Today I have decided to put together a jumble of facts about diabetes mostly for entertainment purposes – mostly useless trivia.

These will primarily be statistics so you can see how you measure up.

45% - the percentage of Diabetics that have an A1C “above” 7.0

This one surprised me a little given all the new drugs on the market and their availability – sounds a touch high to me since it is almost 1 out 2 that are essentially “not controlled”

537 Million – the number of “diagnosed”… read more

Most who read my posts become very aware that I don't tend to sugar coat anything.

Maybe that is because I have been dealing with Diabetes my entire life. My Parents, Grandparents, Great-Grandparents, Uncles/Aunts and cousins all have/had diabetes, at least the overwhelming majority of them, so if you are a "normal" member of the family, you likewise have Diabetes.

It didn't mean your life was over. It didn't mean that you life was limited, it was simply a genetic trait no different then… read more

All of us here have either been diagnosed with Diabetes or have someone close to us that have been given the news

So what is the "criteria" that separates us from Joe or Jane SugerEater?

Currently it is simply having an A1C, above 6.5% (47.5 mmol's in the IFCC scale) "twice in a row" measured 90 days apart

That's it, that's all - that "test" is all that is required for the Doc to determine "You have Diabetes"

No matter what you do after that, no matter how you control your blood sugar - no… read more

Apart from anything else it’s too vague and woolly a statement to have any meaning.

I got Cervical Myelopathy in 2002 and was told by the neurologist that I’d “be in a wheelchair in two years”. Now if I wasn’t so resilient I might have given up at that moment and resigned myself to my fate. Instead I lost 3 stone (42lbs) to bring me back to the normal weight category. I also walk a lot and go to the gym where the back extension machine keeps my spine in good shape.

It’s not that I’m saying… read more

The other day I was watching some show, characters were all excited when one said “Slow Down – you need to manage your expectations”.

I got thinking - does this apply to Diabetics?

The day we get our Diagnosis our Life changes Forever.

I see many who seem to think their next 10, 20 or 30 years have gone down the drain now that they are “Diabetic”.

Whether we choose to ignore it, jump right in with both feet or settle somewhere in the middle Diabetes will be with us for the rest of our days… read more

The questions about side effects of prescribed drugs are valid

Any time you put a foreign substance in your body there is likely to be some "side effect", sometimes none noticeable, sometimes minor or fleeting and sometimes downright nasty

BUT don't forget WHY the Doctor is even considering prescribing that Nasty-Dangerous Medication

Specifically when talking about Diabetic Medications too many come in with the (apparent) attitude that they have some OTHER Choice

Of course you have the… read more

Everyone here lives in a well developed country with decent medical systems in place.

So how is it that a Type 2 that has been dealing with the disease for about 6 years, who has seen multiple doctors and is now seeing yet another for a (known) Diabetic Complication (Frozen Shoulder) that they have NO CLUE what a Carb is?

I spent an hour today talking to this individual in person. I was asked if I would spend a bit of time with them to give some "basic information".

They were diagnosed 6… read more

I read countless posts that all say the same thing

"My blood sugar is always high and I'm having trouble...."

In case anyone doesn't understand it is High, uncontrolled Blood Sugar levels that KILLS US 100% of the TIME

And it's not a nice quick painless death

It starts out with painful neuropathy, mostly in the legs and feet - those that ride that wave to the end see toes, feet and legs amputated - it IS SERIOUS

Or maybe you would prefer to go Blind from Retinopathy - leading cause of… read more