Multiple Sclerosis

[SaintDragon]

Well my time is short, just got the big banner from you know who again..so in conclusion...now I have a good excuse and it's much better on the family by way of death by sugar rather than biting a bullett...

 

My prayers were answered...

 

F*ck it all.

[Meaplus3]

Saint, Your life is not over since you have become a diabetic. Both my mom and younger brother have type II and they are managing their sugar just fine. Do you have a home test kit? Have you taken a course (most offered at your local hospital) on how to prepare your meals? This can be managed. My brother lost close to 100 pounds.. now runs 5 miles a day.. and he's doing GREAT! My goodness. Be thankful it's not MS.. you DO NOT want that.

 

Mea:)

[SaintDragon]

Ahh screw it... Self test, eating great execise..for what?..me won't die from sugar over load...pfffttt so I can live and be depressed and bitchy as usual.

 

errr..frig it.

[SaintDragon]

I lost it a little here today, just hard to be totally sane with all this boiling my head into oblivion.

 

I'd rather go through a horrible break-up than this.

[whichwayisup]

OH good grief. We all gave you advice, it's now up to you to decide how you want to live the rest of your life. Yeah it's gonna SUCK that you have Diabetes, it COULD BE WORSE. You will learn how to live with it and make the necessary adjustments. You'll talk to your Dr's, your family, learn about this, have support. Maybe not on here since you may be banned again, but you can and SHOULD join a Diabetes health board so you can talk to others who are going through this and can help guide you along.

 

It's YOUR life, and it's your choice on how you want to live it. If you choose to be bitchy and not take care of yourself, not eat healthier and exercise, so be it. Sadly you will suffer consquences and maybe one day REGRET it. Right now is the time to change. Sure it's scary, but so what? Life is scary at times and this IS a test of your character, to see what you're made of..a chance to change and be happy, healthier. Giving in is too easy.

[Meaplus3]

Ahh screw it... Self test, eating great execise..for what?..me won't die from sugar over load...pfffttt so I can live and be depressed and bitchy as usual.

 

errr..frig it.

 

Saint, First of all if you learn to manage things.. that should not happen. Now, come on here.. adopt a more positive attitude.. and you can learn to except and live with this. I know you can.

 

Mea:)

[JamesM]

OH good grief. We all gave you advice, it's now up to you to decide how you want to live the rest of your life. Yeah it's gonna SUCK that you have Diabetes, it COULD BE WORSE. You will learn how to live with it and make the necessary adjustments. You'll talk to your Dr's, your family, learn about this, have support. Maybe not on here since you may be banned again, but you can and SHOULD join a Diabetes health board so you can talk to others who are going through this and can help guide you along.

 

It's YOUR life, and it's your choice on how you want to live it. If you choose to be bitchy and not take care of yourself, not eat healthier and exercise, so be it. Sadly you will suffer consquences and maybe one day REGRET it. Right now is the time to change. Sure it's scary, but so what? Life is scary at times and this IS a test of your character, to see what you're made of..a chance to change and be happy, healthier. Giving in is too easy.

 

Ditto.

 

Go read the threads by LucreziaBorgia here on LS. To me these threads about her cancer give all of us an example of the courage and strength we can emulate when under such a burden as a serious illness. Her candid comments about her fears and pain also show her courage in moving forward despite the feeling that the end was near.

 

I have two nephews who live with diabetes and have since their teens. They have accepted it as a way of life. I don't say anything is easy, because if it were I, then I know that there would be much fear and anxiety. Yet I also know that the ONLY way to move forward is to learn all that can be learned about diabetes and what can be done to minimize the damage and effects.

 

Exercise and diet. Two big things that can make a huge difference...and in some cases, this will even almost eliminate the diabetes.

 

Go ahead and feel sorry for yourself today. This is okay. BUT...then you must decide how you will live the rest of your life. Knowledge is the key to survival.

[SaintDragon]

It's not just about the diabetes, man that's just the topping on the cake. Not feeling sorry either, just living the stupid reality.

 

Like I said before, it wasn't caught early because I was stubborn to go get check-ups...some damage has been done, most notably my slightly blurred vision I have. He told me drastic lifestyle change is in order NOW!.

 

Problem is have trouble functioning before all this with my other crap... I DON"T FEEL LIKE "Drastic Lifestyle Change" and not enthused or excited about it at all.

[quankanne]

welcome to Club Diabetes, SD.

 

while it's a devastating diagnosis, the truth of it is, with a little discipline, you can tame the beast.

 

it runs in my family, so being diagnosed was not a question of "if," but "when" ... my parents died of diabetes-related complications, but they also were diagnosed at a time when there wasn't as great an understanding about the disease and how an individual can control it.

 

yeah, it's a pisser, but YOU have the power within you to control it. For some lucky individuals it's merely getting on a good exercise regime and learning to eat properly (basically, a heart-healthy diet following the food pyramid), for others of us, it's insulin and drastic measures like gastric surgery to help drop the weight.

 

I know how hard it is, buddy, especially when it's so easy to slip back into bad habits like giving in to sugar urges or slacking off exercise, but the reality is, diabetes is one of the few medical conditions where YOU have great power to control how it affects you.

 

get your *ss to a dietician to help you figure out a feasible meal plan that works with your lifestyle, and get with a doctor who understands how the diabetes works (I got lucky and got an internist whose interest is diabetes, he's my PCP) and how to best "attack" it.

 

most importantly, figure out a safety valve approach to your times of stress – that crap affects your blood sugar levels BIG TIME, so when you discover the key to alleviating that stress, your body doesn't react by going haywire.

 

while this may be the end of your world as you know it, there's still time to help yourself. I won't lie – it's not easy. But, then again, it's not impossible, especially when you understand how managing the beast can improve your quality of life.

 

you're gonna be all right once you get past this initial shock and upset.

 

hugs,

q

[SaintDragon]

Thanks for the help.

Edited March 11, 2010 by SaintDragon

[SaintDragon]

I decided I'm not going to dwell on yet another thing. Like you all say, it's not a death sentence and I believe now that maybe it was a good thing I got it. Good as in I HAVE to change my lifestyle and habits to get it under control and perhaps that new lifestyle with help with my other problems.

 

Also thanks for putting up with me once again.. I never found such a tolerating group of people on the net such as you all.

 

Tomorrow I'm going to ride my MT.Bike to a town one over and back... I think I'll feel 10 bucks better if I can just do that.

[quankanne]

I think in the overall scheme of things, you're going find it's easier to control your diabetes because of the exercise/diet regime; the bigger challenge is to find a good safety valve to deal with stress.

 

though I understand sex is a fantastic cure-all

[marlena]

I just caught up with this thread and I can't stop the tears. Someone very,very close to me, a family member, was diagnosed with diabetes right before Christmas and my world fell apart. I took it much worse than she did. In fact, she's been very courageous about the whole thing and is doing everything in her power to manage her diabetes. So far so good.

 

I'm sorry this is happening to you. Everyone can turn blue in the face telling you it's not as bad as it seems but I so understand how something like this can shake up your world. I know it has mine.

 

I wish you luck in your battle against this thing. I have heard that they have made great progress and some of the drugs available do wonders. Do what you have to, diet, exercise, meds, periodical check-ups and hopefully it will become easier and easier to live with.

[JamesM]

Marlena, there is no question that there are "better" diseases to have. IMO having high blood pressure would be easier and more fixable. Yet compared to MS, diabetes is much "easier" to manage. And yet if someone had MS, then there are worse things to have.

 

I don't think anyone here is trying to make it sound similar to a cold. I think it is a manner of attitude when one haves diabetes. Since my wife sees patients with both, I asked her opinion and without a doubt, she would rather have diabetes. No one wants either, but diabetes is the better choice of those two.

 

So it is relative. Diabetes can be controlled successfully and in some cases eliminated. It depends on a number of factors including age and weight but above all, it depends on the discipline and willpower of the patient.

[marlena]

I know, James, I know. Between the two, diabetes is, of course, the lesser of two evils. I'm sure the SD will come to realize this very soon. Still, it is a shock in the beginning. I know it was for me. I also agree that attitude is EVERYTHING. This family member I am talking about is handling so well, much better than I am. This is the way she is...always has been since birth..forever vivacious and positive.

 

I wonder if women with diabetes should risk having babies. This is another thing that worries me.

[SaintDragon]

I'm just thankful it wasn't MS... I've read about guys my age that have it and it shakes me up to think how close I was to actually having it. MS is very strange..Christ it mimicked Diabetes...they thought at first to give me an MRI to rule out MS. The blood work came back with the possibility of diabetes. Even though I was relieved I wasn't going to have nerve damage with losing my balance, vision and peeing myself, still it was hard to grasp that .."wow...I have diabetes and have to make a drastic lifestyle change or die"

 

It was difficult to hear and I got irritated.

 

Sorry this got you going Marlena... I'll deal with it like any other stupid thing that goes on with me.

[SaintDragon]

I wonder if women with diabetes should risk having babies. This is another thing that worries me.

 

I know with me that having children is officially not going to happen since I have this now. I wasn't sure before, but now I am.. Why take the risk of passing this on to a little person for my own "life" needs?.. Still hurts a bit though as I always dreamed of being the dah-dah teaching my girl how to fly radio control airplanes at her mom's disapproval lol:p

 

Gah.... you guys got me mushy... *must leave thread*

[marlena]

I know with me that having children is officially not going to happen since I have this now. I wasn't sure before, but now I am.. Why take the risk of passing this on to a little person for my own "life" needs?.. Still hurts a bit though as I always dreamed of being the dah-dah teaching my girl how to fly radio control airplanes at her mom's disapproval lol:p

 

Gah.... you guys got me mushy... *must leave thread*

 

Although I totally understand your negativity, you need to stop thinking this way. You can have children if you want them. After all, it is not at all a given that you will pass it on to them. As far as I know, doctors today do not advise against it.

 

The person very close to me is a young lady which is much worse in so far as having children is concerned since she has to bear the child and then give birth to it. Her doctor told her she can have healthy children as long as the diabetes is controlled with insulin shots during her pregnancy. She's very hopeful and determined to beat this on all fronts. You have got to do the same. After all, it is a disease that is controllable and not nearly as bad as some others.

 

I hate to see you this way. Really I do. Come on! Don't let this get to you so much. Lots of people with diabetes live long, nomal lives.

 

Maybe some members with diabetes who have had children can chime in and share their stories with us.

[SaintDragon]

The initial shock has passed and I have my test kit ready to go...not sure what to do yet, but will ask Doc. Also I swilled my last soda today and my last fast food until I get going on a better eating habit and I will have a soda or grease burger as a treat once in a while. Not until I see good progress in my health regime though.

 

So being the tough SOB that I am... I'm ready to tackle yet another problem in life.

 

NOT DEAD YET!!! lmao.

[SaintDragon]

Although I totally understand your negativity, you need to stop thinking this way. You can have children if you want them. After all, it is not at all a given that you will pass it on to them. As far as I know, doctors today do not advise against it.

 

 

Even if I have to adopt a Hatian Baby...I will have my daughter:love: