I went to the American Diabetes Association webpage and pulled some info:
"There are two main kinds of diabetes. You have insulin-dependent diabetes. It is also called Type I diabetes. It used to be called juvenile diabetes (even though adults get it too)."
--This is where my father falls. I had them backwards. I thought type 2 was insulin-dependant.
"Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. When you eat, your body turns your food into glucose (sugar) to use as fuel. In healthy people, a hormone called insulin helps the glucose get into the cells.
But in people with type 2 diabetes, something goes wrong. Sometimes, a person does not make enough insulin. Sometimes,cells ignore the insulin."
--this is where my grandfather fell and where my aunt now falls under. Right now she controls this by diet. In the future she might need to take pills.
"Sixteen million Americans have diabetes - one in three does not know it!"
--I thought this was an interesting fact.
[This message has been edited by mgdzkm433 (edited March 23, 2001).]
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