PITSO MOLEMANE | Growing up with diabetes was tough

I am a 46-year-old journalist and I have been living with diabetes since I was nine.

At least 4.2-million South Africans are living with diabetes and this number is predicted to increase by another million by 2030, according to a report by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF).

IDF says one in nine adult South Africans have diabetes and the number has doubled compared to the 1.9-million recorded in the past 10 years.

I have lived 90% of my entire life with diabetes. Basically, I am in holy marriage to this disease. But I am not complacent, hence I continue to improve my understanding of the disease in order to win the fight against it. 

Like millions of individuals living with the disease, I start each day differently. 

First thing I do when I wake up is to check my blood sugar level before taking a bath or eating breakfast.

A normal blood sugar or glucose level, irrespective of having diabetes, should be between 5 and 7mmol/L.

Knowing the level of sugar in the blood every morning helps me to make good choices of how I will be approaching the day.

I then take an injection of insulin and thereafter I bathe. My breakfast, just like any meal of the day needs to be balanced and healthy.

I am consistent with the time I take my breakfast and I can't skip it. Between breakfast and lunch I have a snack, which is either a fruit, carrot, boiled egg or some nuts.

My lunch must also be healthy, preferably a home-cooked meal. Another snack time late in the afternoon.

When I get home from work, I go back to square one – I prick my finger to check my sugar levels.

This exercise helps with making a good choice when preparing dinner. After checking the blood sugar level, I take another injection of insulin.

So for me to survive on daily basis, I need to take two injections of insulin, one in the morning another in the evening.

I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and have been doing all this for nearly 40 years. (Type 1 diabetes is a genetic condition that often shows up early in life, which explains why it used to be referred to as juvenile diabetes. It is treated through daily dosages of injected insulin. Type 2 diabetes is mainly lifestyle-related and develops over a period of years.)

Life with diabetes is very challenging as this disease needs attention.

Sugar in the blood sugar is the source of energy for the body. If it is not controlled, it will affect the body and might lead to death. 

As a young boy growing up in Bapong village in Brits, North West, it was difficult to come to terms with diabetes. I had to frequently go to the hospital to check my sugar levels.

I had to inject myself, keep a notebook with blood sugar readings. It was difficult for a young me.

I remember at times praying for God to take me, asking him why I got this disease. 

Having this disease was a taboo in my community. It was known as a disease for whites and rich people, which clearly showed lack of understanding and knowledge.

I hid it from my extended family, friends and colleagues. There was no history of the disease in the entire Molemane family.

I became the first one to get it, at least the first the family knew about. My grandparents and parents had no recollection of any of the great grandparents, uncles or aunties who had it.

Years after my diagnosis other family members started developing it and some even succumbed to it. As a child I had to discipline myself by not eating cakes and sweets at birthday celebrations.

I had to force myself to cut on food with sugar content, including nice snacks like chocolates which children enjoy.

Today, I am a survivor and an activist helping others to live with the condition. I had eyes and gum problems, and experienced harrowing health complications, including hospitalisation in ICU for seizures and surviving a stroke attack.

I continue to follow the doctors' advise to fight diabetes. The most important one is taking medicine consistently.

I also eat healthy to defeat it. I eat a lot of vegetables, some as raw as they are. I exercise to keep my body active. I walk to the shops instead of driving.

Diabetes prevalence, is increasing at a fast rate in the country. The IDF says one in three South African adults have impaired fasting glucose commonly known as pre-diabetes.

Africa has the highest prevalence.

If diabetes is not controlled, blood sugar in the body goes up and can cause other health problems or diseases which will affect other parts of the body.

Diabetes has long-term life threatening complications, including death, if it is not managed well. It can cause blindness, stroke, heart diseases, damage to the blood vessels, kidney failure, nerve damage, and lower limb amputation.

Despite the staggering numbers, there are still many people who do not know much about diabetes. It is for this reason that I will be writing for you every last Friday of the month about this killer disease.

I will talk to doctors, researchers and other survivors who will give us important information about diabetes. 

• Molemane is a journalist at KayaFM