucose and insulin, the imbalance of which is Type 2 diabetes. I'll have a go at explaining that.
What I REALY hope is that I can prevent friends and anyone else who reads this the burden of having to do battle with diabetes.
And yes, it is a burden.
Please give yourself half an hour to read the following pages. They might just spare you a whole lot of grief.
Read on...........Next Page. Oh dear. Diagnosis