| “The
person with diabetes who knows the most, lives the longest.”
- Dr. Elliot P. Joslin 1922
I met Carol McPhail last summer
and wanted to share her diabetes success story. She works hard
at controlling her diabetes and plans on being around for her
great grandchildren.
How often do you check your
blood sugar? For
the first year I checked my blood sugar before and after every
meal to get a feel for the way my body works. Now I check it
every morning and on every other day before and after the main
meal of the day whether it is lunch or dinner.
What did you do to learn about
taking care of your diabetes? I
went through the diabetes education program offered at CAIR
which includes frequent visits with a diabetes educator and a
dietitian. I made appointments for my eyes and feet. I also
obtained all the online information I could find.
How has diabetes affected your
life? I
became aware that I am much stronger than I thought, and I
could get even stronger by meeting this head on.
What lifestyle changes
have you made? I count carbohydrates and have become
very aware of my portions. I bought a scale for items I'm not
sure of. My carbohydrate booklet became my menu planner. On
days that I fix something for my family that is too high in
carbohydrate, I make myself a huge salad, with all the
different veggies I want. I started swimming the year before I
was diagnosed. The month I was diagnosed I joined the Fitness
Center at St. Mary's, and their water aerobics for seniors
program. My son bought us a treadmill and bowflex to help us
exercise at home. My exercise routine now is very easy. I go
to the Fitness Center Tuesday thru Friday. I arrive one hour
before class and just swim back and forth stretching and
warming up. The class lasts for one hour and covers warm-up,
cardio, and cool down exercises. It is great fun. At home I
started the treadmill program that came with the equipment. I
am on week 15 and walking for 35 minutes. I watch television
while I walk and time flies. My blood sugar goes way down for
the night. I rest from exercise on Sundays and only use the
treadmill or bowflex on Mondays. I am building muscle to take
the place of all the weight I've lost.
Who is your best support? My
dear husband, Charlie, of 41 years.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how
important is it to you to take care of your diabetes? It
is my number one priority right now. Later it will became a
natural part of my life, and I won't have to think about it as
much. I also am aware that my children may have to face this
sometime and I want them to see that it can be controlled.
What is your secret for staying
on track? I
keep track of my meals in a blood sugar diary. I found a
program to calculate my calorie burn figures to keep in my
diary. Keeping a full diary of my caloric intake, calorie
burning, and blood sugar results motivates me to improve. You
are looking at your progress everyday. It keeps you feeling
good about yourself. It has helped me to see that certain
foods will never give me good results, so I have to eliminate
them completely. Vice-versa, I found foods that I didn't think
I could ever eat again, are ok, in moderation. For instance, I
have found a wonderful low-calorie, low-carbohydrate, fat
free, delicious ice cream at Cub Foods. I can have dessert!!!
I wander around the grocery store and compare the carbohydrate
content in the everyday foods we eat, like bread, crackers,
salad dressings, mayo etc. I was amazed how much sugar are in
the foods we eat. I found a recipe computer program that
computes the carbohydrate and calories for me. I enter the
recipe and if it meets my goals, I keep it. If not, I delete
it and find a better recipe.
I lost a lot of weight in my first 2 years of exercise and 1
year of diabetes, but I hit a plateau. I went back to my
dietitian and we realized I had not been eating enough
calories to get my metabolism up. Now that she has helped me
get back on track, I have begun to lose weight again. The
Fitness Center has a person that can measure your fat ratio
and you can set a goal for weight loss. I have 20 pounds to go
to be “average.”
I also have medical appointments every 2 months for blood
tests and I ask any questions that have come up. I have been
going to a Physical Therapist through the clinic to keep me
from hurting myself in my exercise and directing me to
exercises to use and those to avoid. You must keep your doctor
and dietitian up to date with how you are doing so they can
help you get the best results from all your hard work.
What advice would you give to
other people living with diabetes? Face
the diagnosis as a blessing, not a terrible sentence. As long
as you know what is wrong with you, you can get to work
controlling it. And you can get the most out of your life. I
plan on being around for my great-grandchildren.
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