APA Diabetics Take Life Changing Journeys
Although research indicates diabetes is on the rise amongst APAs, especially Type 2 diabetes, many still know very little about the disease and many more remain undiagnosed.
Shin Kurokawa, a successful anime producer, was used to a career filled with long hours and constant stress so when he became ill over a lengthy period of time, he blamed his symptoms on work-related stress. What else could it be? But when he came down with an unusual case of respiratory infection in 2003 that left him virtually immobile, doctors ran several tests and finally discovered the cause of Kurokawa’s years of health problems.
At the age of 35, Kurokawa was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic.
Born in Japan and living in the United States since 1979, Kurokawa, now 38, has no family history of diabetes and knew very little about the disease, something he had always considered to be “the other person’s” problem. Despondent at first, he soon immersed himself in learning everything he could about the disease.
“Obviously, my first reaction was confusion and denial, perhaps mainly because of my lack of understanding. I knew zero about diabetes, so it sounded to me like a death sentence,” he said. “It took me days before I could inject myself with insulin. During the next several weeks of continued denial I made attempts to read and research online.
“I suppose it took me a good six months before I felt comfortable enough to say that I am a diabetic,” added Kurokawa. “It took that long before I could tell my parents that I had the illness.”
Community Outreach
Diabetes is the fifth leading cause of death among Asian Pacific Islanders between the ages of 45 and 64, according to the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP). Although APAs tend to generally have a lower body weight, diabetes is disproportionately higher within the APA community compared to Caucasians — it affects about 10 percent of APAs compared to 8 percent of Caucasians — and over 90 percent of APAs diagnosed have Type 2 diabetes.
Yet today many APAs know very little about this disease nor their increased risk. With November designated as American Diabetes Month, APA health groups and physicians are increasing their public awareness campaigns about the disease that has been exploding in the APA community in recent years.
“Diabetes is a serious problem among AAPIs (Asian American and Pacific Islanders). In fact, AAPIs are at greater risk for diabetes when compared to non-Hispanic whites, possibly due to genetic and socioeconomic factors,” said Nina Agbayani, a registered nurse and director of programs for the Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO).
“Though data on AAPIs and diabetes is limited, we know from community studies and from AAPCHO’s member community health centers, that diabetes is a significant health problem among AAPIs. However, AAPIs may not be aware of this problem.”
Dr. George King established the Joslin Diabetes Center’s Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI) in Boston in 2000 and has been working to meet the growing challenges of this disease within the APA community. In one of AADI’s outreach programs last week, he diagnosed 10 APAs with diabetes, a diagnosis most were not expecting.
“Most just look at us. They don’t know about diabetes, a relatively new entity. They don’t know so they’re not scared of it but it can be a devastating disease,” said King. “If they know, most Asians and Asian Americans seem to have denial. They think they have a little bit of diabetes … but there’s no such thing as a little bit of diabetes.”
Type 1s and Type 2s
On Aug. 28 Souvilayvanh Kruoch, a 23 year old half Laotian-half Cambodian living in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, learned she is a Type 2 diabetic. She had lost significant weight and found herself constantly having to urinate and decided to make a doctor’s appointment. After a simple blood test she got her diagnosis.
“When I first discovered that I was diabetic, I was depressed for about a week or so. I felt like, ‘why do bad things always have to happen to me?’ But, after doing research online and talking to my doctor, nutritionist, and a nurse, I felt like everything would be okay. So, I overcame the fear of being diabetic and accepted it,” said Kruoch.
“When I told my family that I was diabetic, I think my mother was in denial for a few weeks. She started buying herbs for me to drink thinking that it would somehow cure my diabetes. As for my dad, he didn’t say much, he just told me to do what I was told by the doctor.”
Diabetes is a disease in which the body cannot produce (Type 1) or respond properly (Type 2) to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas. Insulin is needed to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy so people with diabetes have higher levels of glucose in their blood.
Studies have shown that the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes is two to three times higher among Japanese Americans in Seattle compared to non-Hispanic whites. Type 2 diabetes is also 2.5 times higher among Native Hawaiians compared to whites in Hawaii.
Vanessa Wong, 28, of San Francisco, always ate healthy and exercised often so when she became ill seven years ago after going on one of her regular runs, hearing the emergency room doctors tell her she is a Type 1 diabetic was more than shocking. As a development engineer she soon immersed herself in learning everything she could about the disease.
“It was a huge shock to be diagnosed with this disease, since it does not run in my family,” she said. “I’ve always been something of a health nut, and I have a very strong immune system. I approached the disease like an engineer — acquiring as much knowledge as possible, fastidiously counting carbs, calculating insulin dosages, and exercising.
“I had a lot of fear in the early days ... But I do the best that I can, and ultimately put my trust in God to work things out for good.”
A Healthier Lifestyle
In addition to losing weight and a constant urge to urinate, some of the other symptoms associated with diabetes include constant hunger and thirst, blurred vision, extreme fatigue, and slow-healing wounds. Although diabetics have a higher risk for developing heart disease, adult blindness, and kidney disease, with early diagnosis and a proper diet and exercise most can live productive lives.
“You have to change your life habits and that can be difficult,” said King. “For Asians, exercise and a healthy diet help immensely.”
Kurokawa’s diagnosis came late so when doctors finally diagnosed him with Type 1 diabetes he was in bad shape, especially his eyes. For months after his diagnoses he suffered partial or total vision loss and underwent several operations. Luckily today his eyesight has come back and he is able to continue his work in the anime industry.
“I am far more careful about my health now than ever before,” said Kurokawa. “I understand better now how everything affects everything else inside the body in a very complex causal chain of events, but medical science only knows so much of that. But the advances are great. I wouldn’t be surprised that perhaps during my lifetime there will be a one-pill cure for diabetes.”
Less than three months since her diagnosis, Kruoch has been trying to eat healthier, regulating her carbohydrate intake, and exercising regularly. She admits it hasn’t been easy.
“I try to maintain a healthy diet and exercise everyday, but sometimes I miss those days that I didn’t actually need to exercise or eat things that I’m suppose to,” she said, admitting that she has always struggled with her weight. “It’s hard to change my eating habits from eating anything I wanted to eating healthier.”
Outreach and Education
Dio Agbayani, a 59-year-old Filipina American living in Hawaii, knew about her family’s history of diabetes — both of her parents had it — so when a doctor discovered through a simple blood test that she too was a Type 2 diabetic she wasn’t surprised.
“I was not shocked when I found out,” she said. “I figured I would just have to accept it and try to live with it. I take medication. I go to the doctor for regular check-ups. I admit, I don’t eat wisely, but I try.”
For diabetics like Agbayani, they know all too well the importance of outreach and education about the disease in the APA community.
“A lot of APAs (especially Filipinos from the Philippines) know little because they are not educated and their diet and lifestyle is a major contribution to diabetes,” said Agbayani. “They need to realize that this is a disease, but it can be treated.”
“I didn’t know about the high incidence of diabetes in APAs before I was diagnosed. And yes, I do try to educate other APAs about the disease,” said Wong. “There are still a lot of misconceptions about diabetes in general out there, and I’d like to help correct that where I can.”
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