Starting Over

I haven't even visited this page in a long time. Now is the time when I am starting over with blood sugar testing so I thought I would try my hand at writing in this blog again. I was diagnosed as a Type 2 Diabetic in January of 2000 following a long illness that sapped my strength and required a long spell of antibiotics which I blamed for my extreme fatigue.

Fatigue was the only symptom commonly associated with diabetes that I had. That we had diabetes in the family did not come out until years after I was diagnosed. I was not prepared for the possibility. I had the whole range of emotions often associated with death:

• Denial 
• Anger
• Bargaining 
• Depression 
• Acceptance 

There have been times when I slipped back from acceptance into depression and have even had some therapy. It helped me to deal with stress in different ways than I had in the past. I developed a happy memory into a space I can easily go, to lower my blood pressure

My rebel side has had some issues with following doctor's and CDE's advice but have maintained a few good habits over the years.
Regular doctor visits
Regular blood work 3-4 times a year
Take meds regularly around meals
Eat breakfast every day
Drink more water
Eat nuts for a snack often
Eat more fruits and vegetables
Have protein at every meal
Reduced the quantity of meat at each meal
More active than before I was diagnosed

All this has resulted in an A1C result of 7.4 which is not perfect but is low enough to keep me off insulin after 12 years of coping with this disease. According to Mayo Clinic "normal A1C level can range from 4.5 to 6 percent" . . .(and) "For most people who have previously diagnosed diabetes, an A1C level of 7 percent or less is a common treatment target."

The things I don't do as well are
Home blood sugar testing
Losing excess weight
Regular exercise

So there are things to change. I am a work in progress.