First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who's shown me support as I deal with my diagnosis. I got some nice comments on this blog and have had a lot of help from friends and loved ones, as well as my doctors. It's made things easier to deal with and has given me a lot of hope.
The good news is, I'm doing pretty well. My blood sugar is now down in the 100s (it even hit 96 the other night) and my doctor is pleased with my progress. My vision is blurry, most likely from my bs dropping so far and so rapidly, but I'm seeing an eye specialist in a few days. I can function with some over the counter reading glasses, though. I'm no longer (literally) dying of thirst, I'm sleeping better and am less fatigued.
Meanwhile, I've completely overhauled my eating: I'm having a lot of whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean means and low-fat dairy. For snacks, I have hummus or sugar free Jell-O. I eat every couple of hours and I don't feel hungry or deprived. I don't even miss sweets that much. When you fear that eating a piece of cake will make you sick, it loses its appeal!
I've been walking a lot, too. I've recruited some friends to do a five-mile diabetes walk with me this October and am starting to train. I walked for two hours around Chinatown the other day and this past weekend, Jon and I walked to the movies. We used to do this route often, but hadn't in over a year. It felt good to be outside again and I realized how much I missed walking into town.
Things are also okay between myself and my parents. Jon and I visited them last week, and I think that once they saw that I wasn't completely falling spart, they calmed down about my diagnosis. I explained how it can be controlled and how it was screwing with my metabolism. My mom has a weird idea of what I can and can't eat, but I explained that the eating plan isn't nearly as restrictive as she thinks. We then went for Persian food and I got a salad and chicken kabob with a little hummus on the side. My parents were like, "But it comes with rice!" I told them, "Just because you get rice on your plate doesn't mean you have to eat it. Duh." For the record, I didn't even get rice; I just asked them not to give it to me.
This weekend, we're going up to my in-laws so I called ahead and asked them to pick up some stuff at the grocery store. A key element in dealing with diabetes is planning ahead, I'm learning. So I always check menus ahead of time and make sure that there is food I can eat. I'm still figuring out what causes my bs to spike, but there are some great recipes online for diabetics.
Anyway, everything is okay here, if not perfect. I'm actually going to start a blog about my diabetes so you can follow me there, if you're interested. Thanks again for reading and for boosting me up during a tough time.
Showing posts with label health crisis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health crisis. Show all posts
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Sunday, August 7, 2011
I'm Mrs. Thighs And I'm A Diabetic...
Okay, feel free to tell me, "I told you so," that my parents' cries for me to see an endocrinologist were valid. I just found out that I have Type II Diabetes.
To be fair, I made the appointment with the endo MONTHS ago, back in April. She was booked and I didn't feel sick. I didn't have any of the classic symptoms for diabetes so I wasn't too worried.
Once we got home from Greece, though, everything fell apart. I came down with back-to-back colds from hell and became ridiculously thirsty. We're talking unquenchable thirst. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I wanted to jump into a vat of strawberry smoothie because I was craving ice/fruit juice so badly. I'd drink and drink and drink, and still felt dehydrated.
Then, of course, I needed to go all the time. Urgently. And if a bathroom wasn't right there, I, well, came close to having some disasters.
Next, my vision went wonky. I've always had 20/20 vision, but it was blurry for a few days. I couldn't even watch TV because the picture was too blurry.
By now, I suspected that something was very wrong, but wasn't sure who to turn to. I knew I had this appointment coming up, plus, our job had been bought out by a new company so I was between insurances. Meanwhile, I was doing the exact wrong thing and drinking tons of fruit juices and sports drinks. I felt like I wanted to die. Finally, I asked for help from my friend who has diabetes, and he basically saved my life. He gave me a list of foods to eat and avoid, and I followed it for a few days ... and began to feel a little better. I could deal with my issues. I could function. We even went to the Poconos for a weekend, where I swam and went boating.
Still, I dreaded seeing the doctor because I knew my diagnosis was not going to be good. I just wondered how bad it would be.
It was bad. My blood sugar was over 400 and they considered me to be an emergency case. Therefore, I'm on insulin and various other meds, and I have to take my blood sugar four times a day. My bs is now down in the 200s, so the meds seem to be working.
They also told me that my metabolism is completely fucked up and that even if I don't eat, I won't lose weight efficiently. I liked my doctor because was wasn't judgmental about my weight, and was very encouraging about my future. The team hopes to have me off of the meds and insulin in two months.
Physically, I feel fine, though a little tired. Emotionally, I'm all over the place. I can't help blaming myself for making myself sick since my weight definitely plays a part. On the other hand, I'm trying to stay positive. That I don't actually feel sick is a plus and my bs is going down. All I can do is follow my doctors' orders and I'll hopefully be fine. Taking insulin and bs numbers really isn't bad; it doesn't hurt at all. And the meal plan seems reasonable.
I'm also planning to do a 4.8 miles walk for diabetes in October. That seems like the perfect thing to do for both my disease and my leg. The route goes over the Brooklyn Bridge so we'll get to see some awesome views of the NYC skyline.
What's really nice is that many friends have been so supportive. I've heard from a lot of people, who've cheered me on. Then again, I haven't heard from some people, which is disappointing. If I knew my friend was having a major health crisis, I'd make a point to reach her, but I can't change people's priorities.
I'm still trying to figure out how to tell my parents. I think they should know, but my mom is going to get all cry-y and freak out. I really don't want to deal with her blubbering. My dad will be more normal, I think.
Sorry for this slightly incoherent entry, but my mind is all over the place. I will keep everyone updated.
To be fair, I made the appointment with the endo MONTHS ago, back in April. She was booked and I didn't feel sick. I didn't have any of the classic symptoms for diabetes so I wasn't too worried.
Once we got home from Greece, though, everything fell apart. I came down with back-to-back colds from hell and became ridiculously thirsty. We're talking unquenchable thirst. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I wanted to jump into a vat of strawberry smoothie because I was craving ice/fruit juice so badly. I'd drink and drink and drink, and still felt dehydrated.
Then, of course, I needed to go all the time. Urgently. And if a bathroom wasn't right there, I, well, came close to having some disasters.
Next, my vision went wonky. I've always had 20/20 vision, but it was blurry for a few days. I couldn't even watch TV because the picture was too blurry.
By now, I suspected that something was very wrong, but wasn't sure who to turn to. I knew I had this appointment coming up, plus, our job had been bought out by a new company so I was between insurances. Meanwhile, I was doing the exact wrong thing and drinking tons of fruit juices and sports drinks. I felt like I wanted to die. Finally, I asked for help from my friend who has diabetes, and he basically saved my life. He gave me a list of foods to eat and avoid, and I followed it for a few days ... and began to feel a little better. I could deal with my issues. I could function. We even went to the Poconos for a weekend, where I swam and went boating.
Still, I dreaded seeing the doctor because I knew my diagnosis was not going to be good. I just wondered how bad it would be.
It was bad. My blood sugar was over 400 and they considered me to be an emergency case. Therefore, I'm on insulin and various other meds, and I have to take my blood sugar four times a day. My bs is now down in the 200s, so the meds seem to be working.
They also told me that my metabolism is completely fucked up and that even if I don't eat, I won't lose weight efficiently. I liked my doctor because was wasn't judgmental about my weight, and was very encouraging about my future. The team hopes to have me off of the meds and insulin in two months.
Physically, I feel fine, though a little tired. Emotionally, I'm all over the place. I can't help blaming myself for making myself sick since my weight definitely plays a part. On the other hand, I'm trying to stay positive. That I don't actually feel sick is a plus and my bs is going down. All I can do is follow my doctors' orders and I'll hopefully be fine. Taking insulin and bs numbers really isn't bad; it doesn't hurt at all. And the meal plan seems reasonable.
I'm also planning to do a 4.8 miles walk for diabetes in October. That seems like the perfect thing to do for both my disease and my leg. The route goes over the Brooklyn Bridge so we'll get to see some awesome views of the NYC skyline.
What's really nice is that many friends have been so supportive. I've heard from a lot of people, who've cheered me on. Then again, I haven't heard from some people, which is disappointing. If I knew my friend was having a major health crisis, I'd make a point to reach her, but I can't change people's priorities.
I'm still trying to figure out how to tell my parents. I think they should know, but my mom is going to get all cry-y and freak out. I really don't want to deal with her blubbering. My dad will be more normal, I think.
Sorry for this slightly incoherent entry, but my mind is all over the place. I will keep everyone updated.
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