Diabetes: the Silent Killer

The phone call early in the morning sends panic into her mind before even answering the call. Upon conversing with the other line, she is informed her father has slipped into a diabetic coma after having a massive stroke. Sitting alone on her bed, head in her hands, and her mind races for any hint of logic in why this could have happened. Last week her dad, Glen, had appeared completely healthy and functioning well. She thinks quickly of anything that could have sent him into this drastic life or death situation; completely baffled and amazed she rushes to the hospital. Amanda is quickly informed that her father hadn't maintained his diabetes, with little to no warning at all it had destroyed his heart and other vital organs. Throughout the past, Glen had seen no outwardly appearance of unhealthiness from not treating his diabetes and made false assumptions of his body.

His assumptions are the same as most Americans in today's society. Formed by their seemingly healthy appearance, they continue their lives as if not having a disease that kills so many. For many diabetics the saying "seeing is believing," has damaged their sense of mortality. Humans subconsciously feel invincible, and the "if they can't see it, it can't hurt them" mentality proves to be fatal. Other diseases such as breast cancer and lung cancer, skin cancer and even heart disease show signs and major symptoms that warn their victims soon of the severity. This reason giving the fatal way of thinking, that it is a less harmful disease. The question poses in medical researchers mind why? when more people die daily of diabetes related complications than the top three cancers and diseases combined. Is it any wonder that this crazy disease is c...

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...nowledge that it is the, "silent killer." It kills more daily than any other disease, a surprise to all because it is a disease less visible. Amanda's message to those people who are diabetics was "Take it seriously. No one knows how dangerous it is because they don't see the effects of it outwardly, but internally every time your blood sugar gets high it is destroying... all your organs. Take it seriously ... and eventually you can control it with diet and exercise. Not pills or insulin. Don't blow it off until you have major complications." Doctors haven't found a cure, but diabetics can do as much as possible. So that they aren't lying in a hospital bed with regrets so tremendous it would make someone's heart break. They can't take back what they've done in the past about their disease; they most certainly can do something about the future.