[Diabetes-talk] Emotions

[K C]

Yes, Mike, it was good!  As with everything you've said so far, it's both 
amusing, and informative.  smiley

K


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "dmgina" <dmgina at qwest.net>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 10:36 AM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Emotions


> Mike that was good.
> I bet he did laugh.
> I was reading about a lady who has sugars over 450 and will die says the 
> doctors, since the liver is bad and the kidneys are bad.
> They sent her home to die.
> They didn't know what to do for her.
> I just said a prayer.
> Dar
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 11:21 PM
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Emotions
>
>
>> Of course it's all right to complain and moan and groan and bitch and
>> vent. After all, you're only human. Diabetes is one of those diseases
>> that, if handled correctly, doesn't have to be considered
>> overly-burdensome (although, like blindness, it is a damned nuisance and
>> can never be reduced to a nullity). At the same time, though, as you
>> know and fear, if untreated, diabetes can lead to complications and,
>> sooner or later, to severe illness or death. So your fear and even your
>> wish to take a trip down that great African river, Denial, is certainly
>> understanding and, if not carried to an extreme, even healthy.
>>
>> Where we all get into trouble is when we seek to make that sojourn into
>> a year's sebatical, a four-year course of study or even long-term stay
>> abroad! That way lies future trouble.
>>
>> As you say, though, the problem is that you don't feel ill so it's
>> devilishly hard to convince yourself that you really have a disease --
>> one that, if left untreated, can be a royal pain-in-the-posterior!
>>
>> I am not really the person to advise you on this as, for all intents and
>> purposes, I went crashing into diabetes. It's kind of hard to ignore a
>> disease when you land in the hospital darn near unconscious! It tends
>> (after one's blood glucose is more-or-less back in control) to
>> concentrate the mind wonderfully! (grin)
>>
>> But know this: the fear of the lancet (that's the thing you stick
>> yourself with) is far, far worse than the actual finger-stick itself. In
>> fact, I almost wrather have the sting; that way, I know I've penetrated
>> deeply enough to get some blood flowing (let's hear it for Raynaud's
>> Symdrome!). But that's hard to tell someone when s/he isn't used to it.
>>
>> What got me was not so much the finger-sticking but the fact that I had
>> to get over the conditioning that taking a blood sample was inherently
>> messy. You know how if you cut your finger, everyone around you runs
>> around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to find a bandade!
>> Well, it's hard to contemplate that one is deliberately making oneself
>> bleed. But I got over it pretty quickly since I realized I had no
>> choice, presuming I wished to live a healthy life.
>>
>> As I've said, read Gretchen Becker's book and watch the videos whose
>> links I've sent you.
>>
>> In a way, it's like blindness: talking about it and confronting it makes
>> it at least less mysterious.
>>
>> In any event, everyone here is ready to help you!
>>
>> One story about my hospitalization that might amuse you and then I'll
>> head for the sack: when I was brought in via ambulance almost
>> unconscious, an ophthalmologist was looking at my eyes, trying to see, I
>> suppose, if I'd gone blind from diabetic retinopathy. I was still with
>> it enough to tell him - he must have been twenty years younger than was
>> I -- "Please tell me if I've got retinopathy in that eye. Because if I
>> do, I'm in a world of hurt because it's a silicone implant!" Whereupon
>> he *jumped* back, totally taken aback, knowing he'd been had while I
>> roared with laughter. I don't think he expected a semi-conscious
>> gentleman to make him look silly! Damn, it was great!
>>
>> Anyway, cry and rant and rave all you wish. That African river, Denial,
>> looks mighty nice now. But the scenerygets pretty shabby later.
>>
>> Hang in there!
>>
>> Mike
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "K C" <kcc86 at hotmail.com>
>> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 7:28 PM
>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Emotions
>>
>>
>> I'm writing this strictly off the cuff, so please forgive me if I'm just
>> complaining here.
>>
>> This week, my first, I just don't want to stick myself.  I don't know
>> anything, beyond the huge amount of support I've gotten from this list,
>> about controlling anything.  I don't have any symptoms, nothing to base
>> being in, or out of control on.  This week, I don't want to hear how
>> because
>> my number is a mere 135, how it isn't any big deal.  Then in the next
>> breath, how I have to learn to consciously cause myself pain, put my
>> blood
>> into a meter, and interpret numbers I don't even understand.
>>
>> I was talking with a dear friend earlier this evening, and I tried to
>> explain to him that in most cases you get time to deny, cry, scream, and
>> then accept the situation if you choose to.  After all, not choosing to
>> use
>> a Cane because you don't want to admit going blind may cause you
>> personal
>> pain, but you're not likely to get hit by the proverbial car.  But in
>> this
>> case, someone says you have Diabetes, so you've then been hit by the
>> car,
>> and you have to get up, and do something about it, manage your injuries
>> right now!  This week I'm mixed between wanting to learn how to use the
>> meter, start my medication, and to just cancel the order all together.
>> This
>> disease is an unknown quantity, and this week I want to keep it that
>> way.
>> But I can't.
>> I hope it is all right for me to vent this way.  You all can let me know
>> if
>> it isn't..
>> K
>>
>>
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Ed Bryant" <ebryant at socket.net>
>> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2008 11:31 AM
>> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] Emotions
>>
>>
>>> Hi Kijuana,
>>>    As I promised, the following is some information about emotions.
>>> In
>>> fact, this info is part of a story called "Emotions", which appeared
>>> in
>>> Voice of the Diabetic sometime back.
>>>    If you have questions, please feel free to ask.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Ed Bryant
>>> Understandably, most diabetes education materials focus on the
>>> physical
>>> aspects of the disease. This is appropriate. But the common emotional
>>> ramifications of diabetes need to be taken into account. An
>>> individual's
>>> emotional state may determine whether he/she prevails, or is felled by
>>> circumstances.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Anger
>>>
>>> "Why ME?" We don't know what causes diabetes. Although we can
>>> manipulate
>>> statistics and use them to make predictions, we can't tell why a given
>>> individual gets diabetes, or any of its ramifications. And tight
>>> control
>>> helps, but it is no panacea.
>>>
>>> Folks used to believe that disability was the result of defective
>>> character. If you developed a disease, you had brought it on yourself;
>>> you
>>> were a "failure." We know better, but too many of us still judge
>>> ourselves
>>> harshly, blaming ourselves for "being weak." Diabetes is not a sign of
>>> weakness.
>>>
>>> "What did I do to deserve this?" Nobody gets diabetes, or
>>> ramifications,
>>> because they "deserve them." We don't know why one person gets it, and
>>> another does not. We have to do the best we can. Diabetes can be nasty
>>> and
>>> unpleasant, but it is not "diabolical." It is not a punishment.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Denial
>>>
>>> "It will never happen to ME!" Social workers and psychologists are
>>> very
>>> familiar with the problem of denial, the conviction that in spite of
>>> the
>>> facts, the rules do not apply in this particular case. The
>>> ramifications
>>> of diabetes do not manifest immediately, but the more time spent with
>>> high
>>> blood sugars, the greater the likelihood of future eye, kidney, and
>>> nervous system complications. The diabetic who seeks to prove that he
>>> or
>>> she is "exempt," and "gets away with it," short term, is only
>>> increasing
>>> the likelihood of down-the-line problems. The literature is full of
>>> stories by folks who were "non-compliant" in their youth, but saw the
>>> error of their ways about the time their vision began to fail. Denial
>>> is a
>>> common problem, and one that should be addressed right along with the
>>> need
>>> for conscientious self-management.
>>>
>>> "NO! I'm not BLIND!" Sight loss brings its own denial. There are
>>> people
>>> who won't use their canes, or learn Braille, or even stop driving,
>>> because
>>> they cannot admit they are going blind. Some delay learning adaptive
>>> skills with, "It's only temporary; I'm sure my sight will come back!"
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Fear
>>>
>>> "What am I going to do? I won't be able to..." While some folks deny
>>> they'll ever be affected, others swing to the opposite extreme. These
>>> diabetics pay close attention, read the reports, and work diligently,
>>> but
>>> for them, there are demons under the bed, and every bullet has their
>>> name
>>> on it. Too many folks are convinced that a diagnosis of diabetes, or
>>> the
>>> need to start injecting insulin, or blindness, or kidney failure, or
>>> any
>>> of the other possible complications, means the cessation of life as
>>> they
>>> know it.
>>>
>>> It doesn't. With proper adaptive equipment and training, blind
>>> diabetics,
>>> those losing vision, even those coping with multiple ramifications,
>>> such
>>> as blindness, amputation, and kidney failure, can maintain or recover
>>> independence, and remain (or become!) fully productive participants in
>>> mainstream society. Fear, or the use of fear to encourage diligent
>>> compliance, is counter-productive, as we shall see below.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Burnout
>>>
>>> "I'm tired of it!" Diabetes self-management is a discipline, seven
>>> days a
>>> week, from now until doomsday. There are no reprieves, no opportunity
>>> to
>>> take breaks, and short of a pancreas transplant, there is yet no cure.
>>> There is only the routine, day after day after day.
>>>
>>> Some folks thrive. Presented with the facts, the need for multiple
>>> monitoring and insulin injections, one young man said, "Of course I
>>> will!
>>> I want to stay healthy as long as possible!" He was, and is, ready.
>>> Others
>>> find the prospects daunting.
>>>
>>> A lifetime of dietary restrictions, regular exercise, blood glucose
>>> testing, and multiple injections or oral medications can become
>>> wearing,
>>> especially after a number of years with the condition. Some folks get
>>> tired of it; others come to hate "doing it because they must." Still
>>> others stop believing their own welfare is "worth the fuss." This is
>>> "burnout," psychological rebellion against one's duties.
>>>
>>> When burnout leads to non-compliance, it is a recipe for trouble. Why
>>> do
>>> some folks "burnout" and not others?
>>>
>>> The answer is attitude. The folks who thrive, who make the best of a
>>> less
>>> than perfect situation, are like savvy poker players who, dealt a
>>> doubtful
>>> hand, play it for all it's worth. Often these folks outperform the
>>> ones
>>> holding the aces! It's not the cards you're dealt; it's how you play
>>> the
>>> game.
>>>
>>> "Positive attitude" can mean so many different things, but here it
>>> means a
>>> wholehearted belief in one's own capacities, and determination to
>>> overcome
>>> all obstacles, regardless of how long it takes. If you don't believe
>>> in
>>> yourself, even the small hills can look impassable.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Loss of independence
>>>
>>> "How can I face my friends? How can I get anything done? I can't DO
>>> anything!" Too many folks respond to disability, or other trauma, with
>>> the
>>> "wounded animal response"-flight to solitude, to "lick one's wounds."
>>> Up
>>> to a point, this is part of the grieving process, the mourning for
>>> what
>>> must be let go. When it passes, rehabilitation can begin.
>>>
>>> But some folks "get stuck" there. Some independent, self-reliant
>>> people,
>>> high achievers, can be more traumatized by their own "incapacity" than
>>> by
>>> their actual physical loss. The belief: "I have lost something, and am
>>> now
>>> less than I was," discourages action. This can occur with most any
>>> incapacity, but is not uncommon in cases of sight loss.
>>>
>>> An adult type 1 diabetic, for example, may have been self-managing for
>>> 15
>>> years or more, before retinopathy put an end to a sight-based
>>> lifestyle.
>>> Some folks, with positive attitude, good instruction and proper
>>> adaptive
>>> equipment, make a smooth transition. Others wilt.
>>>
>>> It's a question of attitude again, so many times. An individual is
>>> accustomed to being in charge, to caring for self and others, and to
>>> being
>>> "a productive member of society." In his or her mind, loss of sight
>>> means
>>> the end of their capacity to continue doing so. Feeling diminished,
>>> feeling ashamed, the individual withdraws from society, and stays "out
>>> of
>>> circulation." Belief in his/her incapacity has become a
>>> self-fulfilling
>>> prophecy.
>>>
>>> These people are not lazy. They are not "slackers," taking a long
>>> vacation
>>> from responsibility. They are in emotional agony, grieving for losses
>>> they
>>> don't know how to replace. These people need to be shown their
>>> options.
>>> They need to hear of (or from!) others like themselves, who have
>>> looked
>>> the demon of self-doubt in the eye and moved forward anyhow. They need
>>> support groups and rehabilitation professionals who will respect their
>>> self-doubts-and then show them how to overcome them. Some might
>>> declare,
>>> "You can't teach attitude!" but what you can do is show such a person
>>> their options, show them others who have "done it themselves," and
>>> then
>>> get out of the way.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The Cure
>>>
>>> Nothing about diabetes, or blindness, or any other disability,
>>> diminishes
>>> a person's human-ness. Loss of sight, or of a limb, or of mobility and
>>> independence, does not make one "incomplete." There are no
>>> "part-people"
>>> out there-we're ALL fully complete, real people.
>>>
>>> But it hurts to have to give something up. We are not oxen, facing our
>>> traumas with placid equanimity. Fear and pain are perfectly logical
>>> responses. Some folks will pass smoothly through the stages of grief,
>>> and
>>> be ready to learn the necessary adaptive skills. Most will need the
>>> support of their fellows and the positive examples of their
>>> predecessors,
>>> and will need to have their feelings validated. Passing this hurdle,
>>> they
>>> are ready for, and fully capable of, independent self-management and
>>> full
>>> participation in the mainstream.
>>>
>>> The presence of emotional issues is not a sign of weakness, but of
>>> humanity. Any holistic approach to health takes a person's
>>> mental/emotional state into account, right along with their specific
>>> physical ramifications. We are individuals, and we heal in our own
>>> way.
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>> From: "K C" <kcc86 at hotmail.com>
>>> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Tuesday, November 04, 2008 4:23 AM
>>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] I'm a silent Diabetic
>>>
>>>
>>>> Thank you for the welcome.  Actually I have only just gotten
>>>> information
>>>> about even ordering a meter yesterday.  My state rehab is
>>>> recommending
>>>> the Prodigy auto code meter?  What is the difference between that
>>>> one,
>>>> and the voice?  I receive Medicate, and Medicare, all parts.  In
>>>> general,
>>>> can you get new testing strips for these special meters at your local
>>>> pharmacy, or do you have to order them always from Prodigy.  And
>>>> lastly
>>>> does your list offer emotional support?  I'm still in shock, and am
>>>> scared to death... Before last Thursday I didn't even know I had
>>>> this.
>>>> Thank you all.
>>>> Kijuana
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>> From: "Ed Bryant" <ebryant at socket.net>
>>>> To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>> Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 3:42 PM
>>>> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] I'm a silent Diabetic
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Kijuana,
>>>>>    I am glad you have joined our Diabetes talk list.  There are
>>>>> probably
>>>>> several ways we can assist you, but first it sounds like your blood
>>>>> sugars are too high, so that should be an immediate goal to get the
>>>>> sugars down.
>>>>>    Your doctor may  have already had you do a lab called hemoglobin
>>>>> A1C,
>>>>> which gives you your average blood sugar for a two or three month
>>>>> period.
>>>>>    It sounds like you are testing your blood glucose levels, but
>>>>> there
>>>>> is a fairly new blood glucose monitor out, which is pretty easy to
>>>>> use
>>>>> for someone who is blind or has low vision.  It is called the
>>>>> Prodigy
>>>>> Voice and can be ordered from:
>>>>> Homecare Supply of America
>>>>>
>>>>> Big Sandy, TX
>>>>>
>>>>> 800-333-1412
>>>>>
>>>>> Meter: $89.95
>>>>>
>>>>> Container of 50 strips: $21.95
>>>>>
>>>>>    If you have Medicare they will pay for the meter and a few
>>>>> strips,
>>>>> but they will only purchase you a new meter, I believe, every three
>>>>> years.
>>>>>
>>>>>    If you have Medicaid, they will help with a glucose meter, but
>>>>> they
>>>>> can be difficult to work with.  They are run state by state while
>>>>> Medicare is nation wide.
>>>>>
>>>>>    If you need to use Medicaid, please let us know, and I am sure
>>>>> you
>>>>> will receive help from this list.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Regards,
>>>>>
>>>>> Ed Bryant
>>>>>
>>>>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>>>>> From: "K C" <kcc86 at hotmail.com>
>>>>> To: <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>>>> Sent: Monday, November 03, 2008 9:12 AM
>>>>> Subject: [Diabetes-talk] I'm a silent Diabetic
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hello, everyone.  My name is Kijuana.
>>>>>> On Thursday the 30th of October I was diagnosed with Diabetes after
>>>>>> Uterine surgery on the 23rd of October.  I had no idea I had it.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I'm so scared!  I have never had to stick myself to test my blood
>>>>>> sugar
>>>>>> or
>>>>>> anything else.  I know a little about it because I have had
>>>>>> personal
>>>>>> friends
>>>>>> who have
>>>>>> suffered major complications from this disease, and some of them
>>>>>> have
>>>>>> died.
>>>>>> Logically I know it is something people live with, and control
>>>>>> everyday. I
>>>>>> also understand that it is a very common illness.  It's just that
>>>>>> it
>>>>>> has
>>>>>> never been a part of my daily life.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I don't know how to act, or react now.  Because I have no symptoms
>>>>>> I
>>>>>> don't
>>>>>> know how to eat differently or anything else.  Over the past few
>>>>>> days I
>>>>>> have
>>>>>> continued to do like I always have, but the numbers on the blood
>>>>>> tests
>>>>>> say
>>>>>> different.  Its silence scares me more than if I had some weird
>>>>>> symptoms,
>>>>>> went to my Doctor, and was diagnosed then.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> How do you deal
>>>>>> with the days, weeks, and months after diagnoses emotionally?
>>>>>> They'll
>>>>>> be a
>>>>>> lot of education I'll get in the coming weeks on diet, life style
>>>>>> changes,
>>>>>> etc.  But what I really need right now is those who're living with
>>>>>> this
>>>>>> disease to share their experiences with me so I can put my feet on
>>>>>> some
>>>>>> kind
>>>>>> of ground.  Thank you for reading all this.  I feel totally
>>>>>> disoriented. My
>>>>>> state services for the blind leave a lot to be desired, so my
>>>>>> councilor
>>>>>> doesn't even know where to begin as far as purchasing a meter,
>>>>>> testing
>>>>>> supplies, etc.  Any help will really be appreciated.
>>>>>> Kijuana
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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