Connie, you sound alot like most of us. If you live in the Philly area, your winter’s can be dark and cloudy. Ever notice how your customers are a bit happier and more peppy when the sun is shining. I didn’t think much about that theory until I was journaling my own moods. I suffer with severe chronic depression… have since before I was diagnosed with diabetes…and now it’s not much better. I try to flow with the go…so to speak. Depression can be worked through, maybe you need a medication for a short term, to get through the rough spots. If you are raising four young men, you have the stress of having two sons who are on their way to adulthood…and two teens who are well, probably wonderful but still teens. Now that’s not stress, nope, it’s BIG time stress and depression. Check with your doc about a short term antidepressant, a serotonin blocker…or even vitamin D which will help also.
Do you have time to yourself, that you can get out and walk (even if it’s inside rather than in the snow?) Or another activity that you can do that won’t cost money or at least not too much. Start with a day…make a list of things that you haven’t been doing for your health, and tackle one a day maybe take your blood sugars, and then make sure you take your meds or insulin, then conqueror the eating healthy, enlist the help of your sons to help plan meals. If they are like my sons were, they aren’t home a lot, but a little bit of help is better than none.
Go back and get renewed by your CDE or dietician on what foods would help you the best. I try and go every quarter, by it’s a plan with the grant we have at the clinic. Yet if your doc recommends it, insurance or Medicaid will pay for it. It never hurts to bone up on what we thought we knew.
And then Connie, do what you can do…and don’t beat yourself up for not being able to handle the world…you can do this, and when you can’t or can, you come here…these guys are great support.