September 13, 2006

No poetic title comes to mind

Mrs. Violet has prediabetes.

Son of a b*tch!

Already I feel this irrational (?) urge to defend my mother from the blamers. No, she’s not obese. Yes, she struggles with her weight and with exercise. No, she doesn’t pig out on a daily basis. Yes, she overeats now and then. Piss off.

I know two other people who have been faced with this situation. One of them, my oldest friend, made major, very challenging changes in her diet and exercise patterns and got her fasting BG down to 80ish. The other, my ex, has ignored the problem for a year and a half, though he has type 2 on both sides of his family and lost his dad to complications.

Two paths, two sets of choices.

I wonder about other paths. Is there a path in which the PWP tries her damnedest, but her efforts cannot stave off deterioration into D-Land? Yeah, I bet there is. How about a path in which supreme effort leads to only temporary improvement? I bet that path exists too.

Then again, at least there’s a chance, however uncertain, for Mom to make a difference through her own efforts. As a type 1, I didn’t have that opportunity. I wish I had.

When I was diagnosed, the words tumbled out of her mouth like a confession: “Diabetes is the disease I’m most frightened of."

A few months later, she apologized. “That probably wasn’t what you needed to hear at the time,” she observed.

“Well,” I answered, “I needed to take it very seriously, and you helped me do that.” And she did. Maybe I can do the same for her now.

9 comments:

  1. My father in law is a type II, and is 6 foot 8 and a few pounds shy of 200. In other words, a toothpick. So down with the blamers!!!!

    Best of luck to your mom, I know you'll help her through this, and it sounds like she is a strong, prepared woman.

    Take care,
    Beth

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  2. I don't talk much about my pre-diabetes diagnosis, but I got it in 2001. I lost weight and kept it off for a year or two, but put it all back on. Part laziness (both exercise and diet) and part thyroid-related, I'm sure.

    I hate the term "pre-diabetes", to be quite honest. I think if I had been given the type 2 diagnosis, I would have been a little more accountable for my actions and would have made the permanent changes necessary, rather than backing off of the changes after a couple years.

    My best advice to those who have been given the "pre-diabetes" warning - Live like you have it. Seriously.

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  3. Amen, Rachel. The friend I wrote about recently - whose blood sugar at my house was over 500 - was told he had prediabetes.

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  4. Thanks, everyone. I do think she's taking it quite seriously.

    Somewhat belatedly, I'm realizing that there's a genetic warning for me here as well. I have an aunt on Mom's side who had type 2. And now this. It's there, it's in the genes. I'd better figure out how to exercise more, always a struggle for me, lest I eventually find myself with a double dose of the D.

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  5. Sorry to hear it Violet.

    tek

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  6. Ah, F*!*#.

    Okay, I know Mrs. Violet, and I bet this has her freaked out. Do you think she can make the changes that will make it more likely the pre- won't become the D? I hope she can. Sorry, V. -J

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  7. V,

    I'm sorry about Mrs. V. I agree completely with Rachel in that she should heed these warnings and live like she has it. It sounds, from my relatively un-educated about pre-D or T2 mind, like a smart course of action.

    All the best to her, and to you, and to the both of you in your efforts to forge ahead and stay tough.

    K.

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  8. Thanks again for the support.

    J, she's a little freaked, yes. Not as anxious as I would expect: she's in research mode. It seems like a good sign.

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  9. Ah. Suckage.

    I don't know if Mrs. V. is here in MN or not, but I'd be happy to chat with her about questions - not that I'm a specialist or anything, but would be happy to relate personal experience.

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