Newsflash: Diabetes Sucks

Diabetes (both types) is pretty common on both sides of my family. My grandmother was type 1 and some of my earliest memories are of my grandfather giving her an insulin shot as well as being told not to steal the small candy bar out of her purse because it was for emergencies. For those who haven't been around it and think it's all about having the inconvenience of insulin in your life, or having to avoid desserts that aren't sugar free, there's a lot more to it than that.

In addition to the extreme scenarios of blindness and loss of appendages, there is also the daily balancing act that is necessary to keep your mind clear. My dad has been struggling with this lately and I hate it for him. In fact, I think if something doesn't change, this insulin might be the end of him. Over the weekend, he took some of the quick insulin because he thought he was about to have dinner. The dinner was delayed and his blood sugar bottomed out to 20 (70-99 is normal before a meal). This ended up with the paramedics and my younger brother having to come to the house and hold him down while giving him some glucose. My step mother posted a pic of him struggling against the people who were trying to help and it was so disturbing it kept me up most of the night. With the disoriented rage on his face, I'm surprised his heart could stand it.

This is a serious deal and I'm not trying to turn this into a Go Figure commercial, but I am extremely grateful that they helped me drop some weight and get out of the danger zone. It might be a genetic inevitability that I'm destined to have, but I know I have greatly decreased my chances by getting control of my weight. Go Figure is working for me and I recommend you check them out, but whatever you choose...choose to get started. Diabetes is one of many scary threats you can possibly avoid by getting out of the obese category.