Categories: uncategorized
Date: 12 June 2007 13:57:55
Firstly, to set minds at rest, when working in other people's houses I have a tendency to swear under my breath. At home I'll do it out loud. Plus the words used are different as well. Even ordinary words, or the names of Welsh TV programmes, can be used as replacement - it's the inflexion that makes their meaning change.
Today I had to attend my annual Diabetic check-up. To make things different, now that we've moved I have a new clinic to attend. I'm not impressed with the admin at my new clinic. So far they lost appointments and, last week, managed to misplace my prescription renewal. Being without pills for a week is not serious but is very annoying.
The things with diabetes is that it is a chronic illness and you begin to deteriorate over time. Thankfully I still have a long life ahead of me, baring car wrecks, dinosaur attacks and FW's cooking experiments. Yet I know that my condition will slowly deteriorate; our aim is to make this take as long as possible.
Well today I found the first signs of that happening. My blood sugars have been high in recent weeks so I was expecting that to be highlighted; we know how to correct that but how do you lower your stess levels exactly? The last few weeks have been difficult with work and one or to other things. I know that I need to take more exercise and have got my new bike assembled ready. Being in a sedentary job does not help this, especially as I tend to work long hours.
Well apart from my high blood sugars everything else was ok, though my cholesteral is still just hovering on the limits of diabetic safe. My weight has dropped by 10Kgs in the last year. Now I just need to get my eyes checked again.
Then came the end of the test. The Podiatrist was there to check my feet. It seems that they are still connected to the ends of my legs, so that was good. We did the touch test and the toe bending exercises and passed with flying colours. Finally we did the vibration test.
It appears that my reaction to this is diminshed. I feel the vibration but the sensation seems to end earlier than it should. This is the first sign that my illness is beginning to take hold. I'm not going to deteriorate rapidly but know that I need to ensure that I take care of myself to stave off the speed of deterioration.
It just gives me something to aim at. Now I know that things have changed over the last 3 years but I understand the cause and effects more. I also understand what action needs to be taken on my part; medication alone isn't enough.
So I am consigning chocolate and other confectionary to the dustbin. It is my last real vice but unfortunately it has to be done. Until they discover a form of choclate without sugar I have to resist. I've been warned off diabetic chocolate due to the effects it tends to have. Now I need to find an alternative. Any ideas?