BeatrizD

Gender: Female Ethnicity: Hispanic Height: 5ft 4in to 5ft 6in Weight: above 170 lbs Onset Age: 20-30 Age Now: 20-30 Family Diabetes: Father Treatment: Diet&Oral Medication: Metformin,Glucophage Meter: Bayer Tests: 1-2 times/day Exercise: None Diet: Healthy (15/15/70) Supplements: None

My father was diabetic. I've known it since I was a little girl because he was the one who never ate sugars and the good stuff that the rest of the family did. I grew up thinking of my daddy as someone who had to be very careful about his health; then I started learning about Diabetes and how bad it is.

I've always been overweight and after going through many diets and not being able to lose weight or to be on a normal point on the scale, I went to the endocrinologist who sent me for tests and the result was: Hypothyroidism. I started taking medication and a few years after that I was diagnosed with another hormonal problem: Hyperprolactinemia caused by a pituitary tumor. It is not easy to lose weight with both these conditions.

Going through tests for my hormonal problems one day my Dr. asked me: "Beatriz, what do you take to control your Diabetes?" I didn't know I had Diabetes! But it came as no surprise for me. I knew Diabetes runs in a family and if a parent has it, then it's probable that their children will have it to, especially if they have weight problems.

It's been almost 9 months since I was diagnosed. I'm taking Glucophage, testing my blood sugar twice a day and trying to follow a diet, but I have to confess that I could try harder. I'm not exercising as I should and I don't feel as good as I would like to. My sugar levels are close to normal though. But there's so much I still have to learn!