How does my general health affect my diabetes treatment?
Diabetes has a big affect on your general health, but oddly, I think that many people with diabetes have general health that is better than those who don't. I just saw a really sweet 12-year-old boy who has Type 1 diabetes, and his mother was asking me questions; the mother asked me about curing diabetes. This boy was not exactly heavy, but you could tell he could get on the heavy side. His mum wanted to know about curing diabetes, and I looked at the kid and I said, "You know, someday in our lifetime, I think we're going to cure Type 1 diabetes," and he looked at me, and he said, "No, I don't need that." I said, "Why?" and he said "Well, I've had diabetes since I was seven, and I'm pretty good at it. If I didn't have diabetes, I think I would just eat too much, and I'd get really fat. Because I have diabetes, I'm really, you know, aware of what I eat and my exercise," and he said, "I think it's keeping me healthy, so I don't mind having it." I thought; that's the most incredible attitude I've ever seen, but it's true! Many, many, many of my patients I think take better care of themselves, because they have to be so aware of their bodies, their medications, and everything else. So, that's the upside to diabetes; it makes you health aware and it makes you involved in preventing disease.
