Don't be discouraged!

A few years ago, when I discovered that I had Type 2 Diabetes, I attended a workshop on how to live with this new health concern.

The workshop focused on three aspects of dealing with Type 2 Diabetes: food, exercise, and medication.

A dietitian told us how to eat to minimize the amount of sugar in our blood - eat more vegetables, fruit and fiber - less refined (white) sugar and flour - more whole wheat flour and whole grains. Suddenly I became super-conscious of everything that went into my mouth...! Did it fit the diabetic guidelines?

The second thing we new type-2-ers were told was that exercise plays a significant role, not only in using up sugar in our blood (energy) but also in stimulating the production of insulin, so that our bodies control excess sugar more effectively. We were told to try to walk 45 minutes a day.

Then a pharmacist explained how to monitor our blood sugar daily by pricking a finger and testing a drop of blood for sugar levels with a meter. He also discussed various medications used to help type 2 diabetics produce more insulin. Fortunately, I didn't have to use any medication as I was able to control my blood sugar by modifying my diet and exercising more.

This is good - and every day I am thankful that I have managed to get my blood sugar down into the "high blood sugar" range - from the "diabetic" range - and keep it there.

But every day I have to pay attention to what I eat and notice how it affects my blood sugar (which I still monitor with daily blood tests). And I have to try to exercise every day...

So I'm thankful for all that medical professionals know about diabetes control these days, so that I can help myself instead of feeling a victim of this disease. But I sometimes also get discouraged. If I fail (and my blood sugar goes up), I blame myself. Often I feel like a slave to this lifestyle that, I must admit, isn't me... I would much rather knit or quilt than go out for a walk - or eat chocolate cake for a snack instead of a pear...

And sometimes I do...

I wish I had the self-control of one diabetic who said that every time he passes a bakery and smells fresh bread, he doesn't go in and get some (as I probably would) but instead is thankful that he is still alive to smell the fresh bread!!

But what I really want to say is, when I get down on myself, I have to remind myself - you can only fight so many battles at once... Chose the most important ones for today and focus on them ... and leave the rest for tomorrow...

So if the roads are too icy for me to go walking, or I have a lot to do and I'm feeling stressed (so I eat a handful of chocolate chips) ... That's okay...

Don't be discouraged! I tell myself. You can only fight so many battles on any given day! Don't even try to do it all!