Living with diabetes
There are many celebrities from all walks of life who live with diabetes. Comedic actress Mary Tyler Moore, pop singer Nick Jonas, professional soccer player Jay Cutler, and many others are living full lives with the disease.
Knowing that you have diabetes can be an emotional shock that you have to get used to. But, as mentioned above, a lot of famous people do well, and you can too.
If left untreated, diabetes can cause serious health problems. It can cause nerve damage that can lead to blindness and strokes. It can also damage your body’s major organs, such as your pancreas, liver, and heart. And in cases where the body goes into a hypoglycemic state, it can lead to seizures, strokes, and brain damage. But none of these things have to happen if you treat the disease properly.
Living with diabetes will require two major adjustments on your part: one psychological and the other physical. Psychologically, you have to learn to accept the fact that you really have the disease. Many people, when first diagnosed, go through a period of depression. Most overcome it and learn to adapt. Others find it difficult to recover and may remain in a depressed state for weeks or months. This is a dangerous state so it may be good to seek some counseling sessions with a psychologist or therapist when you are diagnosed. They will be able to recognize any warning signs and help you get through this phase.
You will also have to make physical adjustments. These adjustments include things like diet changes, learning how to measure your blood sugar levels, possibly learning how to inject insulin, keeping your weight under control, and a host of other things that your doctor will tell you about. You will also have to learn which foods affect you and learn to avoid or limit some. The goal of all of these physical adjustments will focus on keeping your blood glucose levels in normal and safe ranges. Your doctor will tell you what that range is and give you suggestions and help on how to achieve that balance.
At first, the changes can seem overwhelming and you will feel resentful. Little by little, however, they will become part of your daily routine and you will not think more about them than about other things you do on a daily basis, such as brushing your teeth, washing your face, etc.
The only certainty about a diabetes diagnosis is that there will be lifestyle changes. The changes can be small or huge – the severity of your illness will determine how many changes you need to make. But there will be a change. Denying or ignoring that fact is basically sticking your head into the sands of denial and risking the real possibility of having major health problems later that cannot be treated. If you have diabetes and want to lead a relatively normal life, start and continue your treatments as soon as possible.
