Wanting a healthy lifestyle means I need to accept that my current patterns are not adequate. I also need to acknowledge the health risks associated with denial. I have an addiction. I am addicted to fatty foods, carbohydrates, and sugar. Hello, my name is Michele and I am a diabetic.
I have been a diabetic since 2009 and I was thrust into it by doctors choosing to save my life rather than worry about diabetes. I was suffering from inflammation in my body and I was treated with a drug that caused my glucose numbers to rise to the 900s. I was not surprised because diabetes runs in my family.
When I was first diagnosed, I was very diligent and I monitored myself three times a day and refused to eat sugar; however, over time I just did not care anymore. My life’s purpose was in question. I felt it would be okay if I left this world before my time. I have had dark days and life disappointments like everyone else.
Your A1c level, which measures the amount of glucose in the blood, should be 7 or lower. I have had readings as high as 16. I am currently at an 11 but I could do much better. My doctors have warned me that without a change in my eating patterns, I will suffer diabetic complications later in life. I have kept alot of this information to myself, but I remember the look on my daughter’s face when she said she needs to understand what is going on with me.
Perhaps that was my turning point. She is my heart and I want to live to see her get married and have children. So, I have started taking my medications everyday, and monitoring my glucose numbers more regularly. I also have acquired some books on diabetes to help me turn my life around. May my journey bring me on step closer to living an extra day.
Michele Unrestricted 