Diabetes Awareness Month

It's embarrassing that it's been another few months since my last post. 

What's even more embarrassing is that I have completed all my testing of meters but haven't written my reviews yet. 

But what got me back into this is this:

November is Diabetes Awareness Month. 

So:

An estimated one million Canadians live with undiagnosed Type 2 Diabetes - underlining the importance of raising awareness of risk factors. 

The Canadian Diabetes Association has unveiled a new campaign "Don't Be Risky".  You can fill out a CANRISK test to see if you are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.  Novo Nordisk Canada has pledged to donate $1 to the CDA for each test completed.

Some of the risks for Type 2 Diabetes include:

* having a parent or sibling with diabetes
* being a member of a high risk group, such as Aboriginal, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian or of African descent.
* Having health complications associated with diabetes (this can include heart disease, kidney disease or eye disease)
* Having given birth to a baby that weighed more than 9 pounds or having had gestational diabetes during pregnancy
* Having high blood pressure
* having high cholesterol or other fats in the blood
* being overweight and carrying most of your weight around your stomach.
(www.diabetes.ca)

More than 9 million Canadians are currently living with diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Diabetes affects more than just the patient.  For children living with Type 1 Diabetes, their parents are on guard all the time to ensure blood sugars are checked and within range.

Adults living with Type 2 diabetes can sometimes find that the 'hassle' of maintaining healthy blood sugars is too hard and can cause further damage in the future.

November is Diabetes Awareness month.  But don't let November be the only time you pay attention.