I am living with diabetes. It is a constant struggle when food is an enemy, when carbs are not comforting, when sugar is not so sweet. I was diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago. I suspect that due to my lack of insurance I had diabetes even before that but didn’t know it. Even when I was diagnosed I didn’t take it seriously. I lied about my blood sugar to my doctor, didn’t take my medicine, ate poorly, was very sedentary all the things that you should NOT do when you have diabetes. About a year and a half ago I was still in denial. About two weeks before my 41st birthday my life changed dramatically. I had two ischemic strokes in less than a week. A month later I had a very mild stroke on the way to visit my family. Five months later I ended up in the hospital for a week with a severe kidney infection and E coli poisoning, which would have killed me if I had not gone to the hospital. All of these things happened due to my diabetes. Boy oh boy, I really did it this time. I decided that I could no longer be in denial, no longer ‘skirt around’ diabetes, I had to make a change to save my life. I took some classes to help me better understand my diabetes, I changed my eating habits, became more active. I am doing better today. My blood sugar is much better and I am more active. I still struggle with my diabetes, fall off the wagon and eat poorly sometimes and can still be a bit sedentary. I was scared when all of this happened but now I see it as a blessing. I am living with diabetes, emphasis on living.

Anonymous
Garden Grove, CA