Diabetes

About a month ago, I was given the wonderful news that I had diabetes type 2. My doctor told me to start taking an insulin pill and come in to see her in about 2 weeks. I knew it was coming, but was predictably hiding my head in very deep sand. So, I bitched and moaned and did much carrying on for two days.

Then I began to remember how diabetes had affected my family.

My mother's grandmother was diagnosed at a time when all science had to offer was raw insulin. At least it was something, but not enough. The great grandmother that wrote for penny dreadful novels was found dead in a field at the age of 57.

My mother's father (the Osage part of the family) was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 45. As a side note, he was married 9 times, but only fathered my mother and uncle. Osages were known to marry often and not too well! Family history states that as he was walking out of the hospital where he learned about the diabetes diagnoses, he dropped dead of a heart attack.

Lastly, my mother was diagnosed at the age of 61 and was dead of a stroke at 66. She tried to diet, tried to live longer, but was never able to lose the weight that could have saved her. She died when her grandchildren were 4 and 6. I am an only child and the loss is still very painful.

Do you see a pattern here? That pink elephant in the middle of my brain was braying loud and clear and I finally listened.

So, I had the same choice to face the fact I needed to lost mucho weight and try to eat to live, not eat to die. So what did I do??

Well, first I drank my last real classic coke (that was a hard one) and decided I could learn to love diet coke...........well, I have not learned to love it yet, but drink it I can. I figured that took a daily 930 calories out of my diet. Then I bought a book called Diabetes for Dummies.

The title humor is not lost to me.

RJ