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Diabetes Awareness Day

A Diabetes Survivor's Story (Added: March 25, 2009)

A Diabetes Survivor does her part to help educate people about the risk of the disease (more)

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Diabetes is a huge problem nationwide. 24 million people have it. 6 million people don't know they have Diabetes.

By Tina Tyus-Shaw
Published: March 25, 2009

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Being screened for Diabetes is one of the most important things you can do. If you're diagnosed and the disease is not controlled it can kill you slowly. 15 year Vascular Surgeon Tony Sussman has seen the ravages of diabetes. "Unfortunately we see the end stage affects of longstanding diabetes. It destroys the blood vessels especially in the legs below the knee to the kidneys." He remembers the disease gripping his employee and patient Erika Williams. "I also remember the day you passed out in the procedure room when your blood sugar dropped and you were waxing and swaying back and forth. The good news those days are long gone...over with. We have to keep you on the straight and narrow and I think you're on your way." This surgical technician knows diabetes well. "From my mother's diabetes she lost use of her leg because of her diabetes being out of control." "What was the contributing factor to your diagnosis of diabetes? What I was eating ...Fried foods, chicken fingers, hamburgers, sweet tea, coke, sweets, food, starches. I was eating everything." Being in the medical field Ericka knew she could be cured. Following her doctor's game plan worked. "I started taking action. I started diet control watching what I eat and exercising. Just from doing that with the little weight loss I became no longer Diabetic. I don't take anymore medication. Monitor my sugar and its normal." Erika says awareness is one of the best ways to help you understand diabetes.