Living with Diabetes; Prevention and Treatment

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STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- It’s known as a silent killer among 30 million adults and children in the U.S. Many people don’t even know they have the unrelenting disease.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month.   Medical experts and patients say people can manage diabetes, but it shouldn’t manage them.

Ruthie hill says it wasn’t easy when she was first diagnosed with type two diabetes 6 years ago. The symptoms were a nightmare.

“I was scared at first,” Hill said. “I just wanted to drink a lot of water and I stayed thirsty all of the time.”

Hill knew she had to make some changes. She ate the right foods and started exercising more, then she noticed a big difference.

“You can live with anything if you eat right and do what you’re suppose to do.”

It’s a similar story for Merry Kinard. Except Kinard was diagnosed 20 years ago.

“Well with me it runs in my family so I wasn’t surprised,” Kinard said. “My mom, my dad, and grandparents were all diabetic.”

kinard began to feel better after changing what she ate and exercising.

Another thing Hill and Kinard have in common, they received help from Baze pharmacy in Starkville. The pharmacy also has a class for people with type one and type two diabetes. Once a month patients learn what foods to eat, portion sizes, and how to exercise.

Pharm D and Owner,  Athelia B. Eze gives customers reading material and shows them the harmful affects diabetes can have.

“Diabetes has long term and short term side effects,” Eze said. “The tingly sensation in your fingers and toes can cause you to have side effects like ulcers, ulcers can cause gang green, which can lead to amputations.”

Eze says the key to fighting diabetes is teaching patients. This way, they can better take care of themselves.

“Forget stomping it out, educate it out.  I have 100 patients so I know them all.”

Keeping an illness under control can be challenging. These Starkville women know the main thing is to keep going.

For more information on diabetes head to www.diabetes.org.

For more information on Baze pharmacy visit www.bazepharmacy.com.