Saturday is a busy day, beginning with the American Diabetes Association Community Walk to Stop Diabetes. The Chieftain will be fielding a team for this event. You can help out by coming out and walking with us or going to bit.ly/2JYoeK5.

I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes nearly 30 years ago. It runs on both sides of my family. The genes nailed me.

Initially, I took Metformin and Sulfonylureas. Later Meglitinides and Thiazolidinediones.

Eventually, I reached a point where none of them effectively kept my A1C low enough to satisfy my doctor. An A1C is a blood test that measures your average blood glucose, or blood sugar, level over the past three months.

Next was insulin. That has been my regimen since. Three times a day, I test my blood by pricking my finger and placing a small amount of blood on a strip inserted into a meter.

Then, using a personal algorithm that takes into account current reading, planned activity level, amount of carbs in upcoming meal and a dozen other factors, inject the amount of insulin needed to stay under the 150 mg/dL reading.

A specially-formulated long-lasting insulin keeps my blood sugar from rising during the night.

It’s easier than it sounds when you have decades of experience making what is essentially an educated guess.

Diabetes doesn’t slow me down much. Occasionally I guess wrong and take too much insulin and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) results. Sometimes, it takes a couple hours to recover, and a rip-roaring headache usually follows.

Weight gain is the biggest struggle. Even five extra pounds will increase my insulin intake noticeably. More insulin, more weight gain. It’s a vicious cycle.

Exercise is a huge part of the process. A 30-minute walk each day makes a ton of difference in how my body uses the tiny amount of insulin it produces. Even three 10-minute walks is effective.

Using diet, exercise and insulin, I can maintain an A1C of 7, which is considered excellent control in my case. Sometimes I resent how much work it takes to stay there, but then I recall the struggle one of my aunts on my mother’s side had.

She tried mightily to eat right and use insulin to control her diabetes, but eventually, she gave up. She ate pretty much whatever she wanted, became morbidly obese and used her insulin if and when she felt like it. She died of complications of diabetes at the same age I am today.

I guess I have a stronger than normal sense of self-preservation. It keeps me on the straight-and-narrow.

Researchers are closing in a variety of methods for dealing with diabetes and hold out great hope for an eventual cure.

One recent development is smart-insulin. You inject the same amount each day and your body uses it as it’s needed. No metering. No finger-pricking. I will be the first person to use it when it becomes available.

I am thrilled to be supporting the American Diabetes Association, which has been my go-source for accurate information for the past 30 years.