It’s hard to put into words the tremendous impact diabetes has on an individual. From waking up at night with an unbearable burning sensation in hands and feet and fainting at school or in the middle of a family gathering and convulsing in tremors, to the pain of constantly pricking the finger to check blood sugar, and counting carbohydrates and monitoring activity levels and timing meals, being diabetic affects one’s life in all ways, every day — there is no escape. But the battle to be normal is one that all diabetics fight tenaciously every minute of the day.
GN Focus spotlights five Dubai-based diabetics whose never-say-die approach to the condition is heartwarming. From empowering their spirit to help conquer the disease to making it their friend, these brave champions have embraced the condition, resolute that they control diabetes and diabetes doesn’t control them.
ROSARIE MEANS, 67, is from the UK and has been living in Dubai for six years. She has six children, three dogs and wants a cat. “I was diagnosed with diabetes six years ago. I happened to visit the doctor to treat a cut on the head that wouldn’t heal. Tests later revealed that I had sebaceous cancer on the head as well as diabetes,” she says.
My initial reaction: “It was disbelief and fear. There were a million questions racing through my head. What’s wrong with me? What can I do to get well? Do I stop eating sugar? Thankfully I’m in the UAE where diabetes is taken seriously, and not in England where they don’t bother with it. I remember going home and straight to the internet and reading everything I could find on it. A lot of it didn’t make sense — after all I had been told I had diabetes and cancer all in the same day.”
Living with the condition: I have become healthier since my diagnosis. I first read all the information, then calmed myself and reread it. Then I began to realise that if you manage it you can live with it. It makes me tired very soon, but I watch what I eat and exercise a lot. I started off with six tablets and now I’m down to just one a day. I check my sugar levels once a day and always keep it under check.”
The right attitude: “The first key rule is don’t panic. Then work at changing your mental attitude. You can’t be a vegetable sitting on sofa all day. You have to manage diabetes.”
What I miss the most: “Now instead of a bowl of ice cream I have a spoon. I’m originally from Ireland; it’s all about potatoes and bread for us. I do love my bread. But do I want that extra slice or do I want my feet. I’ll keep my feet, thank you very much.”
My positive mantra: “I’ve got diabetes — diabetes doesn’t have me.”
SARAH SAMER is a 13-year-old Palestinian studying in grade 9 at Al Mawakeb School Barsha and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2013. “I remember being so tired and sleepy all the time. I couldn’t explain to anyone how disinterested I was with everything around me. Then there were all the other symptoms such as frequent urination and intense thirst and hunger, despite which I lost 11kg in two months,” she says.
My Initial reaction: “When I first knew I had diabetes, I was happy because my parents treated me real special and made such a fuss over me. Then came the fear as I was scared of all the injections I had to take in my tummy. My mum was upset and used to cry during those initial days just about every day — my dad is overprotective.”
Living with the condition: “Depending on what I eat I take about five to six injections a day — I have learnt to give them myself. There’s a standard one injection after every meal and if I have an extra snack or a few bites of cake or eat carbs like rice or pasta, I need to take more injections. Then before I sleep every day I have to take an injection; it’s the bonus dose for the day. I think having diabetes has made me more mature; it’s made me realise so many things. I’m not scared or believe I’m in any danger. My mum encourages me to do everything — I eat whatever I want and do whatever I want; just when I want to exercise I need to check the blood sugar levels.”
The right attitude: “If you think too much about it, then you can’t live a normal life, you will just sit in a room and not be able to do anything. I’m fine, and I believe nothing can happen to me. It’s not controlling me. I’m not stressed, I am careful about what I eat and go jogging and swimming as I wish to take care of my body and want to be healthy and fit."
What I miss the most: “Sometimes the injections hurt — I used to ask why I should take them; why do I need to prick my fingers, it used to hurt so much. Also, why can’t I have a whole slice of cake?”
My positive mantra: “If you treat diabetes as a friend, you can live a normal life.”
ALOK BANERJEE, 46, is an architect and project head with Landmark Group and has been in the UAE for ten years. “I discovered I had diabetes about five years ago. I’ve been a sportsman all my life but the wound I got while playing soccer refused to heal. It was my father who suspected something was amiss. We went to the doctor and the tests revealed I had type 2 diabetes.”
My initial reaction: “I’ve always considered myself a healthy person. I never had weight issues, hence was depressed about the diagnosis. I kept wondering how it happened and why. But my mother has it and the doctors believe it could be hereditary.”
Living with the condition: “It’s life-altering — I no longer take sugar with my tea and watch what I eat. I love Bengali sweets, but now I satisfy myself with a tiny bite. The condition also made me want to live healthier and spare time for myself. However, the reality is that work pressure and stress of the job leaves me little time to relax.”
The right attitude: I am and will always remain a sportsperson and have instilled the same love for sports in my son who is now 14. I make it a point to play with my son. From playing table tennis to swimming, cricket and soccer, the activity has helped me stay healthy and fit as well as cope with the condition. No matter how tired I am, I work out, even if it means going for a jog or getting on to the treadmill at 11 o’clock at night.”
What I miss the most: “The sweets.”
My positive mantra: “Exercise, it’s the best medicine. And a systematic approach to life.
ANAS TANIRA, 22, is a mechanical engineering student at the American University of Sharjah and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at three. “For a long time my parents couldn’t understand what was wrong with me. I was so sick, I had lost a lot of weight, I was listless,” he remembers. “Then one day, while watching the morning show on TV, my mum saw a segment on diabetes. She recognised the symptoms and insisted that my dad take me to the hospital right away.”
My initial reaction: “For the first two years I remember my dad having to hold my hand and give me the injections. By the time I was seven I was giving myself shots. I was always telling people I have diabetes. While it made me different, it also made me unique.”
Living with the condition: “I’m an athlete and part of the track and field team at the university. But it took me two years to participate in the first event. I lead a full life. But it’s not been easy. There are some scary moments, like falling down on the floor and shaking uncontrollably when the sugar levels fluctuate, which happened a lot to me as a child. As you get older you learn to manage the levels. But I think in the beginning it was far tougher on my parents than on me.”
The right attitude: “You can do it. This is not a disability, it’s a relationship, like having a sensitive girlfriend who needs constant time, attention, management and careful handling. You have to be careful about what, when and how much you eat. Family support is essential. All the focus is on the diabetics, but especially in cases of type 1 or juvenile diabetes the family suffers and struggles as much.”
What I miss the most: “I can never do anything without checking in with my parents, without letting them know I’m OK.”
My positive mantra: “You are in the driver’s seat.”
BERTA FARAH is a 20-year-old Jordanian studying advertising at the American University of Dubai and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes more than five years ago. Her story: “I was in school and have always had a little weight issue, so as most teenage girls do, I too was on a diet and was feeling miserable because of it. One day I felt really dizzy and fainted at school. My blood sugar was so low and that’s when they found out I have insulin resistance.”
My initial reaction: “I was scared because the thought of what might happen and all the complications that can arise from diabetes shook me. But my mother refused to let me panic; she kept saying, ‘it’s fine, it is curable.’ My mum didn’t make me feel it was a big deal and that helped me cope with it.”
Living with the condition: “Initially I was severely nauseous and gained weight, but then I realised that I had to do something about my condition and I began to have small meals, kept tabs on my diet and hit the gym every day.”
The right attitude: “I’m glad it happened when it did because I see it as a call for action, to take charge of my life and live healthily. When you read about how bad diabetes can get, it’s best to be caught at a stage where it’s reversible.”
What I miss the most:“I’ve never liked desserts, but I do miss indulging in home-cooked comfort food, which I avoid as it tends to be high in carbs.”
My positive mantra: “Accept it and don’t feel weird talking about it. It can happen to anyone.”
