In 2017, 34-year-old police officer Prince Blue felt unwell but couldn’t pinpoint the reason.
He regularly had check-ups, and his lab results were always normal. However, he experienced frequent urination, dizziness, and unexplained weight loss.
During a vacation in Mexico, Blue’s condition worsened, leading to difficulty reading street signs. This incident made him suspect diabetes for the first time.
Back in North Carolina, a similar experience while on duty led him to seek medical attention. The diagnosis was type 2 diabetes, a condition where the body doesn’t respond correctly to insulin. With medical support, insulin, other medications, diet changes, exercise, and a glucose monitor, Blue now manages his blood sugar, blood pressure, and weight more effectively. However, he admits it’s an ongoing challenge.
He experiences neuropathy, a diabetic complication causing nerve damage, affecting his ability to feel textures and grip objects.
Blue’s family history of type 2 diabetes and his own health indicators like weight and high blood pressure hinted at the possibility of diabetes, but he wasn’t diagnosed until his blood glucose levels skyrocketed.
Blue feels he overlooked the advice to manage his weight and blood pressure, contributing to his condition. He also wasn’t diagnosed with prediabetes, where blood glucose levels are elevated but not enough for a diabetes diagnosis.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states nearly 40% of Americans have prediabetes.
More than 10% have diabetes, either type 2 or type 1, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks insulin-producing cells.
