Just yesterday, I found out that I have type 2 diabetes. It's a little weird, but I haven't actually been to my doctor yet. I don't know how many other people out there sort of diagnose themselves as I have, but then again, I am a nurse with an above-average understanding of diabetes.
You see, I had some blood drawn yesterday in preparation for my regular (though somewhat delayed) physical that is scheduled on next Tuesday. I work in a hospital, and one of our benefits is to be able to have labs drawn once a year for free, so when the results come back, they come directly to the employee via our Employee Health department. So anyway, my serum glucose was 328, and worse than that, my Hgb-A1c was 11.8. You don't have to be a doctor to know that those numbers equal diabetes. And not any sort of borderline/prediabetic crap; I'm talkin' "do not pass Go, head straight for full-blown Diabetes" territory here.
It wasn't even necessarily a complete surprise to me. About a year-and-a-half ago (at my last physical), my sugar was a little high, and I've got some significant family history of diabetes. But still, to sit there and stare at that number and immediately know the implications was quite a shock. Yeah, any objective observer could probably have looked at me and figured that it was practically inevitable (what with the family history, being overweight, and eating like a crazy lunatic for so long), but there's always a part of you that says, "it can't happen to me".
Well, yesterday, it did.
Thankfully, the Employee Health nurse (Margaret's her name) that was working yesterday has a lot of experience with diabetes, both professionally and personally. So she talked briefly with me pointed me towards some good resources. She also recommended a glucometer (the Accu-Chek Aviva) which I've already gone out and bought.
Gwen, my lovely wife, is completely wonderful and totally supportive. I can tell that she's at a bit of a loss in how to help, but I think that all I really need or want right now is the emotional support. We both know that we've got to make some big changes in our eating and exercise (or current total lack thereof) habits, but I've got to be ready before we can really go there. If I feel that someone is trying to impose changes on me, I'm afraid that I'll resist them; so that kind of stuff needs to come from me and my own motivation.
And as I'm trying to get my head around this thing, I really just need emotional support... and a lot of it.
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