Diabetes: When Meals Become Science Projects

Several years ago, I received the challenging diagnosis of diabetes type 2. I didn’t even really know what the diagnosis meant or how it would affect my life, but I do now.

I naively believed that scrutinizing my diet would suffice, so my doctor allowed me to try. I began eating fat free (low carb) food and monitoring my sugar intake. Nevertheless, my next doctor visit proved that I couldn’t manage my diabetes with diet alone, so I was prescribed a medication with few side effects. However, one of the few side effects turned out to be excessive gassiness, so I ended up taking a different pill with more discreet side effects.

The description of side effects in many medications is based mainly on legal considerations. These warnings about medications are sometimes so strange they are humorous. For example, “Don’t take this medication if you are allergic to it.” How can you know if you don’t take it? However, my favorite warning is quite bizarre. “If death occurs, discontinue use.” I guess one would have to discontinue the medicine at that point!

In my situation, it was more food than medicine that proved to be confusing. While some books and articles raved about some foods, others condemned them. Other articles asserted that a certain diet or pill would “cure” diabetes. Honestly, meals rapidly transformed into science projects.

To add to the pressure, my wife, Donna, became the queen of “no.” At the grocery store, I’d place an item in the cart and she would simply, say, “no.” Then I’d drop something else in our cart and again I’d hear “no.” You get the idea.

Things are better are now because I’ve accepted my disease and learned about it. The real turning point occurred when a friend told me about her sister who had gone blind and another relative who needed his leg amputated. They both had ignored their diabetes until it was too late. I quickly got the message.

While I was going through the whole process, I worried mostly about the finger stick, however, now I worry more about sugar and carbohydrates. I’ve had the biggest problems avoiding bakeries and fast-food restaurants. Some days are easier than others.

I also believe one thing for certain. Sooner or later, some relative or friend will receive a diagnosis of diabetes, and I will be around to empathize and help, if asked. I learned a long time ago the difference between helping and interfering. It’s been useful in my relationships.

So now, I stay on top of my diabetes because I dread the idea of kidney dialysis and premature death. It’s probably true that the need for dialysis creeps up on people until it’s too late. I now have been diagnosed with kidney failure and I am at stage three out of five in severity. Every time I get a blood test, I take a deep breath, and hope it hasn’t gotten any worse. However, I have to manage my blood sugar carefully and have to be very careful about what I eat and drink. I’m also incessantly reading labels on all the food we buy and can often be surprised by what foods that are usually healthy for others isn’t healthy for me. For example, you’d think that peanut butter, cauliflower and brussel sprouts would be great foods to eat, but they contain high amounts of potassium which my kidneys don’t process well; so, I try to avoid them. Luckily, I can put artificial sugar on my Fiber One cereal, but in general, I stay away from sugar and potassium.

But through it all, I’ve managed to develop an attitude of acceptance. At parties and family functions, I skip most of the food and I always skip the ice cream and cake or other desserts. Unfortunately, I’m usually asked why by others, and that gets old.

Now with exercise, diet and a good attitude, I’m healthy and grateful. But my diabetes is always there and dehydration can be deadly so I discovered when I had the flu last April and was hospitalized for two days. Luckily, the hospital didn’t blame me, so I didn’t feel guilty about it. But now I check my blood sugar more often and try to stay hydrated no matter what.

Thanks for reading may newsletter and I’ll see you next week.

(Please remember these are my own ideas, and I’m not attempting to persuade anyone to change theirs.)

Quotes:

I have high blood sugars, and Type 2 diabetes is not going to kill me. But I just have to eat right, and exercise, and lose weight, and watch what I eat, and I will be fine for the rest of my life. – Tom Hanks

I do not love to work out, but if I stick to exercising every day and put the right things in my mouth, then my diabetes just stays in check. – Halle Berry

Diabetes is not a choice, but how I live with it is. – Brett Andreas

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