Category: Diabetes Warrior

Clint Baron – It is what it is

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Four years into living with Type 2 diabetes, we hear how Clint Baron has adjusted to this diagnosis.

Clint Baron (56) lives in Johannesburg South, Gauteng with his wife. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Four years ago, in October 2019, Clint woke up in the morning with blurry vision, so he went to see his GP and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Even though there is a history of diabetes in his family, with his grandmother and uncle having had it, his diagnosis still came as a shock to him. However, he says, “But there wasn’t much I could do but take the next steps to deal with it. It is what it is, so I had to accept it.”

The grandfather was prescribed vildagliptin, metformin, gliclazide and atorvastatin. He was surprised that the hospital plan that he is on covers chronic medication. “My medication was reassessed in March 2022 when my blood pressure went up but no other changes since then.”

Since being diagnosed, Clint has made small adjustments to his diet such as eating lots of green vegetables, changing to low-GI bread and he adds that he eats dinner a lot earlier than he used to.

He says that his family offers good support. “They all make sure I don’t eat chocolates and that includes my six-year-old grandson. Plus, my GP is awesome, and he too gives valuable support.”

Thankfully due to the nature of Clint’s work (he has an electrical fence business), he walks a lot with added physical activity. “I install electrical fences which requires me to be on and off the ladder, walking the length of the fences, etc.”

Healthy habits

When asked what healthy habits means to him, he responds by saying healthy breakfast, nibbles and dinner as fuelling the body in the correct way is important.

“I’m proud to say that most of the time my blood glucose levels are well-managed. However, stress is a big contributor to it fluctuating.I test once a day with a finger-prick test; but when my vision becomes blurry, I know I need to check it out,” Clint explains.

Thankfully, he hasn’t experienced any other diabetes complications other than needing glasses when using the computer.

He concludes by saying diabetes has taught him to make a change to his lifestyle, eat healthier, eat greener and make the most of life.

Laurelle Williams is the Editor at Word for Word Media. She graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Live Performance. She has a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Her aim is to educate, encourage and most of all show there is always hope. Feel free to email Laurelle on editor@diabetesfocus.co.za

MEET OUR EDITOR

Laurelle Williams is the Editor at Word for Word Media. She graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Live Performance. She has a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Her aim is to educate, encourage and most of all show there is always hope. Feel free to email Laurelle on editor@diabetesfocus.co.za

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Caine Tibbs

Caine Tibbs – Volunteering changes life

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We hear how volunteering at Diabetes South Africa changed Caine Tibbs career pathway and how he is using his Type 1 condition to help others.

Caine Tibbs (42) lives in Lakeside, Cape Town.

Diagnosed at age four

Caine was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was four years old. “I was told that I got up often during the night to drink water as I was unusually thirsty and would urinate a lot. My mom kept telling me to stop drinking water at night. When this continued, it was thought that I had a bladder infection, and I was taken to a doctor and then was diagnosed with diabetes,” Caine explains.

“Since there is no history of diabetes in the immediate family, it was thought that it could have resulted from a virus which I had a few months prior.”

Treatment

From the time Caine was diagnosed, he has been taking insulin injections. “I think I started on two to three per day, and now over the past 10 to 20 years I use four injections per day. I recall initially taking regular insulin and insulin isophane human in my youth but over the past years I have been taking insulin glulisine (fast-acting) and insulin glargine (long-acting) which seem to be providing me with more consistent and stable glucose levels and in general more regulation regarding my glucose readings.”

The 42-year-old says that his good management consists of strictly keeping to routines regarding his testing, eating habits and exercise.

Change of eating habits

Caine says as a family, their way of eating changed once he was diagnosed. “My mom would not have any cakes, biscuits, sweets or cooldrinks in the house. We ate balanced meals, ensuring that the whole family was an example to me.”

“I have to admit that my condition has generally been quite stable, barring the occasional hypo due to environmental and emotional circumstances. Although there definitely has been a slight degradation regarding my body’s ability to use insulin effectively and with the general way in which the disease progresses, I have managed to remain relatively fit and healthy, also as a result of keeping to a controlled and balanced diet and what works for me individually.”

Volunteering changes life

“For a few years, I struggled to find permanent employment and went through a very depressive, self-loathing almost destructive state and was feeling like I had nothing to offer and that I wanted to give up.”

“I sat down one day and gathered my thoughts regarding my life experience, the work I had done so far, the challenges and problems I had faced as a result of having diabetes and how I had overcome them. I thought that if I, just an ordinary person, was dealing with all of this and could overcome the majority of obstacles thrown at me, then there must be other people experiencing the same, and perhaps in some way I could use my condition and experience to assist, support and uplift others,” Caine explains.

Caine applied to volunteer at Diabetes South Africa (DSA), Cape Town branch last year November and was afforded the opportunity. His volunteer duties involved assisting with processing membership applications, telephonic support and basic administration and operational duties.

Thankfully Caine’s ability and willingness to help the diabetes community was rewarded by him being offered a full-time job at DSA at the beginning of the year.

He goes on to explain that his duties are similar to when he was volunteering. “However, I have taken on more of a managerial role and helping to co-ordinate and run a project with the National Manager and one of our large sponsors, aQuellé with their Have a Heart for Diabetes campaign.”

“I have taken over as the Branch Manager of the Western Cape operation and this includes a more focussed approach to finding funding opportunities and increasing our membership numbers. I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

Structure and routine

The 42-year-old admits that he is a methodical and systematic person in that he likes structure and keeping to schedules. “I eat the same foods for breakfast and lunch each day. I only drink one cup of coffee in the morning and ensure I drink a litre of water every day and monitor my glucose level before each meal and generally try to follow the same routines in life.”

He adds, “I find that this helps with controlling my glucose levels. I believe that eating regularly, testing my glucose regularly and eating balanced and healthy low glycaemic meals can only better improve my control.”

When asked what his healthy habits are, Caine responds, “I don’t smoke or drink alcohol and ensure I drink more than 1 litre of good quality spring water every day, not tap water. I hardly ever eat junk food or highly processed foods; I believe that if you want your body to function at an optimal level, then you need to supply it with the best possible ingredients. I stay away from taking medication for every ache and ensure I don’t consume products containing added sugars; this is effectively an acid and a contaminate and your body needs to remain at a balanced pH level, or at least a slightly more alkaline state otherwise it degrades internally and allows for more disease to grow and increases the possibility of internal inflammation.”

“My grandfather always used to say, ‘You are what you eat’ which is a saying I try to live by. Thus, I eat low-GI food often and a balanced meal every night, consisting of protein in the form of meat (limiting red meat), starch in the form of potatoes, brown rice, or whole grain pasta with two different colour vegetables.”

Diabetes complications

Thankfully, Caine hasn’t experienced many diabetes complications other than occasional peripheral neuropathy in his arms and hands, and damaged blood vessels in his eyes which resulted in laser surgery on both eyes and a vitrectomy on his right eye.

He adds that he occasionally suffers with sleep issues. “This is mainly due to hypoglycaemia, but not often. Since I’ve been on a more stable night-time insulin and I have taken the time and trouble to test my glucose before I go to bed, in the interest of putting my mind at ease, I find that I’m able to sleep better and more soundly, and I don’t often wake up feeling concerned or being hypoglycaemic.”

“Stress also plays a big role in that if I have had a very stressful day or have over-exerted myself physically or even emotionally, it can lead to my glucose level falling quite drastically when I’m asleep at night, and then my body and my muscle’s feel completely drained, sore and weak the next day.”

He adds that when he is very active on days when there is high humidity or temperatures can also cause his glucose level to drop suddenly, so it is important that he doesn’t overexert himself in these conditions.

We wish Caine all the best in his new role at DSA and thank him for his desire to help the diabetes community.

Laurelle Williams is the Editor at Word for Word Media. She graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Live Performance. She has a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Her aim is to educate, encourage and most of all show there is always hope. Feel free to email Laurelle on editor@diabetesfocus.co.za

MEET OUR EDITOR

Laurelle Williams is the Editor at Word for Word Media. She graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Live Performance. She has a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Her aim is to educate, encourage and most of all show there is always hope. Feel free to email Laurelle on editor@diabetesfocus.co.za

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Robin Breedeveld

Robin Breedeveld – Living in Africa

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Foreign student, Robin Breedeveld, tells us why she chose to volunteer at Diabetes South Africa and about her adventures in SA so far.

Robin Breedeveld (22) stays in Rondebosch, Cape Town and is currently studying at the University of Cape Town (UCT). S

Studying in SA

Originally from the Netherlands, I completed my bachelor’s degree but moved to Cape Town South Africa to complete a master’s degree in international development studies with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa.

For this reason I figured that UCT would be the best place to continue my studies, and I moved to Cape Town in February 2022. Cape Town is an amazing versatile city to live in and I’m learning a lot about myself and the world by living abroad. I currently live very close to the university. I like to walk so I try to walk to university, although it’s uphill and my blood glucose always steeply drops after that walk.

Diagnosis

My diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes happened when I was six years old. I remember being incredibly thirsty, and this wouldn’t go away despite all the glasses of water I drank. My parents would put me to bed but I would sneak out of my bed and tiptoe to the tap to drink more, and tiptoe again to the toilet. At first, my parents got mad because they thought I stubbornly wouldn’t go to sleep, but very soon they realised I should see the GP.

After a glucose test, we discovered I had Type 1 diabetes. I started my diabetic journey with injections on a very strict diet. Not necessarily low carb at all, but my doctor had a schedule of how many carbs I should eat every day and exactly how much insulin I should inject for that. I used both long-acting and short-acting insulin.

Insulin pump

The doctors in the Netherlands wanted to get me on the insulin pump for a while, but I refused because I didn’t like the idea of having something permanently attached to my body. But once I turned 12 and puberty hit, my hormones spiked my blood glucose through the roof and the doctors said I had no choice anymore but going on the insulin pump.

That turned out to be one of the best turning points in my life. I no longer suffered from the tender bruises that I had on my legs from injecting, and I was able to pretty much eat anything as long as I correct it with the pump (although pizza and Asian noodles always seem to stay a problem).

Alongside the pump, I was still finger-pricking. Once I turned 19, I was able to get the FreeStyle Libre sensor. This has been so helpful in reducing my feelings of diabetes burnout because it reduces the amount of actions of having to finger-prick so much. It also really helps with exercising and improving my awareness of what my blood glucose levels are doing overall.

Diabetes youth camps

From when I got diagnosed, my parents sent me to diabetes youth camps in the Netherlands. For an entire week, I would be surrounded by other kids with diabetes, even group leaders with diabetes, and there were so many fun activities.

This was a great, eye-opening and empowering experience for me, because I realised that I wasn’t the only child in the world with diabetes. From that first camp experience onwards, I ended up going every year until I turned 12. I made some really good friends at those camps, and still keep in contact with some.

DSA volunteer

I always wanted to go back to one of these camps in my twenties. My friend (who I met at a camp)  and I had the ambition to go together as team leaders one day. Unfortunately, we never got to do that together as she abruptly passed away at 19.

When I moved to South Africa, I decided that both for myself, and in honour of my friend, I would get involved in diabetes youth camps in Cape Town. I googled and came across Diabetes South Africa (DSA) and started volunteering.

It has been a really rewarding experience and I’m so happy I became involved. It was so nice being a group leader at Camp Diabetable that took place recently, and to see the effect it has on kids with diabetes, just like it had on me when I was younger. I aim to stay involved with DSA until I leave Cape Town. The DSA team has also started feeling as my own little family here in South Africa.

The ups and downs

Diabetes has never really affected my work or education. Of course, a bad day of blood glucose levels or a sleepless night because of lows can affect your deadlines, but I have generally found that teachers at UCT and back at home are very understanding. In my experience, they are quite lenient in providing deadline extensions if I need them, although that is rarely the case. I also just try to be kind to myself when that happens, despite how frustrating it may be.

An active life

I love being active; I’ve been playing rugby since I was 15 years old and I also really love hiking. With diabetes, this isn’t always easy. One of my horror stories is that I went on a not very known hike on Table Mountain with a friend and we were completely lost. We couldn’t find the trail anywhere. Initially the hike was supposed to take max five hours, but it ended up taking us nine. And of course, I only took food and drinks for five hours and I ran out of energy bars and juice while we were still climbing up. I even ate all the energy bars from my friends who I was hiking with.

Luckily, my blood glucose level was stable at that moment, but I was afraid of what would happen if it were to drop. I decided to take my pump off completely and just hope for the best. Once we got to the top, we were also unlucky because the restaurant and cable car were far from where we were and we still didn’t see any people on the trail. We decided we would go down slowly and if my blood glucose dropped, we would have to call the Table Mountain emergency line.

Eventually, we saw a couple walk in the distance and we screamed for help. Luckily, they had so much food and sugar on them. We decided to accompany them all the way down and that is how everything turned out well in the end. So, my tip would be, as a person with diabetes, please take food and drinks for three days on any hike, even if it’s only supposed to take two hours.

Rugby

When it comes to rugby, I try to always start training with a blood glucose level of 8 – 12, and in the middle of training I inject a little bit of insulin so that I don’t skyrocket afterwards. This works quite well for me.

Sometimes, rugby coaches don’t really understand my diabetes which can be frustrating. They might not understand that if I’m low, I can’t go back on the field immediately after a sip of juice. They do not understand that I need a solid 15 minutes to feel slightly better.

A few weeks ago, I went on a rugby tournament to Kimberley. After having had a bus ride of 12 hours, only having eaten breakfast and arriving in Kimberley in the evening, the coach spontaneously decided to do an hour training before dinner in 30 degrees. I tried to communicate that this really doesn’t work for me and can cause problematic blood glucose levels, especially after not eaten anything since breakfast, but the coaches failed to understand and didn’t accommodate my needs. It was really frustrating but I’m never afraid to stand up for myself, so that is what I did. In this instance, I recommend young people with diabetes to stand up for themselves, and if people aren’t interested to hear about your situation, you must choose for yourself and make them understand, whether they want to or not. I think diabetes has taught me this skill and has taught me to sometimes be fierce, if really necessary.

Visible pump and sensor

I never feel the need to hide my diabetes from people. I always wear my pump visibly on my trousers, and the sensor is also quite often visible. It has actually resulted in the nicest encounters with other people with diabetes. Once I was walking on the street, and as a guy passed me, he stopped, took his pump out and shouted, “Buddies!”

Last month I went to Rocking the Daisies, a music festival, and a girl came up to me because she saw my sensor. She showed me hers, and we ended up giving each other tips on which alcoholic drinks are best for our blood glucose.

Of course, sometimes non-diabetics ask me funny questions like if I’m recording them (sometimes they think my pump is an old MP3 player), but I’ve never gotten negative comments. Even if I did, I don’t think I would care.

Living my life like anyone else

Diabetes has never stopped me from doing what I want to do. Age 19, I went solo backpacking through Kenya and Tanzania then went back to live in Kenya for three months at age 21, and went wild camping and hiking through the Swiss mountains. I didn’t experience major struggles related to my diabetes doing this, I just made sure I had enough food, pump consumables and insulin with me and a bag to keep my insulin cold.

My diabetes has also not stopped me from pursuing my dream of studying and living abroad. Of course, it always remains an extra challenge. You always have to make sure you have the right stuff with you to make sure you don’t get into tricky situations like what happened to me on Table Mountain.

When I arrived in South Africa I was also really confused with how the medical system works here, because in the Netherlands it works completely differently. It took me months to figure it out, but it has never been a reason to hold me back. I encourage every person living with diabetes to just do the badass things they want to do and to not be afraid! All it requires is a little extra planning.

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Sharon Sampie

Sharon Sampie – Living her best life

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Sharon Sampie has lived with Type 2 diabetes for over 20 years and has been living her best life. She tells us all about her adventures.

Sharon Sampie (60) lives in Plumstead, Cape Town. She is divorced. 

Type 2 diagnosis

Sharon was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in her late thirties. The diagnosis came about when she had a routine medical check-up and one of the outcomes was that Sharon had pre-diabetes.

“Due to both my parents having diabetes and testing my blood glucose regularly as I was an active advanced life support paramedic at the time, I knew that there was a high possibility of me developing diabetes too. I had a good understanding of diabetes due to my career choice,” she explains.

The 60-year-old is insulin-dependent (short- and long-acting) and also takes metformin tablets. She still finger-pricks to test her blood glucose once a day, sometimes twice.

Managing hypos

Sharon says she has experienced many hypo episodes. One being when she was walking the Camino from Portugal to Spain in 2019. “Obviously I took insulin and didn’t eat enough and did too much strenuous activity. But thankfully, I had everything on hand to correct it. Unfortunately, the reason for me experiencing many hypos is due to not eating enough.” She adds that the insulin bag she bought from Diabetes South Africa came in handy for this trip, to keep her insulin cold.

She goes on to say that managing her diabetes consists of taking her medication and testing her blood glucose daily. “I’m also very conscious of cutting out carbohydrates, especially rice, pasta and potatoes. So, I replace potatoes with sweet potatoes and eat very little rice and when I do I use Tastic Rice as this brand has a lower glycaemic index. The recommended pasta brands for people with diabetes is Mr Pasta and Pasta Grande. This info I got from two books namely Eat Smart and Stay Slim – The GI Diet and Dr Atkins’ New Diet Revolution.”

Unfortunately, my exercise programme has been much reduced, but I need to get it up again. I was an avid hiker when I was younger. I have a treadmill at home that I should spend much more time on. “

Sharon walked 260km from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain in 2019.

Sharon walked approximately 260km from Porto, Portugal to Santiago, Spain in 2019.

Lions Club International

Sharon has been a member of Lions Club International since 2006; she belongs to the Bergvliet Lions Club. She was elected as the District 410w Chairperson for diabetes in July 2022; this district comprises Namibia, Northern Cape and Western Cape. Due to this new role, she contacted Diabetes South Africa to see how she could get involved. A project was discussed but at the time Sharon couldn’t assist.

However, she asked about transportation of children to the upcoming Camp Diabetable Western Cape. Margot McCumisky, national manager of DSA, explained that this was one of the biggest hurdles as a bus company had quoted R6 000.

Sharon knew she could assist as she works for the Department of Health Emergency Services and manages the transport for non-emergency transport. “I got authorisation to transport the children as they are children with a health issue. It gave me great joy to be able to offer this service. I picked up kids from three provincial hospitals and took them to the camp site.”

Sharon with some on the children she transported to Camp Diabetable.

Sharon with some on the children she transported to Camp Diabetable.

 

 

World Diabetes Day

As part of the Athlone Lions Club in collaboration with Groote Schuur Hospital, Sharon joined by assisting with the free testing station in the hospital’s main passage way this past World Diabetes Day. She says many of the staff as well as patients got tested.

My message to newly diagnosed patients is, “It’s really all about nutrition and exercise, avoidance or smaller portions of carbohydrates and sugar.”

Since Sharon is a Lions Club International ambassador for diabetes, she grabs any opportunity to do online assessments or awareness. “Once I went camping with friends and I even took my banner with and at the camp site I did some online assessments. When a person asks a question, I will go on and explain as much as I can.”

Sharon doing blood glucose tests for World Diabetes Day at Groote Schuur Hospital.

Sharon doing blood glucose tests for World Diabetes Day at Groote Schuur Hospital.

MEET OUR EDITOR

Laurelle Williams is the Editor at Word for Word Media. She graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Live Performance. She has a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Her aim is to educate, encourage and most of all show there is always hope. Feel free to email Laurelle on editor@diabetesfocus.co.za

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Tshepo Howza Mosese

Tshepo Howza Mosese – Making the change

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Kwaito singer and TV actor, Tshepo Howza Mosese, was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of 20. We hear how he changed his lifestyle after he was diagnosed.

Although Tshepo Howza Mosese has a family history of Type 2 diabetes, he was caught off-guard by the diagnosis; especially given his young age. Like many young people, he believed that diabetes was a condition that affected older people.

Type 1 diabetes primarily occurs in children and adolescents and is believed to be an interplay between environmental and genetic factors. Type 2 diabetes accounts for 90-95% of individuals living with diabetes and typically occurs in older adults with genetic and environmental factors, particularly diet and exercise having a role in the development of the condition.

After recovering from the shock of his diagnosis, Howza was proactive about taking charge of his health and has never been shy about his diabetes diagnosis. He uses every opportunity he gets to raise awareness and educate people about diabetes using different platforms.

Making the change

After his diagnosis, Howza made the wise decision to change his lifestyle and make sure he takes care of himself the best way possible by engaging in regular exercise, eating a healthy balanced diet, and regularly checking his blood glucose levels.

His journey of managing his condition was not an easy one. He started losing weight, having blurred vision, dehydration, frequent urination, and loss of energy.

“I have lived with the condition for many years, and over the years I have learned to make health and lifestyle choices that support my ongoing quest to live well and maintain healthy blood glucose levels.”

Being diagnosed with diabetes didn’t stop Howza from pursuing his dreams and aspirations. He continued with his acting career and used his popularity to communicate the importance of understanding your body and ways to better take care of yourself with or without diabetes. He continues to live a healthy lifestyle and shares his journey with legions of people in the country.

Tshepo Howza Mosese

This article is sponsored in the interest of education and awareness by Sanofi. The article has not been changed or altered in anyway by the sponsor.

This article was written by Britespark communications on behalf of Sanofi.

Thapi Semenya – Passionate about advocacy

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We chat to Thapi Semenya, who has been living with Type 1 diabetes for 16 years, about how she uses social media as a platform for diabetes advocacy.

About Thapi

Thapi Semenya is a diabetes advocate and uses her social media accounts to educate about her multiple chronic conditions namely diabetes, vitiligo and bipolar disorder.

She is currently studying Law and is a looking to specialise in health law. Her passion for advocacy started in 2018 when she realised that she wanted to form a community and allow for a space where people living with diabetes can come together and share their hopes and struggles. The focus of her advocacy is access to basic diabetes management and affordability of diabetes technologies.

Thapi is also a dedoc° voice; dedoc° is an international community by and for people with diabetes, and she is also a trainee in the IDF Young Leaders in Diabetes programme for 2022-2024.

Her volunteer work includes working as a professional advisor for a Glasgow-based charity, The Luna Project UK, that is committed to raising awareness of and supporting disabled young people

One-on-one with Thapi

When were you diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes?

I was diagnosed in 2006.

What were your symptoms?

Nausea, excessive thirst, frequent urination.

When and why do you advise people to start testing for diabetes?

It’s important to continuously test as diabetes is a condition that can be diagnosed at any stage in your life, but it’s important to test when you show symptoms or if you know you have a family history of diabetes.

What treatment do you use to manage your diabetes?

A continuous glucose monitor and multiple daily insulin injections.

How often do you test your glucose levels?

Because I wear a continuous glucose monitor, I get my readings every five minutes. However, I pay more attention to them before meals and two hours after meals.

Have you experienced an hypo (hypoglycaemia) episode and how did you treat it?

Yes, I have frequent hypos and I treat them by eating a fruit, like a banana, or glucose sweets. Sometimes fruit juice also works but it ultimately ends up spiking my blood glucose levels so I try to avoid it.

How do you manage your diabetes?

Changing from a glucometer to a continuous glucose monitor has been one of the best ways to manage my diabetes. Besides the continuous glucose monitor, I exercise and move around often, drink water, eat smaller portions at every meal, snack regularly and check my blood glucose levels habitually which enables me to do corrections, especially when I’ve eaten something that could potentially increase my blood glucose levels.

What is the most challenging aspect of nutrition for you?

The most frustrating aspect of nutrition is how we as people living with diabetes are expected to follow diets such as the low-carb diet. I find this extremely frustrating as not all households can afford this particular diet, and most of the staple foods we eat, especially in African homes, contain a lot of carbohydrates.

Has diabetes ever affected your work or education?

It has affected my education. In 2019, I had to move back home when COVID started due to the fact that people living with diabetes were considered to be high-risk of contracting COVID so I had to go from being a full-time student to a part-time student and studying online at home.

Do you ever feel the need to hide your diabetes from people?

No, I’m comfortable to talk about my condition.

How do you raise awareness about diabetes amongst your peers?

By advocating on my social media platforms. I do community work and run support groups for other people living with diabetes. I volunteer at various diabetes organisations to help people receive insulin and I’m part of international diabetes communities, such as dedoc° voices, which allows us to interact with other diabetes advocates around the world. Luckily, we get scholarships to attend conferences namely EASD, ATTD and ISPAD. Through attending these conferences, we take what we learn from them and we pay it forward to our communities.

Do you exercise, if so did you start because you have, or was it a lifestyle choice?

Yes I do. This was a lifestyle choice and mainly because I love moving around.

What has diabetes not stopped you from doing?

Diabetes has not stopped me from obtaining my degree, getting my voice heard on large platforms, modelling, or being anything I want to be. I have done so much and diabetes has helped me to grow as an individual.

Thapi 1
Thapi 2

This article is sponsored in the interest of education and awareness by Sanofi. The article has not been changed or altered in anyway by the sponsor.

This article was written by Britespark communications on behalf of Sanofi.

Cecilia Gyan

Cecilia Gyan – Newly diagnosed

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Cecilia Gyan has been newly diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. She shares how she has modified her lifestyle to better her health.

Cecilia Gyan (58) lives in King William’s Town, Eastern Cape with her husband of 31 years. They have three children.

Diagnosed after having COVID

Cecilia was diagnosed in July 2022 with Type 2 diabetes several months after having COVID. “I don’t know if it was brought on by COVID. But I do have a family history of diabetes; my mon had Type 1 and my dad had Type 2. Because of this I have maintained a healthy lifestyle as she encouraged me to take care of my health. Though, when I was pregnant with my first two children, my blood glucose levels were high but I was never put on medication. I was advised to be more active and watch my diet. After giving birth, my blood glucose regulated. I had my last child when I was 42 and surprisingly had no blood glucose problems during that pregnancy, but then I had lost over 12kg by then and that could have contributed to not experiencing any problems.”

The 58-year-old got COVID in December 2021. “Around April 2022, I realised that I was urinating more often than usual, especially at night, about six to eight times before dawn, and I also felt generally under the weather. I visited my GP who did a finger-prick test and it was high (11). He advised me to change my diet to try and lower it,” Cecilia explains.

After a second visit to her GP, a HbA1c test was done which was confirmed that she had Type 2 diabetes. “He prescribed 500mg of metformin. However, after the first week, my blood glucose readings weren’t decreasing so my GP doubled my dosage to the morning and evening.”

Family history of diabetes

Apart from both Cecilia’s parents having diabetes, her husband was diagnosed with Type 2 in 2005. “Because of my parents, this news didn’t feel like a train smash. I felt it was a condition that you can live with. My husband has been very supportive of my diagnosis and has taught me how to prick my finger and check my blood glucose readings. He puts the pin in the instrument for me the night before so that I can test in the mornings. We have always ate similar things so now cooking from a single pot is easier.”

“My daughter, who is a medical doctor, was also diagnosed with Type 2 in 2017. She was prescribed metformin. But thankfully due to her changing her lifestyle through diet and exercise, she no longer needs to take any medication.”

Challenges

“Even though most of my family has diabetes, my diagnosis has been hard on me, it’s different when you are diagnosed! I struggled with acceptance and woke up crying a couple of times.”

Cecilia goes on to say, “Personally, my struggle has been not being able to eat what I want and portion sizes. I felt weak and hungry all the time after eating the recommended portion size. The cravings have stopped ever since I started medication. My daughter helped me out temporarily with her meal plans and I have now consulted with a dietitian. This has helped me tremendously in terms of portion size and what I love which I can include in my diet.”

“I also felt tired more often and it’s difficult to be physically active when you’re hungry and fatigued. For the first three weeks of taking the medication, I had side effects, mostly nausea. Thankfully that has subsided.”

Another challenging aspect of nutrition for Cecilia is “it gets boring eating greens all the time. Also, I have to plan around my eating. Preparing beforehand is essential for eating correctly. My biggest headache is when I have to travel for work purposes. I realised that breakfast tends to be difficult and depending on the accommodation provided, healthy food choices in terms of greens may not be available or the same every day. There is very little flexibility.”

Aiming for steady readings

“Since I’m newly diagnosed, I’m still trying to get steady reading continuously. After my daughter’s meal plan, I’ve seen readings being steady (5-6) which makes me feel good that I’m doing something right. And now with the dietitian’s help, I’m doing well.I test my  blood glucose level every morning.”

Cecilia experienced her first episode of hypoglycaemia in August. “I didn’t know if I was having a hypo or if it was a hot flush. I felt weak and was sweaty. I ate a boiled egg and after eating it I felt better.”

Lifestyle adjustments

Cecilia has changed her diet; she has cut out red meat and gets her protein from eating eggs and fish. She doesn’t consume dairy as she has gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). She has also started walking 30 minutes a day or does other exercise. “I’m also making a deliberate effort to take regular breaks away from my desk and laptop. I stretch and walk around,” she says.

The mother of three has lost about 4kg and she says that people are commenting on it. “I use this opportunity to inform them about my diabetes and the fact that diet is what is making me lose weight, without much effort.”

Accepting diabetes as part of life

The 58-year-old is open about having diabetes with work colleagues.“I tend to be upfront about it so that if I seem to be a bit fussy, especially when eating out, the host or my colleagues will understand,” Cecilia explains. However, she adds that travelling for work is a concern as she worries about experiencing hypoglycaemia.

“I need to see my diagnosis in a positive light and move with it. There will definitely be challenges but with family support and knowledge from reputable sources, I will thrive and not let my diabetes define me.”

And this is what Cecilia is doing. “I have gone back to dressing up because of the weight loss and I’m looking after myself properly. I’m my priority now. As a mother, we tend to look after everybody else and now, I look after me first.”

Diabetes may have some control of her life but laughing is not one of them. “Diabetes doesn’t stop anyone from laughing! Laughter is great medicine too.”

Images supplied.

This article is sponsored in the interest of education and awareness by Sanofi. The article has not been changed or altered in anyway by the sponsor.

Thato Jones

Go-getter Jones

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Thato Jones has his eyes set on a rugby career after matric. He shares how he realised that his diabetes doesn’t have to define who he is.

Thato Jones (18) is currently in his matric year and stays at King Edward VII School Hostel during the week and on weekends in Krugersdorp, Gauteng with his parents, Zinto and Lavern.

Diagnosis 

At the age of 10, in April 2015, Thato was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. He experienced excessive thirst, painful stomach cramps and numerous bathroom breaks. “I wasn’t feeling well and lacked energy. One afternoon after school I told my mom that my teacher asked whether I was sick. My mom asked if other teachers had asked that question too. She was shocked to hear that quite a few had. Since she didn’t notice any changes due to her seeing me every day, she decided to take me to the pharmacy where I was given Citro-Soda but was also advised to see a doctor. That same evening I landed up in hospital as I had diabetic ketoacidosis,” Thato explains.

Thato says he knew a little about Type 2 diabetes before he was diagnosed due to the Personal and Social Well-being class at school. Though, his knowledge of Type 1 is expansive today.

Treatment and management

Thato currently uses insulin before every meal, this is usually three times a day. He checks his glucose levels four times a day, before every meal and before bedtime.

He has been at boarding school since 2018 and says eating the bulk prepared food hasn’t been an issue with managing his diabetes.

The 18-year-old says he has been upfront about his diabetes with dorm mates, team mates, close friends and a few teachers. However, he chooses not to overshare. “It isn’t because I’m shy or embarrassed about it, it’s quite the opposite. I test my blood glucose whenever I need to and I inject wherever I want to. I just don’t want to feel like a burden.”

He adds that he has taught close friends and people that he trusts how to help him when he experiences low blood glucose levels. “A quick fix for a hypo is drinking Coke, or eating a Super C or something sweet. Managing my diabetes is almost like second nature. I know what to do and when to do it.”

Go-getter

Thato explains that when he was first diagnosed he thought that his diabetes defined him as a person. “But I soon realised that I don’t have to allow diabetes to control my life and I won’t allow it to control my life. I define myself; I’m a go-getter and believe in hard work, and often I’m hard on myself but this is because I want to achieve my goals.”

Thato has already achieved many of his short-term sport goals: “I played 1st team rugby at Monument Primary and was captain of the team. I represented Gauteng at different provincial weeks for rugby, cricket and athletics at primary school. Now in high school, I made it on the 1st rugby team for King Edward VII School this year in the position of wing while last year I was part of the 2nd rugby team. I also play basketball and participate in athletics. I live a normal life and go to gym four to five times a week.”

The young man has his eyes set on pursuing a rugby career after finishing matric.

Managing diabetes as a sportsman

“During rugby season my blood glucose levels are close to normal (no highs are experienced) due to the physical activity during practices and matches. Because my blood glucose levels are almost normal, I take less insulin dosages. Before physical activity, I have a pre-game or practice snack, such as a Futurelife bar, or have an Energade or Powerade, or even an apple.”

Thato finds the most challenging aspect of nutrition to be “not being able to consume the amount of carbs that I need to, for example, a protein shake after a gym session. I normally take two thirds of what is recommended.”

Message of encouragement

To honour World Diabetes Day, Thato will be educating school mates about diabetes on this day. “I try to educate them whenever I get the opportunity.” He advises any person to test their blood glucose levels when visiting a GP. “It’s a good thing to know your health status,” he adds. His message to other youth who have recently been diagnosed is “Don’t let diabetes ruin your life. Don’t let it control your life. Carry on. Follow your dreams.”

Images by Donovan Jackson.

Thato Jones T1

This article is sponsored in the interest of education and awareness by Sanofi. The article has not been changed or altered in anyway by the sponsor.

Darren Badenhuizen – wake up and try again

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Darren Badenhuizen, DSA PE management board secretary and joint co-ordinator of the DSA Young Guns, tells us more about his journey of managing Type 1 diabetes.

Darren Badenhuizen (39) stays in Port Elizabeth. He is in a relationship with Paula Thom and has a 11-year-old daughter.

Diagnosed in the UK

I was living in London, UK, in 2007, when I got sick. I was ill for a while and thought I would get better eventually. I thought I had flu, not knowing anything about diabetes. I lost a lot of weight and was weak. I struggled to climb up stairs and urinated a lot. Luckily at that time my mother came to visit friends in the UK. I fetched her from the airport. She was shocked to see what state I was in and dragged me to the hospital. At age 24, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and remained in hospital for three days. They called me a medical miracle as I wasn’t in a coma with a glucose reading of 36.  The doctor prescribed me Lantus and NovoRapid insulin which I still currently take.

A week later, I came back to South Africa. I was upset as it wasn’t on the cards to come back yet. It was only my fourth year living and working as a carpenter in London. But I suppose life obviously had other plans.

Took a while to accept

Honestly, I didn’t handle my diagnosis well. I was 24 and was only living on my long-acting insulin for a while. I don’t think I was educated enough in the UK with the five minute session with a diabetic nurse educator. It took me a long time to accept and understand that I had diabetes as I was set in my ways.

I struggle to think of a positive of living with diabetes and wouldn’t wish this on anyone. The reality is that a person with diabetes always has to consider their diabetes in whatever they do. Diabetes is hard but all you can do is wake up in the morning and try again.

DSA Port Elizabeth

In 2018, a friend was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she fell pregnant and wanted to get involved with DSA. She invited me to go with her to meet up with Paula Thom, who is the co-ordinator of DSA Young Guns. I learnt that there is a group for youngsters living with diabetes. This was very interesting; I wish I had been part of a group like this when I was diagnosed. So, I started attending these get-togethers and that’s how I got involved in DSA Young Guns.

I like to joke that my role is the muscle but I assist Paula with organising the events. I have also been co-opted onto the DSA management board as the secretary.

Being part of this group has enriched my life as I have met many other people living with Type 1 diabetes.

Dating another Type 1

Being in a relationship with someone who also has Type 1 diabetes has its benefits like being able to speak to someone at any time about anything and they understand what you’re going through and where you’re coming from without even having to say that much as they have had something similar at some point or just yesterday.

It also helps with small things, like getting your injection for a meal and then getting theirs too, or doing your long-acting shot and checking if they have done theirs.

Those little things all add up and make it easier which some non-diabetic might not get. Though, I don’t think both having diabetes automatically makes the relationship easier, you still have to work at it but it definitely doesn’t hurt.

Ready for spring

I’m looking forward to spring as it’s a season closer to summer and then I don’t stand out so much for always wearing shorts. I prefer to wear shorts as it’s easier to inject in my thighs.

World Diabetes Day

Megan Soanes, the DSA Port Elizabeth fundraising manager, is organising a walk in and around Port Elizabeth. I’m hoping to spend it with many other Type 1s.

Darren Badenhuizen

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Ethel Magidela

Ethel Magidela – Eight years living with Type 2 diabetes

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Ethel Magidela recalls the day she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and how far she has come since then.

Ethel Nonkosi Magidela (50) lives in Pretoria, Gauteng. She has three adult children.

One evening in 2014, I was watching a movie and my eyes started getting blurry. I thought perhaps there was something wrong with the picture and decided to move closer to the television but there was no change. At the same time, I became so thirsty like an unusual thirst, with my mouth so dry as if I had run a marathon and needed to drink lots and lots of water. I remember I finished a 2-litre jug of water and could not understand what was happening. Added to that, I started feeling extremely tired so went to bed. In the middle of the night, I went to the bathroom back and forth to urinate.

Having lost my late brother and niece from Type 1 diabetes, I thought to myself those could be the signs, but I was in so much denial and told myself it can’t be, not me. So, I ignored the signs, got up the next morning, got into my car and drove my kids to school thinking everything was going to be fine. Boy, was I wrong!

After dropping my kids at school, I started feeling more fatigued. Around 11am I experienced extreme thirst and hunger. I decided to Google, and the symptoms were exactly spot on. Still refusing to accept it, I got ready to pick up my kids from school and afterwards decided to take a nap but was not able too. Finally, I decided to go see a doctor that same afternoon.

Admitted to hospital

When I got to the doctor and told him what I experienced, he did a blood and urine test, and told me my blood glucose was 28.9 and that I definitely had Type 2 diabetes due to the blood test results.

I was admitted into hospital immediately. In fact, the doctor was even surprised that I was still aware of my surroundings and had to ask me twice if I was aware that I’m in his consultation room because of how high my blood glucose was.

The next day I was discharged the following day with medication (metformin 500mg) and had to embark on this new unknown journey of diabetes. I now needed to change my lifestyle and get used to living with it. I started reading every article about diabetes to know what I’m living with. Knowledge is power.

My medication was only changed once in March 2019; I was put on Glucophage 500mg twice a day with a 1.8mg Victoza insulin injection once a day.

The hardest part

I found the following extremely hard when I was first diagnosed:

  • To learn how and when to prick and test on my own.
  • What would be a high or low number for my blood glucose during testing.
  • How many times to test per day and how to stick to the same testing time.
  • To watch my diet, as to what to eat to avoid hyperglycaemia (high blood glucose) or hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose).

Thankfully today I can say I have my daily routine down and have gained knowledge on the tasks I found hard due to constant education about diabetes.

My advice to fellow people with diabetes

  • First accept the diagnosis. Don’t be in denial, take it as a transition to a living a healthy lifestyle.
  • Get as much as possible knowledge about diabetes, by reading articles.
  • Educate your family and close friends so they understand what you are dealing with daily. In that way you’ll have their support, so you don’t feel alone, because you are never alone.
  • Join support groups both on social media and attend in person in your area

Making the best of it

To me the saying Bloom where you are planted means to take advantage of the opportunities in my life (like starting my own support group for diabetes) and be grateful for my current situation and make the best of it.

Currently, I’m eating healthy as possible and watching my starch intake and have lots of veggies in my diet. Soon I will start with Banting. Unfortunately, I don’t exercise as much as I want to, but I do take long walks thrice a week.

World Diabetes Day

This World Diabetes Day, I plan to participate in a local Diabetes Awareness Walk, light up my home in blue, make my friends and colleagues aware about the importance of World Diabetes Day.

 

Visit the A-Z of Diabetes - Your Journey