Adapting to Life with Diabetes on the Side

They say that you should take care of your health, and anything in excess can definitely cause our body to fail. In my family, diabetes is passed on from one generation to the next. My dad has it, my grandmother had it, my half-siblings have it. My mother has always helped my dad and my grandmother battle this disease even before I was born. 

Me? I love milk tea, cakes and rice. But I know I have to control myself and get regular check-ups because diabetes and possible heart complications are hereditary in my family. Better be informed with the possibilities than not, right? This usually means changing your lifestyle and having discipline to control your food among others.

What you don't know is that managing diabetes means having the whole family involved. 

My mom double-checks our dad and grandmother on what they eat. She also used to arrange walk-a-thon days before the pandemic. Lately, we have dance days whenever I visit or video call my family. Schedules and reminding my dad for maintenance is usually handled by mom, passed down to my sister.

Our family having walkathons pre pandemic era

With the pandemic happening, patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes are at a greater risk. Even having our dad vaccinated meant a lot of laboratory tests before doing so.

My dad is taking insulin shots, but it does not mean that it's the end of the world for him. Having a timely insulinization actually helped him to better manage his day-to-day life. It is one of the primary ways to manage diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, insulin therapy is vital for replacing the insulin your body doesn't produce. You can't take this orally because the digestive system would break it down before it had a chance to work.

So he does shots. Usually, mom is the one who administers it to him, but he can also self administer if needed. Doing insulinization early could let the pancreas rest and recuperate. This may also increase the patient’s chances of controlling their blood sugar in the long term. In the long run, it can avoid permanent damage to the body’s organs, such as the heart, kidneys, and eyes.

Just like food flavors, there are also different types of insulin shots.

In the past 100 years since its discovery, insulin has helped millions of people and will continue to improve the lives of diabetes patients. And now we have second generation insulins, which are a lot easier to use because they're more compact. They are also less painful to inject. The discovery of insulin 100 years ago has definitely given families around the world more time to enjoy life properly. While prevention is usually better than cure, it is also important to address our condition with right and proper treatment once it is there. Because sometimes, even if you try to prevent it, since it is hereditary, you will at one point have this disease. Better to know the signs, how to and treat it earlier right? 

To learn more about second-generation insulins, watch Health Speak here: 

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