Sweetest Downfall

by: Arlyn Amboy


Cake, ice cream, pastries, chocolate and most of all, our favorite... oh yes, that plain steamed white rice. These are the things we reall want to thank the Guy above for! And if money is no consideration, we would enjoy them as much as we can (but of course everything that is too much is bad) But not for people with diabetes, they are doomed to as much as possible avoid these heavenly stuff for let's say a very long time.

I got a good friend of mine and and a blockmate as well whose mom has acquired diabetes, Tita Lita Legaspi, 57, found out of her disease 2 years ago. She's now maintaining some drugs and a diet to keep her from the complications, and best of all beat the old disease.

"Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a set of related diseases in the body that cannot regulate the amount of sugar (specifically, glucose) in the blood. Type 1 diabetes:The body stops producing insulin or produces too little insulin to regulate blood glucose level. Type 2 diabetes: The pancreas secretes insulin, but the body is partially or completely unable to use the resistance by secreting more and more insulin." http://www.emedicinehealth.com/diabetes/article

Right now Tita Lita have to visit her doctor twice a year for Hematology, blood chemistry and urinalysis to check sugar's presence in her blood. Fasting Blood Sugar or Fasting Plasma Glucose test for sugar level. She also has to keep her diet that includes fruits, a cup of rice for lunch and low-fat wheat bread for dinner. Water theraphy is also advised. It demands avoidance of TOO much eating, sugary foods, and those carbo-packed stuff. She's also taking some drugs and milk supplement that for advertising purposes I won't mention.

Good thing her family is pretty rich, I mean supportive. They remind her of the diet whenever she forgets. Now I know why there's always cake for merienda everytime I go there.