Aging for the Better

 I got my diagnosis at the beginning of summer break.  I had the summer to get my A1C down to a good number, and improve my cholesterol, liver function, blood pressure, etc.  I spent the first week researching.  I'm a nerd and like reading and collecting information, so it was fun. I joined a few online groups.  I developed my plan. The first job was to control my blood sugar numbers.  I started with the "no" list. No fluffy bread (I would eat whole grain or homemade flaxseed bread) No potatoes No rice No corn No pasta No sugar/sweets/desserts No alcohol I also added at least 30 minutes of activity a day to my lifestyle.  Why "activity?"  Well, I don't like exercise. So, that 30 minutes of riding a stationary bike for activity was fun.  Brain game...but it works. I even bought one of those hula hoop exercise things to give a try.  It did give me a different activity and was fun.  And... the first time I got to remove a link and make...

So... I guess I should start at the beginning. Why am I blogging? What is my driving force? It all comes down to my mom and genetics. I am a clone of my mom. We have the same eye color, the same hair color, the same chin. She has hypothyroidism—I have hypothyroidism. She has vitiligo—I have vitiligo. She was a teacher—I am a teacher. (Yes, I know that’s not genetic.) She is diabetic—I am diabetic. And so on... I've known since she was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes about 30 years ago that it was probably in the cards for me as well. I started monitoring my blood sugar, but since I wasn’t technically diabetic, I did it on my own. Doctors offered a little advice, but not much since I was still considered "healthy." In the meantime, I watched my mom endure neuropathy, heart conditions, a triple bypass, a heart attack, digestive issues, brain deterioration—the list goes on. She doesn’t control her blood sugar well and hates the medications she needs. To her, a blood sugar of ...