Bring Diabetes to Light

Today, November 14 we celebrate World Diabetes Day. With the theme “Bring Diabetes to light”, all activities to celebrate the occasion would center on lighting homes, buildings, communities and landmarks in blue to mark the event today.

The aim of this event is to create global awareness on the alarming number of people being sick with diabetes mellitus. There are about 246 million people worldwide with diabetes. Each year 7 million people develop diabetes and 3.8 deaths are linked directly to diabetes. It is so alarming because even children are affected and uncontrolled Diabetes mellitus is a common cause of end stage renal disease. where in the kidneys are permanently damaged.

Know the diabetes warning signs
• Frequent urination
• Excessive thirst
• Increased hunger
• Weight loss
• Tiredness
• Lack of interest and concentration
• Blurred vision
• Vomiting and stomach pain (often mistaken as the flu)

Every parent, schoolteacher, school nurse, doctor and anyone involved in the care of children should be familiar with the warning signs and alert to the diabetes threat.

Thoughts on Diabetes

I have a familial tendency to have diabetes later in life. My maternal grandmother had diabetes and now my mother is on diabetic drug maintenance. My mom used to say that they were hard up in life before because my grandmother became a widow early because of the Japanese Philippine War. Though there was always food on the table, they would always have the desire to have foods to their liking when they were kids.

Now that they can afford to buy any food to their fancy, there is again the limitation because of her diabetes. She finds leisure in eating in restaurants but again she has to be careful on her food intake to control her diabetes. I felt a little sad because of her situation.