Sunday, November 05, 2006

Living with diabetes

Article on daily life with diabetes.

People may not be as familiar with type 2 diabetes as with type 1, which is also known as childhood diabetes. But actually, type 2 diabetes is the more common variety.

In this type of diabetes, the body either does not produce enough insulin, or the cells ignore the insulin, making it impossible for the body to use sugar, a basic fuel for the cells in the body. This starves the body for energy, and high blood glucose levels may damage a person's eyes, kidneys, nerves or heart. It can begin later in life, with many people, like Bouchard, not being diagnosed until middle age.

Bouchard has had type 2 diabetes for 20 years, and has been injecting insulin for 10.

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