[Diabetes-talk] Emotions

K C kcc86 at hotmail.com
Fri Nov 7 13:09:06 UTC 2008


Hello, Everyone.  I went to my initial visit at the regional Diabetes center 
yesterday, and it was really rewarding!  I couldn't push the button to poke 
myself though.  lol

I now know that the dietitian doesn't tell you specifically what you can, 
and cannot eat.  That made me happy.  I know that the coming days, and weeks 
will be hard, but Diabetes isn't all out of proportion for me like it was 
before I went.  You're all wonderful..  :)  Thanks..


Kijuana

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "dmgina" <dmgina at qwest.net>
To: "Diabetes Talk for the Blind" <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 11:00 AM
Subject: Re: [Diabetes-talk] Emotions


> You have come to the rite list.
> Talking about your concerns helps you get into perspective what you are 
> learning to do.
> Hope this helps.
> Dar
>
> ----- 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 8:28 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
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>>> Diabetes-talk mailing list
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>>>>>> Diabetes-talk:
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Diabetes-talk mailing list
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>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
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>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
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