Type 1 & Type 2 Diabetes and…Racing? Part 2
Since my 10 year old Annika’s diagnosis on St. Patrick’s Day 2011, I realize many people do not know the huge difference between type 1 & type 2 diabetes. And Annika and I have come to know a great man and race car driver Charlie Kimball.
Charlie also has type 1 diabetes, diagnosed in his mid twenties. Annika and I were blessed to meet him and hear him speak several times since 2011.
Annika learned from this inspirational man that she can do anything even with her type 1 diabetes, and that she can use this challenge to be a better woman.
Charlie says that he has become a much better man since his diagnosis, and he celebrates is “Diabetesversary” each year, October 16th.
Charlie also treated her to a rare opportunity – learning all about his race car and sitting in it just a few days before the 500! Please pray for him and for God to continue to greatly use him with his type 1 diabetes to improve diabetes care and the world.
Type 1 Diabetes
Annika’s diabetes doctor (endocrinologist) first words to her, “You are lucky. You have the good type of diabetes!” He says this because with good management by Annika, she will have a healthy life and normal lifespan.
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic lifelong medical condition that occurs when the pancreas produces little or no insulin. This results in high blood sugars (high blood glucose) and will be quickly lethal untreated. (Annika and I pray for all diabetics over the world. Since our mission trip to Haiti, we know if Annika were a Haitian that she would be dead because they could never afford the cost of insulin and medical care, which is in the thousands of dollars each year.)
Insulin is a hormone that helps the body absorb and use glucose and other nutrients from food, store fat, and build up protein.
Type 1 diabetes usually begins in early childhood or young adulthood, but it can develop at any age. It is caused by an abnormal immune response in the body – making antibodies that destroy its own insulin-producing cells (called beta cells). Type 1 is occasionally inherited, but is much more frequent in people with other autoimmune diseases like Celiac Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and others.
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes are commonly
weight loss
excessive thirst and urination
fatigue
blurry vision
Any person with these symptoms must have a blood glucose tested. If the random blood sugar is over 200 and autoantibodies against islet cells are present, the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes is made.
Most people who develop this type of diabetes have no family history, and it is just sporadic (as in my Annika’s case). Close relatives have an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes compared to those with no family history (siblings 5-10% risk & children of type 1’s 1-2% risk, versus overall population 0.4% risk). People with other autoimmune diseases (like Celiac Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Thyroiditis, and others) much more frequently develop Type 1.
I, Dr. Lisa, am on a mission to inform doctors and health care providers and all people how very prevalent Celiac Disease is in our general population (about 1 in 100 with most undiagnosed) and especially in type 1 diabetics (1 in 10 have Celiac)! (Please read me recent article about Celiac Disease.) Celiac Disease is the most underdiagnosed disease, and frequently has very few to no symptoms (but major long term complications). We providers must be aware, suspect, and test for Celiac Disease MUCH more frequently.
It is the standard of care since about 2000 to test type 1 diabetics for Celiac Disease at the time of diagnosis and every year (Charlie’s doctors test him every 6 months). Endocrinologists (diabetic specialists) should all know and perfom this, however very sadly most do not (even here in our large Indianapolis area)! Sadly, Annika’s first supposedly good endocrinologist who has type 1 diabetes himself did not test her ever, even with myself asking him if there was anything else we should test. My praise to God and me cotinually working to learn, I tested Annika myself, discovered her Celiac, and have had her well treated.
Since Annika’s Celiac diagnosis, she has flourished and grown tremendously physically and in intelligence. Annika realized after stopping gluten that she had abdominal pain previously all the time that is now gone (she rarely ever complained about this to me). Her Celiac had rendered her horribly vitamin and nutrient deficient from malabsorbtion. Annika now is growing normally, is in all high ability classes, and can read three times faster (and now loves to read)!
Looking back at my Annika’s history especially with a highly unusual severe arm fracture in 1st grade, she must have developed Celiac as a toddler. If Celiac had been able to be diagnosed and treated much earlier in Annika, she well may never have developed type 1 diabetes. SO us medical care providers must be vigilant to consider Celiac routinely and test much more frequently!
Treatment of type 1 diabetes requires immediate and currently lifelong insulin injection and blood sugar monitoring.
Annika started with insulin pens injecting about 6 times a day, and checking her finger-stick blood sugar 6-10 times a day.
After 2 months she got a very high tech insulin pump to inject her insulin at a constant rate through a catheter port in her skin (needing changed twice a week, but giving her much better blood sugar control and no more bruises from needle sticks).
Type 2 Diabetes
This type equals about 90% of all diabetes and is alarmingly increasing!!!
Type 2 diabetes is a medical condition of multiple disruptions in the way the body uses glucose (sugar).
In many people it can be reversed and even cured by consistent lifestyle and diet changes!
Type 2 diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance and inflammation (body does not use its insulin appropriately), and relative impairment in insulin secretion. The number of people with type 2 diabetes has risen alarmingly in the past 10-20 years, in large part due to increasing obesity and sedentary lifestyle.
There is a genetic predisposition in most people with type 2 diabetes that works along with the obesity and inactivity to bring out the diabetes. The lifetime risk of developing type 2 diabetes is at least 5-10 time higher in first degree relatives (sister, brother, son, daughter, mother, father) of a person with diabetes as compared to a person with no family history.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes are similar to type 1 diabetes, with
increased thirst
frequency of urination
blurry vision, obesity
This type of diabetes is often accompanied by the medical conditions of hypertension and increased cholesterol, which with the diabetes condition dramatically increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. In the past, most type 2 diabetes was diagnosed around middle age or older age. However with the serious increase in obesity, many children are now being diagnosed with early diabetes.
The diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is made if a person has a fasting blood sugar of 126 or higher, a random blood sugar of 200 or higher, or a HgA1c blood test of 6.5 or higher. Once a person has the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, he or she is about as much as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as a person who has already had a heart attack or stroke…
Before someone actually develops type 2 diabetes, he/she has impaired fasting glucose (also called hyperglycemia). About 11% or more of all people between the ages of 20-70 have this. Impaired fasting glucose is diagnosed by a fasting blood sugar of 100-125, a random blood sugar of 140-199, or a HgA1c blood test of 5.7-6.4. At least 50% of all people with impaired fasting glucose goes on to develop type 2 diabetes.
The mainstays of treatment of type 2 diabetes are weight loss (with a healthy lower carb diet – very low amounts of bread, pasta, potatoes,sweets) and daily aerobic exercise of at least 30 minutes. People with type 2 diabetes are very fortunate, because by losing weight and exercising daily many can be cured and become much healthier as well!
This 30 minute of aerobic exercise improves blood sugar as much as a diabetic medicine, and does even more with the many other benefits of exercise (see my Health Guide)!
I recommend monitoring blood sugar with a home glucometer about 1 – 3 times a day, depending upon the person’s blood sugars and level of control.
Sadly, most type 2 diabetics do not put the effort into weight loss and daily exercise. Then I need to start diabetic medicines. Usually generic Metformin is first, and then there are about 4 other classes of diabetic medicines. Once a type 2 diabetic is on 1- 2 medicines and their HgA1c blood level is above 7, then I need to start an injectable medicine Victoza or insulin.
Lower Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes NOW!
Eat healthy whole foods and not the junk most Americans eat! Exercise daily at least 30 minutes aerobically. Get to your best weight… and FEEL MUCH BETTER!
Please read my Holistic Health Guide… Great websites are www.diabetes.org (The American Diabetes Association), and www.jdfcure.org (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International).
Our team of Excell For Life are here to help you!
You can do it, and my prayers always for you!
Dr. Lisa
“You can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens you!” Phil. 4:13
“Anyone who lacks wisdom should ask God, who gives generously without finding fault and it will be given. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt!” James 1:5
