How has your life changed?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
How has your life changed?
8
Sun, 12-05-2004 - 9:57pm

I'm curious what changes everyone made in their lives after diagnosis. What steps have you taken to take better care of yourself? Did you cut back on work? Did you start yoga? Buy a treadmill? Start saying no to life's demands? Go to bed earlier?

I'm having a hard time making myself a priority and need some ideas of how this can be achieved with a minimum of self-imposed guilt.

Thanks!

Julee

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2004
Mon, 12-06-2004 - 2:19am

My life changed significantly with the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, I have said it was the kick in the pants I needed to get into a healthier lifestyle. I attended diabetes education classes and met with a dietician, both she and the CDE were tremendously helpful. With the help of the dietician I got on a meal plan (I stick to it pretty religiously) and have gotten into an exercise routine. I walk daily and go to the gym three times a week, I also swim 2 - 3 times per week. I did not go to the gym or walk prior to my diagnosis, I have always enjoyed swimming.

The best thing I learned (for me personally) from my dietician...there are no "off limits" foods...for me this was great to hear because I am the type of person if you tell me I can't have something then I would binge on it. The plan I am on is moderation, portion control and timing (what time of day I am eating what). It is not difficult at all.

With this routine I have managed to lose 101 pounds in 22 months. I have about 5 more pounds to go and will admit these last five have been tough to drop. I have another appointment with my dietician in January to tweak my meal plan in hopes of reaching my goal.

I have also begun saying to to some of life's demands, though I do find this to be my most difficult task. I plan to work on this some more.

I wish you luck!

Jan

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-02-2003
Mon, 12-06-2004 - 5:12pm

Oh, boy.

Blueliner4
(aka The Pixie Princess)

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 12-07-2004 - 11:25am

Julee,


I am a type two diabetic and so my life changed but differently than Gabby's. I felt absolutely awful when I was diagnosed but being a nurse I was familiar with diabetes and my husband was already diabetic as well. Both of my parents were diabetics but very elderly and easy to control. That was 15 years ago.


I have lost weight but not enough and depending upon my orthopedic status I have begun to exercise. I have great diffuclty with my knees and my back and sometime the endo has told me to exercise and the ortho has told me not to. Right now I am postponing going to see the ortho because I know he is going to tell me to stop walking so much and how am I going to go to the gym with that instruction.


One huge change I have made is going to the gym. I signed up for Curves last year and I have been going two to three times per week. Now I am one of those folks who pays for a years membership and shows up a few times at the beginning and never after that! So it is amazing that I have managed to keep at it for over a year. I can find any number of things to do besides exercising!


I have always eaten well as that was one of the things that my mother instilled in me because my maternal grandmother died of the complications of diabetes. I wish I had kept my weight under better control when I was younger but there is nothing I can do about that now.


I would have to say that I am in better health than I was when I was diagnosed. My blood pressure is fine. My cholesterol and triglycerides are in better control and my blood sugar is in much better control. I have been much more active and I live an interesting life. Yes, I constantly worry about food, especially now that I am on insulin and I have to make sure that my schedule has time for me to eat and at a regular interval. But I have just spend a total of one month in Europe this year and I am here to tell you that I survived it and had a good time!


What changes have you made to your life to better control your disease?

Mary Frances


cl-maryfrances40

Co-CL Diabetes Board


iVillage Member
Registered: 06-07-2004
Thu, 12-09-2004 - 11:16pm

Hi Julee,

This is still fairly new to me as I was just diagnosed type 2 in early October. I am just on diet control for now. As for changes well I hired a treadmill and have gone from no exercise at all to walking 30mins a day and have made some big changes to my diet as I also have to lose weight. I'm really not finding it too difficult except when we are out which usually is not too often, but more so at the moment with Christmas coming. It has had a follow on effect on the rest of my family in a positive way in that we are all eating more healthy now. My children are becoming more aware of what is good to eat and that will be a good skill for them to have. So I would say it's really not so bad.

Lisa.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2004
Tue, 12-14-2004 - 8:18am

Jan~

Well, sounds like you've done much, much better than me! Yipee for the weight loss!
Congrads!

I did lose 50# between January and July. Am back up 4lbs, but am still trying to keep on the straight and narrow. Eat meals and test on a regular basis. Even take my meter with me when I coordinate or attend seminars.

I'm going to audit the CDE classes in January as 1-23 will be the one year anniversary of being diagnosed. I could stand a "paint up/fix up". Am hoping to be working by then, but so far my prospects don't look very promising. My bills have piled up (i.e. credit cards for pet & car care...nothing too much fun).

I need to reinstitute my exercise program. I'm sure with some additional movement, my
diabetes will improve, the triglycerides will drop, and my body will feel better.
It's the hip and leg pain that stops me from exercising as I'd like. Of course, that
is an excuse.

My A1C was 6.3 (last week's test) which is good. That's .1 higher than August so I must be doing something right.

I sure can tell you that stress affects me much more than I'd thought! I coordinated a
seminar last Friday on Psychopharmacology. The attendees (for the most part) were such crabs. I ended up with a migraine which I haven't had for over 5 years. Was very careful that I ate something light for dinner so I wouldn't throw up. My glucose level was 270 after eating only yoghurt, a small salad and a small bottle of water. It should have been around 129 after the 2 hours. Discussed it with my endocrinologist yesterday, and he agreed that stress sure can make the BSL go up. I took an additional 2mg Amaryl at 8:30PM, went back to my dark bedroom, and retested at 11PM. It was just below 140. Not so good for that much of a wait, but I knew I'd be safe through the night. Sure enough, the morning was back right on board.

My life has changed significantly, and I still have moments when I'm very afraid of what is happening to me.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2004
Tue, 12-14-2004 - 11:18pm

Kathi - Thanks for the kudos! Congratulations to you as well...you have made great progress! Sticking with the meal plan, testing regularly and exercise has been key for me too.

I understand what you mean about stress, it makes my numbers jump too though it took me a while to make that connection...I'm still learning. I hope to take a refresher on the CDE classes in February and will also meet with my dietician again to see if any adjustments need to be made to my meal plan.

My big concern is "towing the line" during the holidays, I love the sweets...hope I can keep my sampling to a minimum! I know my family will "assist" me with monitoring what I eat, LOL!

I understand your fear too, as I said in my earlier post the diagnosis of diabetes was the kick in the pants I needed...the diagnosis frightened me because of all the problems one can develop if diabetes is left untreated. I hope I can continue to keep my diabetes under control so I never learn of the complications.

Happy Holidays
Jan

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2004
Sun, 12-19-2004 - 7:39pm

Good luck to us, both, and to the other members of this board.

Happy Holidays to you, too.

K

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Tue, 12-21-2004 - 2:04am

Before I answer, I apologize for not being around much. My computer is still acting up and the times I have tried to post, have often ended up crashing the computer, and giving up.

My life has changed drastically. I was diagnosed April 30, 2003. Currently my weight isnt dropping very much. So I've basically lost between 50-65 pounds depending in part if its after a weekend with migraines(i am not on meds so get by without eating much at all).My weight seems to yoyo, BUT the high point of the yoyo is still at least 50 pounds less than I used to be.

I was diagnosed when I went to the doctor for clearance to start exercising. Due to my weight, and severe arthritis in knees, my mobility had gotten so bad there were days it was almost impossible to walk from my van into my office, and I have a handicap parking spot right out front!! There were days when I wanted to just sit in a wheelchair. I lost my dachshund the previous winter, and knew my mobility was too bad for me to deal with all the doggy type challenges.

I started exercising very slowly. There have been a few down times, but I had gotten to the point this fall, where I could even walk around the park across from the office. The best I did was 4 times around that whole block which would basically equal about 12 blocks walked straight. I go around the same block because there ARE benches, and if my knee gets real wonky, I am within a block of the office. I also have problems with depression and know if I can talk myself into going to exercise, I usually feel better. sometimes much better after exercising.

Exercising has been going the best for me, and has kept my BG levels in pretty good control. My highest A1C was 6.2 and my lowest has been 5.7. But if anyone had told me last year that I would actually be able to walk on the elliptical machine for 70 minutes, (at a pretty good clip too) they would have been crazy. I am sure if I had an ortho right now he would probably be having hissy fits.....BUT unless I have severe knee pains, I have found pain is reduced by my workingout. I am using much less aspirin then I ever did before. Had too many nasty side effects from the stronger pain meds, so that is what I keep going back to.

It really shocks me sometimes when people comment about how much I AM doing! Part of my brain says since I am still so heavy there is no way I could possibly inspire or be a model for anyone else to start and keep working out, but people keep telling me I am. Bottom line, after slumps I just keep coming back. Usually after a down period, I will back off a little, and pay attention to my body, so I dont push to far or fast. How long I workout really depends on how good I continue to feel. I have gotten this image in my mind of that silly Pink energizer bunny(you know that battery ads)...where they say he keeps going and going and going. Some nights that feels like me.

I will say, that since I do have a competetive streak(in the past that never showed up in anything to do with exercise, because I knew I was hopeless at it.) I have found a number of different local programs I could sign up for. One meant committing to working out at least 1/2 hour 5 days each week. So for exercising, what would motivate you? What interests you? Do you like music and do something involving that? Maybe compete with yourself. I do that. When I am able, I like to do a little more, maybe 5 minutes more, maybe a little faster or whatever.

I have found the "Walk away the Pounds" tapes doable...they can be done at home, some in as short as a 15 minute time frame. Due to wonky knees, I dont try some of the more coordinated steps some of her tapes has. But then Sansone makes a point of saying, if anything doesnt work, just go back to walking. I do avoid doing anything that requires weight bearing on a bent knee. I also will not "pivot" or turn while weight is on the bad knee. I do not do any exercise that puts extra stress on the knees. and for me that even means no stairs, doing exercise which involves inclines.

Try out various types of exercise and if some really turn you off, try something else. Remember too, that many activities are really exercise. Find something you enjoy, and it will be much easier.

IN one way, we do need to balance all the areas of dealing with diabetes and that is overwhelming. Trying to change everything immediately and KEEP those changes is very difficult, and hard to sustain. Taking a few small actions, and making them habits, and then going on to other changes could help. Once we succeed in a couple areas,it becomes easier to start on new challenges. If you hate exercising on your own, maybe find a buddy to do it with. I could not do it without listening to music, usually fast paced. Maybe put the other "things you "should do" on a back burner while working on a couple things that seem doable. If you start doing something and then backslide.....DO NOT hassle yourself over backsliding. Just get back on and start doing it again, or if that just does not seem to be working, then maybe try something else. Also in many cases, if you stopped doing something and have to start over, your starting level really is NOT as low as when you first started. It is not the same as going all the way back to zero.