Stories on Health

According to the Census Bureau, nearly 16 percent of Americans—about 47 million people —are uninsured. Medical bills actually cause more than half of all personal bankruptcies in the United States. Though most people are insured through their employers, an increasing number of companies are not offering insurance. The cost of private insurance is often prohibitive.

Getting insurance coverage can be especially difficult for people with diabetes because we usually fall into the “high-risk” category based on pre-existing health conditions. If you don’t have a policy through work, insurance companies are still willing to insure you, but unfortunately the rates are higher. Some people can be tempted to “wait it out” until they absolutely have to get treatment.

There is only one smart choice: Regardless of the cost, health insurance is essential for a diabetic to stay healthy. Check-ups, monitoring, medicines, and hospital visits are all necessary for you to get your blood sugar under control and maintain good overall health. Complacency about diabetes will only cause you more problems in the long run. Please don’t let financial obstacles keep you from acting. You can find an insurer for your budget plan.

When I first started going to college, I struggled with whether or not I should tell my professors that I had diabetes. On the one hand, I didn’t want them (or anyone else) to think I was asking for special treatment. But on the other hand, I wanted them to have a heads-up if I need to eat a snack in the middle of class or leave to take my insulin.

Most importantly, I did not want my condition to interfere with my university education. Even if I had to spend time in a hospital or for doctor visits, I wanted my teachers and classmates to know that I would still pull my weight 100%, not use diabetes as an excuse to slough work or ask for timeline extensions.

I did finally decide to go ahead and share my condition with my university teachers. Not because I wanted to wear an “I Have Diabetes!” badge on my sleeve, but because it occurred to me that information is the most important thing. “Hiding” my condition will not do anyone any favors; instead, I hope being a good example will take just a little more of the stigma away from the disease.

Don’t be afraid to let people know about your condition. The more people hear about it, the more they will be comfortable and curious about it, which could lead to more research—which could even lead to a cure one day.

It’s impossible to escape entertainment news and information about celebrities, no matter how hard you try. But there are a lot of things you’ll never know about famous people—such as which of them have diabetes. Some, like Wilford Brimley, are spokespersons for their condition. But, I’ll bet you didn’t know that Mary Tyler Moore, George, C. Scott, and even Halle Berry have diabetes. Even though they are in the public eye, it’s their prerogative whether to be vocal about their disease, just like it’s yours.

It’s true that people are naturally drawn to celebrities—the irony is that some people spend more time watching celebrities on favorite shows or movies than they do with their own family members. It makes sense, then, that some people feel “close” to people they don’t even know and will never meet.

If you find yourself spending a lot of time reading about the “goings-on” with celebrities, try turning off the TV (or closing the magazines) and looking at significant people in your life with as much attention as you spend studying the lives and habits of stars in the entertainment industry. You may be surprised how much more interesting they are.

Simply having diabetes adds many more responsibilities to my day. And starting a new job search—whether I am presently employed or not—means that, as a diabetes patient, I’ve got to pay attention to some specific things.

Most importantly, I have to take a proactive approach to career prospects and ask intelligent questions about potential employers’ health benefits and coverage limits. I need to stay knowledgeable about current costs and trends in treating diabetes and choose not only the best salary, but also the best health coverage benefits possible.

Above all else, I’ve learned not to stay in an unhealthy job just because it has “benefits.” Chronic stress will not help you in either your future job search or your present career. Compromising your health in the name of your career won’t get you anywhere, much less further up the corporate ladder.

I’m pretty proficient with my computer, but I was still surprised to learn all the software and tools available for diabetics. I’ve kept a logbook about my diabetes for years, but I had no idea there were so many ways to manage that information neatly and quickly—including data on weight, diet, other medicines, and more.

With just a little searching, I found software packages that let my computer analyze my blood sugar readings, and I even came across some Web-based systems that allow me to track my testing data, create graphs and charts, and print it out to bring to my doctors. Not only that, but they have software to work on an MAC, PC—even my PDA and online.

Since I’ve been using my computer to help track my diabetes, I’ve been amazed to find all sorts of patterns I was never aware of before, such as seeing the connection between my blood glucose numbers and my thirst or hunger levels. Getting to know my body better is key to getting the disease under control, plus I get the peace of mind that comes with having the data ready for my doctors if they ever need it.