Did you know that being prone to depression and/or anxiety can lead to Type 2 Diabetes? That's one of the strangest things (one of many) I've discovered recently, after finding out that a friend of mine was recently diagnosed with the disease. To my knowledge, though he does have obesity in his immediate family, and he himself was considered obese at the time of the diagnosis, he didn't have a family history of Type 2 Diabetes. I was also rather surprised to find out that more than 90% of those diagnosed with Diabetes do in fact have Type 2. This is NOT a medical blog. If you feel you may have, or if you do have Diabetes, do NOT take my blog as being a replacement for you to contact and/or consult a medical professional. Please, the best advice I could ever give anyone with even the slightest suspicion that you may have it, is to see professional medical help, and do all that you are told to do! It matters. YOU matter.
My first experience with knowing someone with the disease was not exactly in my family, as my uncle was married to my mom's sister, and therefore, he was not in my family per se. I didn't count his medical history as being a part of my own bloodline and biological makeup. I did however learn a great deal from him, and though he was diagnosed in the 1980s he lived into the later part of the 20th century. He was in fact, my very favorite uncle ever ever, and to see him go meant that I was losing not only a friend but a protector. He was the one who would grab me out of the reach of his wife Wilma when it came time for my disciplining...which happened a great deal more than I think I want to remember. I had a mom, a Granny, and an Aunt Wilma, and let me tell you, I'd rather face a hoard of Grannys than one Aunt Wilma! Viva la Marvin!
Diabetes is a disease that was so deadly for so long because people just didn't understand it, but now we have modernized medicines and our researchers have researched it to the hilt! Turns out, and don't take this to be a replacement, that you can live with Diabetes (not cure it) by changing your diet, watching your diet, exercising, getting enough rest, and basically doing what you KNEW you were supposed to be doing all along. I'm not saying that we knew this to be a fact, but we dang sure suspected it to be one. I remember my uncle doing exactly what his doctors told him, and he lived a great deal longer than most would have. He didn't encounter the disease until he was in his 60s; most Type 2 onsets happen in the 40s and 50s. He was lucky in that sense, but you're never lucky when you get that sort of news.
When I was raising my kids (when they were really little) there was a man at our church whose voice was right up there with the angels. He played guitar, he was an amazing Christian soul. He was married to a beautiful woman I had gone to high school with. She and I had been bridesmaids together for a wedding, and soon after that, her husband sang at my wedding! Stan was also diagnosed with Diabetes, but to my sorrow and heartbreak, he didn't follow the doctor's advice, and over a period of time when he could have been losing weight, eating correctly, and giving up things that caused his good cholestrol to rise; he chose to "be happy" until he died. It didn't take very long for that to happen. I miss my friend.
My new friend, who really isn't a friend but someone I know, who has recently been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, has done EXACTLY as he has been told. Thank you, Jesus! He too, is a wonderful singer, a man of God, and like Stan, he plays musical instruments for weddings, churches, and worship meetings, and he records. It warms my soul to think that he is not only following the doctor's advice, but I know he is in meditation and prayer over it as well. About a year ago this man weighed about 260-270 pounds and again, around 5'11" or so. He has lost about 50 pounds so far through diet and lots of good steady exercise. It's not easy to get out there and run, ride your bike, or go to the gym to work out, lift weights if you're not into it, or if you're not used to it! I am SO PROUD of him for his decision and dedication.
Like Stan. my new friend is in his 40s and he has suffered from depression, anxiety, and chronic leg issues for years. That makes sense when I think about it, and through the research, I have done, it makes a great deal of sense. My uncle complained of leg cramps and I knew his veins were puckering and seemed to gather rather than flow in straighter lines. I researched it. Stan complained of leg issues too. About two years ago my new friend posted that he was having chronic leg pains and joked about having to wear stockings for it, but when they came in the post they were women's hosiery! OOPS! That's a return waiting to happen! (Can't tell you how often I've ordered something from Etsy or even Amazon and what was delivered was NOT what I asked for. I love Prime. I can return anything I need for free.)
Finding out you have Diabetes does NOT need to be a death sentence. It is no longer considered a one-way ticket off this planet. You can, if you choose to, do what you are told to do. Most patients, according to the research I've done online, are candidates for being diagnosed if they have immediate family with Diabetes, they smoke, drink heavily, are obese, have chronic depression or their immune system has been compromised. MILLIONS of people fit into this category, and MILLIONS of people go undiagnosed every year! If we could get a grip on our health before it gets out of hand that would be best, but we're so busy with LIFE. We're go bogged down, we're so something. Some people are anxious, others are sad, and others are just too heavy, to begin with, and feel that there is no way to start the process! This is NOT TRUE in most cases.
One thing I did today, and I'm going to see if I can get more of my actual friends and family to do it too, is to buy a cheap recipe book for those with Diabetes. The first thing to learn is how to maintain your good health while working on the bad habits that have left you (any of us) with riddled blood and cells that really just don't want to do what they were designed to do. Damage from alcohol in the past can be something that leads to Type 2 Diabetes, especially if the alcohol was hard or harsh; give it up! Giving up anything based on sugar is the first thing you'll likely be told to do. Give up smoking too. Begin soaking in a hot bath with white vinegar and baking soda. Take activated charcoal. These are just good suggestions that take out toxins and assist the oxygen to flow again into your bloodstream. The cookbook will help me not only to plan meals without added carbs and sugar count, but it will give me great new ideas (ways and means) of preparing meals I hadn't thought of before.
Nothing says "I love you" like cooking for someone you know has an issue and you take the time to show them you'll help them become more healthy, as you eat exactly what they are eating too. If your loved one has Diabetes, please don't eat sugar-filled treats in front of them. Buy Stevia, Truvia, or other sugar substitutes and give up anything alcoholic (in the house or even out to dinner) because they need your strong will and your strong heartfelt love to keep them going! It's tough being alone in this world as it is; if you have a loved one that needs you to be there for them through everything - - make it EVERYTHING. Like I said, most people who have Diabetes are never even diagnosed and then the disease leads to failure(s) of organs, strokes, and even full cardiac arrest. In many cases, it can be controlled.
I hope my words have helped someone. I will post a really cool article I found about what you can do if someone you love has been recently diagnosed. Remember, you may never be told YOU have the disease, but if someone you love and live with daily has been, you need to be their rock from this point forward. They need you to help get them through this. Who knows, maybe changing your diet, getting some good exercise, better rest, meditation, and hot baths can change a few more things; it may even save your relationship if you agree to be partners (again).
ARTICLE: https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/help-loved-one
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