Taking care of your diabetes.
For many years I have struggled how I might inspire some of my friends with diabetes to take better care of themselves. I can really say that when the blood sugar monitor became available to me, that I could do my very best to get and keep control of my diabetes, that is to say that while I couldn’t always meet with success, in the majority of situations I was able to win the battle. Although some are able to successfully keep control, some are not. In response to the daily demands of diabetes, they have all but given up, at least for some time until something happened to them that made them suddenly realize that giving up was very damaging to their health.
They have come to appreciate just how difficult it is to apply good self-care, day after day after day indeed for the rest of their lives.
Of course I travelled the same way at times but couldn’t afford to ever give up, it simply would make me too sick to do so.
We can easily get overwhelmed trying to balance the many demands of diabetes, including the many times of monitoring, medication , diet and exercise.
For that reason, to help those who were giving up I did write the letter called, " Rules or Guide Liness for the Diabetic", which found great appreciation with people who had to face diabetes all of a sudden. Health care is often limited, diabetes education may be unavailable. Support of loved ones may be non-existent. Add to that the stresses of daily life and it is no surprise that many people react by getting angry, depressed, frustrated or discouraged about having diabetes.
Doctors have mistakenly ignored an enormous source of expertise namely the diabetic him/herselves. They have to learn that in treating diabetes there must be a partnership with the patient of at least 50-50 to achieve success. In particular those who gave up and than suddenly returned to really taking care of their disease, they must find out why the sudden change? I believe my letter of the Rules or Guideliness for the Diabetic was one of those sources that helped them do that. Won’t post it unless asked for by at least two people don’t want to bore you to death by posting it too often! So what happened to change your perspective, that made you suddenly realize that diabetes care was worth your effort? For some it was the onset of complications, and they will say, "I should have started with my care long time ego. But better late than never! There are many reasons why people suddenly take better care of themselves than before. For me the change came with the possession of my first blood-sugar monitor!
What did it for you? Let’s hear about you!?!?
JB.