PETALING JAYA: It is stressful to be diagnosed with diabetes, with medicine and check-ups being a regular feature of one’s life, say patients.
Lecturer Nor Izzah Zainuddin said she was shocked to find out that she was diabetic when she was expecting her first child.
“I drank sugar water and did not think much of it during my prenatal checks.
“So, when I was told that I was gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) with high blood glucose, I felt distressed to have been immediately put on insulin jabs,” she said.
GDM is a condition in which a hormone made by the placenta prevents the body from using insulin effectively.
“Not only did I then try hard to stifle my food cravings and control my diet, I also had to inject insulin into my belly every few hours.
“After I gave birth, I was told to control my blood glucose level as I was warned that if I did not take care of my diet, I would be a diabetic for life,” according to the 37-year-old, who hails from Subang Jaya.
Nor Izzah said she is now reluctant to have another child.
She added that she was further surprised that despite stringent control and lifestyle changes, she learnt she was diabetic just before she began her PhD studies.
“I was given medicine but I did not take it. I started to feel fatigued despite sleeping for many hours.
“I had constant neck pain and I could not concentrate on my studies.
“I decided then to take the prescribed medicine regularly,” said Nor Izzah.
Editor Susan Loone, 61, from Penang, was first diagnosed with diabetes in 2008.
“I had no symptoms but I had hypertension. Later, I found I had diabetes too
“These days, I bring both my hypertension and diabetes under control with medication,” said Loone as she showed the array of tablets she needs to take daily.
Saying that the medicine provided to her by Penang Hospital is of high quality, she added: “It’s a blessing that I am getting the medicine at a subsidy because not all of us can afford it.”
