Anyone would rather spend time with a sweetie pie than with a sour puss, but if you are diabetic, being sweet is not necessarily a good thing. Learn the ABC's of Diabetes. It really is as easy as 1,2,3. Not only will it save your life, but also your limbs, your heart, your brain, and your kidneys. It is so hard to imagine that in this day and time, people are still so noncompliant with managing their diabetes. It is so easy and so well worth it. The repercussions of not managing the disease, however, are not easy at all. Young people seem to think they are invincible. Not true at all. Young people are admitted everyday to the hospital with extensive complications and/or related health conditions and diseases arising from diabetes.

The older generation knows they are not invincible, they just do not want anyone telling them what they can or can not eat. Being used to eating home cooked meals and goodies using grandma's recipes, it's hard for them to be compliant with new diet regimens. Or they say to themselves, "A little piece of cake will not hurt me this time." Well this is true, if you are only telling yourself this once in a blue moon. But if you find yourself making statements like this almost every night, then that one piece of cake will eventually hurt you.

There is lots of information on the web about the physiology of diabetes, so we are going to focus on the basics here. How exactly does diabetes affect your body? The answer simply is this: just as it is implied, people who have "sugar," medically known as diabetes, can at any given moment have too much sugar in their blood stream. Both blood and sugar are wonderfully rich breeding grounds for bacteria and yeast to grow and multiply. Coupled with the fact that you may already have poor circulation stemming from a long standing history of uncontrolled Diabetes, you would be at a much higher risk for infection and amputation. Uncontrolled diabetes also leads to high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, and eventually death.

But let us focus on just the aesthetics for now, because no can actually see high blood pressure, kidney failure, or an impending stroke. Let us focus on what is most visible and sometimes the hardest for a lot of people to deal with. Diabetes is the leading cause of lower limb amputation. And in my many years of nursing, I have never met one single person who did not mind losing a leg, even if he or she had been paralyzed for years.

Circulation is very vital to healing. High blood sugar causes poor circulation. Poor circulation slows down the healing process. And if your sugar levels are higher than normal, a very minor cut or scrape can lead to a major infection that is difficult or impossible to treat with antibiotics. This can lead amputation of a limb. And because of the slow healing process, infection can again set in, causing the surgeon to need to amputate a "little higher" next time, in hopes of getting to the tissue that is healthy enough for the surgery to be successful and the incision to heal without complication.

Another thought to ponder...

Men sometimes have a problem with taking daily medication, checking their blood sugar, or giving themselves insulin, because they feel it takes away from their masculinity. But as already stated, uncontrolled diabetes leads to circulatory problems. Normal circulation is also needed for an erection. Aside from the numbness, tingling, and pain in your limbs that you will eventually have because of uncontrolled diabetes, impotence can also become a problem.

SO WHAT ARE THE ABC'S OF DIABETES?

A -- Accu-check, always!

B -- Beware of hidden sugars. Read the labels. Carbs are sugar too!

C -- Control and manage the disease

D -- Diet and exercise & Daily foot care and inspection

Normal blood sugar is between 70 - 110. Finger sticks can be very painful, especially when you are testing your blood sugar often, but there are alternative testing solutions today which require less blood and are less painful. Speak to your physician about this. In addition, you can also dip your urine to monitor for the presence of ketones (ketosis). You can buy ketone test strips from any drugstore without a prescription.

If your blood sugar is high, take your insulin as recommended by your physician, and recheck your blood sugar as instructed. Ask your doctor if you should use ketone test strips in addition to checking your blood sugar. Ketones are fat byproducts, formed when the body breaks down body fat for energy, rather than sugar--it's choice energy supplier. This happens as a result of the body not having enough insulin to allow sugar to be burned for the energy. Ketones are also formed when not enough food has been eaten to provide the energy the body needs. Ketones are measured as being negative, small, moderate or large. If you are dipping your urine and find that you have moderate to large ketones, call your physician for instruction. Note: Ketosis is also the basic principle behind low-carb dieting and why it can be so dangerous. But that is another story. You will have to tune in later for that one.

WARNING SIGNS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia):

--feeling shaky, nervous, tired, sweaty, cold, hungry, confused, irritable or impatient

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia):

--extreme hunger, thirst, headache, increased urination, blurred vision, dry skin, nausea, drowsiness

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA)-a serious and potentially fatal condition caused by untreated hyperglycemia:

--Moderate to large ketones in urine, upset stomach, vomiting, deep breathing, stomach pain, feeling tired or confused, fruity smelling breath. Note: This is what has happened when someone has gone into a diabetic coma. THIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. If you are having any of these symptoms, call your physician or health care provider ASAP.

DOING YOUR PART

It is important that you control your diabetes, because once the disease starts controlling you, you will have very little say. So be smart and check your blood sugar regularly.

*Know the symptoms of both low and high blood sugar. Keep sugar pills with you at all times (or hard candy or honey) for emergency situations when your blood sugar drops.

*When you are sick, your blood sugar will be higher than usual. Check more frequently during these "sick days."

*If you increase your physical activity (exercise), your blood sugar will be lower than usual. Check more frequently and work closely with your physician to avoid over medicating yourself with anti-diabetic medications. Note: Regular exercise has been known to decrease a person's need for insulin.

*Teach your family members and friends the signs and symptoms of low and high blood sugar. You should also wear a bracelet and carry a card in your wallet that says you have diabetes. The card should also say if you are an insulin user.

*Exercise and eat right ( try to stick with the diet recommended by your physician); splurge only occasionally.

*Take insulin as prescribed by your physician.

*Limit alcohol consumption.

*See your physician ASAP if you have an infection or a wound that is not healing quickly.

*Always wear shoes, and inspect your feet daily for abnormalities. NEVER attempt to treat a foot injury yourself at home (i.e. stepping on a nail, tack, or any other object that has caused trauma). A minor injury to someone without diabetes could mean losing a limb for you!

Keep safe and be sweet, just not too sweet!