To Whom It May Concern:
Hello, my name is Jessica, and I am a Type 1 diabetic. I have suffered from this auto-immune disease for the past 21 years, since the age of 4. I am a diabetic because my body attacked itself in the winter of 1990 and destroyed the insulin producing cells (islet cells) on my pancreas. Insulin is a hormone that is essential for life, as it allows glucose to enter the cells and to be used by the body for energy. Because my body does not produce insulin on its own, I must give myself insulin through injections (anytime I eat) or by using an insulin pump, a device that is constantly attached to my body subcutaneously and “pumps” insulin into my body at my command. In order to ensure I give myself the correct amount of insulin, I must monitor my bloodsugar level closely, which involves poking my finger 10-15 times per day.
As you might imagine, diabetes is a very demanding part of my life. But, by following the care regimen described above, I am able to do everything in life that I desire, and live my life to the fullest extent possible. Of course, even though I do everything possible to care for my disease, living with diabetes for over 20 years puts me at a high risk for complications, such as blindness, kidney failure, or the need for amputations due to poor circulation.
So, with all this said and explained, do you think that if it were possible for me to “reverse” my diabetes by simply following the steps outlined in your publication, that I would choose to continue poking myself and enduring all the stress, anxiety, fear, and depression that diabetes creates? Wouldn’t any logical person just change their diet and start exercising if it were possible that doing this would cure their diabetes??? Of course they would, but unfortunately, Readers Digest, you are wrong. I cannot reverse my diabetes, and, in fact, NOBODY who suffers from this disease can reverse their diabetes. If that were possible, we would have done whatever it took years ago.
By publishing an article like this, you are misinforming the entire population. Every single person who reads your publication while at a doctors office, waiting in line at the grocery store, or by receiving it in their mailbox will now think that everything I do is completely unnecessary, when in fact, it is ESSENTIAL for me to live to do what I do. Disseminating such erroneous, improperly researched information to the world makes your magazine look as credible as a cheap tabloid.
I hope that you consider the implications of publishing false information going forward, and that you make an attempt in a future issue to correct the “advice” you are providing to readers in your May issue.
