When Diabetes Strikes, Get Moving to Lower Risk to Eyes

Title: When Diabetes Strikes, Get Moving to Lower Risk to Eyes
Category: Health News
Created: 8/4/2016 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/5/2016 12:00:00 AM

Source MedicineNet Diabetes General http://ift.tt/2aY42HS

Precose (acarbose)

Title: Precose (acarbose)
Category: Medications
Created: 4/28/2001 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/5/2016 12:00:00 AM

Source MedicineNet Diabetes General http://ift.tt/2aAWabT

Why Diabetes Won’t Hold Back Olympic Athletes

We all have goals we want to accomplish, both short- and long-term: improving diabetes management, losing weight, traveling more, earning a higher degree, reconnecting with family and friends.

For some lucky and talented people, it’s being awarded an Olympic medal.

Most people won’t ever get the chance to compete in the Olympics—and to do so while living with diabetes may seem downright impossible. However, diabetes hasn’t stopped many athletes from competing in sports and extreme competitions. And with the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil on our minds, it turns out there’s no shortage of professional athletes and Olympians living with the disease.

“I truly believe that people with diabetes can do anything,” says cross-country skiing star Kris Freeman. “I’m not sure that would have been possible decades ago. With the medical advances we’ve had, anything is possible. As much as diabetes stinks to have, we are by far in the best time in history to have the disease.”

Freeman, who lives with type 1 diabetes, has competed in every Olympic Winter Games since 2002.

“Being an Olympic athlete with diabetes is similar to being a diabetic in normal life,” he says. “Everything is a little more complicated. [For example,] you have to time your meals.”

Freeman recently traveled across the country as part of the Lilly Camp Care Program, inspiring adults and kids alike with his positive outlook. “Diabetes only gets in the way when you let it. It can be very difficult at times, but you’ve got to push through the hard times. It’s not always going to go right, but if it doesn’t go right, you can learn better for next time.”

Support from the diabetes community, family and friends is important to success. Matheus Santana, who’s been living with type 1 diabetes since he was 8 years old, was released from the Brazil men’s swimming team in 2013 due to fear that his diabetes would interfere with his swims. But he didn’t let this moment be the downfall of his swimming career.

After he was let go by his local team, Santana’s swimming club, family and friends helped raise his spirits. His family also helped find the best doctors to treat his diabetes. Santana was able to rejoin the team, and now he has his heart set on a gold medal in the 4x100m relay during the Olympics in Brazil.

While every year brings new advances in diabetes care, high performers aren’t a new phenomenon. Billy Mills was running with type 2 diabetes when he won the 10,000-meter race at the 1964 Summer Olympics. And he hasn’t stopped running!

There are also many young athletes who have dreams of competing in future Olympic Games, marathons and other high-intensity events. Seventeen-year-old Leeann Hewitt, who also lives with type 2, won first place in the 2016 Florida state girls’ weight-lifting tournament. She has also competed with the USA Powerlifting world team and holds six world records for her age group. She’s got her eye on the prize: A spot in the 2020 Olympic Games.

So again, we ask, what are your goals in life? If you want to become a high-performance or even professional athlete, don’t let diabetes get in the way. Pro athletes with diabetes like Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, NASCAR driver Ryan Reed, LPGA golfer Michelle McGann, former Olympic swimmer Gary Hall Jr., marathoner Missy Foy and Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Sam Fuld will agree: Diabetes shouldn’t stop you.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking to become more active throughout the day, you can reach your fitness goals — and even receive a gold medal of your own.

Source Diabetes Stops Here http://ift.tt/2aAIcrI

25 Legends: Marcie Miller

This year marks the 25th anniversary of two American Diabetes Association® signature fundraising events—Step Out Walk to Stop Diabetes® and Tour de Cure®.

Every dollar raised at these events supports people living with diabetes and funds our life-changing research and programs.

The “25 Legends” blog series highlights personal stories from some of the Association’s most dedicated walkers and riders who are affected by the disease.

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My name is Marcie Miller, and here are two facts about me: 1) I do not like riding bikes and 2) I really do not like asking people for money.

You may find it surprising, then, that I have been the No. 1 fundraiser for the Northern Virginia Tour de Cure for the past three years, riding the 36-mile route each time. I have participated in this event 11 times—raising a total of over $100,000 with the hope that we will soon find a cure for diabetes.

My daughter Claire has had type 1 diabetes since the age of 3, and she is the reason I ride. A couple of weeks ago, Claire posted the following personal experience with insulin shock, or severe hypoglycemia, on Facebook—and it made me even more determined to find a cure:

“You wouldn’t know by looking.… You wouldn’t know I almost lost my life last night to insulin shock. You wouldn’t know that both cheeks are swollen from being bit. You wouldn’t know that I fell out of bed while convulsing. You wouldn’t know my entire body is bruised from the seizures. You wouldn’t know that I’m too weak to do everyday tasks. You wouldn’t know that I’m terrified to go to sleep every night because I’m afraid my blood sugar will go too low and I won’t wake up. You wouldn’t know by looking, but I have type 1 diabetes, and I fight this battle every hour of every day. My family and close friends are fighting this battle with me. And just like other people fighting their own battles—just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean we aren’t fighting tooth and nail.”

From the day Claire was diagnosed 30 years ago until the day she went to college, I slept with a baby monitor in her room in fear of overnight hypoglycemia. If Claire went into shock overnight—which happened frequently—I woke up from the sound of her odd breathing pattern. Now she is 33 and lives on her own, and a baby monitor does not reach the 20 miles between her house and mine. But I still don’t sleep.

When she called me to tell me about going into insulin shock again, I cried because I was unable to prevent it. Thankfully, by some miracle, she came out of the seizures long enough to call her friend who has a key to her house in case of emergencies like this. He could not fully understand her words, but he recognized she was having a hypoglycemic episode and gave her juice and a granola bar*. I am very grateful to Claire’s friend for his quick thinking—and I let him know that if it ever happens again, he should feel free to call 911, then me!

Diabetes is relentless. I often wonder how different my life would be if I had not gotten involved with the American Diabetes Association 11 years ago. One of my coworkers sent a company-wide email to announce that she started a Tour de Cure team. Since I’m not an avid cyclist, I almost deleted the message. For some reason, however, I decided to read the rest of the email and learned that the goal of Tour de Cure was to raise money to support people with diabetes.

When Claire was 3 years old, I told her that I would do whatever it takes to help find a cure for type 1 diabetes. I realized that even though I had not cycled in 20 years, I had to sign up and begin a training program.

I started by cycling just one mile and eventually worked my way up to 36—the length of my Tour de Cure route. Training was not easy, but finding the motivation to continue was: Whenever I started to struggle and felt like I could not pedal anymore, I thought about Claire, and the millions of others who wish they could quit their struggle against diabetes. I know that they can’t stop; they have to keep fighting even when they do not want to anymore. That always gives me the strength and courage to keep on pedaling.

After I’d been cycling in Tour de Cure for a few years, Claire said, “Mom, next year, I’m going to ride with you!” I am proud to say that this year, Claire is the top Red Rider fundraiser—that is, a participant who lives with diabetes—and our team, Team Moxie, is the top Family and Friends team in our area.

I will keep cycling, keep working hard and keep fighting for Claire until there is a cure!

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Together, we CAN Stop Diabetes.

The Association is so grateful of our 25 Legends! Their tireless efforts as walkers and riders are a tremendous support and inspiration to people with diabetes.

Sign up today! Learn more about these events and find out how to get involved at diabetes.org/stepout and http://ift.tt/1qKFQGM.

*Note: It is not medically recommended to feed people who are unresponsive, seizing or not fully conscious. The American Diabetes Association recommends dialing 911 or their health care provider, administering glucagon and rolling the patients onto their side.

Source Diabetes Stops Here http://ift.tt/2aWyimK