[stylist] Please read my blog- stuff about diabetes

[Bridgit Pollpeter]

Donna,

Thanks for reading. I know they have seizure dogs, but I never thought
of looking into one. I think they are typically used by people with
epilepsy, but anyone with a seizure disorder, or who have the potential
to seizure for any reason, would benefit from such a service animal.

I was diagnosed at age four, and I'm now 30, so pretty much my entire
life has been "consumed" by diabetes. Many changes have happened in the
almost 27 years I've been diabetic including how to go about treatment.
Technology like insulin pumps, which I use, have helped many diabetics
as well; nonetheless, diabetics can face potential challenges and risks
even when keeping it well managed.

Thank God I remain pretty healthy despite years, as a teen and in my
early 20s, of not managing as well as I should have. And my blindness
actually wasn't caused by diabetes, which most assume, understandably,
ironic grin.

Type 2 is prevalent on my maternal side; mostly caused by obesity as
relatives grow older. The only known type 1s are on my paternal side,
and it's a third cousin and great-aunt who actually died at age nine,
one year before insulin was discovered as a treatment for diabetics.
Fortunately, I've always been a little underweight, and I'm pretty
active, liking to exercise, so at least I don't typically have to worry
about weight being as much of a contributing factor, at least for now,
grin. Though my higher metabolism and activity level can create its own
problems.

It's a blessing to share my experiences because it allows me to inform
and educate, not to mention flex my writing muscle, smile.

Thanks for the support and kind words.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

Message: 2
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:16:06 -0500
From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Please read my blog- stuff about diabetes
Message-ID: <24910e$7gfka4 at out01.dlls.pa.frontiernet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain;	charset="us-ascii"

Bridgit,
Your experience reminds me of our nephew Danny, who is now married with
2 beautiful little girls. Danny was diagnosed with type 1 in early
childhood as was his sister. He was always very conscientious about his
diet and sugar levels; he worked out starting in his teens and was never
overweight. He is very prone to low blood sugar reactions, however. He's
had to be carted away to the hospital on numerous occasions. After he
married, they got a little dog, a schnouzer, I think -- very small, very
hairy. She slept in the bed with them. She sensed when Danny was having
a problem in his sleep on two occasions and woke his wife up. They said
he could have died if they hadn't caught it when they did. We all loved
that dog. She's gone now, but what a blessing.

We have both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in our combined families, and
several close friends who have dealt with type 1 all of their lives. Two
of them died young. 

Keep up the good work spreading information on it like you do. I'm sorry
you had that experience, but I'm glad someone who had it also has the
ability to communicate so powerfully through the written word. Donna