6 Ways to Manage Type 2 Diabetes: ‘It’s on My Mind Every Day’
Key takeaways:
Nancy Porras had a family history of diabetes and developed temporary gestational diabetes during both her pregnancies.
Her risk factors made it more likely she would develop Type 2 diabetes.
Nancy manages her diabetes with a proper diet and regular exercise.
Five years ago, Nancy Porras was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes just before her 50th birthday.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when a person’s blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, is too high. Nancy hadn’t experienced any symptoms, such as frequent urination, increased thirst, or unexpected weight loss. But she wasn’t surprised when she was diagnosed. She had several risk factors.
Her father and brother had Type 2 diabetes, and she had gestational diabetes during both of her pregnancies. Her blood sugar levels immediately returned to normal after each of her sons was born. Still, her doctor sounded the alarm.
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“After my second pregnancy, the doctor said my chances of developing Type 2 diabetes increased later in life.”
In fact, the CDC says women who experience gestational diabetes have a 50% chance of developing the disease.
She had warning signs of diabetes
Nancy also learned she was at risk a few years before her diagnosis when she took a blood test at work during a Wellness Day. Her blood sugar level was a little high, and she was told to check it out with her physician.
“I hadn’t been to the doctor in a while, because I was feeling fine,” Nancy says. Her family doctor confirmed that her blood sugar level put her in the prediabetes category. Nancy and the doctor agreed to monitor her closely for changes in her blood sugar levels.
For the next 6 years, Nancy maintained her prediabetic status. That changed at a routine checkup in 2017. Her A1C test, which measures average blood sugar levels over the previous 3 months, showed a level of 11%. Anything over 6.5% indicates diabetes.
Nancy says she could have done a better job of taking care of herself in the years before the diagnosis.
“There were so many things I could have done differently with my eating and keeping my weight down,” she says. But her husband and doctor remind her that, given all of her risk factors, her chances of eventually developing Type 2 diabetes were still high.
Routines make managing Type 2 diabetes easier
In the last 5 years, Nancy has learned a lot about living with and managing her diabetes. She says the following tips are worth sharing with anyone living with Type 2 diabetes.
1. Work with a nutritionist
“If your [provider] offers a nutrition class, definitely take it, because you will learn a lot about food that most people don’t know,” Nancy says.
Many people eat much more sugar on a daily basis than they are aware of. Learning that carbohydrates turn into sugar was an eye-opener for Nancy. Some of her favorite foods, such as bread, pasta, and most desserts, are loaded with carbs.
The nutritionist reassured Nancy that she could eat anything in moderation with one exception.
“She said that when you’re a diabetic, you should never, ever have a regular soft drink.” Why? A 12-oz soft drink can contain 8 teaspoons of sugar. The American Heart Association recommends that most women should aim for no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar in their diet a day, and men should limit added sugar to no more than 9 teaspoons.
2. Establish an exercise routine
Exercise helps to regulate weight and boosts the body’s ability to process blood sugar.
“It doesn’t have to be anything hardcore,” Nancy says. “I love to walk.”
Over time, she and her husband have worked up to walking 2 miles a day in a nearby park. “He holds me accountable, and that’s a good thing.”
3. Form a support system
Anyone living with a chronic disease needs people who offer consistent encouragement and understanding.
“My whole family is very supportive, and most people I’m around know I have diabetes,” Nancy says. “No one is forcing food on me I shouldn’t eat.”
Nancy’s husband has changed his eating habits to support her. “He’ll say, ‘I don’t need those cookies,’ or ‘Let’s not buy those chips.’ If he’s not eating them, I feel better about not eating them, too.”
4. Stay on top of your medication
On a recent trip to visit family in Costa Rica, Nancy had to get her doctor’s permission to order her diabetes medication early since her prescriptions would have run out during the trip.
“I also checked Delta’s rules concerning medications,” she says. “You are allowed to put medications in your carry-on or purse as long as it is in the containers that came from the pharmacy.”
Putting medications in checked bags could prove disastrous if luggage is lost or rerouted.
5. Plan when eating out
“Sometimes restaurant menus have nutrition information or indications of gluten-free or low-fat, but not always,” Nancy says.
If she’s dining at a restaurant she hasn’t eaten at before, she often previews the menu online.
“I focus on the protein, like a boneless, skinless chicken breast or salmon,” she says. “If I have a burger, I eat the meat and not the bun to keep the carb count down.”
Moderation is always the key. “If I want French fries, I have a few and tell myself, ‘I’m done.’” Or if that brownie is a must-have dessert, she avoids carbs beforehand. “I’m always making deals with myself.”
6. Be kind to yourself
“My journey has been up and down. I am not a perfect diabetic,” Nancy says. “My husband and my sisters tell me all the time that I shouldn’t blame myself for my diabetes — that I’m too hard on myself.”
During the last 2 years, she admits to falling back into some of her old eating habits. “I’m trying hard to take back the control I had right after [my] diagnosis.”
At the end of the day, living with a chronic disease such as Type 2 diabetes is just hard.
“It’s on my mind every day,” Nancy says. She’s also reminded of her doctor’s words: “He says it’s up to me to manage my diabetes.”
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