I am a counselor at a mental health agency. I keep my
diabetes to myself, because I feel that my clients don't need to worry about
me. It is also an ethical reason, too.
At work, there are people with diabetes -- we have a few
type 1 diabetics and many type 2 diabetics. It is nice to talk to them and,
sometimes, we joke about the food on the hallway snack table being the evil
thing to avoid. Like radar, you need to walk the long way around to avoid it.
Some people at work don't understand diabetes, so you
have to pick and choose ways to broach the subject. I try hard to say that I
just need to make a healthy choice.
The diabetic diet is really the healthy way to eat. We
all don't really need to eat a lot of sweets. It is important to stay healthy
as the right choice.
I have been diabetic for 28 years and have just been
diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy. It happens to 80% of diabetics after 15
years of being a diabetic. It is so important to keep an eye on your blood
sugar (glucose). I have never missed my insulin and have done the best I can to
monitor it.
Things happen to anybody with a "condition."
Just do the best at maintaining your sugar, blood pressure, etc., because it
does pay off in the long run. The more supportive the relationships you have,
the better. If they aren't at home and work, there are ones via the local
hospitals, Internet sites like this one, and just plainly doing an Internet
search for diabetic support groups.
Sharon B, 42
Alpena, MI
132832