Acceptance Will Set Us Free (My Diabetes Story)

It was not only a long story but a long journey as well. Indeed a journey of life that ended in finally accepting the fear of having this illness. Yes, I do have a diabetes. My diagnosis last Nov. was only a confirmation that indeed the big “D” is in me. Long before that, I know in my heart that I have one because I was already experiencing symptoms of this illness. This started about six years ago in the last quarter of 2002 when I took up a six months course in Caregiving when I realized that perhaps I have a diabetes. I was already experiencing the symptoms of this disease. I felt the unusual thirst, frequent urinating, numbness of my fingers, as well as itching. This I know are the symptoms of diabetes because I learned that in class and we discussed those symptoms in one of our module in the course. We discussed different kinds of diseases and one of those was diabetes mellitus which really caught my attention. But I tend to ignore it then because I was not ready yet to face life having the disease. I was not yet ready physically, emotionally, and financially.because I know for a fact that this demands a lot of sacrifices on ones’ part inorder to take precautions and remedy for it.

I was not yet ready to exert extra effort and take a rigid diet and exercise that made me apprehensive at first. Too bad for me but I am aware that I need to shed off those extra pounds and curtail myself with those delicious and sweetened favorites of mine. But above all I am also aware of the financial burden that I need to consider in maintaining the medications that will be required of me upon doctors’ prescription. I was not yet ready to face reality but sooner or later I know I have to take it. So I took the first step last Nov. and never regretted to have taken it at all. Finally, I went to see a doctor for official confirmation from her of me having this disease and getting her advice as well as her prescription. It is a diabetes mellitus type II. I had finally convinced myself and accepted the fact that I have to take care of myself by taking precautions and remedy for it. Though I may have wasted those years that I could have done it already but I do believe that there’s never too late to start for anything worthwhile. It’s never too late to start living healthy.

Despite of the stigma of the complications of the disease, I am now free of worries and anxieties from it because I know that I had already taken the step to liberate myself from those fear and uncertainties that I had before. Though it is not easy to have a healthy lifestyle, I must admit, because it requires me extra effort and sacrifices by taking at least an effort to rise early from bed and do a little bit of exercising and avoiding those favorite foods of mine which for me were already part of my daily diet and habit. Really it seemed difficult at first, doing things which I haven’t done before, but later on I learned to appreciate it already. I learned to do exercise, get up early and do just even at least a 30 min. brisk walking is good enough per doctors’ advice. Eating the right kind and right amount of healthy, unsweetened foods makes me realize that you don’t need to have those fatty, sweetened foods to declare it as something delicious. Unsweetened, non-salty foods can be delicious as well and healthier for that matter. I learned to appreciate eating those foods which I don’t usually eat before and value my life by eating the right kind and right amount of foods and have a healthy diet and lifestyle. It’s even more fun, rewarding, and uplifting by having these practices now, I feel better and lighter this time. You don’t need to be full and bloated but you can be full and lighter by taking the right kind and right amount of foods.

By accepting this illness with an open heart and mind makes me even regard this illness as a “blessing in disguise” because it makes me realize how valuable my life is. It teaches me to value my life even more this time by taking care of myself. It makes me realize that I have only one life to live and I should make the most of every moment of it. From the time I went to the doctor and followed her advice and prescription religiously up to this moment I feel extremely happy, fulfilled, and looks even ‘better" (knacks) as others would place it maybe because of those extra pounds I’d already shed off. Thus I have a great admiration and gratitude to God for my life. God has helped me lower my blood sugar level eventually, from 217 mg/dl it went down to 113 mg/dl presently, Even my blood cholesterol and blood pressure level has also showed substantial improvements. These are all amazing works of God for me. With God’s help I was able to achieve those results by simply following the doctors’ advice and prescription. I am taking my medications religiously, doing exercise on the side, and having a rigid diet helps me to achieve my goals of lowering my blood sugar level as well as my blood cholesterol and blood pressure level. But above all God has helped me conquer my fears, worries, and anxieties for this disease.

Perhaps another “blessing in disguise” I can consider was me finding this community for people touched by diabetes. Finding this site and becoming a member of tudiabetes.com community, belonging to this worldwide community of special people who perhaps might have the same fears, worries, and anxieties that I have is something I consider as a “blessing”. Again, my having a diabetes makes even a “blessing” because if I am not inflicted with this illness I could not have been a certified member of the community and could not have met this wonderful and special people around the world. I could not have been doing this blog, expressing myself here and sharing my story if I am not a certified member. Even though that this is not something on the personal aspect but it becomes even more personal when we share and exchange each others’ thoughts, ideas, opinions, feelings, experiences and touched each others’ lives even here only on the cyberspace as we share the happy battle of conquering ourselves on this illness. We share friendship with each other as we sympathize to each others’ needs, worries, fears, and anxieties.

I believe we meet people in our lives not by chance, not by accident, but by destiny. It is a conspiracy of all the forces in the world to make it happen. I met you not by a stroke of luck, but a stroke of fate. I may not know you personally, but I know - if it is destined, we’ll going to know more about each other as the time passes. People come and go in our lives but there are those who left prints in our hearts, as they say and for me you guys are one of those few people who have a special place in my heart. We will share to fight this battle. We may not win this war always but deep in our hearts and with Gods’ grace we will always win the battle. God Bless Us All.