 |
My purpose is to pay forward
all that I've learned in my
own life! All I ask is that
you do the same.
|
 |
| Naomi in 2012 Naomi in 2013  |
A New Lifestyle With
Diabetes Type 2
On July 9, 2012
my old life ended and my new life began. Here’s how it started. I had dry hands
for quite some time. I knew something was wrong because the dry skin became
worse and then the frequent urination started.
It quickly escalated to a point where it kept me awake at night and kept
me out of work during the day. I consumed gallons of water but my thirst was
never quenched. I also started losing weight. I used to weigh 140kg the last
time I weighed myself +- 3-4 ago. Then on the morning of July 9th I had it with
all the urination and went to our local clinic. When I told the nurse about my
problem she tested my sugar. It was 21.9, she was shocked. She ordered me to go
for a urine test. She became quiet after the test and placed me on a drip and
told me to drink as much water as I could and wait until she comes back to
check on me. About an hour later she checked and saw my sugar levels remained
high and my veins collapsed.
In that
time the ambulance arrived. I was puzzled by the staring glazed looks and concerned
expressions. Only then another sister
came and told me the ambulance is there for me. Needless to say I was upset and
started crying and then she explained to me the urine test revealed a toxin
that is very harmful and their test showed it was very high and only in
hospital it could be treated. The test
also revealed escalated protein and glucose levels. Test at the hospital
confirmed the toxic ketones were +3. The doctor was not nice. He blurted out
that I'm going to lose my hands, legs and my sight and that the ketones only
needed another day then I would have been in a comatose state and died.
Now I was really freaked out because the phrases
and condition was foreign. I felt like a
sinking ship. I was diagnosed with Diabetes
Type 2 with serious complications. What freaked the doctor out was the fact
that I felt 100% healthy except for the irritation of the frequent urination and
constant thirst. I was hospitalized for
3 days where they struggled to lower my sugar levels. On the 3rd day I started to feel very sick
and then my doctor became nicer. He said
I showed a positive reaction towards the treatment and was discharged. I went
home looking like a devastated sheep on her way to the slaughter house. Armed
with very little knowledge about my condition, metformin, glycron and insulin
with syringes I was in a total fragile space.
Then my
nightmare started. I was scared of food and of my body. I knew nothing about
diabetes. I had a few episodes where I lost all energy and just became weak not
knowing it was hypoglycemic episodes. I instinctively always reached for an
orange. The one fruit I didn’t like became my life saver when these “energy losing”
episodes came. My scheduled appointment
with the diabetic nurse was 6weeks later. The diabetic counselor was also diabetic and
she then explained it was a hypo episode and it was very dangerous. She gave me pamphlets and books about diabetes
and a new world started to open up and the more I read the more insecure and
scared I got. I had to educate my 9 year
old daughter on my condition. She became scared and more protective. She moved in my room, too scared to let me
sleep alone. Diabetes resembled a big
monster that grew bigger and bigger within weeks and I franticly searched the web
for more info how to accept my condition.
I battled spiritually
as to how could God curse me with this sickness and not give a cure. I cried
everyday because no one understood my fear and my concern and the resources in South Africa
Then
something caught my eye… a blog of Linda Turner Palmer - she was a diabetic and
invited all diabetics on her facebook group to have a chat and this was my first
light in the darkness weeks after my diagnoses. Linda accepted me on facebook and she was my
life saver. She showed me the way home,
she shared her diabetic skills and knowledge, guided me in the darkness to life
and gave me hope that there is a life with diabetes. She was the fuel to my fire of life. By just sharing her years of research on this
condition and her own personal experience and directing me to diabetic topics I
started my diabetic journey. I read up
on all the diabetic information I could get. I
compiled a file and from there on with Linda as my advisor I started my healthy
life style. I changed my attitude towards my condition, food and life.
My reward
for changing my lifestyle is losing 34 kilos in exactly 9 months! On the day of
my discharge from hospital I weighed 130. I used to be a 46 now I’m a 36. Losing
weight symbolizes something bigger than get getting slim. Each kilo lesser means
I’m another mile away from diabetic complications. Within 9 months my entire
life was transformed.
I never thought I’d say this but my diabetes made me
appreciate life more…I live for today, I feel more alive and I appreciate my
health now more than ever. I don’t take my health for granted anymore. I got a
second chance.
I’m not so
strict on my food choices as I was when I was diagnosed but still very cautious
what I eat and how much. I try to stick to my alkaline diet but when ever I do
indulge I make sure it’s on something that won’t affect my sugar level to drastically
and that’s not harmful to my body in any way. Every day is a learning experience. Yes you get tired of living under the diabetic
radar but you tend to get used to it. I
got my latest A1C result and I scored 7, meaning I’m in control of my diabetes!
With my changed lifestyle I
befriended the diabetic monster.
I can’t
change my genetic response to him but I can sure as hell control my lifestyle.
We have one mutual interest and that’s my body. If I look after it he can’t
destroy it and for as long as I can I will keep on looking after myself.
We cannot defeat diabetes but we can
conquer the effect it has on our lives.
Love Naomi
E. Sinden
PS: Thank
you Linda for being the light in my tunnel. We are continents apart but your
light shined so bright it reached a sinking soul in South Africa
Love you my
friend mwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
*********************************************************
Dearest Naomi,
I can't take credit for your success because you and I both know that God brought us together! I have a passion to share what has helped me to manage my Type 2 Diabetes and I'm so thankful I was obedient to do that (although I was a bit like Moses... but LORD, I have dyslexia - I can't write a BLOG!) Me of little faith! Since I was obedient, God used what I wrote to help you. I'm so thankful that you were obedient to manage your disease, Naomi. God is certainly not through with you, my friend! Not by a long shot!!! Now - go and tell somebody else what you have learned!
Love you too, my friend! Mwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah
What foods are alkaline?
You are going to think I'm making this up - I assure you I am not! Today is LIP APPRECIATION DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No, it's not a typo... that's really what it is. No need to explain - is there???
No comments:
Post a Comment