| Diabetes Is Just Another Raindrop | | Print | |
| Tuesday, 01 July 2008 | |
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TCOYD Newsletter, Vol. 26, 2008 Since my early years in medical school in 1978 until now, I have observed, spoken with, read about and treated thousands of people with a wide variety of conditions. Some of these folks had medical diagnoses that were easy to treat, such as hypothyroidism, however, others were very serious and often fatal, such as cancer.It all seemed so random to me, because I would see hardened criminals who were convicted murderers and rapists escorted to my hospital for routine medical care with absolutely no medical problems and, on the other hand, I have cared for sweet innocent kids who came down with leukemia that, most of the time, eventually took their short lives. After trying to make sense of it all for years, I’ve come to a realization in my own mind. Getting hit with a disease happens by chance—kind of like a raindrop falling on your head. In this mindset, being afflicted with a medical condition is like walking in the rain and each raindrop has a certain disease that you can get if it lands on you. The majority of the raindrops have not-soserious conditions, however, some of them have illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels. Some raindrops carry no problems inside at all, while others hold malignant conditions. The longer you live the higher the chance you can be tagged by a raindrop containing a serious illness. One would not be exempt from getting multiple problems even if you already have diabetes, which never seems fair to me. Your chances are the same of being affected by any particular raindrop no matter where you live, how much money is in your bank account, what religion you practice or if you are a good or bad person. Some conditions can be prevented or the seriousness mitigated by our behavior, like a protective umbrella in a rainstorm. For those of us living with diabetes already, our umbrellas can shield us from other conditions. Our umbrellas consist of achieving and maintaining good blood glucose levels, as well as blood pressure and cholesterol control. A healthy life with regular exercise and good eating habits, is something many of us would not practice if we did not get hit by the diabetes raindrop. We cannot change the raindrops that have fallen on us, however we can get under the protective umbrella of education, motivation and selfadvocacy. Being knowledgeable about your condition is essential for living a long and healthy life, both physically and mentally. Taking Control Of Your Diabetes strives to provide the umbrella of information and inspiration you need to deal with the raindrop that has fallen on your head.
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