Before I start my story, I want to make the following disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nurse, dietitian or medical expert on diabetes. What follows is simply what I’ve experienced or been told by my doctor, nurses, dietitian, and diabetes counselor. I’ve talked to other people who have been told different things by the medical team that they have. And I’ve read many different things on the Internet. What follows is my diabetic story. It most likely is similar to other diabetics in the basics, but very different in the specifics of what the disease means for me.
Also, here is a link to the American Diabetes Association, the source of online information that I use when not talking to my health care team.
One year ago, in June, I had a minor accident while getting out of the car – I reached to get something on the car seat as I also started closing the door. The result was a bump on the head which hurt, but didn’t really even break the skin. When, five days later, I still had blurred vision and headaches, it was enough of a concern for me to call my doctor. When he heard the story, he sent me to the ER to get a CAT scan to ensure that there wasn’t damage to the brain. I was lucky, and the scan was clear. However, being in the ER, they did all those regular medical things that included taking my blood pressure. There was such concern with my blood pressure, that they released me with instructions to get to my doctor ASAP for more tests.
The result of those tests caused a drastic change to my life. Outwardly, I look like I did before I got the call that gave me the triple whammy. There is nothing that you can see from looking at me that would indicate an increased health risk, but it’s there. All three of the diagnoses from those tests mean that I am at a much higher risk of heart attack than most other people. First, yes, there was the high blood pressure. I am now on two medications to keep that under control. And I’m doing pretty well at keeping the blood pressure under control. Second, there was a completely off the chart triglyceride number. I also was put on medication and ordered to help get that under control. But it was the third diagnosis that really changed the way I look at life. I was told that I have Type 2 diabetes.
The nurse who told me this over the phone (they wanted me to get onto the medications ASAP, not even waiting to get to the office), was doing her best to be gentle and yet convey the information, but I had absolutely no frame of reference to give meaning to what she was telling me. I heard "A1C", and "needing to consult a dietitian", and medication names that I didn’t recognize. I heard that I needed to get a meter, and a schedule for how often and when to use the meter. I wrote a lot of the information down, but I really had no concept of what it meant.
What did it mean? For me, it meant a change not just in how I look at food, but how I look at everything I do. My life is measured by the numbers that I read off the meter every few hours; and in the A1C number that I’m given every 3-4 months after another blood test. For those who like me before the diagnosis, don’t know about A1C, it is a measurement of the average amount of blood sugar in your system over the last few months. It is determined from looking at the average amount of sugar in the red blood cells, which are created at a steady rate over three-four months. For diabetics, the goal is to keep that number under 7. Sometimes I achieve it, sometimes I don’t. However, I have not been even close to the incredibly high A1C number that I had before the diagnosis. That is a number that I am determined I will not have again.
I’m still struggling and learning about how to keep the diabetes under control. For diabetics, I’ve learned that this is different for each individual. Yes, we take the classes and learn the basics. But, in the end, it comes down to learning what my body reacts to and what specifically I can do to help keep the sugar under control.
My life has changed by the little things that I have to do. I now have six medications plus aspirin to take at various times throughout the day to help control blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes. Because the blood circulation is changed, I now have to check for problem areas caused by the poor circulation. Every month, I need to have someone help me check that I still have feeling in both of my feet. I have a little probe that is used to touch my feet while I look away, and so far, I’m still able to feel it in all areas of my foot, both left and right. I must have eye checkups every six months to ensure that the blood vessels in my eye are still normal. And, of course, there is the attachment to the meter that tells me what my blood sugar level is at that moment. When I’m having difficulty, I measure when I first wake up, before meals, two hours after meals, and before going to bed.
For me, I’ve found that unlike most diabetics, I have my highest numbers when I first wake in the morning. I am working now to improve this. I have recently read that it’s possible that this happens because my blood level gets too low as I sleep, so my liver releases sugar into my bloodstream a short time before awaking. Because of this, my current goal is to take my sugar before going to sleep, and if it measures 120 or lower, I make sure that I have a healthy snack. So far, it seems that this may be helping.
In the beginning, it was very important that I keep a diabetic diary. I still go back to the diary if I’m having difficulty controlling the diabetes. By recording what I eat, how I exercise, what my stress level is, and whether or not I’m feeling sick, I can learn what makes my blood sugar level rise or fall.
What makes my blood sugar go crazy? First off, food items that have high fructose corn syrup are worse for me than anything else. Flavored coffee creamers, cereals, and prepared foods with HFCS can cause the blood sugar to rise more than anything else. This means that there are foods that I thought would be good for me (Healthy Choice for example), which really aren’t.
What can I eat? Oatmeal, of course, is fine. As is meat, cheese, and vegetables. Some fruits (apples, pears, peaches) are better than others (bananas). One of the most surprising things that I’ve found is that I can have a sherbet or ice cream cup for dessert.
What can happen if I don’t keep the sugar under control? The diabetes affects the way the blood circulates throughout the body. Here are a few things that can result:
- heart disease
- stroke
- blindness
- leg or foot amputation
I’ve learned that there are a lot of misconceptions about diabetes floating around, and I’d like to share some of these with you. According to the American Diabetes Association, here are the most common:
- Diabetes is not that serious. As I hope that I have conveyed above. Diabetes causes circulation problems that can lead to serious health problems and death.
- Eating too much sugar causes diabetes. Diabetes is actually a disease caused by a problem with insulin in the body. Type 1 diabetics don’t produce insulin. Type 2 diabetics have a problem producing enough insulin to handle the carbohydrates that they eat. According to my dietitian, diabetics shouldn’t avoid carbohydrates but instead work to keep the level of carbohydrates at a manageable level throughout the day.
- Being overweight causes diabetes. That being said, being obese is a major risk factor.
- Having diabetes means you must eat foods that are different from everyone else. (I disagree slightly with this. It is a misconception if everyone around you is eating healthy. However, this may be true if everyone else you know isn’t eating healthy.)
- A diabetes diagnosis means you automatically need insulin. This is true if the diagnosis is Type I diabetes, but not Type 2. Type 2 diabetics may require insulin if the diabetes can’t be controlled with diet, exercise, stress management and oral medications.
- Only older people get diabetes. (I would add that it is a misconception that children only get Type 1 diabetes. Currently, about 60% of children diagnosed with diabetes get Type 1, the other 40% are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.)
- People with diabetes can’t eat sweets or chocolate. (I appreciate what the ADA is doing by including this as a myth, but I don’t completely agree. For me, it’s true that I can eat some sweets and chocolate, but I’ve found that I can manage the diabetes better if I think of sweets and chocolate as something to be avoided. This is probably due more to the way I react to high fructose corn syrup than it is to the sugar that the food contains.)
- Fruit is a healthy food. Therefore it is OK to eat as much of it as you wish.
- If you have type 2 diabetes and your doctor says you need to start using insulin, it means you’re failing to take care of your diabetes properly.
Here are the major risk factors for diabetes:
- A body Mass index of 35 or more.
- Age over 45.
- Lack of regular physical activity.
- Family history of diabetes.
- High blood pressure.
- High cholesterol.
- Gestational diabetes during pregnancy or giving birth to a baby of 9 pounds or more.
Finally, I believe that is important that I share the symptoms of diabetes with you, along with my personal perspective on them. This is important information, and may save you from having to start from the same place that I did in regards to gaining control of this disease.
Type 1 diabetes:
- Frequent trips to the bathroom.
- Extreme thirst.
- Extreme hunger.
- Unusual weight loss
- Overwhelming fatigue/irritability.
Type 2 diabetes includes the above 5 plus:
- Blurry Vision (this was a major one for me, although I didn’t recognize it at the time.)
- Repeated infections.
- Cuts/bruises that are slow to heal. (I had this symptom, but didn’t really recognize it.)
- Tingling/numbness in the hands/feet. (Had I realized that this was a symptom of diabetes, I probably could have been diagnosed a couple of years earlier, when I first noticed tingling in my feet.)
- Recurring skin, gum, or bladder infections.
Where am I now? Well, I’m still obese, but I’m eating much better. That has probably been the biggest change in my life. I hardly ever fry foods now. I eat more whole grains, and I try to eat a balanced diet. I’m more aware of everything that I eat now, as I need to be aware of what raises AND what lowers my blood sugar. I still don’t exercise as much as I should, but I am exercising more. I try to handle stress better, and for the most part I succeed. I am still fighting to get my blood sugar under control. I’m successful for the most part, but have found that my body overreacts to several medications designed to lower blood sugar, causing my afternoon blood sugar levels to get too low. I’m still working with my doctor to find the right combination of medications to help keep it under control.
I’ll end this now (it’s gone on too long now) with the message to urge you to see a doctor if you or someone you love shows symptoms of diabetes. The earlier you’re diagnosed, the better. Don’t put off seeing the doctor. If you don’t have insurance, please talk to the local health department to see what options you might have. Undiagnosed diabetes can lead to other serious health problems.