diabetes

There are several types of diabetes. I have type 1. Type 1 diabetes (which is
also called Juvenile Diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes) is an
autoimmune disease. That is a big word that means that my own body
attacked itself - in this case, my own body destroyed a very important
part of me : vital cells in my pancreas. The pancreas produces a hormone
called insulin. A doctor explained insulin to me by describing that it acts like
a key. All the cells in our body need sugar , but the 'doors' of the cells are
locked. Insulin is the 'key' that allows the sugar to get in. Without the 'key'
of insulin, all the sugar in my body is stuck in my blood stream; it is locked
out of my cells, which need it for energy. I get REALLY tired, unable to do
anything, because my cells themselves have no energy - they are starving.
BUT, I get more and more sugar in my blood. My blood becomes thick and
doesn't circulate as well as it should. When this happens, they say that my
blood sugar is HIGH. That is not good. I get high lots. I need insulin to bring
down my blood sugar.