The War Against Diabetes
When I was eight or nine my grandma would come and stay with us for a while. Every morning my sister and I watched her do her ritual. She would take a huge syringe and draw medicine from a big bottle. She would lower the syringe to to her skin and insert the big, long needle into her thigh. Scared and curious at the same, we squinted our eyes as the needle went into her flesh.
At that time we didn't know why she was injecting herself. To us it was amusing to watch her poke herself with the needle. That's all. Then through the years I watched my other grandmother and my parents do the same thing.
It didn't occur to me that I had a high risk of becoming a diabetic. Pretty soon my turn came. I became a gestational diabetic when I was 28 and pregnant. I remember the day when the doctor told me I had diabetes and need to take insulin injections during pregnancy. I sat down with a disposable syringe, filled it with insulin and cried until I realized I had no choice but to gather the courage to inject myself.
I refused to acknowledge the fact that there was no escape for me. I am a diabetic even though my doctor assured me that I could avoid becoming a chronic diabetic by exercise and eating healthy. After my son was born I exercised myself to death and lost 48 pounds. I didn't have to take medicine for another six years. I was happy.
In 1995, I was diagnosed with diabetes again and it stayed for good. I was in denial for almost six years after that. Somehow I thought if I ignored the fact it will go away. So I ignored. I was on medication and pretty soon I started taking insulin. Since I took insulin, I ate anything that came in front of me.
In 2004 I was diagnosed with diabetic induced coronary artery disease with one of my major heart vessels 95 percent blocked. I underwent angioplasty and stent placement at the age of 44.
Now, every day I try to exercise and watch what I eat. I tell my children to do the same because they have over 50 percent chance of becoming diabetics. I warn them not to eat too many carbohydrates. I only cook with canola oil. I haven't used coconut powder or products in foods.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
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