By: Frank Wood
Adjusting to diabetes is adjusting to a new life and it’s scary,
mystifying or just plain frustrating!
There’s all that planning to do.
mystifying or just plain frustrating!
There’s all that planning to do.
On top of that there are new skills to be learned. How to
use a blood glucose monitor, when to test, how to avoid
going OUCH!! when the lancet hits flesh.
use a blood glucose monitor, when to test, how to avoid
going OUCH!! when the lancet hits flesh.
So what to do?
The first thing to is recognise your own feelings. What are they? How are they
affecting you? How are the changes to your life affecting you?
Also remember that your family and friends are adjusting to your diabetes as
well. Understand that they may be anxious about you. They may even feel that
somehow they are guilty in some way.
There are going to be moments when you are fed up to the back teeth with
people’s “helpful” comments. I used to hate it when my Dad used to say to
people, “This is my son Frank and he has diabetes” or if we’re at a restaurant he’d
say almost in a conspiratorial tone, “My son’s a diabetic”. The waiter would
nod wisely. I would hiss, “Dad, I AM going to have that sticky toffee pudding!”
When that happens just note your feeling and understand where the other
person is coming from. The next time you get some advice about how you should
diet or exercise, just say (and please don’t grit your teeth) “Thank you for that
advice. I’ve already got a good plan going.” and then hope they shut up.
It’s going to be difficult. All this adjusting and educating your loved ones and
friends. So it’s best to sit down and talk with them. Your hopes, fears and what
your plans are and how they can help. Not only will this help them but also it will
clear your mind so that you will know what to do.
(
Home
)(
Exercise
)(
Famous People
)(
Experience
)(
Traditions
)(
Children
)(
Recipes
)(
Book Review
)(
Questions
)(
Food Court
)(
Glycemic Index
)
Also shopping is no longer the impulsive happy
experience (well maybe not always happy!) that it used
to be. Now everytime you see a product you have to
check the labels for nutritional information and the print
is such that you’d need a microscope to read it.
And .......of course you’ve left your reading glassed
behind.
experience (well maybe not always happy!) that it used
to be. Now everytime you see a product you have to
check the labels for nutritional information and the print
is such that you’d need a microscope to read it.
And .......of course you’ve left your reading glassed
behind.
Having to check when was the last time you ate, when should
you eat again and what is there to eat that won’t result in you
turning green and foaming at the mouth or whatever horrors
your helpful friends have warned you about.
you eat again and what is there to eat that won’t result in you
turning green and foaming at the mouth or whatever horrors
your helpful friends have warned you about.
Have you ever noticed how sometimes you have to coax,
almost beg your finger to give a drop of blood and when it
finally obliges your monitor shrieks at you that you’ve not
almost beg your finger to give a drop of blood and when it
finally obliges your monitor shrieks at you that you’ve not
given enough blood, so one more precious strip wasted. Or
there are times when you hit a blood vessel and your room
looks like a scene out of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Other skills that insulin dependent diabetics have to master
are when to inject, what dosage and what type of insulin.
there are times when you hit a blood vessel and your room
looks like a scene out of the Texas Chain Saw Massacre.
Other skills that insulin dependent diabetics have to master
are when to inject, what dosage and what type of insulin.
"And if that wasn't bad enough, the fear of hypos often lurks in the background."
Needless to say, the result of all this planning, measuring, evaluating
and monitoring can result in you feeling a little overwhelmed. You
weigh yourself every day and scream “Liar!” at the scales. Every
time you see a Danish Pastry you want to go into the shop and buy
it. Sometimes you do and you worry that your weight is going to
explode. It doesn’t but it doesn’t come off either so when you go for
your checkup you squirm with guilt as your doctor looks at you over
the top of his glasses.
and monitoring can result in you feeling a little overwhelmed. You
weigh yourself every day and scream “Liar!” at the scales. Every
time you see a Danish Pastry you want to go into the shop and buy
it. Sometimes you do and you worry that your weight is going to
explode. It doesn’t but it doesn’t come off either so when you go for
your checkup you squirm with guilt as your doctor looks at you over
the top of his glasses.
Welcome to Stressville
where there are no speed limits on your
anxiety levels.
anxiety levels.
Then
you can have that sticky toffee pudding,
knowing that it’s your special treat for being so good
the rest of the time that you will know what to do!
knowing that it’s your special treat for being so good
the rest of the time that you will know what to do!
6th Edition - Jan 2006