DIABETES AWARENESS

[Song Playing: "You Must Love Me" By Madonna / Andrew Lloyd Webber From The Film Musical "Evita"]

See This Photo? I'm Lucky To Still Be In Good Shape At My Age - Currently Almost 39. But I Am Unlucky, Too, And Part Of The Reason I Am Stilll In Shape Is Because I HAVE To Be. I Am A Diabetic And My Life Literally DEPENDS On Staying In Good Shape...Strict Low-Carb, Low-To-No Sugar, Low-Saturated Fat, Low-Sodium, Low-Cholestoral Diet And Plenty Of Physical Excercise...Not To Mention Sometimes Needing Pills That Have Terrible, Agonizing Side-Effects In The Beginning. This Part Of It Is NOT Fun! I Had It For A Good Few Years Without Realizing It. For Awhile, I Had A Doctor Who Turned Out To Be Pretty Incompetent. I Had Suspected It, But Was Told By Him I Didn't Have It. The Day He Decided To Test Was A Day My Sugar Level Happened To Be Normal. He Never Checked Any Further Than That - Despite My Protests. I Was Made To Feel And Treated As If It Were All Just My Imagination. Well, It Turned Out Later He Couldn't Have Been More Wrong! This Could Happen To ANYONE! This Disease Is Spreading More And More And Becoming All Too Commonplace! What Are Some Of The Signs That You May Have It? Keep Reading!

The First Sign - Any Unusual Shifts In Your Body And Mindset During Or After Eating Or Drinking...Such As Bad Head Rushes, Sudden Feelings Of Hyperness, Dizziness...Feeling Like You Are Going To Go Right Through The Roof! There Are Different, Very Unique Syptoms Of Both High And Low Blood Sugar Levels. Yet There Are Many That Feel Very Similiar And Sometimes It Is Hard To Tell Which Symptoms Are Which. If You Notice ANY Shifts In Your System After Eating Or Drinking, See Your Doctor IMMEDIATELY! No Matter What He Says, Make Sure You Are Checked For Diabetes THOROUGHLY -Get Multiple Tests If You Need To. DON'T Let What Happened To Me With MY Initial Physician Happen To YOU! And, For Your OWN Peace Of Mind, Go To Just About Any Pharmacy And Get Yourself A Glucose Testing Meter And Matching Test Strips. One Touch Seems To Be One Of The Best Brands! Follow The Instructions To Test Your Blood Sugar Level Yourself. Average, Ideal Range Is Between 80-150. 200 - 230 Or So Is High, But Not A Dagerous Level. Your Sugar Level Is Always Likely To Change Immediately After Eating. Wait Awhile. If Your Levels Are Constistently Higher Than The Ideal Range, You Are Probably A Diabetic, And You'd Better Adjust Your Eating Habits Right Away! The Most Common Is Diabetes 2. This Is Usually Treated With Oral Medication - At Least Until You Have Your Levels Within Proper Range On A Regular Basis. The More Severe Is Diabetes 1 Which No Doubt Will Require Insulin Injections - About Twice Daily.

HIGH BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL SYMPTOMS:

(Usual Earliest Signs)

Dry Mouth

Warm, Dry Skin

A Weak Pulse

(Middle-Stage Signs)

Blurred Vision

Drowsiness

Difficulty Waking Up

(Next Degree)

Irritability

Inability To Concentrate

Dizziness And / Or Weakness When Sitting Or Standing

Dark, Concentrated Urine In Decreasing Amounts

Lightheadness

(If Little Or NO Insulin - VERY Dangerous Stage)

Rapid, Deep Breathing

A Strong, Fruity Breath Odor (Similiar To Nail Polish Remover Or Acitone)

Loss Of Appetite

Abdominal Pain

Nausea And Vomitting

LOW BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL SYMPTOMS:

(Usual Early Signs)

Sweating - Almost Always Present

(Check For Along Hairline And Back Of Neck)

Nervousness / Shakiness / Weakness

Extreme Hunger

Slight Nausea

Dizziness

Headache

Blurred Vision

A Fast Heartbeat

Anxiousness / Restlessness

(Middle-Stage Signs)

Inability To Concentrate

Confusion

Irritability

Slurred Speech

Unsteadiness When Standing Or Walking

Muscle Twitching

Personality Changes - Such As Anger Or Crying

(Level Below 20 - VERY DANGEROUS Stage)

Seizure

Loss Of Consciousness

Coma

Stroke

Death

LOW BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL SYMPTOMS AT NIGHT - KNOWN AS NOCTURNAL HYPOGLYCEMIA:

Restlessness

Making Unusual Noises

Attempting To Get Out Of Bed

Accidentally Rolling Out Of Bed

Sleepwalking

Nightmares

Sweating

Sweat-Soaked Bed Clothes

Sweat-Soaked Sheets And Blankets

Waking Up With A Headache In The Morning

    Whether You Are Diabetic Or Not, It Is Good For Your General Health And Your Sugar Levels To Generally Stay Away From Sweets, High-Carb Foods, And Foods With A Lot Of Fat - Especially Saturated Fat And Trans Fats! Polyunsaturated Fats And Monounsaturated Fats, However, Are GOOD For You! They Actually LOWER Your Cholesterol Level. You Will Have To Start Paying Close Attention To The Nutrition Facts Labels On All Foods And Beverages You Consume. You Should Try To Not Go Over About 45 Carbs Per Meal. Make Sure Your Foods Are Under 5% Of Daily Allowances Of Saturated Fat. Try To Stay Away From TRANS Fats Altogether! Don't Have ANYTHING With High Sugar Levels Unless Your Levels Are LOW.

    That Reminds Me...Another VERY, VERY Important Tip...ALWAYS Have A Candy Bar Or Two On You Or At Least Within Your Reach At ALL TIMES!! Your Sugar Level - Especially If Kept In Tight Control - Could Drop To Low Levels At Any Given Time! Aside From The Above-Mentioned Low Level Symptoms, This Feels Like Someone Is Turning A Volume Knob Inside You Way Down! I Don't Know How Else Best To Describe It! Even If You Feel About To Enter A State Of Shock, You've GOT To Scarf Down That Candy RIGHT AWAY! It May Seem Hard To Make Yourself Actually Chew At The Moment, But You've GOT TO! And FAST!! Use Mind Over Matter And MAKE YOURSELF Do It!! If You Don't Do It And Do It IMMEDIATELY, The Harsh Reality Is That You COULD And More Than Likely WILL Fall Unconscious, Go Into A Coma, And Actually Die! I'm Not Saying This To Scare You. I'm Speaking From Personal Experience!!

NEED A BREAK NOW -MORE TO COME SOON!

    For Anyone Who Feels That, Since Diabetes Is Treatable, It Isn't Still Dangerous And Can Be Taken Lightly... Here Is An Exerpt From An Email I Had Sent To A Friend Shortly After The Most Frightening Experience Of My Life:

    "This is what happpened. I visited friends yesterday evening. Even though I had what should have been safe, my level shot up anyway...VERY, VERY HIGH! Freaked out, I went for a walk. Usually, the more intense the walk / excercise, it seems, the quicker the level goes down. Around the bend was a steep hill of a street. Perfect, I thought! Just walking back up alone should drop my level. It didn't drop my level...but it sure dropped ME! I could not make it back up the hill! Less than half way up, I could feel my heart and body start to give out on me. I was losing consciousness FAST!! I fought it by sheer will - barely - but for just a moment or two, though. I had to sit down on the curb and rest for awhile - catching my breath, and giving my heart a chance to recuperate. But even though I rested for awhile and got my breath back, when I got up to try to get further, just ONE STEP put me right back in jeopardy. I had to lay down on the ground for awhile. Then I tried crawling...literally...no different. Finally someone passed by and (I was VERY embarrassed, but what choice did I have?) I asked them if they could take me just the rest of the way up the hill and around the corner. Even back at my friends, my body still threatened to blackout. Wound up having to call 911. Back home, better now (But am near-dizzy from the new pills), and need to rest. In fact, I'm now getting too light-headed to even focus on the rest of this email. GOD, I HATE pills! Am I EVER going to feel normal again?! I can't seem to be able to do ANYTHING feeling like this! I felt better, with the exception of the past few days WITHOUT them! I'll have to finish later. Sorry. My head is now to the point of swimming!"

    "That was the single most tragic, weak, helpess, scariest, pathetic (I don't mean pathetic as in "disgusting"...just very sad and pitiful), and even lonliest moment in my life. Just think of what it represented to me. Never had I felt more defeated. I've had a couple of scary close calls with low blood sugar, but right after eating a couple of mini-Snickers, I was normal again, and the results were IMMEDIATE. In THIS case, I had way too much time to dwell on my danger and my mortality. Here was this guy who grew up climbing, swinging, and jumping from trees and rooftops, who was always SO gymnastic, acrobatic, and healthy. And here he is only at age 36 lying defeated on a concrete hill at dawn - unable to move...if he attempts to even CRAWL another inch, it will probably cost him his life. He hasn't reached his goals and dreams yet - not the bigger ones anyway. No family or true friends around anywhere nearby to be with him in case he does die. No one here to be with him in cae he dies....lying on the ground alongside a dirty curb on a concrete hill between parked cars at dawn when no one is out and about. The nearest people are only casual, fairly new acquaintences who are just up the hill and around the corner. So close, but in this state, it might as well be a thousand miles away. And they are completely unaware of the situation...not knowing where I am or that I need serious medical help. Had I really reached this point? Was it really going to end like this? If I moved another muscle, it would. There was no doubt of that. My heart was on the verge of giving out. Every move I had made so far made it more than obvious. It very well COULD have and almost DID end that way. I had NO CHOICE but to just lay there and wait - watching my life not quite flash, but slowly go by in front of my eyes - glad for the things I HAD done and experienced, but sad for all that I HADN'T yet. It was a long time before someone happened by. And how embarrassed I was - so pathetic...having to, in this weak, barely-there, near-crying voice, beg for help from a complete stranger. But I had no choice. That was the only way to survive. (Ironic that the only way to survive this was to let myself become defeated in that particular situation.) I will NEVER forget that moment. (Well, actually, SEVERAL moments!)
   I was doing some errands the day before, and listening to the "Revenge of the Sith" soundtrack...not yet being able to get that experience out of my head. And then came Track # 4 off the CD. It played like a PERFECT soundtrack to how / what I was feeling during that experience. I couldn't put it into any better words. That music captured it perfectly. The track is actually called, "Anakin's Betrayal", but for me, it was something completely different. I was re-living my recent experience to it instead. It made me almost frightened all over again. But I AM MUCH better.
   My dinner is kicking in now and I have to excercise my level down a bit by going for a walk. It is normal just after you eat for your level to rise a little bit. I will continue a little later."

"LAMENT"

Written By: Andrew Lloyd Weber / Tim Rice / Performed By Madonna On Film / Julie Covington, Patti LuPone, And Various Others On Stage / From The Broadway Musical, And Broadway And Motion Picture Soundtracks, "Evita":

Footnote:

There Couldn't Have Been A Better Written Song To Perfectly Capture The Feeling Of One's Very Possible Last Moments On This Earth - Especially For Someone Who's Gone After Big Dreams And Goals And Had To Sacrifice Much In Order To Do It:

Eva:

"The Choice

Was Mine

And Mine Completely

I Could Have

Any Prize

That I Desired

I Could Burn

With The Splendor

Of The Brightest Fire

Or Else

Or Else I Could Choose

Time

Remember

I Was

Very Young Then

And A Year

Was Forever

And A Day

So What Use

Could Fifty, Sixty

Seventy Be

I Saw The Lights

And I Was

On My Way

And How I Lived

How They Shone

But How Soon

The Lights

Were Gone

The Choice

Was Mine

And No One Else's

I Could Have

The Millions

At My Feet

Give My Life

To People

I Might Never Meet

Or Else

To Children

Of My Own

Remember

I Was

Very Young Then

Thought I Needed

The Numbers

On My Side

Thought The More

That Loved Me

The More Loved

I'd Be

But Such Things

Cannot Be

Multiplied

Oh, My Daughter

Oh, My Son

Understand

What I Have Done..."

CHE:

"The Choice

Was Yours

And No One Else's

You Can Cry

For A Body

In Despair

Hang Your Head

Because She's

No Longer There

To Shine

To Dazzle

Or Betray

How She Lived

How She Shown

But How Soon

The Lights

Were Gone"

Embalmers:

"Eyes

Hair

Face

Image

All

Must

Be Prserved

Still

Life

Displayed Forever

No

Less

Than She Deserved...

Preserved"

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