Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Confessions of a sweetbee

Over the years I have learned quite a bit about diabetes. It triggers me to know more and to understand this condition. In my surroundings, there are a bunch of diabetics (I like to call them sweetbees, that sounds nicer than DIE-abetics) I like to hang out with. They don't look any different, they just share this one common factor in life.

I have been asked to talk about my life with D for different organisations. It came as a total surprise and I had to think it over. One of the things that startles me when it comes to D, is that the word still needs to be spread. So many people have it, but so little know what it's really about. Not too long ago, there was this middle aged man with type 2 diabetes for many years. He had no idea why his sugar levels were elevated to the 300 region. We asked him about his nutrition. Apparently he had been drinking 4 small bottles of regular coke!! with his multiple sugar loaded snacks.. He had no idea.. The only thing they had told him, was that he couldn't have sugar. Did he take that too seriously? Thinking of lumps of sugar? That was so shocking, that I thought indeed it would be a great idea to have those workshops on diabetes.

On several locations I'll be giving these workshops, for a variety of people. Not specific diabetics. I will tell them about my life with D. There's nothing depressing about diabetes. Not all diabetics end up blind or limbless. And that's exactly what I would like to let the world know.. You can have a positive attitude when it comes to D. It's a part of who we are, but it doesn't define us..

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