Diabetes shock to man fit for work

TYPE 2 diabetes snuck up on Mike Gelling during an especially tropical September.

The Parramatta Park landscaper (below) had been working on a job site in 2007 when he noticed he was feeling particularly parched.

“I was drinking a lot more than normal,’’ he said. “I was feeling really dry. “I went back to the office and within five seconds I was asleep.”

Before heading overseas, the seemingly fit 61-year-old went to see his doctor for a general check-up.

Much to Mr Gelling’s surprise, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

He said it was a major wake-up call about the type of lifestyle he was living.

“I considered myself reasonably fit, due to the nature of the work I was doing,’’ Mr Gelling said.

“But I had to drop about 10kg and become more conscious of my diet: no sugar in the Weet-Bix, no sugar in the coffee, up to five vegetables during the day and certainly a lot more water than cordial.”ial.

Almost 10 people a day develop diabetes within the Far North and Diabetes Queensland has warned this figure is likely to grow worse before it gets any better.

The organisation’s CEO Michelle Trute said because of the “explosive growth” in type 2 diabetes, it would be a major burden on the region’s health system by 2017.

“All of us keep thinking it won’t happen to me, but there are 93,000 Queenslanders walking around with type 2 diabetes who don’t know it,’’ she said.

“Every person in the Far North who isn’t a healthy weight, eating healthily or exercising regularly has got a time bomb strapped on.”

Ms Trute said that for every person diagnosed with the auto-immune condition, there were almost three people who were either undiagnosed or had pre-diabetes.

“Diabetes can result in serious health consequences, including kidney disease, loss of limbs, heart disease and blindness,” she said.

“But in most cases type 2 diabetes can be prevented.’’