Yesterday was the Annual D-Blog Day. Thanks Gina!
to see some of the many D-Blog posts from around the blogosphere.
Here is my post from over at my personal blog, zazamataz.com
I can only write from the perspective of a Type 2 Diabetic. I remember the day I knew. I got my health fair blood results back on April 1st, 2000 and had a fasting blood sugar of 250(ish) and I knew. I was scared. My grandmother died from diabetic complications within two years of being diagnosed. I felt — guilty. Really, really guilty. I knew it was a risk but did I make the changes in lifestyle and diet that might have let me avoid the disease? I felt out of control. What did I really know about diabetes? It really seems strange now but I didn’t really know anything. When we live with the disease we kind of expect that everyone knows the basics but other than having some notion that diabetics couldn’t eat sugar and had to follow a strict diet, (which isn’t exactly true, by the way) I didn’t know squat.
1) I guess the first thing I’d like other people to know is that it’s not the end of the world. Most people with type 2 diabetes are able to control the disease with lifestyle changes, diet, exercise, and/or medication. We can live happy and healthy lives with a little effort.
2) The second thing, which seems a little counter to the first, is that it IS a big deal. I get so angry at doctors and other medical professionals that give type 2s the idea that the disease is nothing. I know far too many people who aren’t even taught to use a glucometer or how to manage their diet. My dad was told to take a pill and not to eat white bread and he’d be fine. Reality is if you don’t make changes in your life you run the risk of serious complications.
3) Which leads me to the third thing. There IS something you can do to help yourself. If you will forgive me for saying so, YOU are the captain of your ship. You are the head of your medical team. No one is going to follow along behind you and make you take your medications or follow your eating plan. No one is going to know what foods affect your blood sugar and how if you don’t do the testing. No one else is going to advocate for you if you need a consult with a diabetic educator or nutritionist. You have to take charge. And honestly, that can be hard to do.
4) Number 4 is really probably number 1 but I think 1,2 & 3 really have to sink in before you can get back number 4 which is: It’s not your fault. You are not a bad person. Type 2 diabetes is skyrocketing in this country and around the world. There are a lot of reasons for that which I’m not going to go into, we all read the news. There is not a lot of benefit to second guessing and blaming yourself after the fact. It sure would have been nice if I’d made the changes I needed to make years ago but I didn’t. Here is where I am now and this is what I can do now. Be responsible now. Guilt is not helpful.
5) As much as I hate to admit it, weight is a risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes. It isn’t a cause. There are plenty of overweight people who don’t have diabetes. Yada yada yada. But if you are overweight you are seriously increasing your chances of type 2. If you have type 2 diabetes and are overweight – do what you need to do to get the weight down. I’m a perfect example of this, within a couple of months of just starting to get my weight down, I was off of insulin and my oral medications were being reduced. My hba1c is under 6% and I’m not even at my goal weight.
6) Losing weight is not a cure. This is another one of my pet peeves. Weight loss surgery (which is an option I chose) can help you get your diabetes under control. Just because my hba1c is within the normal range does not mean I’m cured. There is no cure. There is, however, diet and exercise control of type 2 diabetes. Being able to control your type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise is GREAT! – but it does not mean that you are cured and you can now ignore your diabetes.
Oh, there’s a lot more I’d like people to know. But that is enough to start with, at least from the type 2 perspective.
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