world diabetes day 2013

So today is world diabetes day...

most people dont know this, its not a well known day like world aids day but for those in the diabetic community it is a day to raise awareness of what we go through every day.

so i thought that i would educate people on my type of diabetes

If you look through my previous blog posts you will realise that i dont have the typical type one or type 2 diabetes.

I have mody 3 diabetes (maturity onset diabetes of the young)

It is completely different.

for a start, type 1 diabetes is caused by an autoimmune response, it is when the body attacks the pancreas so it no longer makes insulin.

Type 2 diabetes is caused by insulin resistance which stops the cells using insulin properly. However, both of these types are caused by a mixture of genetics, environmental factors and viruses...

Mody 3 diabetes however, is caused by a single gene which is to do with insulin production. This gene has been mutated since i was born, but its effects dont show until teens or early 20's.

this gene mutation causes my pancreas to not produce enough insulin, its not like type one as i still produce some insulin, but its also not like type 2 because im not resistant to the insulin i make.

mody diabetes only makes up between 2-5% of all diabetics

its pretty rare

As it is a completely genetic type it means that any child i have in the future will have a 50% chance of inheriting the condition.

It is also monogenetic.

that means that it only needs one parents gene to pass the condition on.

you cant just be a carrier of mody diabetes

Due to not producing enough insulin, i inject insulin to stop my levels going too high, this means that i also have to test my levels regularly to make sure they are within range. 

Over the last 3yrs my insulin production has reduced an awful lot, there is a possibility it will continue to reduce as time goes on meaning that i will be almost completely dependent on insulin.

I still have the same risk of developing complications as any other type of diabetes.

these include blindness, limb loss, heart problems, kidney failure, nerve damage and ultimately death

diabetes is more serious than people think and for me, today is about raising awareness of that fact