Blue November

and I’d like to kick it off by referring you to A) Our Diagnosis Story and B) A fact each day about diabetes particularly pertaining to Type 1 diabetes. The best thing anyone can do to support a loved one or someone they know who has any type of diabetes is to take the initiative to learn more. I cannot stress that enough. Then, perhaps they will actually know what to say and how to be genuinely supportive.

You’ll find these daily posts on Instagram @type1diabetic_life where you may share and tag @type1diabetic_life when reposting to your own profile. I’ll be updating this blog post and adding a new one every Sunday to recap each week of #diabetesawareness throughout the month of November. Starting with the following:

• Type 1 – T1d is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the beta cells of the pancreas making that person insulin dependent. Only treatment: Insulin by daily injections or pump. 💉
• Type 2 – Due to poor lifestyle choices, body becomes insulin resistant and beta cell insufficiency progresses if healthier decisions are not made soon. Treatment: lifestyle changes, diabetes medications, insulin. 🍩
• Type 3 – a new term proposed for those with Alzheimer’s disease resulting in resistance to insulin in the brain. Researchers are still determining which diabetes medications will be best for treating this degenerative disease along with incretin mimetic drugs for preventing Alzheimer’s. 🕰
• Gestational – temporary insulin resistance developed during pregnancy. Treatment: lifestyle changes, insulin, risk of developing Type 2 or even Type 1 later in life is markedly increased. 🤰🏼
• LADA – Latent Autoimmune Diabetes of Adulthood or “Type 1 1/2” is a partial autoimmune attack on beta cells resulting in some insulin resistance that slowly progresses to full insulin dependence. Treatment: Insulin, diabetic medications in early stages. 👨🏻👩🏽
• Neonatal – genetic defect limiting beta cells’ ability to make insulin. Treatment: Insulin 👶🏻
• MODY – Maturity-Onset Diabetes of the Young is a genetic defect that limits the pancreas’s ability to secrete sufficient amounts of insulin. Lifestyle changes, diabetes medications, insulin. 📈

. . .
Sources: Scheiner, Gary, MS, CDE. “Think Like a Pancreas.”
Diabetes.co.uk. “Type 3 diabetes,” http://www.diabetes.co.uk/type3-diabetes.html

https://www.instagram.com/p/BbBTSYaluly

//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Day 2: Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease not a lifestyle disease like Type 2

Type1diabetes is an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas making that person insulin dependent – meaning they need insulin to live either by multiple daily injections or pump. There’s no other treatment and no cure in sight. They’re pancreas is broken. You cannot prevent, reverse or outgrow this damn life-threatening disease. For the record, it is NOT caused by poor diet or lack of exercise. Type1diabetics needacure. #shareifyoucare and tag @type1diabetic_life. 💪🏼🙏🏼💙
. . .
Mahalo to all those who’ve purchased this T-shirt design and for supporting my small online zazzle shop. Next giveaway to a lucky family happens when @type1diabetic_life reaches 500 followers. Live well for the present truly is a gift. 🎁

or the “calm before the storm” is a period of time when you’re newly diagnosed as a #Type1diabetic and have just started necessary insulin treatment. This allows any remaining beta cells in the pancreas that the immune system hasn’t destroyed yet to take a break. Meaning, a newly diagnosed T1d may still produce a bit of insulin before doses will need to be increased. This period can last anywhere from weeks, months to years. 🤞🏼
. . .
Source: Sources: Scheiner, Gary, MS, CDE. “Think Like a Pancreas,” p 31, 32. 📔
. . .
Follow, share and tag @type1diaebtic_lifewhen reposting and let’s keep spreading #diabetesawareness. Cheers to rocking the first week of November! 💪🏼👏🏼👏🏼