My Journey With Weight Loss – Let’s Talk About Diabetes

This was not the blog I had planned to post today but things changed after an event this week. My good friend Rob, who is my brother’s best friend, has a 16 year old son, Cameron. Cam hadn’t been feeling well and eventually ended up in hospital this week with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). Turns out Cam has developed Type 1 diabetes and Rob, having seen the horrible things this disease has done to my siblings, is devastated. As you know from my previous posts I believe that supporting others along this journey is important so I thought maybe I could help Rob and Cam be a little more comfortable with looking at the future.

There are 2 types of diabetes, Type 1 (formerly known as juvenile or insulin dependent diabetes) and Type 2 (formerly known as adult onset or non-insulin dependent diabetes). The names have changed because while Type 1 diabetes normally is diagnosed in children or adolescents, it can occur in people in their 30’s while Type 2 diabetes can occur at any age and many Type 2 diabetics have to take insulin (both of my siblings do). Type 1 is an auto-immune disease where beta cells attack the islets in the pancreas resulting in the pancreas no longer being able to produce insulin. Type 2 is when the body becomes resistant to insulin meaning it can’t use it effectively anymore. There is no known direct cause of Type 1 though it can be hereditary. Type 2 can be caused by being over weight and lack of physical activity. However, in approximately 20% of those with Type 2 it is believed to be hereditary (as is the case with my brother).

There is no real cure for either type of diabetes. For Type 1 diabetics the treatment is life long insulin treatment though there is increasing success with pancreas transplants (my friend Steve had a transplant early this year and the difference is amazing). Type 2 diabetes can be treated with diet, exercise, oral medications or insulin. It should be noted that in cases like mine diabetes cannot be reversed but it is believed it may go in remission with significant weight loss and exercise. Having said that, when my brother was diagnosed in his late 30’s he was in no way over weight and worked in a very physical job hence why his specialist believes he inherited the disease from our father.

In both types diet and activity are a key component in keeping glucose levels stable. But why is this so important? There are 2 significant reasons. Glucose levels that are high can lead to irreparable damage to various organs in particular the kidneys. However there are other scary side effects including heart disease, kidney disease, vascular disease which can lead to limb amputation, blindness as well as high blood pressure. Sadly, my brother is suffering through all of these. On top of this, particularly with insulin therapy, there is a real risk of low blood glucose which can lead to death if not immediately treated.

Well that’s all really scary isn’t it and you would think Rob should be terrified for his son. But wait, the improvements in treating this disease have been pretty phenomenal and give a lot of hope for the future. Things like improved medications, insulin pumps and now awesome constant glucose monitoring (CGM) systems have become a real breakthrough in treating diabetes. CGM’s are becoming so good that they can alert you if you glucose falls below or rises above a certain level. Long gone is the need to rely on frequent daily finger pricks to check glucose levels. Even better in BC where I live yesterday it was announced that CGM’s would be free for those diabetics that meet certain criteria (the sensors for CGM’s only last 10 -14 days before needing to be replaced and are on the expensive side). Moreover, for those 19 and under insulin pumps are free. Managing this disease keeps getting easier and provides hope for people like Cam.

In either type a balanced diet is essential. We have learned over the years that following a low carb diet can help keep those pesky glucose levels in check. Moreover, keeping things like sodium low and opting for leaner meats can help with weight loss. Most important is keeping physically active and that can be simply walking at least 30 minutes a day. And finally, working with your medical professionals and following their instructions to the letter is imperative. This is not a go it alone disease.

I want to end on a positive story to give Rob and Cam some hope. My best friend from high school lost her dad a couple years ago when he was 80 years old. He had been a Type 1 diabetic for more than 60 years but led an amazing life. So, if you think about it with the improvements in diabetes treatment each year I think a newly diagnosed diabetic could easily live to see 100! We have to keep working to ultimately find a cure for this disease but in the meantime it is important to have hope that treatments will just keep getting better.