My mother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes somewhere
around age 50 years. Then she was told, "You don't have the type of
diabetes that requires testing." She was given an Rx (prescription) for
some pills, a sheet from the ADA (American Diabetes Association) listing the
dietary exchanges, told to avoid sugar, patted on the back, and sent home. A
few years later, she was taken off the pills and given an Rx for animal insulin
to be injected each morning, still being patted on the back and told to avoid
sugar. She died from heart failure at age 62.
I was diagnosed soon after that with type 2 diabetes with
blood glucose (sugar) levels near 400 mg/dL! The doctor simply said, "You
are a bit too sweet, but we can fix that by you taking this Rx and tweaking the
system just a bit. Watch the sugars." He gave me an Rx for a meter,
strips, and his little pills, patted me on the back, and said, "Have a
good week!" With help from the search engines on the Internet, I educated
myself on this disease.
I just turned 60, and after dealing with this for 10
years, progressing through several combinations of pills and a number of
different meters, I am now on insulin and extended-release pills. By testing
each food, I have learned what sends my glucose numbers to the moon and how
much of other foods I can eat without shocking effects.
Testing and journaling can improve anyone's numbers. I
follow a very strict food plan, energetic exercise plan, and a tightly
controlled lifestyle now. Every part of my day gets put down in my journal.
From the hour I get out of bed to bedtime gets written down — including testing
glucose, taking meds, eating, exercising, and the stress-makers of the day.
This helps me to see patterns and talk to my doctor about any changes in the
patterns.
My life is so much better than my mother's that it isn't
even comparable. The advancement in treatment of this disease has improved. I
do want to live long enough walking and seeing to see my great-grandchildren
graduate from college.
Thelma M, 60
Yeso, NM
133026