Apr 07 2009
Diabetes: What I Didn’t Know
A friend of mine recently was told that she might be among the diabetic recently. Knowing of my still less than a year old diagnosis, she called me and asked for tips. The call was educational, but I think more for me than for her.
My friend had already started changing her diet, eating better and working on carbs. The numbers that alarmed her doctor were borderline, not very different from what mine were like on the day my doctor got worried. So outside of pointing out that it’s not the end of the world, what was there to say?
Sadly, not a lot. I recommended a product or two that I like, reminded her to stay up beat. Thankfully, she had a handle on the situation to begin with, diabetes running in her family.
The things I was reminded of in that phone call:
- I’m am not the authority of all things related to diabetes.
- You can already be changing your lifestyle and still have blood sugar issues.
- …and that doesn’t mean you’ve failed.
- Sometimes, solidarity is about all you can offer someone going through a bad time.
The good news is that she still has her A1C results coming, so there’s a possibility she’s not looking at diagnosis of diabetes even if she is kind of having a “come to Jesus” moment about her diet. She’s also got a great set of friends (not just me) and a good family at home to help her deal with whatever the doctor tells her.
As for me, I’m a little sad that after a year I didn’t have more to say to her (I should have this diabetes thing down, right?). But on the other hand, knowing that your knowledge isn’t complete is part of a path towards becoming wiser. And that’s something I’m pretty sure I can always do.
*beeps your nose* Part of the reason you didn’t have that much to say is becuase I’ve already read alot of what you’ve written and taken it to heart. That is part of the reason I already have something of an idea of what to do, rather than throwing on the sackcloth and flogging myself out of lack of information. So, don’t take it that you haven’t learned all that much, take it as you’ve already taught me alot. *grins*
Between you and our mutual corvid friend, I’ve had two fantastic ears to bend on the subject. Besides, solidarity is as much a part of making changes as the changes themselves. It’s easy right now for me to make all these changes and be all gun-ho, having just gotten my kick in the pants. It’s another thing entirely to be sticking to them three months from now.
You need to be a diabetic friend to her over the long run. Diabetes is a progressive disease. Things could get worse as time goes on. Then is also when you need the support of your friends.
Maxie