DIABETES - Die-or-beat-this

[Tilla]

published: Thursday | August 31, 2006 <DIV class=KonaBody>

Rosemary <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 700; COLOR: black! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Parkinson</SPAN>, Gleaner Writer


Dian Watson shops for fresh produce at Papine market.

Many people feel that diabetes cannot affect them. It can. Many call it "a little sugar." This is a fallacy. Diabetes is a devastating disease that can cause heartache and ultimately death, if not managed. Diabetes is not, as commonly thought, a disease that only affects the grass roots of the society. This week Food looks at diabetes in high profile businesswomen who have found it necessary to speak out. Diabetes can no longer be hidden or hushed. It has reached chronic proportions in Jamaica within all levels of the society.

Dian's Story

Dian Watson is the owner of Contemporary Art Gallery Café on Hope Road, Kingston. This is her story:



My name is Dian Watson and I am a <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: black! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">diabetic</SPAN>. Eight years ago I had a rash on my fingers and toes that would not respond to medication. Months later I started passing excessive water. I suspected diabetes because my mother was diabetic. I knew the disease could be hereditary. Nothing, however, prepared me for the results of the tests - <SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: black! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">Type </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: black! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">2 </SPAN><SPAN class=kLink style="FONT-WEIGHT: 400; COLOR: black! important; FONT-FAMILY: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; POSITION: relative">diabetes</SPAN>. My first reaction to those words was "my life is all over." Every horrible thought possible ran through my head. I was scared.

The realisation was that if I wanted to live a productive life and see my son into adulthood, I could no longer eat all my lovely Jamaican foods. I had always eaten with more gusto than I should have, lots of rice and peas, Johnny cakes, boiled dumplings, <A class=kLink oncontextmenu="return

[Karl]

RE: DIABETES - Die-or-beat-this

Great post!

Diabetes runs in my family. ...and,I am struggling to keep the beast at bay! It's not easy to plan and execute exercise time. Even after being fairly fit all my life until Ihit the40s...I havetoo knuckle-down to work-out on the threadmill. Exercising by myself is a bore...

Fortunately my better half pushes me to 'eat properly'and chips in at timeswith encouragement to exercise.

I wish I could run into a Jamaican, in myneck of the woods,who shares my love of kicking a ball and or jogging. (nearest to a sigh I see in our lot)