“Damn.
Damn. Damn,” was how Mother Love reacted to her diagnoses of Type 2
diabetes in April of 1990. “I thought I had dodged the bullet. I had stopped smoking and
started to eat better.” Love has a family history of Diabetes. Her mother was diagnosed
with Adult onset Diabetes and both her sister’s have diabetes.
She did, however, have to insist on confirming her own diagnoses. “I knew every
bathroom from the valley to Los Angeles. I could drink water out of an endless faucet
and I had started to get night sweats.” Love had gone to her doctor for her annual
checkup and then asked for a glucose tolerance test. Her doctor brushed her off. “And
then I gave him the ultimatum, either you order the test or I’m going to find another
doctor.” She got the test.
It wasn’t until the death of her sister, her best friend, which prompted Love’s
turnaround on getting herself healthy. “I think of her everyday. She was my best
friend. So many times I want to pick up the phone and call her and I can’t.” Her anger
and frustration at her sister’s untimely death made her take stock in her life. It was
then she changed her outlook and started to lose weight.
She lost 40 pounds and then decided “I lost 40 pounds the
rest would be easy. I could do it.” Love continued on her
exercise and lifestyle change to lose a total of 111 pounds.
She is still a work in progress. She has currently
added Pilates to her exercise routine in order to begin
weight training. Her current exercise program is to walk at
least 10,000 steps a day.
It
was Love’s husband who encouraged her and supported her every step along
her
way. “My Husband he is my LOVE and my Partner his encouragement and the
gentleness he showed me when I was wondering what I was doing would I be OK. He
stood with me when I said I would rather loose my career than continue to be so sick.
When he said he loves me not what people or who people think I am. He knows me
and loves ME! The girl he loves from college.”
Love has dealt with diabetic burnout and the depression that sometimes follows
diagnoses. When first diagnosed she was angry she because she couldn’t do the
things she wanted to do. Now she wakes up every morning to praise God for another
day of sunshine.
At the Love’s house everyone knows not to bother her during DLife time. She sets out
the healthy snacks and watches the show. When taping she doesn’t get to see the
sidebars or any other information presented on the screen for viewers. “I get to learn
new things just like everyone else.
The advice she gives for newly diagnosed diabetics is get a team together. “Get your
doctor, CDE, psychologist and your family.” She believes with a good team you can
control your diabetes and not let it control you. “You are the boss.”
Mother Love's outlook on life is just how it is on DLife. She is an upbeat, loving person.
She is writing a book about her life changing experience of losing 111 pounds and
hopes to help other diabetics who feel it is hopeless. Love eventually would like to get
around to writing a cookbook, more about that later.
So be sure to catch Mother Love on DLife!
