Once I discovered my A1C number was 288, I began researching it to find all I could about Diabetes. I found out that Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood sugar is too high.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. as of 2015, 30.3 million people in the United States, or 9.4 percent of the population, had diabetes. More than 1 in 4 of them didn’t know they had the disease1. I was one of them.
I had heard about Diabetes before, but I always thought that once you took your insulin shots, you would be cured. What was I thinking. There is no cure. That was a devastating fact for me to hear. The only thing you can do is to try to control it. I always thought I was doing well with my health through these years. The only major health problem I had was high blood pressure.
The major and most common types of Diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. I found out I have Type 2. After my diagnosis, my doctor recommended I visit a Diabetes Resource Specialist. I was given some material to read which included the common type of medications used to treat Type 2. In addition, I received a blood glucose monitor to track my daily progress.
I was prescribed Medformin. It’s the most common medication used to treat Type 2. After one month, doctors discovered I was allergic to the ingredients. And the side effects of vomiting and diarhhrea left me severely dehydrated. I’ve switched medications twice trying to find one that would agree with me and help me long term.
I've been on my medication for 3 months. I plan to return for a check up in November to see how I’m progressing.
1National diabetes statistics report, 2017. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/data/statistics/ national-diabetes-statistics-report.pdf (PDF, 1.3 MB) . Updated July, 18 2017. Accessed August 1, 2017.