Diagnosed at the Age of 47

by Jeff
(USA)

I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in July of 2002, at the age of 47. I immediately attended a two day diabetes education class, conducted by a local hospital. This class provided information about the effects of diabetes on over all health, including serious health risks associated with diabetes. The class also provided diet and nutritional information, including personal consultation with a nutritionist, who also provided target diet recommendations (carbs, proteins, calories, etc.). This education was very helpful. I have never taken medication to control my diabetes, but do my best to control my glucose levels through diet and exercise. The biggest improvement in that area was switching from high sugar soda pop, to 0 carb diet soda. I also made significant changes to my daily diet. Unfortunately, my exercise regiment isn't as consistent as it should be. The first 6 months after my diagnosis, I checked my glucose levels prior to meals, 2 to 3 times per day, 7 days a week, using a personal meter. My doctor told me that checking it once per day, and perhaps only every other day, should be sufficient. Since then I have been metering my glucose levels once per day, prior to my main meal of the day, 5 to 7 days a week. I will modify my food intake, and delay my meal time, if my metered glucose level results are above my target range of 80 to 120. I will meter my glucose levels more frequently if I hit several unusually high glucose readings on consecutive days, especially if I cannot account for the elevated readings. Over all, I feel that I am able to control my glucose levels fairly effectively, as I can definitely see a consistent pattern between my diet and metered glucose levels.