Last week my life changed. It will never be the same again. It started innocently. Stargirl had to do a science experiment, and part of it required a glucose test. She did the experiment. I tested my blood, just for fun. That test potentially saved my life. It also turned my life upside down.
I couldn’t believe it when the glucometer put me in the firmly diabetic range. My glucose wasn’t “get thyself to the ER” high, but it was high enough to scare me. I made a doctor’s appointment for the next day.
The doctor was also shocked at my high number. A few years ago my labs were completely normal. I don’t look like a stereotypical diabetic. Sure, I could stand to lose 15 pounds, but I’m not morbidly obese. And I wasn’t having any typical symptoms of diabetes. My vision fluctuated a bit, but my eyes have been bad since I was a teenager, and I chalked it up to getting older.
The doctor ran a blood panel and told me he’d call me and tell me to eat better and lose weight, if the results of the labs weren’t too bad. If I was diabetic, he’d call me back in. He was sure that I was only prediabetic, though.
Still, I was scared enough that I immediately changed my diet. No grains. No fruit (at the moment). No starchy veggies. No sugar. No Dr. Pepper. You’d think I would be sad about it, but at that moment I was too scared to think about it.
Friday morning I got the call. The doctor wanted me back in the office. I made an appointment for Monday. I didn’t need to guess what was coming. I knew.
Over the weekend, I continued my diet. I started walking. And being the neurotic person that I am, I tested my blood sugar frequently. It was coming down!
When I met with the doctor on Monday, he confirmed that I have Type 2 Diabetes. It runs in my family, and my genetics caught up with me. He was impressed with my efforts to bring my diabetes under control so quickly. He prescribed Metformin to help me out and told me to behave myself and come back in three months.
As I left the doctor’s office, I realized the finality of my diagnosis. I would have to change my eating habits for the rest of my life!
I was at a crossroads. I could either mourn what would never be again, or I could embrace this as a turn in the path of life. An unexpected turn, but a turn that could lead to something good. Something that doesn’t include blindness, amputated feet, or heart disease. I decided to embrace my diabetes.
This is the way I’m looking at it.
- I get to learn to cook healthy foods and change my family’s way of eating while my kids are still home. It’s not that we eat badly, but we probably rely a bit too much on breads and grains.
- I have the opportunity to walk every day, listening to worship music as I go. What’s not to love about half an hour (or more!) spent praising the King of Kings?
- As a blogger, I get to share my successes and what works with internet readers at large. Maybe I can be of help to someone else who gets an unexpected diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes.
- I get to feel better for the rest of my life. I did not realize how sick I was until my blood sugar came down a bit and I immediately felt 1000% better. I never realized how tired I was. And if I feel this great now, how will I feel when my blood sugar is back to a normal level? I can’t wait to find out!
This is what I know. God has a plan, even in diabetes. I don’t know what that plan is, and at the moment, I don’t really care. I’ve walked with Jesus long enough to know that any plan he has is better than mine. Even through the storms of life, He shines bright. I trust that through this, His purpose will be fulfilled.
What’s my future? I’m not sure. I’m still sorting it out in my brain. My blog may take a little turn, as this is a huge part of my life right now. If I was lacking direction before, I sure have a direction now.
As I close out this post, I’ll leave you with some of the lyrics from a song that really spoke to me as I was taking my now daily walk this morning. It’s from You are God Alone by Phillips, Craig, & Dean.
You’re the only God whose power
None can contend
You’re the only God whose name and
Praise will never end
You’re the only God who’s worthy
Of everything we can give
You are God
That’s just the way it is
And that’s what I want. To give God everything. My future, even if it includes diabetes. May He use it to His glory.