Early detection, prevention and care of diabetes involves the whole family.For this reason this year's campaign has as its motto: "Family and diabetes."

This disease has a great impact on the whole family, so the support, care and love of those around it is very important.An example of this occurred many years ago for 1935 to the religious community of San Luis OrionHe worried a lot about him and his health.

To leave his loved ones more calmly, Don Orione decided while discovering and learning about his diabetes, writing short letters to his congregations telling the symptoms, the treatment of the disease, as well as as he felt.

Diabetes is a disease that once developed will accompany you a lifetime, is chronic and irreversible.However, following the medical indications (food plan, exercises and/or medicines) plus permanent control, it remains regularized and complications are prevented.

At that time, there were not as many people who suffered it as today, where we found more than 425 million people with mostly cases of type 2 diabetes, such as Don Orione.But today despite the fact that we have all what is necessary to make an early detection, the reality is that 1 in 2 people live with diabetes and is not diagnosed, being something key to preventing the complications of this pathology and achieving healthy results.

Type 2 diabetes largely can be prevented through regular physical activity, a healthy and balanced diet and the promotion of healthy life environments.And here the family has a very important role informing, educating, looking for resources and environments to lead a healthier lifestyle for the big, small and above all accompanying the way and giving a lot of love.

These are its symptoms

“I was more than a very weak month, I thought it was tired of the work done: - I could not write or work a little more about the account.In addition, he was so thirsty, he doubted that it was something else, and when analyzing the urine, they found diabetes. ”Letter from Don Orione to Don Sterpi when I suspect he had diabetes (Bs. As, 12/6/1935).

He is right in his suspicions, because the symptoms of diabetes are:


  • Dream,
  • Tiredness,
  • constant hunger,
  • Need to urinate frequent,
  • Much thirst,
  • cramps,
  • Hormigueo
  • Numbness of hands or feet,
  • Wounds that take to heal,
  • Blurred vision,
  • Weight loss without reason,
  • Cutaneous lesions,
  • Frequent infections
  • or not present any symptoms.
  • If you have a family history of diabetes or risk factor such as lack of exercise, obesity, advanced age, stress and presents any of the symptoms consult your doctor.

    Diagnosis:

    “I would not want to have impressed them with my diabetes, and if: I felt very thirsty and I could not work, I didn't know why.I doubted that it was a little diabetes, and the urine analysis gave 42 per thousand glucose.They forbade potatoes, fruit, egg, rice, little bread, etc.Today they extracted a little blood and repeat the analysis of the waters as well.I am better than before, I certainly refrain from certain meals and rested more.Therefore, stay calm, I will have them informed. ”(Bs. As., 6/14/1935)

    The doctors at that time confirmed it through an urine exam that gave 42 per thousand glucose, which is already a high level, it is equivalentat 140 or 180 mg% of blood sugar.

    It is currently diagnostic in several ways, with laboratory exams such as a A1C test, which measures the average blood glucose level during the last 2 or 3 months or also with the fasting plasma glucose test that is done beforebreakfast (with 8 hours of fasting or without eating or drinking anything).

    treatment

    The doctors based on the knowledge of the time thought that rest and the hypohydrocarbon diet (carbohydrate low) would help you normalize blood sugar values, which were not very high.

    “Ternera beef mainly roasted and even boiled chicken or like raw or boiled meat / egg in water / broth - milk, tea or coffee - butter / little - black bread and little better cookie./ Vegetable - To taste and boiled spinach, with little oil / salsifí vanes - Cucumbers thistle - cabbage salad with oil and lemon / fruit an orange or tangerine - 100 grams of wine per food - mate tea or coffee./ Forbidden - Flour - Pasta - Semolina and noodles / White bread - cookies - sweets - fruit - sugar - potatoes - sweet potatoes - cane - carrot - healthy - lentils - porotos and chickpeas ”.Don Orione wrote in his draft what he had to eat.

    In this draft there are recommendations that are fine and others that do not.

    Let's see what is still recommended today:

    Healthy cooking forms such as boiled, oven, to which I add the iron and steam.

    It can be consumed: infusions such as tea or coffee, small quantity, vegetables, contrary fruits, little black bread.
    Forbidden sweets and sugar.

    See more food recommendations at: Link
    But there are others that are in Don Orione's diet that is not recommended today:

    Raw egg, controlled butter.
    Prefer black bread than cookies and in the amount indicated by nutritionist.
    Some vegetables are free consumption, but others do not.
    The wine is not recommended, as well as any other alcoholic beverage.
    Flours, pasta, noodles, potato, sweet potato, legumes are not prohibited, on the contrary, they are necessary, but in the portions indicated by specialist and must be accompanied by vegetables.

    With respect to the rest indicated to the saint for doctors, today it has been seen that it does not help improve the pathology, but quite the opposite.It is recommended to lead an active life, performing some kind of activity that the treating doctor value.