Did you ever get a surprise you didn’t like? Well, I did last month. … My doctor called me frantically, saying I was just points away from a diabetic coma. Apparently, high sugar numbers are very bad. After 11 hours of fasting, my blood sugar was 385. (Our blood sugar should be between 70-99.) What can I say, I’m an overachiever.

I knew something was up with my body: My vision was intermittently blurry, I had dry mouth several nights, and I just could not quench my thirst. And believe me, I was drinking bottled water like Otis, the Mayberry town drunk, but I just couldn’t seem to get enough. All of this was weird as none of the symptoms were consistent, but they all continued to hang around. So, what is a gal to do? Well, a smart gal would call their doctor. Yeah, I decided that self-diagnosing was the way to go. I mean, with all my prime-time TV medical show knowledge, I was sure to figure it out. 

I started with an ophthalmologist visit. Fortunately, my eyes were in great shape. Unfortunately, my blurred vision was still a mystery. I then went to my dentist for an exam, and ta-da, I found that I have some lovely pearly whites. So, after another two weeks of suffering these crazy symptoms without any answers, I finally contacted my doctor. He urged me to get a blood test the following morning. Like a good patient, I did. Twenty-four hours later, my doctor was clambering to get to a phone to reach me. Annnnnd, well, you know the rest.

UGH! How did I get here? I mean, diabetics are gluttonous, greedy, overeaters like Augustus Gloop in Willy Wonka, right? They eat every fattening thing in sight and fall into chocolate rivers. Oh, how I wish that were true! Anyone can be a victim of this not-so-sweet disease. According to the American Diabetes Association, 1.5 million people will be diagnosed with diabetes THIS YEAR. That’s a chunk of oompa loompas whose lives are about to seriously change.

So what exactly is Type 2 diabetes? Oh, I am so glad you asked! You see, when our bodies eat food, the food breaks down into a sugar called glucose. Now, glucose is important as it gives our body energy it needs to work. And to use glucose as energy, the body needs insulin. So, when your body doesn’t make enough insulin or it doesn’t use the insulin the way it’s supposed to, the glucose stays in your blood and causes serious issues. (I liken it to a distant cousin who came to stay for a few days but now is sitting in your bathrobe and slippers and refuses to leave!) 

The cruddy thing here is there isn’t a cure. The not-so-cruddy thing is it’s manageable. Additionally, if we D2s (that’s how I am referring to us Type 2 kids) make smarter choices, we can lead long, healthy lives. 

Two days after my diagnosis, I made my first trip to the grocery store looking for the appropriate food and beverages for my new lifestyle. You would have thought I was prepping for Armageddon! I went down aisles I didn’t even know existed. And I looked like the Swedish Chef tossing bags and boxes into my cart – from wafers to cauliflower crust pizza, if it said sugar-free, it was coming home with me! I was out of control. 

Besides changing those eating habits, exercise is key to D2s. According to the American Diabetes Association, any type of activity will help lower your glucose levels. Thank goodness I can start using the Lake Nona Performance Club membership I got last July.

If I am being honest, this diagnosis has made me a bit mad. It’s just one more thing that makes my life complicated. I mean, it’s not like the last two years of the pandemic haven’t already driven us to the brink! Now, I have to slow down, eat right and exercise. Woe is me!

Francis Bacon said, “A healthy body is a guest-chamber for the soul; a sick body is a prison.” 

Gratefully for me, this was a wakeup call and not a coma. And thankfully, I have the resources and people around me to help in this journey. 

Join me in making the decision to Live Well, my friends.