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Yes, I am diabetic, type II to be exact. I was diagnosed the end of 2006 and have had to deal with it since. It’s not an easy disease to care for, managing to exercise and keep the weight down being not as easy as I might want it to be. I had always believed I would never have to worry, especially after hearing that it only hits every other generation. That is a huge whopper of a myth. Diabetes will and can hit every person who has a relative with the disease. In my case, both my parents were diagnosed in their 70’s. My father died from complications brought on by diabetes. I watched him struggle and I sure don’t want that to happen to me. My mother deals with her diabetes as best as she can, but she already has heart problems and has a pacemaker for years now.

I monitor my blood sugars, but watching them go up and down is frustrating. I was told to lose weight since I am about 40 lbs. overweight right now. It’s hard to lose. I exercise, try to follow a diet, but the cravings I have for foods I no longer should be eating are hard to ignore. I can imagine never having eaten certain things to be better, but I long for the days when a simple cookie or donut tasted so sweet as I chewed every morsel.

I have to be careful of the diabetic food products on the market as they contain sugar alcohols which give me really severe gastronomic pains. The first time that happened to me I didn’t know what it was. I couldn’t sit, stand, or walk without doubling over in pain. I went to my doctor who asked what I had been eating. That was a box of sugar free chocolates I had gotten for Christmas. Since then I avoid such foods as I know they aren’t good for me. If I really want a treat I will eat a small portion of it and try to compensate somewhere else during the day.

I have also discovered in speaking with friends who are diabetic that doctors can’t seem to agree on the blood sugar level numbers. One friend told me her doctor wants her levels to be below 100. The doctor who first diagnosed me was fine with levels between 120 and 130. Since she retired I have a new doctor who feels 110 to 125 is best. I have found I feel better having my levels between 125 and 135. I can function quite well then. I have also learned to know when my level is low and I need to eat something to bring it up quickly. If I get too high I can feel the grogginess setting into my body. While it can sometimes be frustrating with the highs and the lows, I have learned what to do and what not to do. One thing I did was to inform my co-workers of my condition so they are all aware that I may have some times when things are not going right for me health-wise.

Diabetics are also more susceptible to getting colds, pneumonia, and infections. I have had my share in the past years. Taking a multivitamin and making sure I get enough sleep help tremendously. There are other health issues diabetics have which make me wonder what my future holds. I will continue to try to stay as healthy as possible and do what I can to stay that way.

I have read a lot about diabetes and will be sharing information in this blog. I will try to continue to edit this particular one and inform those who care to stop by and read my personal struggles with diabetes so they will know what they or someone dear to them are up against. I hope one day there will news that there is a cure, but until then the struggle for millions of people world wide will continue.