Diabetes & Me

This week is the end of diabetes awareness week so, I want to raise awareness of this condition and how you can live a normal life while managing your symptoms. Last year I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes it was a shock at first but I have learned I can manage it with careful dietary plan and leaning more about this condition.

So, What is diabetes

Diabetes is a life-long condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become high, there are two different types of diabetes type one and type two unfortunately here is no cure. Both are equal as serious though and need to be managed in the right way to say healthy, Diabetes.Org.uk is a great source for information breaking down the differences between both types.

But the main things to know are:

Type 1 diabetics can’t make insulin.
Type 2 is where your body can’t make enough insulin and what it does make, might not work.

Type 2 can be reversed with a careful food plan and Weight loss management

The cause for type 1 isn’t fully understood yet but in Type 2 what I have some contributing factors are weight and diet but both types can be managed by talking instilling, but people like myself with Type 2 can often have other options like taking tablets or changing your diet.

Around 8% of diabetics suffer with type one and roughly 90% have type 2

How should people learn to manage diabetes independently

I found it’s all about trial and error when I started my journey with Type 2 diabetes I was so scared to get it wrong just in case I made myself worse, changing lifestyles and routines can sometimes be daunting especially when you’re newly diagnosed with something you have no idea off. Thankfully the help and options that are available to everybody are great, I found speaking to a dietician was very beneficial walking me though The dos and don’ts. With different medications and a carefully planned low-carb diet and regularly checking my blood sugar levels twice daily I was able to take full control of my diabetes within 6 months.

As the grown adult I am in charge of a wheelchair I do like a cheeky wine or Spirit with mixer every now and then but alcohol can play havoc with your diabetes so I do have to be extremely careful. However there are ways I help control my type 2 diabetes by making sure i check my blood sugars regular not forgetting to eat just before hand and sticking to diet mixers plus drinking water in between keeping myself hydrated, I don’t need to go crazy with alcohol so I will only ever have one glass of wine with diet lemonade and of course i don’t do it regularly.

Disclaimer: I am by no means encouraging drinking alcohol while you have diabetes it is my own personal choice to do so on a very rare occasion.

Who can you speak to?

Dealing with this can be tough on your own so I do recommend going to a diabetic clinic with a great support system in place, like consultant, nurses, dieticians and counsellors, the best source I have found for information and support are other diabetics they are all going though the exact same thing as you are, you can find big groups online like on Facebook who can give to food ideas or just a friendly ear if your finding it hard.

Telling friends

I must admit I needed to get my own head around having diabetes first before telling my friends, I already have a muscle wasting condition called muscular dystrophy so letting my friends in on this wasn’t hard as long as you have a great friend group which thankfully I have, they will always give you the support you need.

Coping all together

To start with it was hard getting use to taking my blood sugar levels twice daily as well as remembering to take medication at set times, changing my diet was probably the easiest thing but I did get very strict with myself at first I have learnt to ease up on myself a little now.

It’s important to remember that everyone is different and manages their condition differently to myself, so if you need specific advice, always speak to your doctor or specialist.

What are the symptoms of diabetes

Both type 1 and 2 share similar warning signs. However, The main difference is how quickly they appear in type 2 it’s a slow process than type 1.

Symptoms can include:

Going to the toilet more late night
Being thirsty all the time
Feeling very tired
Losing weight without even trying
Blurred vision
Cuts or wounds take longer to heal
Itching around your private area, or repeatedly getting thrush

If you’re worried you might have diabetes speak to a medical professional immediately.

Kerry 💋

I would love to here from you if you have diabetes and how you manage yours.

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