Yet another side effect of Diabetes

We all know the many risks of being diabetic – heart disease, stroke, blindness, nerve damage, and so on. But there is one risk your physician or diabetes counselor most likely did not discuss with you – Internet-itis. You substitute being a sugar junkie for being an internet junkie. Here are the most common symptoms of Internet-itis:

1. After your initial diagnosis of diabetes, you turn to your computer for support rather than your family. You spend hours upon hours looking for message boards, chat rooms, or blogspots that are dedicated to the disease. You MUST find others like you, who will share and understand.

2. Every time you have a new ache, pain or bruise you google it under diabetic symptoms and spend the rest of the day worrying that your ingrown toenail will certainly lead to amputation of your entire leg because you are diabetic.

3. You send e-mails to all the local fast food establishments warning them of a massive boycott if they don’t start using whole grain buns. (By the way, Chick-Fil-A now offers whole grain buns. Coincidence? I think not!).

4. You are furious that you can’t find glucometers on E-Bay.

5. Instead of sending out an annual family newsletter during the Christmas holidays, you now send one out every time you have a change in your A1C number.

Does any of this sound familiar to you? Don’t be ashamed. Internet-itis is a common side effect of diabetes. You don’t have to hide in the closet with your laptop anymore. Be proud of the fact that you want to be an informed diabetic. Now, give me your email address so I can add you to my newsletter group.

Now what is THIS number supposed to mean?

It's Wednesday, Sept 12th, and today brought more bad news on the diabetes frontline for me. Bloodwork at the doctor's on Monday revealed I have an elevated insulin count of 47.9 - I am not even sure what that means, but I am certain my doctor will be calling me tomorrow to explain it to me. I do understand that my pancreas is now putting out way too much insulin, and that if my pancreas doesn't slow down, it will shut down. Of course we all know what that will mean - I get to go to the head of the class and advance to Type 1. (insert sarcasm here). I am really fighting the urge right now to throw myself a big old fashioned pity party - but I will stick it out until I hear from the doc. Then, when I do, you are ALL invited.

Yeah, yeah, we all know that denial is not just a river in Egypt.

After 19 months of living with diabetes, I find myself in denial, once again. I wish I could win the lottery and hire myself a personal diabetes counselor - or a former Marine drill sargent. Fortunately my primary health care provider has been very resourceful by providing information for personal counseling. Now, if I can just get past the stigma I attach to seeing a life counselor.