Valerean

If I didn't have diabetes I would probably never leave the house except to shop for food. I am a homebody by nature. I love my home, my guy, my nephew and our dogs. That's my world. I do not feel the same about the outside world and most of the people in it. The world seems dark and nasty, and most folks appear to be just out for themselves and what they want, and heaven help anyone who gets in their way. For these reasons I would happily stay at home forever. When I'm not writing, cooking, caring for the pups and my guys or doing my housework, I can sit for hours and crochet, read and watch videos. That's my life and I do love it. Maybe that's why I am a very sedentary person. Also, I've never found an exercise that I ended up genuinely liking. I've done gymnastics, weight lifting, dance, aerobics, swimming, tai chi and a bunch of other stuff. Now I'm so old and crippled by arthritis that all I can do is walk, but I do walk, twice ...

When it comes to diabetes management, there are a lot of videos on YouTube which are basically fear-mongering for views and sheer quackery for the quick-fix chasers. If you're diagnosing and/or treating yourself according to crap you watch online, you will likely suffer for it. If you're not sure, videos with titles like "Eat/drink this and reverse your diabetes in 24 hours!" or "The simple cure for diabetes that doctors don't want you to know!" or "Lose fifty pounds in a month (or even a week!) and end your diabetes with this trick!" are pure quackery. In my experience, pretty much any title with an exclamation point at the end is crap. Hey, I've fallen for it, too. Turmeric, which is often plugged as a miracle supplement in such videos, seemed like something I could try to reduce my inflammation due to arthritis -- it's a spice, right? How could that hurt? I also cook with turmeric regularly. Simple thing to try. At firs...

During my bi-annual checkup last year I had the opportunity to go on a GLP-1 drug. My doctor considered it a wonder treatment, particularly for diabetics, and recommended it to me, but I refused. I have only 20 lbs. to lose before I'm at my ideal weight. Also, I do not want to be dependent on any kind of needle if I can avoid that. I'd rather lose the weight the hard way, by controlling my diet and doing daily exercise. Make no mistake, it is very hard to manage this disease and continue to lose weight. I've hit that last 20 lbs. plateau, and I'm fighting for every pound I lose now. Back to the drug. There wasn't a lot of information about GLP-1s at the time, especially concerning the side effects, but I had heard that the minute anyone stopped the injections, they put the weight back on. That made sense, too -- people were dependent on using the needle, and when the needle went away, so did the results. Big pharmaceutical companies seem to be more...

After several scary medical emergencies back in 2018 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I was not at risk, nor had I any idea I was sick. In fact I had just lost a lot of weight while exercising daily and closely watching my diet. I had probably developed it after my last pregnancy, and my condition went undiagnosed because I had no real symptoms. I would just get shaky or dizzy on rare occasions, but I put that down to my perpetual dieting. Because I was careful with my diet anyway that probably managed it for about five years, until it finally flared out of control as I got older. I was horrified to discover I'd become a diabetic, as I know how debilitating and harmful the disease can be from seeing patients suffering from it during my medical career. The nurse at my doctor's office said "Some people just get a crap roll of the genetic dice." I know she meant that to make me feel better, but since I don't know who my birth parents were that hurt ...

When my guy and I go out for a meal -- not very often these days -- I'm ordering the most diabetic-friendly items on the menu, like this chicken cranberry pecan salad I got when we stopped at Bob Evans on one of our day trips. The dressing has a lot of sugar in it, so I get that on the side and use it very sparingly (I only used about half of one of those cups.) My relationship with food is always going to be difficult, thanks to diabetes. In theory I can eat pretty much all the salad, meat, cheese and eggs I want, and limited amounts of rice and pasta now and then, but no bread, baked goods and especially potatoes, which are a trigger food for me. I drink coffee, herbal tea and sparkling mineral water, mostly the latter. I'm also trying to lose weight, so at this time I really can't eat all I want. It's very, very frustrating when I have to watch everyone else enjoy desserts and rolls (and french fries!) while I go without or nibble on a piece of celery. Pre...

This looks a bit weird, I know, but a gift is all about the recipient. For my nephew's easter basket I found an exact copy of the little frying pan I have that he loves and has been threatening to steal when he moves into his new house. He'll be very surprised. I'm going to add some fake grass to the pan and fill it with Reese's peanut butter eggs, aka his favorite candy (I'm writing this on 4/1, so Easter is four days away.) For my guy I'm making a nice roasted chicken dinner and his favorite coffee cake, but no basket. I offered but he doesn't want one. I'm not going to dye eggs because my nephew already makes hard-boiled eggs weekly, and we wouldn't be able to eat them fast enough. As a diabetic there's not a lot about Easter I can consume. I did find a new treat I can have occasionally that is a consolation prize: a low sugar Oreo knockoff called Leos. They're quite sweet and a nice substitute for the real thing. I'm...

Back in June I posted a little update about the improvement in my health situation. Since I'm now on a basically carb-free diet, walking around 3-4 miles a day, and taking twice the diabetes meds I took previously, I thought I'd write about how that's going so far in more detail. I should say upfront that I love many carbs, especially bread, and I do miss them at odd moments because they're always delicious, even if they're not good for me. Positives: I have my blood sugar back under control, which was the most important goal. I've also lost 11 lbs. over the last couple of months, which helped me shed all the weight I gained during winter plus a few extra pounds. I think I've grown a bit stronger as well, and I'm not having as many arthritis flare-ups. Because my blood sugar numbers have dropped so much I can eat a little fruit now and then, which I love. The main goal for me with the increased exercise, modified diet and extra meds is to stay...