My reason is both parents passed within 10 years of being diagnosed with diabetes. The hole it left in our family 30 years ago was devastating. My Mom was 58. My Dad 68.
I will not do that to my family. I will live my best life with diabetes.
I want to know and spend time with my Bride, Heather, all our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren, and more.
When I began this diabetes journey 4 years ago, I was on 13 daily prescription medications. A year prior to that fateful day I… read more
Answer Summary
Members shared deeply personal stories about what motivates them to manage diabetes well, with family consistently emerging as the strongest... Read more
When I was a young child myself, my sister and cousins the same age were taught how to detect and treat Low Blood Sugar
I thought that was something that you just needed to learn like tying your shoes. It wasn't until much later that I realized that being Diabetic was "not normal" you see because every Adult Relative I ever dealt with had Sugar Diabetes (it wasn't called Type 2 until the early 1990's)
As I grew up and observed my relatives a few things became very obvious:
Diabetes doesn't care how hard it is for you
Diabetes doesn't care what type of person you are
Diabetes doesn't care if you believe bad things won't happen to you
Diabetes LOVES people who think they are smarter than it is
Diabetes eats those people up
My Maternal Grandmother died from Diabetes induced Heart Failure in her mid 60's
An Aunt died of end stage Kidney Failure in her early 70's after a handful of years going in for Dialysis three times a week
Two Uncles left this life with a couple missing parts - one minus a foot the other a leg
And I watched the Beast eat up my Dad - it's not a fast death - it took almost 15 years to kill him
It started with the infections in the legs caused by the Peripheral Neuropathy - the open weeping sores, the wound care, the IV antibiotics - all which left him essentially unable to walk
Then in his early 70's they came for his Drivers License - they don't want to let you drive after the Doc has reported that the Retinopathy has gotten to a point where you can't quite see well enough
Then the Kidney's and his mind (Diabetic Vascular Dementia) got in on the party and for most of the next decade he simply wasted away culminating in almost a year in ICU while his Heart (congestive failure) and his Kidney's fought over who was going to kill him
That's what happens when you fall off the control wagon and can't quite get back on because you waited too long to get serious about Control
I don't want to die after laying in a hospital bed for a year, almost a decade after I could no longer walk unassisted, can't quite see and not even recognizing your children
I would like to leave this life with all my body parts still attached
I don't want to run down to the hospital 3 times a week to get hooked up to Dialysis
So that's my motivation
I KNOW what can happen, it's not "theory" to me
I believe the warnings from the Medical Community because mostly they are really downplaying how dangerous, debilitating and deadly this disease is because they don't want to scare their patients
Something is going to kill me, that's a simple fact of life. But I am going to do "everything I possibly can without making excuses" to try and stop the Beast from being my demise
Burning to death might be a terrible way to go - Death by Diabetic Complications is a pretty close second
Good day everybody. I already knew diabetes runs in my father’s side of the family (grandmother, uncle and sister) and even if I knew that I still enjoyed eating and drinking soft drinks (as much as 1.5-2 liters a day) and ballooned to 260lbs 2.5 years ago. Needless to say, I researched what diabetes is and look for ways to get rid of it. Epic fail.
Control is the better option, visited 2 different doctors with my wife, I was told I am diabetic at A1C 6.4, argued with the doctors, told them that I can lower it down but they doubted that. After 3 months, 6.1, after another 3 months 5.9. Needed to study the beast more, joined DT and got acquainted with members like @DiabetesTeam users... and a lot of others I fail to mention (sorry), took their stories/lessons/observations to heart to work on defeating the beast. At this time Feb 2025, my weight is down to 160-162lbs, 5’8”, still a work in progress, and scheduled for my A1C later this month or first half of March. God is in control.
Overriding reasons, my love for the Lord Jesus to share His goodness and mercy, the love for my wife Nora, children and family/ies, and to do that, I need to take care of this body so He can use me further for His glory and share the gospel to others. Have a great everyday everyone. 😀
@GeoergeneElley
Good for you Georgene
I worked in a hospital for years. I watched people who were non compliant. go from sick to losing a foot , to a leg, to dying. And the pain they went through.
It is not something I want to happen to me. I learned what I am supposed to do and do it.
It takes learning better habits and to not beat yourself up when you mess up.
Mine is my sons and granddaughter. My sons dad died tragically when they we're young. I don't want to leave them way to soon. Even on my bad days, I give them a smile and tell them I'm going to be alright.
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