I am..... a diabetic.

    Diabetes. Yes, I said it. It sounds like a bad word, and for some, it is.  For some, it sounds like a death sentence, like (some forms of) cancer, HIV/AIDS or other deadly diseases. But diabetes is not a death sentence....if it is caught early enough AND if  you do your part to prevent it, if you can, or manage it if you cannot, which some of us can't, no matter what we do. This is a basic definition of diabetes, quoted directly from Wikipedia:

    
     Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced.^[2] This high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger).
There are three main types of diabetes mellitus (DM). Type 1 DM results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin or wear an insulin pump. This form was previously referred to as "insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (IDDM) or "juvenile diabetes". Type 2 DM results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. This form was previously referred to as non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or "adult-onset diabetes". The third main form, gestational diabetes occurs when pregnant women without a previous diagnosis of diabetes develop a high blood glucose level. It may precede development of type 2 DM.
     All forms of diabetes have been treatable since insulin became available in 1921, and type 2 diabetes may be controlled with medications. Both types 1 and 2 are chronic conditions that cannot be cured. Pancreas transplants have been tried with limited success in type 1 DM; gastric bypass surgery has been successful in many with morbid obesity and type 2 DM. Gestational diabetes usually resolves after delivery. Diabetes without proper treatments can cause many complications. Acute complications include hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, or nonketotic hyperosmolar coma. Serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, chronic renal failure, and diabetic retinopathy (retinal damage). Adequate treatment of diabetes is thus important, as well as blood pressure control and lifestyle factors such as smoking cessation and maintaining a healthy body weight. Globally, as of 2012, an estimated 346 million people have type 2 diabetes.^[3]
     

   I could go on and on, but you get the point.Why am I bringing this up now? Because it needs to be discussed. I know with certainty that (virtually) everyone who is reading these words EITHER already has diabetes (in some form), whether you know it or not, has risk factors (and/or genetics) for it, and/or has family or friends who either has it and/or knows someone who has it or a combination of some or all of the above. How do I know? I have family who has diabetes. I know folk who have family and friends who have it, if not themselves. And, I must now report, I have recently been diagnosed with a early stage of diabetes myself. So that means you ALL fall in the above categories. Sorry.

    Don't feel sorry for me. I have family history for this and other things. This is not a total surprise. However, I AM STILL HERE. I am otherwise HEALTHY. I don't have a perfect physique (but few (allegedly) do. I found out from a routine blood test from a physical I recently took. My condition is (and will) being controlled with a combination of exercise, minor adjustments in what I eat and drink (drinking more water, exercising more, eating less high-sugar candy, cookies and/or desserts and drinking less juices and other drinks with high sugar content. I also (must) take a pill once a day for a while to help control my blood-sugar. I may only have to take pills for a few months or maybe a year or two and then things will be controlled. I may have to take pill(s) or more for the rest of my life. But that is a small price to pay compared to the alternatives (shots or worse), including developing other things. Regardless, it is up to me to do the right things, and to my loved ones to make sure I do so CONSISTENTLY. No days off. Never stop. Just like being a alcoholic who is beating that habit. Different deal...same resolve is needed every day to win, even in the face of temptation.
    I caught this early. I am blessed and lucky for that. I have healthy kidneys. I am not seriously out of shape. I do not have cancer (hopefully not ever). My prostrate is great. Everything else on me is (at the proper and/or) a nice size and is working well, even at my allegedly advanced age! (You may laugh, but I am serious about this, even with the chuckling!) Do not wait to be checked out until you start feeling bad. Do your physicals every year, and dental thing every 6 months. It may be too late by then! Some diseases and/or disorders HAVE NO WARNING SIGNS! Even in the most advanced stages! Old or young, petite, full-figured or obese, male or female, straight, gay or bisexual, Black, White, Asian, Latino; beautiful looking or less-so (in the eyes of some or maybe most)...diseases have no caring about ANY of these things!
   NOTE to ALL MEN at/over age 35 to 40, especially those who have a family history of cancer: Get your prostrate checked every year, more often if necessary. It doesn't take that long and it does not hurt that much to have THAT exam done, even if your rear is as tight as mine (I am blessed but the obvious is true too, so I won't go there)! Male or female doctor, it doesn't matter (no sexist jokes here please!)....get over the embarrassment of dropping pants and bending over and just do it! NOW! Women deal with worse exams from a early age with much worse instruments than a gloved finger for a whole hell of a lot longer than men do and (mostly) do not complain, so get over it!
    Not all of us are that lucky. Regular physicals make a difference. (Breast) self-exams help too (men get breast cancer too, so check yourselves as well!). If you never read or care about another set of words in my blog, take these words to heart and heed them! Please. The life you save may be your own and/or someone you love.
    

What the hell happened to personal responsibility?

     In the past week, there have been two tragedies involving players with the Kansas City Chiefs (starting linebacker murders his girlfriend (mother of his infant daughter) after a argument, drives to his team's stadium, talks to and ultimately commits suicide in front of his head coach, assistant coach and the team's general manager less than two days before a game) and now, the Dallas Cowboys (backup defensive lineman (allegedly) drinks and drives, drives too fast and wrecks (flips) his vehicle on a road hours before the team is to leave for a road game, killing a friend and (former college and current pro) teammate riding with him in the process). Both are horrible (and preventable) tragedies. No more need to be said about that (others have and will continue to do that). Condolences to all of the families affected. Yesterday, a ESPN writer, Jeffri Chadiha, wrote a article giving his thoughts about the Dallas situation. I read it and I disagreed with his thoughts. I posted my reply on ESPN's site and on my Facebook page if you want to read it. So did others, though they attributed such to lack of sense and/or a ESPN bias. Maybe, maybe not.
   There is a big picture here. Some blame the NFL for not doing more to prevent these kinds of things. What? That is total horse****. For one, the Chiefs did offer counseling to the KC player and the lady in question weeks before this tragic event, which was used, but apparently did not work. Second, I heard (from other posters) that (allegedly) the NFL has a program that allows any NFL player to request a taxi for free(?), wherever they are (meaning NFL cities and nearby suburbs, I would think) if they need it (to prevent drinking and driving) or worse. If this is true, admirable by the NFL. Regardless, the Dallas player has no excuse for what he did. He is facing 20 years in jail for the felony(ies) he is being charged with. Worse yet, this is the second alcohol-involved incident he has been involved in. Two too many. Honestly, life in prison is more appropriate for this (now-former) NFL player, considering he killed a man due to him driving while drunk and driving too fast. He made a series of bad choices and now must pay for them. If the KC player had survived, he deserved life in prison (or the death penalty) for the murder he did, as well. Period.
    I don't advocate capital punishment lightly. I do not like the death penalty. I would prefer not to have it. With that said, I like the prospect of housing a murderer (or persons who commit similar-level crimes) in prison for 10-50 or more years at taxpayer expense even less. What if the person breaks out somehow (and commits more crimes before being recaptured or worse)? I do not think that is a good way to spend our resources. Those who commit (and are fairly convicted of) certain crimes like murder, especially of a child and/or due to DWI deserve to die. ASAP. Life in prison does little other than to be a example of what occurred and what the punishment could (or should be). Death (by electrocution, lethal injection or whatever else) saves time, money and is more final. Such gives closure to all involved. It lets everyone move on. The murdered person(s) cannot be brought back to life either way, right?
    Now, is all this the NFL's fault? How can it be? The NFL is a employer. A very large and very visible employer, but still a employer. So is WWE. So is the federal (stare and/or local) government. So is your local grocery store. It is NOT their (or any employer's) responsibility to track and/or (try to) regulate their employees behavior 24/7/365. What they do on the job, doing work-related activities is one thing. But once work is done and they are off the clock, at home or wherever else, what the person does (or not) is the responsibility of that individual. Period.
    Parents (and other responsible adults) raise their kids and to know right from wrong and do the right thing and stay on the good side of the law, both as kids and ESPECIALLY as adults. Do not get it twisted, we all do illegal things at some point. We drink a little bit at dinner with the spouse and drive a short drive home. We party too hard. We drive too fast. We might even do some intimate activities with our lover in the car and/or in public because we get too excited and cannot wait to get to (the) bedroom and so on. Many of these things are against the law. Some are felonies. Some are not.
     These things WILL happen. Human nature. However, if you commit the crimes and are caught and/or admit to such, you have to be prepared for the consequences. Millionaire athlete or actor or average housewife. The law, in its purest form, is supposed to not care about one's resources or celebrity or stuff like that. Neither should the rest of us who are outraged when these things happen. Money, celebrity and/or the ability to perform at the highest levels on a stage, field, court or other athletic or entertainment and/or political venue should matter not at all. But it does. Another reality. Millionaires get convicted for crimes too, however, if they are convicted of the crime(s). So be it.
     Leave the NFL and other employers alone on this matter. I blame the perpetrators for these crimes and those who might have prevented these things with a simple word or a call to someone who could help or at least prevent the worst case scenario, which occurred in these two cases. These employers are spending a lot of THEIR resources to help prevent tragedies like this that often could have been prevented if the parents had done their jobs when the kids are little (or not so little) and the lessons had stuck. All tragedies cannot be prevented. That is part of life. But better some than none. That would save money, time, resources, tears, prison space, and space on websites for stories and blogs to argue over stuff that a little common sense and better decision making by the INDIVIDUAL would help keep from being another sad headline. THAT is a stone cold hard undisputed fact.