What I Am Learning About Myself and Diabetes

In March I will have been diagnose with Type II Diabetes for a year.

I would love to tell you that, watching my diet is a breeze, I have a great support system, having it is no big deal.

That would be a lie.

I know I am not alone, that there are plenty of others out there. My hopes are that by writing this article, I will not only help myself, but someone else.

Will I conquer this? Time will tell.

For the first few weeks after being diagnosed, I was really good. Took my medication, tested my blood, an hour before meals, 1 hour after, and again 2 hours after. I had not been to a dietician at this time, so I looked up a diabetic diet on the internet. I followed the diet religiously, my blood sugars dropped, and were even low.

I started thinking the doctor's office was wrong. I probably didn't fast long enough, or without thinking I had a mint, etc. I decided to stop the medication, convinced I was not a diabetic.

I realize now what I was doing. I was trying to prove to myself, my family, and my doctor, that I did not have diabetes.

I realize this now, but it still has not changed much on my way of thinking.

Diabetes runs in my family. I have grown up with it. So why am I in some form of denial. To be honest, I am not sure.

As far as dieting is concerned, I am good for a day or two. I then start thinking, oh one cookie won't hurt, just a couple of chips, tomorrow I will be good.

Lately, tomorrow doesn't come.

I am now to the point, that I have accepted that I do have diabetes. I test my blood often, and I do take my medication. But the diet....I am still having trouble with this.

I have changed a large amount of my eating habits. I was a meal skipper. I ate one main meal a day, drank lots of coffee, and snacked late at night. Rarely did I have fresh fruit, or low carb vegetables.

I now have started eating my 3 meals a day, but often forget my snacks. I have begun eating fresh fruit, low carb vegetables, and keeping a food journal. I have even been setting my phone alarm to ring when it is time for a snack.

After canceling three appointments, I have finally made it to the dietician.

In the beginning, my family was very supportive, my husband would pick up special foods for me. One of my children tried the diet with me.

But that to has changed. They don't grasp the concept that a diabetic should eat at certain times, that one cookie is okay, but a dozen is not.

I do have to say that I am learning. Not only am I the student. But I am also the teacher. I never thought much about what we were eating. Our nightly meal consisted of meat, potatoes, corn, bread and butter. A tradition of meal times past on for generations. I never realized that we were eating to much pasta, to much bread, or that milk was considered a carb. I was raised with the knowledge that diabetic's should not have fruit, sugar, that everything has to be sugar free.

I remember listening to the dietician explaining what was a carb, and what was not. Thinking the whole time, "huh, what happened to fruit, vegetable, bread, dairy, meat, wow, I am going to starve to death."

I chuckle now, but I seriously thought she was nuts.

Looking back over the last few months, I can see that not only have I made changes, my family has also. They may not be supportive at times, but they to are learning. When my daughter brings cookies home from work, because they were going to throw them out. I may splurge, and have two cookies, and remind myself, that I was the one who taught her not to be wasteful. When my husband gets off of work at 2 am, and wants to go for a meal, I will go, and think about the best choices possible on the menu.

We will keep learning, maybe we will get the hang of this yet.