I got a gift at the end of July. At the time it didn’t seem like it, but it was.
Last summer, after about 6 months of dragging around feeling totally exhausted and barely able to function a lot of the time, I took myself off to the doctor. When the blood test results came back I had a diagnosis. Type 2 diabetes. My blood glucose was 275 and my A1C was 9.3.
When I heard the news I freaked, but I started on meds, (Metformin and Glipizide), bought myself a blood glucose testing meter and all the supplies to go with it, registered for the Diabetic Education class my doctor referred me to, and starting researching and reading everything I could get my hands on that talked about Type 2 Diabetes. The best book I found, and one I bought for myself after the library needed it back, is by Gretchen Becker, The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed. It's loaded with useful information, and it's written for a thinking adult that wants to know it all. Plus she's funny and engaging, and understands the journey I'm on, because she's on it too.
One strand in my family has Type 2 Diabetes running through it, and my Dad got diagnosed when he was about 50. (I'm 51.) That was back in the dark ages before home blood glucose testing meters existed. He never used insulin or had any major complications of the really scary kind -- like blindness or gangrene. But I'm sure it impacted his overall health and was a contributing factor to the heart disease that caused his death at 78. So I'm taking this seriously and trying to understand and take charge of my Type 2 so it doesn't take charge of me. As a result improving and controlling my diet -- (what and how I eat overall, now and forever) and exercise -- (finding ways to incorporate regular physical activity into my life) have moved up to the top of my list of things to do. The good news is when I eat and exercise in ways that keep my Type 2 under control (and my BG readings are in or near the normal range) I feel great, (better than I have in years actually), and I'm slowly drifting back to my proper weight. I need to drift down about 50 more pounds to be where I want to be.
