Diabetes in My Family Tree

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Diabetes in Our Family Tree Lillian Johnson 11/6/2012 Prof. Silva Scit 1407-6001 Author Note This paper was prepared for Professor Silva Scit 1407-6001 Abstract I interviewed two of my Aunts asking those questions such as: What was the most prevalent disease in the family? What age they contracted the disease? What treatment was prescribed? And has anyone in the family passed from the disease? I came to find out my family has a long history of diabetes. Both aunts got diagnosed with this disease at early adolescence. Aunt M. and Aunt E. are both still living, only a few of my family members have died from diabetes due to lack of treatment. Meanwhile majority of my family that has the disease are still alive and struggle with this battle every day. Diabetes in My Family Tree When I interviewed both aunts I learned their types of diabetes. Aunt m has type 1, and Aunt E has type 2. Although both diseases are lifelong and least likely to be cured, they both can be managed. In type 1 diabetes cells produce insulin, without insulin your body will not have enough glucose to produce energy. In type 2 diabetes high levels of sugar are in the blood and your body does not have enough insulin. It occurs slowly overtime and usually most people only know that they have diabetes when they become overweight. Both Aunt E. And Aunt M is obese. At the age of 22 Aunt M. was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She says she started to question her health when one day she was driving and her vision became very blurry and stayed that way for two days. She states that she always felt dehydrated and thirsty. These are two of the most common symptoms. Aunt E. was diagnosed at much younger age of 17. When she was diagnosed she was experiencing loss of breath and Loss of feeling in her feet. The day Aunt M got diagnosed she ran into the curb while driving because she couldn’t

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