The Diagnosis
When I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes approximately 2 years ago, I was devastated. I had fasting blood glucoses that were very high and my first A1C was 12.7! The first trip to the grocery store was extremely overwhelming as I looked at all of the labels of the food I usually bought and saw how tiny a serving size was and how many carbohydrates each serving had in it. I literally cried in the store that day. I had no idea what I could or should eat. My doctor had just told me to watch my sugars and the websites I visited said to eat a low carb diet. It really wasn’t very helpful at all.
A few months later, I found a diabetic education class that met once a week or 4 weeks in a town about an hour away from where I live. It was the best thing I could do. I also joined the American Diabetes Association forums – click here to see the site (and subscribed to the magazine) and the support and advice I got from both of those groups was amazing. I learned what I could eat and how to test my blood sugars to get to the optimal ranges. I learned daily exercise is important (though I admit I am terrible at this). I was also put on Metformin. I could only tolerate a low dose, but luckily for me it really worked for me as I worked to control my numbers through my diet (and occasional exercise). I lost weight (25-30 lbs since diagnosis – that 5 pounds keeps fluctuating). Things continued to get better. My A1C decreased to 7 by the first time it was retaken! By last summer it was down to the 6’s.
How far have I come with my Type 2 Diabetes.
My A1C was drawn a couple weeks ago. Last week I got the great news that it was now 5.8! WOW. I actually thought it would be higher because I did a lot of cheating over the holidays. My doctor took me off of the metformin and I now have to do it all (control my blood glucose) through diet and exercise.
It’s been less than a week since I am trying this and it has not been easy. My numbers have been high to low…I am having trouble getting things into the range I really want (they aren’r ridiculously high, but the lows are troubling because they happen quickly with just a little bit of exercise). I think I need to go back to the diabetic counselors and get things figured out so I can do this right. It’s a little scary being off of the medication, but it’s also exciting. I don’t want the chemicals in my body unless I absolutely need them. Pray for me or send good vibes my way. With God’s help I know I can do this! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! – Phillipians 4:13.
Question for you.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, how are you controlling your blood glucose numbers? What advice would you give me?