Health Matters
Introduction
Watch out there's a porker about!
These pages document the difficulties of a chunky chap. It's my attempt to help people avoid the mess I've got myself into and suggest ways round it. And inform too perhaps.
Six years ago, in a land far away, a fat bloke was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. I wasn't hugely fat (nice phrase that!), just sufficiently plump to cause problems. I've heard of diabetes, but knew little about it and never believed it would affect me. Fankly, before I wasn't, I was indestructible.
There are other types of diabetes but Type 2 is by far the most prevalent.
What you read about here primarily concerns Type 2.
Then it got worse.
Four months after the T2 diagnosis I was also told I had a blocked artery, a symptom of P.A.D. (Peripheral Arterial Disease). It's a big artery, so that was rather worrying.
Roll on Five years.......
To my friends and acquaintances I am variously annoying, short, amusing (occasionally), dumb, silly and fat (or plump, which is a gentler description). I'm 62 years old.
These days I'm less fat than I was (though the rest of my traits remain, like a stubborn rash!)
Why have I have decided to document my experiences?
It is NOT for personal gain, I can assure you of that.
I genuinely want to try and help others to avoid being saddled with things that are preventable.
When you get to the end (if you do) please send this link on to anyone you care about.
The initial pages concern Type 2. It took a while to get my thick head round the P.A.D.
Humour is a way I have of coping with things, so if I come across as glib at times, don't be fooled, I am taking it seriously.
'It's only Type 2,' I heard one person say, 'most people have it, it's no big deal.'
What follows is a ramble through my ignorance, diagnosis and various consultations (not all of which go smoothly).
I'll try and explain what Type 2 diabetes is, the causes and symptoms.
I'll also mention associated complications and treatment options.
Finally, I'll tell you what I'm trying to do about it.
I have learned a great deal (and merely scratched the surface) so hope to pass on a few morsels.
I'll try and explain what I can, BUT in the interests of accuracy, I'll also pass you on to experts via links.
The links will be in blue and underlined, so please look for yourselves.
You must make of them what you will.
An awful lot of people don't get diabetes (although some say that more than 50% of Americans either have it or are close to it)
To get checked out is easy and it's worth finding out a) to make sure you prevent it and b) to treat it early if you have it.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in the world. Millions of people have it.
There are some pretty startling statistics here
The figures for the USA are even more disturbing.
It is serious, make no bones about that. Untreated there are some nasty complications.
But it it also manageable, in some cases, reversible – although it's perhaps more accurate to say that you can put it into remission.
But crucially, in the vast majority of cases, it's preventable.
In a nutshell, its all about sugar / glucose and insulin, the imbalance of which is Type 2 diabetes. I'll have a go at explaining that.
What I REALY hope is that I can prevent friends and anyone else who reads this the burden of having to do battle with diabetes.
And yes, it is a burden. Living with it is a pain in the backside. Far better to prevent it.
Please give yourself half an hour to read the following pages. They might just spare you a whole lot of grief.
Read on...........Next Page. Oh dear. Diagnosis