Diabetes

In everyone's lives there are events so powerful, that even 20 years later you can recall the date and the exact time this event touched your life. Such examples of this are the birth of your child or on a global scale, the World Trade Center attack. For me, August 19, 2006 at 11:10 pm, will forever be etched in my mind. This date stands out so prominently because this is the day and time I learned my son, my baby, was given a death sentence. This is when I was told my son had Type 1 diabetes.

You see, at that time, my knowledge of diabetes was limited to what I saw in the movies. Movies such as Steel Magnolias. Now, if any of you have seen this movie, then you'll know that one of the main characters dies at a young age as a result of complications from diabetes.

Since that time in 2006, my knowledge of diabetes has greatly increased and I wish to share with you what I have learned as a result.   Today, I will discuss a few statistics attached to diabetes, then give a brief anatomy and physiology lesson and finally discuss the 3 forms of diabetes.

According to 2011 data obtained from the American Diabetes Association, 26 million children and adults in the US have diabetes. Also, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in America.   It is also estimated that 79 million people are pre-diabetic, which means that they are destined to eventually contract diabetes. Additional statistics by race show that:
7% of white Americans
12% of Hispanics Americans and
13% of African Americans

are currently afflicted with diabetes. These percentages are staggering and the numbers are only expected to increase over time.

Now, I will explain what diabetes is by providing a brief lesson in anatomy and physiology.   We all need to eat food containing a source of energy. This energy comes in the form of carbohydrates. When you ingest carbohydrates, the body converts them into glucose and releases this glucose into the bloodstream. An organ in your body called the...