Getting a “diagnosis” from your doctor is a scary thing, and it’s no different when you’re told you have Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). What does that mean? Suddenly, pictures of insulin needles start swimming around in your mind. How is this going to affect me? Is there anything I can do to stop this?

     First, take a deep breath. There are over 23 million Americans that have been diagnosed with diabetes and an estimated 7 million more that have it, but don’t know it yet. Not everyone has to take insulin. There are steps you can take to optimize your health and slow any progression of your disease.  

     As for my own journey, it was a bit of a surprise. T2DM ran in my family with several members having it, but I thought it affected them because they were ‘obese’; I was only a little overweight. Granted, I had let myself go a little soft in the middle, but I thought, “who doesn’t?” 

     I had other things to deal with like working lots of hours and taking care of my wife and two children. The easiest thing to give up was exercise. Then, I would start eating convenient food because I didn’t have time to prepare meals correctly. I’d still make sure we all had good meals at home, but while I was out and about I’d stop at the fast food places or just grab a donut when I got one of my many daily coffees. I was unknowingly giving up my own health for convenience sake.

     I had gone to my doctor for a routine checkup for my borderline high blood pressure. I was still fighting having to take any medicine, because I didn’t want to consider myself a ‘sick person.’ All this in spite of me working as a paramedic. I thought my work meant I was busy enough to call that exercise and it would keep me healthy. As part of my checkup, I had the blood drawn and was told I’d be called with the results.

     Sure enough, a nurse called me a couple days later and went over my lab results. I have no idea about most of what she said except, “You’re A1C is a little high, but well within the range for a diabetic so you’re okay…” A1C is a measurement of your blood sugar levels over a previous three month period. I stopped her and said that I wasn’t actually a diabetic. SHe sounded surprised and said, “Oh! Then your sugar is way too high. You need to be on medication. I’ll let the doctor know.” It was a punch in the gut. How did I catch diabetes? Can you catch it? What is it?

     So many questions might be floating around in your mind right now, especially if you just found out you, or a loved one just received a diagnosis of T2DM. There are steps you can take to keep yourself as healthy as you can be. If you’re anything like me, you might want to cut back on those convenience foods, they’re usually loaded with sugar and other things that can make your codition worse over time. I’m still a work in progress and I’ve made some mistakes in my diet choices or mostly lack of exercise, but I’m still trying. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t succeed and make great strides on your first attempt. You have a long term goal to achieve – a healthier you. Expect a few hurdles along the way.

     Some steps you can take are:

1. Cut back on sweets and fast foods.

2. Eat more fruits and vegetables.

3. Exercise moderately 3 times per week for 30 minutes at a time. Even walking will help.

4. Lose some weight (if you’re considered overweight or obese). Ideally, our body mass index (BMI) should be less than 25.0. If you’re above that, studies have shown that a 10% weight reduction can vastly improve conditions for type 2 diabetics.

5. Follow your doctor’s recommendations. Take any medications as they are prescribed. Your doctor is a partner in your health journey, make sure you express your concerns and questions so you can have the most up-to-date information on your condition.

    Don’t forget to look up sources for guidelines (make sure they’re from reputable organizations such as Diabetes.org or CDC.gov). Lastly, try keeping a journal of your health. Try listing the foods you ate and how you may have felt more energetic or tired after having particular things. I know for myself, donuts and cookies are no longer enjoyable for me because of how I feel afterward and I try not to eat them. The problem is, if I decide to have just one, I can’t seem to stop myself from having more. Nobody’s perfect. I wish you the best of luck in your own quest to become healthier. You can do it!