On Friday, Nov. 14 you will find members of the Gibsons Lions Club collecting donations for the Canadian Diabetes Association.
All money received is used to support diabetes health services and activities on the Sunshine Coast. Lions will be located at Sunnycrest Mall in Gibsons from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Did you know that one in four Canadians has diabetes? On the Coast, seven out of 100 people have diabetes, but this statistic does not include those Coast residents who travel to Metro Vancouver for their medical assistance. Ninety per cent of the Coast diabetes patients have Type 2 or adult on-set diabetes. Ten per cent of the Coast diabetics have juvenile or Type 1 diabetes.
In 2010, more than 2,000 people on the Coast had diabetes. The effects of diabetes can impact all aspects of a patient’s life. It is most important to have this illness diagnosed early.
Vancouver Coastal Health offers pre-diabetes clinics at Sunshine Coast Regional District centres. The only way to discover if you have diabetes is to have a blood test done by a physician. Your family physician can refer you to the diabetes education centre at St. Mary’s Hospital in Sechelt.
While there are several symptoms of diabetes, people can be pre-diabetic or diabetic and not exhibit those symptoms. It is important to get checked so you can maintain your health.
