Diabetes

As a former soldier in the military, John H. gave little thought to the possibility of developing a chronic disease. After his time in the military, he went on to work at the U.S. Postal Service. It was there, while in his mid-forties, that he first started experiencing symptoms of advanced diabetes. He frequently had to use the bathroom, and often found himself feeling tired, dizzy, and thirsty—symptoms that he thought resulted from lack of rest or job stress.

One evening, John's supervisor pulled him aside to ask if he was feeling alright. She had noticed that he constantly seemed fatigued and thought he may be sick. Initially, John insisted that he was fine, but finally agreed to visit the nurses unit for an urinalysis. The results indicated clear signs of diabetes. An ambulance rushed John to the hospital where he had a glucose tolerance test, which shows how quickly glucose clears from a person's blood. The test results came back dangerously high, over 500.

He was immediately put on insulin and a team of doctors spent the next several days trying to bring his blood sugar level down. When they told John that he had Type 2 diabetes, he thought to himself, "Let me prepare to die." But after learning about the disease, he took a more positive outlook and, as he now likes to say, he is "allergic to death."

After such a close call, and with a family to consider, John was not about to take any chances. He followed his doctors' recommendations strictly and immediately started living a healthier lifestyle. He changed his eating habits, got more rest, and started exercising. He also began administering insulin shots three times a day and taking medication to control his glucose. In addition, John was instructed to visit his doctor every 90 days for lab tests that would monitor his glucose levels.

"If you want to stay alive, you feel great about the tests…," said John. "I would have died."

With his diabetes under control, John was able to continue working at the post office until he retired. Now at 65, he still follows a standard diet and exercise routine along with his regular testing. And he is in good health.

"There's nothing sad about diabetes. It's a fact of life. I have it; I don't dwell on it. I just do what I have to do. You need to pay attention to what your doctors say and get involved in a regimen. If you do, chances are you'll live pretty long."