Diabetes Awareness Month, Team DiaBatman, and a Giveaway!

Note: Okay, so on my last Wordless Wednesday post, I said I would let everyone know where I've been and why I went MIA from my blog for a couple of weeks. I then realized I had a much more important topic to write about this week so I promise I will get around to writing about my most recent adventure.

When I was a little girl of about 7 or 8, I remember sitting in the living room with my biological father as he showed me how to draw a tiny drop of blood to test his blood sugar. At that time, I didn't understand what it meant and I'm sure I just wanted to go outside and play with my friends. Fast forward to my 1st year in college when I had to go to the student medical center to get a check up. I remember being told by the doctor that I was prediabetic and that I needed to start monitoring myself. At the time, like most people in their early 20s, I was in denial and didn't want to think about being "sick." As I entered my mid to late 20s, I started to notice I was getting tired all the time. My mom had recently gone to the doctor for a physical and she had been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Since diabetes is highly heredity, I decided it was time to face the facts that I needed to get myself checked.

This topic is not my usual light hearted subject about baking and recipes but just like baking, it's a topic that I hold very dear to my heart. November is National Diabetes Awareness month and along with 18.8 million diagnosed children and adults in the United States, I am a diabetic (type 2). I just wanted to share a few shocking statistics about diabetes:

Total: 25.8 million children and adults in the United States—8.3% of the population—have diabetes.

Undiagnosed: 7.0 million people

Prediabetes: 79 million people*

New Cases: 1.9 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed in people aged 20 years and older in 2010.

* In contrast to the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, which used fasting glucose data to estimate undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes, the 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet uses both fasting glucose and A1C levels to derive estimates for undiagnosed diabetes and prediabetes. These tests were chosen because they are most frequently used in clinical practice.

Under 20 years of age

• 215,000, or 0.26% of all people in this age group have diabetes
• About 1 in every 400 children and adolescents has diabetes

Age 20 years or older

• 25.6 million, or 11.3% of all people in this age group have diabetes

Age 65 years or older

• 10.9 million, or 26.9% of all people in this age group have diabetes

Diabetes can also cause complications such as heart disease, high blood pressure, blindness, kidney disease, nervous system damage, and amputation when not controlled. In 2007, the total cost of diagnosed diabetes in the United States is $174 billion.

Information obtained from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/?loc=DropDownDB-stats

Unfortunately, there is no cure for diabetes yet. Many of us who are diabetic have to monitor our blood sugar everyday, exercise, and take medication such as pills or insulin. It's not an easy road but with your help, we're on our way. So how am I doing my part and how can you help this year? I'm doing it by assisting a family friend and her daughter who has a form of type-1 diabetes. Her name is Rachael Stickles and although we have two different forms of diabetes and our paths are very different, we share a common goal to make people aware of diabetes and agree that something needs to be done to find a cure. Read more about Rachael's journey here. On November 12, 2011, Rachael's team, Team DiaBatman and half a million walkers will be involved in the JDRF's Walk to Cure Diabetes in San Diego, CA. You too can help by donating on Rachael's page and help her reach her goal of $500. As of today, she's just about halfway there.

As an incentive to donate, I'm holding a small giveaway. Here's how it works:





1) Go to Rachael's Team DiaBatman homepage HERE and make a donation for any denomination. Enter your name to be listed on the Fundraising Honor Roll (you don't have to leave the amount you donated). Every dollar counts! In order to qualify for the giveaway, please make your donation by Saturday, November 12 at 9:00PM PST.

2) Leave a comment on this page letting me know you made a donation.

3) If you've already made a donation, to gain an extra entry, tweet a link to my blog and leave a separate comment with your Twitter name.

4)  The winner will be chosen at random using random.org. I will announce the winner on my blog on Sunday, November 13th. The winner then has until Sunday, November 20, 2011 to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

The winner will be sent a Jessie Steele hostess apron with the design on their choice such as the one pictured (value up to $30, picture from http://www.laylagrayce.com/ ). The giveaway is open to everyone and not limited to those in the United States.

I hope you will help Rachael reach her goal by making a donation today. Tune in next week for the announcement!

Please note that this giveaway is strictly for the promotion of Team DiaBatman & reaching their goal for the JDRD's Walk to Cure Diabetes. www.SweetSueshine.com  was not given anything by JessieSteele.com or any vendors that carry the line. The prize itself was puchased out of my own pocket because I just plain like the product, think they are ultra cute, and think every baker should have an apron. Shipping costs will also be covered out of my own pocket.