Crunch Time

It's been nearly three months since my diagnosis with Type 2 Diabetes. My prescription for Metformin is about to run out, and I have a doctor's appointment in several days. Hard to believe. Somehow, it seems longer.

I've been instructed to fast again the night before. They'll probably check my blood.

I'll want the reading to be good, so maybe I'll rake some leaves the night before. Still have plenty of those around, and it seems to do the trick. For now, I'm hoping to keep everything the same. No new meds. No more change in my routine.

I've had enough change for a while. Alterations to my diet, daily readings, adapting to new ways of thought. I'm not the same person I was three months ago. Not exactly.

And I know this'll probably be another ritual. Every three months, to get my prescription renewed. Although it seems like a "racket", from my doctor's point of view, it probably makes sense. The only way to be sure.

And I've heard tales. Just the other day, I overheard a conversation about someone who's "blood sugar was all out of whack". I guess she wound up in the hospital. Well, that's not for me.

I'm feeling stronger these days. My face is not so drawn. And even though I haven't checked it on the scale, it feels like I've gained a few pounds. My new routine is in place, and I'm working on other goals.

The initial "setback" appears to be over. I just want to move on, being mindful of my condition, taking care of myself without obsessing over it. (Hard to do, since I have that tendency -- a touch of OCD -- obsessive compulsive disorder. Just enough to keep me organized, without going crazy.)

All the little habits add up. As a kid, I took some phrases to heart (Early to bed, early to rise...) because I don't like surprises, and I don't like "burning the candle at both ends". I had enough experience with "all-nighters" in college to make me realize I didn't want to make it a habit. I see too many people still, running themselves down, robbing themselves of energy and motivation, when it's just not necessary.

It used to be about keeping my mind alert, my body in shape (without endless trips to the gym or vigorous daily exercise -- something I could not bring myself to do.) Now I'm hoping it'll just slow the aging process and help me live longer.

Not everyone ages the same. I know that for a fact. I see it every day. Part of it's how people live -- daily choices, over and over again. Constant wear and tear. Part of it's mental attitude. We once had an assistant who moaned and groaned all the time about "how old" she was. Getting "too old" for this or that. Making excuses for herself all the time. Well, that was over ten years ago. I've surpassed her age since (she was fifty), but I don't feel that way at all.

We've had plenty of hard knocks. Financial hurdles. Career change. (At one point, moving twice in one year, dealing with the death of our cherished family pet, and separation from our son as he faced his first year in college.)

Everyone deals with hardship. We all suffer loss.

Some people complain about everything. My mother-in-law does that. She's over 90 with nearly perfect health, in a facility where people care for her around the clock, and receives regular visits at least two or three times a week. Good meals. Activities all the time. Plenty of people that she knows, from her hometown. (My wife and I say "we should be so lucky" some day.) Yet she complains. It's like her favorite pass time.

I know people have their reasons. Most often it's poor health, or bad luck, or a long string of "things that didn't work out". Bad things happen to everyone. But we've got to get past it. Why? Because the alternative is worse, letting it drag you down, making you so bitter and unpleasant that no one wants to be around you.

I coach myself constantly. Trying to stay motivated. Looking for good things.

Diabetes definitely threw me for a loop. It wasn't a part of my "plan". But I'm dealing with it the best that I can. And now, it's time to return to my doctor's office, where it feels like this whole thing began. Crunch Time.

Wish me luck.