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gayathri@byronium and I went to this last night: http://www.diabetes.org/in-my-community/local-offices/san-francisco-california/
and i'm really glad I did! It was fun meeting other Red Riders, and I learned about: http://teamwild.org/ <- women triatheletes with diabetes! omg.
I also met some awesome women who were really inspiring, as well as had an opportunity to talk to Dr. Suneil Koliwad, a research doctor at UCSF! We had a great chat about some things to try to help me with longer distance bicycling, and he recommended how to find a few doctors who might be helpful in terms of knowing enough about diabetes and athletic training to see if I can get over some humps.
I was really touched by some of the stories presented - I didnt know who the Bachelor was (probably the ONLY woman there who didnt) but his father's story was similar enough I was choked up about being afraid of admitting to it. It brought up struggles around being silenced by my family's shame, to silencing myself, to ignoring it, to letting it get out of control. I'm glad I had a wakeup before it actually killed me.
Who knew that 26 million people suffer from this? I didnt. Its impacted from so many issues from food safety, access, ethnicity, choices made by our parents, choices made by us in the past, its so complicated!
The biggest, scareiest thing for me is that Just Having Diabetes, I've _doubled_ my chances of having a heart attack.
Some quick facts from last night:
I'm deeply grateful for @byronium for coming with me last night, and for all my friends who are doing the ride both for themselves and in supporting me, it means a whole lot!
Please support me: even just the cost of a cup of coffee would mean a tremendous amount!
and i'm really glad I did! It was fun meeting other Red Riders, and I learned about: http://teamwild.org/ <- women triatheletes with diabetes! omg.
I also met some awesome women who were really inspiring, as well as had an opportunity to talk to Dr. Suneil Koliwad, a research doctor at UCSF! We had a great chat about some things to try to help me with longer distance bicycling, and he recommended how to find a few doctors who might be helpful in terms of knowing enough about diabetes and athletic training to see if I can get over some humps.
I was really touched by some of the stories presented - I didnt know who the Bachelor was (probably the ONLY woman there who didnt) but his father's story was similar enough I was choked up about being afraid of admitting to it. It brought up struggles around being silenced by my family's shame, to silencing myself, to ignoring it, to letting it get out of control. I'm glad I had a wakeup before it actually killed me.
Who knew that 26 million people suffer from this? I didnt. Its impacted from so many issues from food safety, access, ethnicity, choices made by our parents, choices made by us in the past, its so complicated!
The biggest, scareiest thing for me is that Just Having Diabetes, I've _doubled_ my chances of having a heart attack.
Some quick facts from last night:
- Diabetes affects 25.8 million people of all ages
- 8.3 percent of the U.S. population
- Among U.S. residents ages 65 years and older, 10.9 million, or 26.9 percent, had diabetes in 2010. (My father and uncle are in this group, btw.)
- In 2005–2008, based on fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1C (A1C) levels, 35 percent of U.S. adults ages 20 years or older had prediabetes—50 percent of adults ages 65 years or older. Applying this percentage to the entire U.S. population in 2010 yields an estimated 79 million American adults ages 20 years or older with prediabetes.
- Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States.
- AMPUTATIONS! BLINDNESS! huge fears for me. :/
- Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
- Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
I'm deeply grateful for @byronium for coming with me last night, and for all my friends who are doing the ride both for themselves and in supporting me, it means a whole lot!
Please support me: even just the cost of a cup of coffee would mean a tremendous amount!
