When I was a young girl I would watch our neighbor lady who had what was commonly called 'sugar' by many in our area, give herself her daily insulin shots and go about eating all the sugary stuff she wanted, no matter how many warnings given to her by her dr, family, and friends. I don't think any of them knew how hard it is to stay away from something you crave until you have to do it.
My mother had diabetes and refused to listen. She nearly lost all her eyesight before deciding to try and curb her intake of sugar and starches. Many do not realize it but starches are a huge enemy of those whose body does not supply enough insulin.
I was in denial for several years. I was one that was not going to get diabetes. I went on living my life as though nothing like that could happen to me. By the time I went to the dr to find out why my feet were going to sleep, I already had the nueropathy that is caused by diabetes. My sugar was not extremely high like my moms whose sugar was over 600 when she fell ill. Mine was 268 but had been that way for some time and I just ignored it. Very foolishly but I won't spend my life beating myself up for it.
It is a lifelong process but I am learning to curb my intake of sugar and most starches by cooking with Splenda, making wiser choices when I buy drinks, cutting way back on doughnuts and such. I don't really need them but I do crave them and I am trying to work with ways to get around those cravings.
Exercise is a problem but I am trying to force myself to use the stationary bike since I cannot walk outside much for fear of falling in the winter. I fell three years ago and due to having brittle bones in my feet from the nueropathy, I nearly lost my left foot when I shattered my ankle. If I break it again, I may lose the foot. I love to swim but I cannot do that in the winter since the nearest public indoor pool is over 30 miles from here.
I feel i am luckier than my mom and others in the past. I have so many ways to fix good food now without using the sugar and other fattening things they used.
I also have the internet and an amazing number of other diabetics I can talk to about living this journey through the food maze of jellied doughnuts, cookies and candies that look so good and tempt us so much. Yes, I have it much better than they did and I am looking forward to living a long life in spite of this disease.
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About Me
- Dee
- I just enjoy life. Especially my family and all the little things life has to offer. I love reading and chatting with my online friends and quilting. I always have a project started. Sometimes I have two or three going.
3 comments:
I had gestational diabetes and live with the risk now. It is easier when you are pregnant because you know it will be over. I had 2 boxes of Girl Scout cookies in a friend's freezer waiting for me.
I know that my risk is high. It is hard to do what you have to do when you are only talking about risk.
Dee, thanks for stopping by Flitzy. I was heartened reading your post here - my husband just has been diagnosed with diabetes. Funny thing is, he had a good diet - lots of fruits and veggies, low fat, not much sweets or starches. So, we were shocked when he came down with symptoms! He takes a medication now and really watches his diet. His biggest problem is low exercise - he sits all day at work, commutes, then blogs. You get the picture - sedentary lifestyle...he's trying to improve that.
My sedindary lifestyle is part of my problem. I hope he does better than I did at the exercise bit. I keep trying though. *s*
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