By Tehniyet Azam   According to American Diabetes Association, in 2012, 29.1 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes. This includes all the types of diabetes. About 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes on average each year. The number of Americans diagnosed increases eve...

By Tehniyet Azam

According to American Diabetes Association, in 2012, 29.1 million Americans were diagnosed with diabetes. This includes all the types of diabetes. About 1.4 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes on average each year. The number of Americans diagnosed increases every day. Some people are born with this disease while others get this disease due to their genetic history, their lifestyle choices or other preexisting conditions.
Sometimes people don’t take diabetes seriously but it’s one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It can cause disastrous problems if not treated properly. My cousin was one of them. She was 31 years old when she was diagnosed with diabetes. She was driving to see her sister and she had a car accident. We learned that she was having issues with her sight and she was keeping it hidden from everyone. Her cholesterol was through the roof. The doctor advised her to start eating healthier and to exercise. She did not take her doctor’s advice seriously; she did not follow their advice and did not take the medication on time. One day while at work she fainted and was taken to the ER. There they came to know that her high blood sugar had caused her to faint and she was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. She was diagnosed with a disease that if not managed properly could cause her to leave her children motherless. It began to effect her kidneys. The doctor advised her that if she doesn’t change her lifestyle she would be on dialysis or later need to get a kidney transplant. The doctors also told her about the possibility of amputations if she does
not take this seriously. That was the turning point for her.

She got serious with her health routine and made sure that everything is up to check. She changed her lifestyle! Unhealthy carbs were thrown out. Proteins, fruits and vegetables were added to her diet. She lost around 35 pounds in 6 months because of her clean eating. She got it under control. She still has to take her medications because of the damage that is already done to her body but atleast now she can enjoy time with her children and her husband. She goes out to eat a meal without being scared that she will end in the hospital because she controls her diabetes.
We need to take this disease very seriously and if we don’t it can claim your life. Our family and friends need us so we should take good care of ourselves and not ignore disease. This life is a gift, lets take very good care of it.