RossW

I was told I had diabetes at the age of 31. At the time, I weighed 2601bs and was immediately put into hospital. I had routine blood and urine tests about a week before and was informed of the results on Christmas Eve day. However, I persuaded my doctor to hold off my admission to hospital until after Christmas, meaning Boxing day. I did not want to celebrate the holiday in hospital. Of course, I got my way and went on a sugar binge and my blood levels were very,very high once admitted to hospital.

While in hospital, I was on a 900 calorie diabetic diet and my blood was tested four times a day. I was given insulin three times a day to see if that would help me. Two weeks later I left the hospital 101bs lighter and off insulin. I continued on a rigourous program of diet and exercise, including tennis and jogging. Within a year I had dropped 1001bs.

In recent years I have had trouble controlling my sugar because I still haven't accepted this disease and I'm battling it as hard as I can. I keep my weight down and still exercise faithfully but it is my diet that I have trouble maintaining on some days. About 10 years or so ago I started on low dosages of Metformin (500mg). Now I take 2000mg as well as glyburide, 1.5mg. I try and test my sugar at least twice a day, but I'm not consistent. I know I have to be or, as one nurse from the diabetic association told me, I will end up on dialysis. That scares me and I have been doing a lot better with this disease. I still have a lot of work ahead to keep it in control; however, I still haven't really accepted this illness.

I hope you can understand my honesty about my feelings about this disease because when I was diagnosed with it, I honestly thought it was a death sentence. Of course, if not taken care of properly and with discipline, it can be. Right now I eat about 1500 calories/day depending on my activities. It varies. I doubt if I will ever eliminate metformin and glyburide from my life as some people are able to. I will keep trying. I might add I have been called a "brittle" diabetic. Last year I tried a new blood monitoring system called Precision Plus. I find it a lot easier to use. I get tested by my doctor at least every 3 months.