Diabetes Community

The worst thing for me personally is the constant maintainence of my diet! Did I eat too many carbs, did I get enough protein,or too much fat etc etc...Blah Blah Blah.I would just love to be able to eat and enjoy my meals without all the worry. Medically....I don't know yet.I am newly diagnosed and so far have not had any follow up appts.with my Dr. But I am not real fond of having to check my blood even though it is only twice day.

I prefer to look upon having been diagnosed with Type II diabetes as an opportunity to better manage my overall health.

I refuse to whine about testing, lab tests, doctors visits, and not eating certain things. I just go about my "diabetic work" and try to maintain the best control possible. I know I benefit in the long run.

David

I swear David the more I read your posts the more you remind me of my brother.Are you sure your name isn't Charles???LOL Many times I wish I had that kind of strength and philosophy. Can that be learned??

The worst thing for me has been convincing my family to eat well along with me!! It took several months, but they are all weaned off of pizza, ice cream and soda, too.

Crazylegs:

I don't always know that it is a positive way to live!!! I think it comes from my Dad. He always told me that the only one who was going to be responsible for me was ME.

In some ways, it made me sort of self-centered (not good) and not willing to rely on help from others (also not good). But I know that about me and try to compensate in some ways.

My doctor knows that about me too!!! He uses the "2x4 approach" with me (at my request) and always reminds me that only I can manage my health. All he does, according to him, is give me the facts and the tools to do it!!!

David

The worst thing is hurting the people I love , because of my denial.............

Hi Olivia,

For me the worse thing about having diabetes, is worrying about passing it down to my children, grandchildren, and so on.

Also the complications that can come along with the diabetes. Like kidney disease, eye problems, etc.

I hate testing more than the insulin shots.

THE WORST was the begining. I went through a HELL no one should have to. I had a sore throat & went to my doc. When I was feeling very poor adn not getting better my doc REFUSED to give me an appointment, he had SICK people that needed him. I ended up in ER again adn again from work after lunch, NOBODY put 2 and 2 together, NOBODY! It got so bad my employer asked me to see THEIR doctor. All was well that morning of the appt. I returned to work in time for lunch. That night at home I split a small coke with my wife, shortly I was a mess adn my wife called 911 and i was taken to ER via meat-wagon. I was admitted to the cardiac ward with low blood oxygen. I would eat breakfst adn be plowed under )slep) till lunch time. After routine morning tests doen on all patients, the company doctor came in as gave me HELL for my high blood sugars. I had no idea what he was talking about, but he treated me as if I KNEW I was diabetic, well the truth was I had no idea WHAT DIABETES even was.

What should have been a beginning of learning and helping me, was just another phase of the same nightmare. The whole mess was like a comedy of errors, non-function equipmetn, people and the system. I had a diet shoved in my face and told "follow it", I did not understand any of it, nor was anything explained to me what-so-ever. Again and again I was not properly treated or educated about diabetes. Even my next doctor was at first not understanding or very helpfull. One day I was on the living room floor barely able to function, my wife asked me to call my doctor, I told her it was a waste of time. She called and he blamed her, claiming SHE was somehow upsetting me and causing the problem. Then one morning in the shower I discoverd a hard lump in my leg. The lump was watched for a few weeks or so then it was decided it HAD to removed and a biopsy done. Surger was scheduled sfter my next son was born.

AFter the surgery my doctor finally realized I had a more serious problem with the diabetes. They had been unablet o balance my BS very well. I was sent home basicly to die, with out of control diabetes, an infection and fever, for the biopsy results were not good. The results had been hidden yet in plain sight, my own family doctor had a problem facing my prognosis. When I found out what was going on via another of several new doctor what the score was, I confronted him about it.

He finnaly came to understand ME! That was a turnning point in my medical care, and that included my disbetes and me first meeting with insulin. That helped me feel so much better and more able to deal the the NEW HELL with cancer. I had felt like I was DIEING I felt so bad with the diabetes, not the cancer. Just as I was getting a handle with diabetes and feeling better than I had in a coupel years, I was simply trading one hell for another. Despite all the bumbling, lack of proper care I still sruvived and beat the 10% 12 month survial prognoisis.

So the ultimate WORSE part, without question for me was all the incompetence, assumptions incorrectly made by doctors and others in control of my medical care or lack at time thereof..Diabetes is a big enough of a rollercoaster without another ride of ups and down piled on top. Some doctors are good (I think I ahve a real good one now) others simply bad and a few downright UGLY in giving proper diabetes care to their patients.

=JD= been thru more hells than needed or deserved .....

I have the same issues as Shirl. My grandkids have DM on both sides of their family so they are at a high risk. My daughter is good about making sure they eat healthy foods, minimize the junk, and keep active. When I visit them they are always fascinated by watching me test my BG.

Also possible future complications are worrisome as I realize that even doing all the right things may not prevent them.

I feel much like David does, the positive spin is being diagnosed Jan. 10, 07 saved my life! My Mother had heart disease and smoked, I had quit smoking two years prior to my diagnoses but was on a unhealthy spiral of wt. gain and lack of disciplined exercise.

Unlike JD though, I had a wonderful Doctor who, due to knowing he would lecture me because I had not made the effort to change my eating habits and weighed even more since the year before, I avoided. Well, when I did go in after asking a nurse at my job to take my BG and found it was 400, he was VERY nice...he said we would go from there, things were what they were and we would work together to get this thing under control.

So, I feel blessed in that things are under control, I have lost wt. My sugars have been remarkably good.

Unlike David I do feel a little left out of the social eating at work loop. I sluff it off with a joke when I cannot participate but its a bit annoying.

The poking to test is not a biggie because I don't poke my finger, I poke my hand in the fatty part two inches below my little finger. Don't feel a thing and I get enough blood.

I'm fortunate, I count my blessings every day that God chose to give me diabetes and not something not as well researched that would leave me crippled. I can live my life with this, I can ride a bike, walk, do nearly anything I want.

Sorry for the book. Thanks for the good question.

Author of a Book, Kathy

....mmm, testing, recording, endless appts, constant blood work, and always adjusting eating plan.... is becoming par for the course now finally.

My worst is as follows;

coming to terms after 10 years of glibly saying, "Oh, yes, I'm a broderline diabetic"... one day I finally woke up and said to myself in the mirror.... "Who are you kidding?.... your mother died from diabetic complications.... and you still don't get it..... if you don't smarten up you're next. It is coming to terms that I am NOT a borderline diabetic.... I AM A DIABETIC!

dealing with all the complications of being a diabetic...... I loved to work, but this has become an exhausting train of events that take up a good part of my day..... "the business of being a diabetic is costly in time factor, image, and finances". (Probably alot of other things too... .just can't think of others)

Dealing the physical me. I miss me!!! - that slim svelt 140 pounder who was a capable human being and now I am 60+ pounds over weight, worry lines before my time, grey hair, barely able to walk for the crazy legs I have now.... the exhausting chronic pain of it all.

yet another adjustment and which will be harder on my system is that I finally am realising I must MOVE to stay alive..... no matter how much I hurt.... my obligation to myself is in direct obligation to the ones close to me I must move to live. When I working I was a truly goal oriented individual and saw the completion of my goals at the end of each year.... and now I can't even see the end of a goal I set for myself....... I am the most important thing in my life and I must treat it like I am every day of every waking moment.....

Why was I so blind????? and deaf????? and stubborn????? I was starving and I didn't feed me.

There it is..... from Charming.....

P.S. If I think of something I'll be right back...... Thanks David and Missy...... some things snapped me back to attention.

getting a diagnosis of diabetes saved my life. I, like Kate, had never really taken care of myself.

I had quit smoking 6 months before I knew I had Type 2 and I'm grateful that was one less thing I had to deal with.

I could go on and on about the struggle I had (and sometimes have), but for me, that would feel like going backwards. I keep moving forward, realizing that diabetes is a progressive disease and when I lose heart, I must find a new reason to go on learning, getting on track and finding support.

As I've said many times before, if it weren't for the support and education I received on this board, I would never have learned how to (or have had the strength to) take care of myself.

This is an interesting discussion and I thank you, Olivia, for starting the conversation.

Kathleen

I do like Davids outlook about all this myself. I try my best and not to worry but I have to admit I am scared to death to go to the doctor on Thursday afternoon to find out my first results from my lab work. The doctor as I said before prescribed for me without having seen any lab work so I did not start on the med he prescribed yet. The Fenugreek I keep taking and cinnamon and other things seem to be working really well for me. We will see come Thursday. Wish me luck all! Thanks

And yes the way I am eating now is so much better for me than I was doing so as far as that part goes it was really an eye opener for me to do the right thing.

Just hoping it wasn't to late.