I did a search and found that diabetes has already been suggested as a possible cause of Alexandra's illness(es), but the only reason I saw anyone name for this suspicion was the size of her children at birth. I too wonder if she might not have been diabetic, for this and a few other reasons. I myself am diabetic and have done a lot of research into the disease since being diagnosed in April of this year.
Here are some of the reasons I think that Alexandra may have suffered from complications due to an undiagnosed and untreated case of diabetes.
1) Leg problems--This is the main reason for my suspicions that she may have been an undiagnosed diabetic. One of the biggest complications of diabetes is neuropathy - nerve damage due to the degeneration of the blood vessels which nourish the nerves. This can lead to loss of function in certain body parts. In diabetics, the feet and legs are most often affected because they are the last place in the body to receive blood.
2) Vision problems--Diabetics are at high risk for retinopathy (the same concept as neuropathy, but applied to the retinas), glaucoma, and cataracts. Diabetics are generally urged to have their eyes checked at least once a year for these reasons, and even diabetics who don't have serious eye problems generally experience some change in their eyesight.
3) Heart problems--We know that Alexandra frequently complained of problems with her heart. While I'm aware that there's debate as to whether or not she really had these issues, I'd like to point out that heart disease is also a possible complication of diabetes.
Of course, all of this is merely speculation based on research I've done, my own experiences, and those of my father, who is also diabetic. But then again, this entire thread is just speculation since we'll never really know.
