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When Dan Eckerson was a teenager diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, he was told that his life expectancy would be in his thirties. Decades later, he continues to live a very active, busy life, hiking and playing hockey among his many sports activities. People who know him may not even know that he has the disease.
November is National Diabetes Month to raise public awareness of diabetes and its impact on millions of Americans and those who love them. Dan is my husband and our family is aware of the difficulties associated with chronic illness and the difficulty of managing it.
Diabetes is a disease that prevents the body from using and storing glucose. In type 1 diabetes, the body completely stops producing insulin, a hormone that allows the body to use glucose, the sugars contained in food, to produce energy. People with type 1 diabetes must take daily insulin injections to survive. (Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or can not use it properly, and it usually occurs in people over 40 who are overweight with a family history of the disease.)
Diabetes management is a 24-hour job.
"It's difficult but manageable. I take five insulin injections a day and I'm trying to manage the amount of food I consume with the amount of insulin I take to keep my blood sugar in a safe range, "he said. said Eckerson, adding: "the disease is not good; However, this forces you to manage the food you eat, your lifestyle and pushes you to do some exercise. "
Dan has always been a very active person and he has practiced several sports in high school, including hockey, which he continues to play several times a week, much of the year. He pushed me to become a better skier, but I'm pretty sure he would agree that he started running for (ahem) following me. He is also a passionate and long-time hiker who recently completed the 48,000-footer in New Hampshire. Physical activity can help the body to better use insulin, but blood glucose requires careful monitoring.
"I'm lucky," he said. All the physical exercises make me feel good. I need to monitor my blood sugar and make sure to take glucose tablets in case it drops too much. I check my blood sugar before and after exercise and before intense exercise. Like the race on Mount Washington, I decrease my daily dosages of insulin.
"Running and hockey are fun, I would just like to be better."
The goal of diabetes management is to avoid long-term complications, including heart attacks, blindness, kidney failure, and blood vessel damage. Knowing exactly how much insulin is needed at a given time is far from being an exact science, and although I've never heard Dan complain, I've seen him frustrated at the unpredictable nature of the disease.
"The worst thing is the impact of the disease on people around me," he says. If you have a low blood sugar episode, you can argue, be disoriented, completely out of the way, and even faint. This puts tremendous pressure on everyone who does not matter. The disease is sometimes more difficult for them than for me. "
During the many decades of life with the disease, there have been improvements such as the smaller needle and monitoring of blood sugar levels. "A lot has changed in my 47 years as a diabetic, but monitoring and costs are important," Dan said. "The self-monitoring of your blood glucose was nonexistent when I started and now I have a connected monitor that tells me my blood." glucose level (all day), almost eliminating episodes of hypoglycemia. However, costs have gone from less than $ 10 a month without insurance to nearly $ 300 a month today with insurance. "
A diagnosis of diabetes did not prevent Dan from leading an active and busy life. "I have a big family, I have traveled a lot, had a rewarding career, I climbed every 48 feet, ran rough races and met with other type 1 diabetics who did a lot more than me. "
For newly diagnosed people, he stated that "there will be times when it will be difficult and frustrating, but you will be able to handle it. Some days you are on the spot and your blood sugar is excellent, on other days you are not. More importantly, this should not stop you. "
And I agree, most often I lack energy well before him.
All facts and information about diabetes come from Boston's Joslin Diabetes Center, joslin.org.
NOTES OF OPERATION
December 1st will be Santa Claus Shuffle's race in Manchester, with Santa's costumes for the first 1,400 entries; and the ugly 5K sweater in Sanbornville.
Nancy Eckerson talks about running for Seacoast Sunday. You can reach her at [email protected]
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