A diagnosis of diabetes, whether type 1 or type 2, must be taken seriously.  Approximately 29.1 million people have diabetes and it is now the third leading cause of death in the United States.  Diabetes is a chronic progressive illness primarily due to the many complications that can arise over the course of time.  The complications can range from cardiovascular disease, nerve damage (neuropathy), kidney damage (nephropathy), eye damage (retinopathy), gastroparesis, peripheral artery disease and complications related to the skin