I had just been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, and was trying to wrap my head around having surgery, and how I was going to cope not using my right hand for a while, when the doctor suggested we should test my bloods to see what else is going on.
Type 2 Diabetes...that's what's going on!!
My doctor was lovely.
I cried.
I was in shock.
But I can't have diabetes now...I'm trying to improve my health!
Well...now I have even more reason to do that.
I have a family history of diabetes...my grandfather, mother, aunties, cousin...
I'm grossly overweight.
I'm hurtling towards 40.
It's not like I hadn't had any of the symptoms...
I was always tired and lethargic
Always feeling hungry
I took a long time to heal
My vision was blurred
I was gradually putting on weight
Mood swings...MOOD SWINGS...mood swings...mooooooood swiiiiiings
Headaches - check
Feeling dizzy - check
The list goes on...
I test my blood glucose level every morning.
My finger tips are sore from all of the needle pricks.
Thankfully my Type 2 Diabetes is diet controlled at the moment.
I've been to an introductory session at the Diabetes Clinic, which was seriously depressing / boring. The group I was put with were women in their late 50's and beyond and I couldn't relate to them, and them to me.
I learned a lot about carbohydrates, how they work, when I should eat.
I track my blood glucose levels on an iPhone app.
I am continuing with the Weight Watchers program.
I track what I eat using the Weight Watchers app.
I am losing weight.
I have a follow up appointment with a nutritionist at the end of the month.
So far, my readings are hovering around the same numbers.
At least they're not going up!
I hope that I will never need to take medication or give myself insulin shots.
I hope to reduce my blood glucose levels so that they're within a healthy range.
Regardless, I will always be a diabetic.
I hate having that label.
It's a really confusing and confronting time.
Please bare with me.
It's still so new and foreign.
Do you have Type 2 Diabetes? Do you have any recommendations for me?
Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it
