“You saved your life,” my endocrinologist said as he was leaving the room. This was the conclusion of my one year anniversary appointment since being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. My A1c was 6.3, my fasting glucose was 105, total cholesterol was 171 and I am down 60 lbs (17 lbs from goal)…… all without any meds. While the heavens did not open in song, nor can I all of sudden eat a big fat piece of cheesecake, those words keep running through my mind. “You saved your life.”
I think about my life. I think about the good and I think about the “challenges.” There is nothing I wouldn’t do to save that life, challenges and all. Nothing.
I think about the blessing that lies in being given control over this disease. Unlike so many other diseases, type 2 diabetes came with a choice, the ability to choose a path that could avoid the devastating complications.
I think about my family, my friends and the legions of “virtual” supporters that make up the communities of dLife, TuDiabetes, WeightWatchers, and ADA. The information, support, encouragement, ideas and recipes that have been shared has played a critical role in getting me out of the denial as a rookie type 2 diabetic and in the right frame of mind to take up this battle each day.
I think about the millions of people who have type 2 diabetes. I think about the choice they each have. I think about the things in their lives that make it worth saving. And, I wish for each one of them that they could say, “I saved my life.”
This has been a trying year. It has been a successful year. But, it has only been 1 year. I have many, many more ahead of me and each day of each year will embody the choice to manage diabetes. Today, this day, I will revel in the knowledge that I saved my life. And, tomorrow…….well, tomorrow I will wake up and make the choice to save my life all over again.
Have you saved your life? I would love to hear your stories!
The Dishing Diabetic
The Diabetic Dish 
Yay! Congrats!! Your cholesterol is WAY lower than mine! I’m working on lowering mine a little too. 🙂 So great that you have done so much to change your path this year. You are an inspiration. 🙂
What saved my life is “The Metabolic Miracle” by Diane Kress, RD CDE. I am on this plan and for the first time in my life, I’m losing weight, labs are great and it’s really working. Check out this book
Any updates? How are you?
As if you don’t have enough pressure on you now, I wanted to let you know how I thoroughly enjoy reading your blog. I enjoy becoming friends with you even more than that…, but to encourage you to find your voice again, and to find some time I am awarding you with a blog award on my blog. It will post tomorrow morning early. I hope to see some new posts on your blog sometime soon. 🙂