Army Wives Bringing Awareness to Type 2 Diabetes

For those of you who missed last weeks episode (Air date 8/23/09) of Army Wives, you missed I think one of the best episodes of the season.

It was a shock to all AW fans that Claudia Joy and Denise were in a car accident and even a bigger surprise in why?

By backing up a bit, Claudia Joy had complained that she was over tired, and "so thirsty", she looked ragged. Right before the accident happenened Claudia Joy's vision goes blurry numerous times. She loses sight of the road, crosses into the wrong lane and crashes into a tree.
Two lives hang in the balance.

Luckily Denise walks away with a few minor cuts and bruises, Claudia Joy has a concussion and a laceration on her wrist that requires 14 stitches. They are both alive. They were lucky.

Then we find out that Claudia Joy's glucose levels are high. She goes to her doctor's and after 2 confirmed tests finds out that she has type 2 diabetes. Claudia Joy is in disbelief. We feel her tears.

Hats off to Lifetime for bringing awareness to the seriousness of diabetes. Claudia Joy and Denise could have died, because according to the Diabetes Association 2/3 of the population have diabetes and don't know it. And as the saying goes won't you don't know could kill you.

For many who don't realize that they have diabetes it can lead to blindness, kidney failure, amputations, heart problems and even death.

This episode touched me in such a way, because my Aunt had her leg amputated this Spring because she ignored an ulcer on her leg. She ignored our pleas to see a doctor, tried to take care of it herself.
The ulcer got infected, her sugar shot to dangerous levels, she went out of head and then finally went to the hospital. This is when she learned she had type 2 diabetes while they took her leg at the knee.
She is now in a nursing home, she's only 60 years old.

We all need to be more educated about diabetes, and bravo to Lifetime's Army Wives for incorporating it into their story line. The myth is that this only happens to overweight people but this myth is false as Claudia Joy found out.

It is important for everyone to know the dangers of diabetes, it is not something anyone should ignore.

I look forward to seeing how Army Wives writers educate us more about this disease through the interactions of their characters. There is a strong following to the show, and I hope that someone watched this episode and said I better go to the doctors , and gets checked out if they have similar symptoms. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Bravo to Lifetime for making a great show into a better one and for educating viewers on diabetes.