After years of dialysis, pancreas transplant gives DC man a new lease on life

Durrell Becton was just years old when he detected out he had Type diabetes He commented he was having a number of wellness problems including constant weakness nausea continual thirst and urination Related stories On Diabetes Alert Day of people unaware of condition that could help prevent serious medical problems Continuous glucose monitors are in vogue But do you really need to track your blood sugar Obesity diabetes treatments fuel Eli Lilly advancement and spark bidding war I was diagnosed maybe a month before I went off to college Becton described WTOP Come to find out that my blood sugar was over The normal range for healthy blood sugar is to That began years worth of treatments with insulin and ultimately dialysis when his kidneys failed Becton is now and has had a kidney and pancreas transplant from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital It s life-changing Becton declared As of right now I m totally diabetes and kidney infection free There is an epidemic of diabetes in this country commented Dr Steven Potter director of pancreas transplant surgery at MedStar Georgetown School of Medicine There are about million people in the United States right now with diabetes Potter declared that diabetes can be managed effectively with insulin treatments proper diet and exercise But severe cases those in which a person s kidneys have failed and they need to be on dialysis can have a devastating effect on someone The cost of that in terms of lives lost is unbelievable Potter mentioned Pancreas transplantation is an incredible intervention because it s the only way to cure diabetes World Diabetes Day is the leading global campaign dedicated to raising awareness about diabetes It takes place annually Nov and is organized by the International Diabetes Federation I feel great I feel way more inspired than I was before Becton mentioned To learn more about diabetes and strategies to manage it visit the federation s website Source