The Gentle Signs Of Diabetes

It is generally estimated that there are some 2 million people in the UK alone who are unaware that they suffer from diabetes.

So what?

One could be forgiven for thinking that if you're not actually feeling unwell, then any latent disease is not that important, because if it was, you would notice.

Wrong.

Type 2 diabetes is simillar to some other diseases, in that you often don't notice that you have it until much later, by which time it's worse.

The earlier type 2 diabetes is diagnosed the better. Although it is not curable (and beware of any product that says otherwise), treatment makes it manageable.

And that's the problem, most people don't realize they have it.

How do you know if you have type 2 diabetes?

I have always been stubborn and I don't like going to the doctor. I think it's because I really don't want to know if I'm seriously ill, and if it's not serious, then I'll recover! Consequently, I didn't go to see my doctor until things were bad.

In my case, I 47 years old, working in a physical job and just assumed that ever increasing tiredness was just a sign of age. I could sleep anywhere for just 15 minutes, then wake up completely refreshed.

I was also finding myself less tolerant, people had quietly mentioned it at work, and my eyesight was a little blurred (I had just had an appointment card sent through from my optician, so it was no surprise).

You see?

What I was experiencing was the first signs of type 2 diabetes.

On top of all this, I started to get thirsty. Very thirsty. 5 gallons of water a day thirsty!

I finally made myself go to the doctor when I could no longer drive! I woke one Saturday morning and everything was just a blur of colour. The doctor diagnosed type 2 diabetes and perscribed me some tablets. four months later however, i was perscribed insulin which I take by injection.

The moral of my story is that having left visiting my doctor so late, four months after diagnosis and trying to control my blood sugar through diet and tablets, I had to go on insulin, with the discomfort of injecting myself twice a day, together with some of the restrictions insulin taking places on you.