So you’ve been diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. Maybe that diagnosis came as a complete shock. Perhaps you have a family history of diabetes, and were therefore expecting the shoe to fall on you sooner or later. In my case, diabetes has had a very strong presence on the maternal side of my family. My mother, grandmother and several aunts and uncles were/are diabetics. A few were type 1, but most have been type 2.

I am not going to attempt to give advice on how to treat diabetes since I have absolutely no qualifications in that area. However, if you have recently been diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic I can share some insights on how to deal with your diagnosis, as well as what to expect in the first few months following that diagnosis.

I received my type 2 diagnosis three years ago, at age 50. My initial response was more of disappointment than of shock. I had always assumed that, in spite of my life-long devotion to exercise, at some point I would become a diabetic. Of course, the fact that my diet was historically a bit shaky could have offset the benefits of all that exercise. I had hoped to hold off the onset of the disease until I reached the age of 60. I missed my target by 10 years, and that was the source of my disappointment.

A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is serious and should not be taken lightly. However, it should certainly not be taken as an eventual death sentence. You should also not make the assumption that within 6 months you will be forced into a life-altering insulin regimen. In large part, your future as a diabetic will be what you make of it. You will discover that there are several phases of oral medication available that will help to mitigate the effects of the disease. You will find that controlling your weight, modifying your diet, and adhering to an exercise routine will augment whatever medication you may be prescribed. If the first medication your physician tries does not have the desired effect, there is a very high likelihood that an alternate medication will be prescribed that will render the desired result.

You will find that testing your blood-sugar level every day will be a critical component in controlling your diabetes. Maintaining intimate contact with your readings will 1) prevent any tendency you may have toward denial and 2) allow you to monitor your progress in controlling your glucose levels. Once you begin to gain control of your type 2 diabetes, you will likely make the common mistake of convincing yourself that it was a temporary condition and that you can return to your old lifestyle. That self-deceit will be short lived as you will soon discover that your condition is something that will require life-long devotion and self-discipline. Once you cross that mental threshold, you will be well on your way to effectively managing your type 2 diabetes.

A diagnosis of type 2 diabetes should not alter your outlook on life nor your ability to enjoy life to its fullest extent. You will need to make an adjustment to your diet and possibly devote more time to physical activity, but those are things that we should all strive for independent of any disease diagnosis. Take the necessary steps to control your condition as early in the process as possible and you will get the upper hand on your type 2 diabetes.

Accept your diagnosis and control it. Do not let it control you.

Keith Merrill

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