When I was told I had type 2 diabetes in 11/2006, the only person I knew that had type 2 diabetes was my father. My father and mother attended a required diabetes course. My mother gave me my father's notebook, which was full of information. My own doctor set me up with a course that I would need to take. The difference between the two courses was the amount of time spent.
The course provided me with a nurse, who had type 1 diabetes, and a nutritionist/dietician. For the first two days, I was slammed with a lot of information and I got a little scared. My mom was able to calm me down and make me see that I could control the disease. Basically, my numbers were very high, but as my mom explained, if it were really bad, the doctor would have me in the hospital.
I followed what I was told to do. I threw out all of the candy and garbage that I had in the apartment and started changing how I looked at food. I bought lots of fresh vegetables and took extreme care in making out my meals. I admit, there were times where I needed something to eat and I chose a little summer sausage and cheese to get me through the spell.
By the last visit, a month later, I had lost 13 lbs and my A1C was going down considerably. I ended up losing about 50 lbs during that time. Then, life started to get complicated. I let it get to me and started losing control. That was *my* problem. This is not a pity party - just an admission of the facts.
During my time of dealing with the condition, I learned a co-worker had it as well. I envied her because she would eat muffins and drink regular Coca-Cola. However, I learned that her numbers stunk and she envied me for how strict I was being. It motivated her to try to chose better.
It was good for me to know someone other than my father had the condition. What was really nice was she never told anyone else or make it a public announcement to a restaurant's wait staff that we had type 2 diabetes. I was allowed to make my choices without any real judgement. I chose salads, grilled meats, and veggies as I could. We still talk every once in awhile about where our medical lives are concerning the condition.
Another co-worker/friend recently was told she had type 2 diabetes. When I found out, I would try to pick restaurants where there were reasonable choices, but she would always want me to get dessert or what have you. It was tough to handle. Now, she announces to wait staff that we had type 2 diabetes and we need special treatment. Furthermore, when she discusses the condition, it is always "we" and "us". The piece that pisses me off the most is that refuses to attend the course because she believes she can learn more from books. She has not learned squat about it.
The whole thing annoys me to no end. I do not want to be included in her group of bullshit. "Oh, I do not like wheat bread." Well, go look at Wonder's Smart Choice bread - low in carb and tastes better. I just do not think she gets it. There is a reason to take the course - to help you understand and control the condition. I mean, seriously, you get a nutritionist who can help you understand how many carbs you need to have per day and managed that. I read books and web sites, but I found that getting professional guidance was a good thing.
I guess I am tired of people who think they know it all. If I have been through it, I will tell you the facts straight up. Other than that, I do not know it all because I am constantly learning every day.
