NOVEMBER is DIABETES AWARENESS MONTH.

Today I was sitting in my classroom on break, browsing "diabetes.ca" to find ideas for my first Diabetes Awareness Month post. I really wanted to find something catchy and insightful...something that would lure you into the month of November...something that would make a compelling argument for your monetary support. I wanted to find something that would hit home and stick with you. Something that you would want to share with your friends and family, your colleagues, and people beside you on the bus.

Well, I think I did.

Here is an excerpt from "The Harsh Reality: Diabetes is a Global Pandemic" (diabetes.ca):

The serious complications

Diabetes can lead to serious complications and premature death:

•80% of Canadians with diabetes die from a heart attack or a stroke;
•42% of new kidney dialysis patients in 2004 had diabetes.
•Diabetes is the single leading cause of blindness in Canada;
•7 of 10 non-traumatic limb amputations are the result of diabetes complications;
•25% of people with diabetes suffer from depression;
•The life expectancy for people with type 1 diabetes may be shortened by as much as 15 years; and
•The life expectancy for people with type 2 diabetes may be shortened by 5 to 10 years.

Harsh is right. It is words like these that make me wish for special online sensorship. Perhaps there could be a button that says, "If someone close to you is affected by diabetes, CLICK HERE". I mean, really....couldn't they have left out a few of those statistics......just for me? Couldn't they have let me keep my "my sister is, and will always be, the happiest person alive" perspective? Who are these intrudors...these looming threats and realities? Why does my sister have to deal with the consequences of something that was not her choice? All these thoughts filled my mind, and at the same time my eyes filled with tears. I grabbed for the tissue box on my desk. We know the significance of ONE YEAR, I thought to myself. How can one begin to argue the significance of FIFTEEN? I sat and cried.

The problem is this: all of these things I have learned before. I have heard them in a biology lecture, taught them to a science class, or read about them in the waiting room. From an academic perspective, I know it all. None of this is new or shocking. None of it is difficult to understand. These are cold, hard facts. And I know them. But it wasn't until TODAY (November 1st, 2010) that I actually made the connection to my sister's future. Why? I have no idea. Perhaps it's because "diabetes" doesn't exist when I'm around her. She doesn't bring it up. She never whines or complains. She simply smiles and lives in the moment. And perhaps when I'm with her, I do too.

Here's the thing about awareness...it MOTIVATES YOU. It makes you want to set goals. It makes you want to achieve. It makes you want to help others. It makes you WHOLE.

In terms of my commitment to Team Diabetes, I don't know if I can work any harder than I am, but I will aim to. I don't know if I can run any faster than I do, but I will try to. I don't know if Phil and I can raise $12,200, but this is our goal. I do know that I can show more passion than I ever have.

This November is Diabetes Awareness Month. In Canada alone, there are 9 million people are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes. Please LISTEN UP! Please LEARN! And please ACT to make this world a healthier place.

The global family is waiting.