It is a Matter of Attitude

I thought I would write about being kind to yourself.

We have had a rough few weeks.  As you know, I was sick.  It lasted two weeks.  Really, two weeks. It seemed endless.

I will admit that I was sick enough that I did not care what I ate.  Or drank.  Yes, I went back to my old ways and drank Coke.  I was so thirsty and somehow got really sick of water and light tea with lemonade that I sunk back into my old ways.  At first, I wasn't eating much so that wasn't a problem but as I felt better, I ate more.

Next confession, I didn't exercise for the two weeks.  Now that I have been better for a week, I have not exercised much this week either.

This has left me in a place where I feel sluggish, sore, and dying for a Coke.  Great - just the inspiration everyone needs.  As I was starting to feel better, I had to take a trip.  When I got back, Silent Sam left on a trip. Without him here, I made poor food choices.  It is so bad that I am happy to cook this week because I am sick of ordering out food.  You know it is bad when...

So, I could really be sad that I have been so awful and tell myself what a jerk I am. "How stupid can you be for falling so far off the path?"  That voice in my head could really go to town on me.  Every negative thought could be right there on an endless reel.

But I am not going to do that. I was sick and blew it. I lost three weeks.  I can start over tomorrow and know that I am back on track.  I was human. I made a few mistakes and I will get over them.  If I beat myself up, I will just perpetuate the problem be feeling lousy about myself.

Instead, I think I will celebrate my humanity.  To err is human and to forgive divine.  I think I will be divine.  Besides, if I am that hard on myself, who will be nice to me?

As a bigger note - by looking at how I treated myself while I was sick (breaking every rule possible) I now know that it is really important to get prepared for sickness.  To take the time to know what we are going to do if Silent Sam gets sick.  I can see where being prepared would make a huge difference for him.

Oh, and Silent Sam hasn't even had a sniffle.  I am so glad that I didn't make him sick.  It wasn't much fun and we weren't ready for him to get sick.

Forgiveness - a gift I give to myself

Thanks for reading!

And Then I Got Sick

The last two weeks have been a bit of a blur.  I have a cold.  There maybe more to it but the bottom line is that it is cold.  I even broke down and went to one of those clinics in a drug store.  I was given some antibiotics but I don't think they have done a thing.

This makes me think about how we were supposed to be prepared in case Silent Sam got sick.  Since I love the "get prepared" thing, it was right up my alley.  We were supposed to have supplies ready so that if he got sick we would know what to do.  We were told that even getting a cold could affect his levels so that we needed to be ready.

It is now 11 months later and we are not prepared.  It was another one of those instances of me wanting to move ahead but not wanting to push him about it.  As with many things, there is a delicate balance.  As I have talked about before, you need to pick your battles.   (a lesson that applies to all of your life)

Not only are we not prepared but now I don't even remember what we were supposed to do.  I can still see the video in my mind but not the specifics.  Luckily, I have the internet at my fingertips and there are articles to help.  (Okay, the standard warning applies on internet articles - if they don't sound right, they probably aren't. ALWAYS look at the source and see if you can find several articles that give the same information.  Information from the American Diabetes Association is a good source.  Information from Joe Blow's I can eat all the food I want and my diabetes isn't affected blog probably (absolutely) should be ignored.)

It seems that just having "the common cold" can affect your blood sugar levels.  When your body is busy fighting the invasion of germs, it is hard for it to also regulate your insulin.  You might want to start by checking your levels every few hours just to see how they are affected.

It could be that you are not interested in eating (oh, I do dream of feeling that way).  You still need to eat and stick to your meal plan.  You may need to have foods that have carbohydrates but are soothing.  You could try a Popsicle or fruit juice bar.  The world renown cure of chicken soup is also a good idea.  You need to keep the fluids flowing so that you don't get dehydrated.

Also, if you take over the counter medicines, you should check the labels or ask the pharmacist.  Some medicines are high in sugar and that is just not what you need.  Look for the words "sugar free".  Those cough drops really need to be checked.  The reason they are so good is that they have sugar.

Also, have a list of your diabetic team's phone numbers.  Don't hesitate to call and ask questions.  Keep track of when you started to feel sick, how your levels have been and what you have taken so that you can give them the best information when you call.  They want you to be well; let them help you.

So, I think when I am feeling better, I will put together a plan.  It is easier to figure out what medicines would be good when you are not desperate to find them.  Yes, I just have to get well first. A clear head will prevail.

Thanks for reading!

  

Is Alzheimer's Diabetes Type 3?

My son sent me an article from The Guardian a few weeks ago.  It was a article talking about the concept that Alzheimer's Disease may actually be diabetes type 3.

I read the article and was really taken back.  The first question in my mind was "Is this science or it is propaganda by a group to scare people?"  I have let the thought sit uneasily on my mind for the last few weeks.


Here is a link to the article http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/sep/10/alzheimers-junk-food-catastrophic-effect

One of the first things that grabbed me was the purported correlation between diabetes (particularly diabetes  type 2) and Alzheimer's.  I had not heard of this before and it was alarming.  Upon further research, it appears that there can be a link but that scientists are not completely sure of the "whys" yet.  Please see an article from the Mayo Clinic http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-and-alzheimers/AZ00050.

Perhaps because I have a father who is suffering from vascular dementia and Alzheimer's, this information has an impact on me.  I see the effects on almost a daily basis and  I know the toll that it takes on the individual and the family.  The thought of this affecting my husband or children horrifies me.

I let this all percolate in my brain for awhile and then decided to do some more research.  There seems to be a fair number of articles on the subject of diabetes type 3.  I certainly cannot debate the merits of the science that is discussed.  I don't know if it is right or wrong.

I know that the numbers they are talking about both in predictions of the growth of diabetes and the growth of Alzheimer's is incredible.

I think it is scary.

All the written information does seem to agree on one point.  The bulk of the blame for this problem is the way that we eat and the lack of exercise in our lives.

 In an interview in the Boston Globe with Deborah Kotz, Dr. Suzanne DeLaMonte, the Brown Medical School neuropathologist whose 2005 initial studies connected that Alzheimers could be diabetes type 3, states that, for now, prevention lies in making lifestyle changes.  (http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2012/10/07/alzheimer-disease-akin-type-diabetes/4KxSHuPOmpYEBXMtEsO6sJ/story.html )

In reading these articles, I feel that I have ventured into the area of the old "Scared Straight" movies and propaganda.  It is truly frightening.

It is also a great incentive to eat right and exercise. While I am still sneaking some candy corn, I am not falling back on all my bad habits.  I guess a bit of scared straight isn't so bad....

Thanks for reading.