"7 in 7" - Episode 4 - Money Isn't Real George - American Diabetes Association

When I was deciding which charities to choose from a couple of them were no-brainers because they were ones that have personally affected my life in some way. Today's charity is the American Diabetes Association. I don't have diabetes but I might have it someday. But I have a couple of family members that do. My Dad has had it for something like 15 years, being diagnosed when he was in his 40's. And if I remember correctly both of my Grandparents have it so there is some family history. This sort of thing should concern me because diabetes has been shown to be hereditary for it arises in the body because of a genetic defect. I'm no scientist but from what I understand about diabetes is that Wilford Brimley has it. Or at least that's what I learned from watching commercials during The Price is Right. And what do you do if you need home testing equipment? Why contact Liberty Medical of course. They bill Medicare and your insurance; you pay nothing up front. Then they'll deliver it right to your door with no charge for shipping. I learned a lot from the old bastard from Cocoon and Ewoks: The Battle for Endor but apparently I didn't learn more than how to get testing supplies. So what is diabetes? And why should I care?

I'm not going to get all technical because that would involve a lot of research. But here are the basics. It is a group of metabolic diseases that prevents the body from either producing enough insulin or prevents the cells in the body from absorbing it. Insulin is a hormone that regulates carbohydrates and fat in the body and allows the body to use glucose as energy. When someone has diabetes their body cannot break down the glucose properly and it remains in the bloodstream and can lead to complications. You may hear the term "high blood sugar" which is very bad because it can lead to a number of problems such as heart disease, vision deterioration, high blood pressure which can lead to strokes or kidney disease, skin and leg issues which can lead to amputation and a multitude of other things that can arise. Sounds pretty horrible, right? It is pretty horrible but diabetes can easily be controlled if people take the right steps to keeping their blood sugar at normal levels or regulating the amount of insulin in the body.

There are three types of diabetes -  Type 1, Type 2 and Gestational. I'm going to focus on Type 2 because that is the kind that my Dad has. For more information on the others feel free to do research on your own. Type 2 diabetes can be regulated with a combination of a healthy diet, exercise and medication. As long as you keep yourself in relatively good shape and eat right, you should have no problem controlling and living with this disease with few complications. The problem is that 25.8 million Americans - 8.3% of the population - are diagnosed with diabetes and it's only getting worse because of the climbing obesity rate and the poor health habits of this country. The ADA estimates that there could be up to 80 million Americans with what they call Prediabetes, which is higher than normal glucose levels but not enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. Like it sounds, this is the precursor to diabetes and can be offset by healthy eating and regular exercise. But once you already have Type 2 diabetes there is no cure for it, just a way to manage it for the rest of your life. And that is why the American Diabetes Association raises money for diabetes research so they can one day find a cure. But that is only a portion of what they do. They supply people with the knowledge and medication to fight their disease. They also act on the behalf of all affected parties by representing them in our Country and insure that they are being considered. While this is a bunch a political mumbo jumbo to me, I take it that they do things like making sure children have access to healthy food in the school systems and that the people who don't have a voice in Congress can have someone on their side. Seeing as how diabetes is very troubling (cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer in America and can be the result of high blood sugar) it needs to be talked about and  always in the discussion when it comes to the general well-being of the population.

All of that was "book" knowledge about diabetes. Funny how I have to put book in quotations these days because I read it all on the internet. Books are becoming obsolete. Sorry about that little departure. Just an observation. All of that medical lingo is over my head and doesn't make it feel real because it is just a statistic. Well my Dad isn't a statistic. He's a person and his name is Michael. For me this thing is personal because I have seen my Dad become weak, get dizzy or become absent minded because of low blood sugar, which is another issue. People with Type 2 Diabetes have to eat on a regular schedule and drink plenty of water, which can be a problem for those who need to stay active to control their illness. I have watched him take handfulls of medicine which help to regulate his disease. I have ridden alongside him in fundraising activities like the Tour for a Cure bicycle ride. I have seen how it affects his life. I have seen what kind of problems it brings and how he has to constantly test his blood sugar and keep it under control. His disease prevents him from eating foods that we love such as ones high in carbs or high in fat. He has to watch his consumption of sweets and tasty things like potatoes and bread. I love toast and french fries more than anything in the world, and knowing that I would have to limit myself would probably make me cry. I can go without the sweets, but you also have to limit the amounts of meats, poultry and butter. This is starting to depress me. Living with diabetes doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun, which is why the search for a cure becomes something that I heavily believe in. For more information and to make a donation of your own please head over to the website - http://www.diabetes.org/

I don't provide my receipts here to show you how much money I am giving away. Believe me, it's not a whole lot. I wish that I could give more. It's my way of being held accountable and putting my money where my mouth is in a way. You read how passionate that I am about these charities so I'm guessing that you would believe me anyway and I wouldn't have to prove it. But it is just something that I have done over the last few days so there is no reason to stop now. While doing research tonight I started getting scared because this is a very real disease that could personally affect me more than it already has. That's because I am at high risk of diabetes due to my obesity and family history. I don't know what I can do because I have already tried getting into a regular workout routine (see my "7 in 7" entry I Want to Look like Jonah Hill by clicking through the Ill Archives on the right) with zero results. I might have been losing weight or at least getting healthier had I kept on going to the gym but I really don't see the point. Even though I've come on here and talked about positively changing my life by changing my attitude and behaviors, I still have so many self-esteem and self-doubt issues that prevent me from seeing the point of all of this. I keep writing about it and in a way I keep doing it, but I don't believe. So I don't try as hard as I could I guess. I don't like to do this but I need help. If you have read any of this "7 in 7" stuff that I have been writing over the last month and a half and if it in any way has made an impression on you let me know. I need some kind of positive reinforcement that I'm doing the right thing. I guess that's just the way that I am. Most people are like that I suppose. I guess I'm just looking for some kind of purpose in this world and some reason why I should continue working at improving. But if I don't hear from you I understand. After all, this reason has to come from within and until I learn how to self-motivate and burst out with confidence I'll be stuck...stuck...stuck. Just like Nikki Baker.

 - pookon - 

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