From the article: Coping with Type 2 Diabetes
When you've had type 2 diabetes for a while, you know what to do. But sometimes the stress of dealing with diabetes management everyday can cause a person to become "burned out". It helps to have some coping mechanisms in place to help you over the rough spots. How do you cope with your diabetes over the long haul? Share your Coping Skills
I make it a game
- I use two coping mechanisms. First let me say I'm pretty competitive. When I exercise or take my mealtime insulin, I visualize the good guys (exercise and/or insulin) duking it out with the bad guys (sugar, etc). The other thing I do is to keep a journal of the steps I take (from my pedometer) and the blood glucose numbers and I try to relate the numbers to activity and food consumption and try to outwit the blood glucose monster. I try to keep my A1c below 6.5 and in September it was 6.3, but three months earlier it was 6.7 due to a steroid injection for my back. I felt like I had won a marathon! If I keep it as a game, then I win when I meet my goals - fasting blood glucose around 100, post-prandial around 180 and A1c between 6.1 and 6.5. I like winning!!
- —Guest ANCSteve
