WORTH EVERY PENNY 

Mdm Lee Whye Keng has had hypertension even before she was 21. Apart from that, she enjoyed normal health and her weight has always been average. Today, the 62-year-old grandmother of three grandchildren, aged 11,10 and 3, has Type 2 diabetes.

When Whye Keng was pregnant with her son, her blood sugar level increased abnormally. After giving birth, her sugar level returned to normal. Her weight, however, increased because of the birth control pills she took.

She thinks her diabetes started developing when she was in her forties. By the age of about 45, several medical tests and screenings confirmed that she had diabetes mellitus Type 2.

The dangers of the condition, its implications and complications, did not quite sink in at first but she began by cutting sugar from her diet - coffee without sugar, no sweet desserts - all the things she loved. While the change in her diet helped to keep her condition in check, "it could not cure my diabetes" says Whye Keng, who decided to take medication upon her doctor's advice.

A Life-Time of Benefits

Her diabetes is not life-threatening at the moment, thanks to her resilience and determination to lick the condition and thanks in part to the Diabetic Society of Singapore (DSS), of which she is a life-time member. Whye Keng's encounter with DSS began more than 20 years ago when she read about a seminar on diabetes it was conducting. She attended the seminar and was so impressed with the work of DSS that she decided to join as a life-time member, She feels that her membership is worth every penny that she has paid.

"DSS is doing a great job, I receive very useful information about diabetes, stories of other diabetes patients, new medical leads in the treatment of diabetes and I feel encouraged to manage my diabetes well, I also get to buy diabetes treatment kits and medical products at special discounts," she enthuses.

DSS does not only give tips and help on diabetes-care, but it also conducts activities and programmes that are family-oriented and wholesome. Sometimes, Whye Keng attends such activities, like local tours, with her very supportive husband, Chee Thim.

Accessible and Convenient

She is also pleased that DSS has expanded its network to include more centres in the heartland, Now she gets s medical supplies from Central Diabetes Education and Care Centre at Boon Keng Road, She says: "It's very convenient for me as my husband works in that area"

It is even easier for her now that she has her own blood-glucose meter. She purchased the test kit about four years ago from DSS and faithfully takes her own blood sugar level reading three times a day, before and after breakfast, lunch and dinner.

This constant check on her sugar level ensures that she does not neglect her condition and puts a spotlight on any undesirable intake in her diet. Her medication of one dose of chlorpropamide and two doses of metformin is taken every day. Once every three months, she goes to the centre at Boon Keng to have her HbA1c tested.
 

Coming to Terms
Whye Keng believes that the individual needs to come to terms with the condition and take charge of it.

She emphasises, "Diabetes is a health condition which only you can control. With all the information and diabetes-care I receive from DSS, I am able to manage my diabetes well. With medication and a careful diet my diabetes is in check"
 

Reaching Out
Whye Keng hails DSS' idea to establish a mobile clinic Having suffered from the condition for so many years, her hope is that more people will be able to detect this disease early and receive appropriate treatment.

She notes, "Not everyone can read up and learn about the disease or attend seminars. It may also be difficult for some to travel to a centre that is not within their neighbourhood. The mobile clinic will boost DSS' outreach to the community and help many people, especially the needy."

Looking fondly at her grandchildren, Whye Keng smiles and adds, 'I do not want my condition to worsen and affect my loved ones and family members. I've had to give up all the foods I love but you know, in the end, it is all worth it."

Worth the sacrifice: Whye Keng, Chee Thim and their three grandchildren

"DSS is doing a great job. I receive very useful information about diabetes, stories of other diabetes patients, new medical leads in the treatment of diabetes and I feel encouraged to manage my diabetes well. I also get to buy diabetes treatment kits and medical products at special discounts. "

This article was first published in DSS' 35th Anniversary Dinner  souvenir Magazine, 11 January 2007.