What is diabetes?

In 1552 BCE, Egyptian physician Hesy-Ra of the 3rd Dynasty makes the first known mention of diabetes – found on the Ebers Papyrus – and lists remedies to combat the 'passing of too much urine'.

Here's what diabetes is: Your body gets energy by making glucose from foods like bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, milk and fruit. To use this glucose, your body needs insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood. Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the pancreas does not produce insulin hence, glucose builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy. (Canadian Diabetes Association.)

The cause of type 1 diabetes remains unknown. However, it is NOT preventable, it is NOT contagious, and it is NOT caused by eating too much sugar. The body’s defense system may attack insulin-making cells by mistake, but we don’t know why. People are usually diagnosed with type 1 diabetes before the age of 30, most often during childhood or their teens. I got diagnosed with diabetes at age of 2 so I never knew how NOT to be diabetic. Sure, it's not pleasant getting injected 4 times a day however, being diabetic has some advantages. For example, I eat healthy, I watch out for my cholesterol, I exercise 3 times a week, I get doctor's check up every 6 months.

Insulin was discovered only in 1921 by Dr. Frederick Banting from Toronto. In October 1923, insulin was made commercially available in the United States and Canada. God bless Dr. Banting! Patients diagnosed with diabetes before 1923 did not have a long life. They were put on a strict diet as a way to manage the disease. It was said that the diet was close to a starvation technique.

I recently finished reading 50 Diabetes Myths That Can Ruin Your Life: And the 50 Diabetes Truths That Can Save It by Riva Greenberg. It's quite interesting how non-educated people on the subject perceives us.

So anyhow, I got inspired and decided to take the following picture.

Cheers,
Rina