I almost forgot I started this. So much has happened over the last month since my diagnosis that I need to catch up. There's been learning to take my sugar readings, taking diabetes education classes, logging everything I eat and drink, planning for my upcoming surgery, working with my husband after his surgery, and on and on. Regardless of this, life goes on.
After leaving my doctor's, I got busy looking for things that might help me. This included a meeting with a registered dietitian who specialized in diabetic nutrition. She taught me to take my blood sugar readings (twice a day at differing times and meals) and enrolled me in the education series. Although I have several immediate family members with Type 2 diabetes, I've learned so much - especially how different we all are. First thing I noticed was a really high reading right after my husband's hip replacement surgery (that night and next morning). Turns out stress is a huge influence on blood sugar (blood pressure too). Next problem: my blood sugars were high first thing in the morning before breakfast. Solution: a snack right before bedtime helped. Turns out your liver will screw with you when you fast (sleeping is fasting!) and my sugar is normal if I eat a snack within an hour of going to bed. Who knew?
I downloaded an app and am tracking all my food and drink consumption - and my exercise. I am on week two and I am down 10 pounds since my diagnosis. Logging everything keeps me honest - Weight Watchers was definitely on to something there. And I've learned some new recipes that I actually like, am eating more vegetables, and can still have steak. Life is good.
Having knee replacement surgery next week is weighing on my mind. When I really think about it, my blood pressure goes up - as does my blood sugar. I know things will be fine - and I'm looking forward to no longer being in pain from the knee. Just prepping for it is a bit crazy. And I'm looking toward the next three months thinking 'WTF?'
Oh yeah - I forgot to mention we are in the process of selling our San Francisco place. So many things to do, sign, etc - but we have a great realtor who is really taking it over since we no longer live there. It's just paying the bills or painting, cleaning, staging, etc. As I am writing, I'm really happy no one is taking my blood pressure right now. Ugh.
So to cope - I've done a few things. Writing helps me process things, hence the blog. Today I hired a cleaning service to take care of the house - something I really should have done ages ago. Next week is prepping meals to freeze for when I cannot just stand and cook. And Lee will be with me through all this - overall not too shabby. And my A1C has already come down.
Life is good.
Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
DNA
As a reasonably well-educated woman, and wife of a healthcare professional, I have a good understanding of the role genetics plays in a person's health. I knew that I had the high chance of becoming diabetic since my grandfather, one uncle, mother, and brother all are or were Type 2 diabetics. Did this really serve as the object lesson it should have? Apparently not, as I am overweight and sedentary- like so many Americans - and even though my sugar readings kept climbing over the past two years, I didn't change my lifestyle. Obviously, I lived in a mental fantasy land where I dodged that diabetes diagnosis bullet that hit so many family members. On January 11, 2018, at the age of 63, the bullet hit me.
Since I go through a healthcare network that has an online portal for members, I saw my lab results two days before my appointment with a new primary care physician. I prepared myself for the conversation that would take place when I met with her and knew neither of us would be happy. I had been so proud of the fact I had lowered my blood pressure, but this wasn't anything to be proud of and I knew it. So I went to my appointment a bit stressed and ready for a verbal berating. Not quite what happened.
We met. We talked about all other issues and saved the diabetes diagnosis for the last item. It was a long discussion. While there are several excuses, and I'll elaborate on that over the course of blogging what's happening to me, they are just that: excuses. My new doctor called me on my bullshit excuses - in an abrupt yet polite way. It was perfect. No recriminations, just "what should we do from here on out?" As she pointed out, this diagnosis is and should be life changing - literally. I needed to make solid, longterm changes in my lifestyle. No blaming my DNA - I can still overcome that with changes. So, a game plan was formed.
This blog is about making those changes - and hopefully keeping them all. It's easy to be determined early in any diagnosis, but this is rest-of-my-life longterm. Together with my doctor, we set a goal of being able to control this with diet and exercise after a year. That means a year to get my act together, take the medication, get educated, track my blood sugar, exercise, eat right, and then re-evaluate. I decided to write this blog as a helpful warning to others in my position about making those changes. But I also want to look at factors in our American society that contribute to Type 2 Diabetes affecting a huge portion of the American population. Bear with me - it promises to be an interesting year.
Since I go through a healthcare network that has an online portal for members, I saw my lab results two days before my appointment with a new primary care physician. I prepared myself for the conversation that would take place when I met with her and knew neither of us would be happy. I had been so proud of the fact I had lowered my blood pressure, but this wasn't anything to be proud of and I knew it. So I went to my appointment a bit stressed and ready for a verbal berating. Not quite what happened.
We met. We talked about all other issues and saved the diabetes diagnosis for the last item. It was a long discussion. While there are several excuses, and I'll elaborate on that over the course of blogging what's happening to me, they are just that: excuses. My new doctor called me on my bullshit excuses - in an abrupt yet polite way. It was perfect. No recriminations, just "what should we do from here on out?" As she pointed out, this diagnosis is and should be life changing - literally. I needed to make solid, longterm changes in my lifestyle. No blaming my DNA - I can still overcome that with changes. So, a game plan was formed.
This blog is about making those changes - and hopefully keeping them all. It's easy to be determined early in any diagnosis, but this is rest-of-my-life longterm. Together with my doctor, we set a goal of being able to control this with diet and exercise after a year. That means a year to get my act together, take the medication, get educated, track my blood sugar, exercise, eat right, and then re-evaluate. I decided to write this blog as a helpful warning to others in my position about making those changes. But I also want to look at factors in our American society that contribute to Type 2 Diabetes affecting a huge portion of the American population. Bear with me - it promises to be an interesting year.
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