Committing Slow Suicide - Ignoring Blood Sugar Symptoms
I started having blood sugar symptoms about four years ago. I noticed that I was unusually thirsty. Not the kind of thirsty a beer could take care of. It was the kind of thirsty that I wanted to drink something… anything. Water helped, but I practically drank a half gallon to get there. No matter though, it eventually passed. It must have been a oddity of my age.
Then there was the odd dry patches behind my ears. I looked like a dog. Hand pawing at my ear, scratching until I practically drew blood. I thought it was winter itch, but I couldn’t claim that was the reason in the middle of July. I never thought much of it though. It’s just dry skin, what’s the big deal.
Having seen my father fall asleep in his chair every night, I didn’t find it odd when I started doing the same. What was odd was that I was sitting in a rocking chair, actually rocking. Or the time I fell asleep in the middle of a conversation about the Olive Garden with my son. We got a good laugh out of it. He would occasionally walk by me and say, “Olive Garden!” thinking I would fall asleep again.
But then there was the impotence. The thirst, the dry skin, the tiredness; they were a nuisance. But impotence was a different story. That’s when I finally caved. I was getting older, but I wasn’t that old. I wasn’t ready to hang it up either. Something more than age was at play here. I made an appointment with my doctor.
When he told me I was a diabetic, I was totally shocked. Not that I had any reason to be. My Dad was a diabetic, as well as many of my uncles and aunts. But I never thought I would be diabetic. I looked more like my mother. If I took after her side of the family, how could I “get” the diabetic gene. I was freaked out.
I spent a lot of time in denial. Just like dealing with a death, there are stages you go through when you’re diagnosed with diabetes. There’s shock, anger, denial, sadness, and eventually, acceptance. While I went through these phases, I ignored my high blood sugar symptoms. I ate whatever I wanted. I didn’t test my blood. I took my medication, but since I wasn’t testing or controlling my diet, it really didn’t matter.
Then one day, after a long time, I just got sick of being sick. I decided that I had too much to live for. At the end of the day, the only person who could help me get control of my sugar level was me. So I started watching my carbs, exercised every day, and tested my sugar a few times a day. I wasn’t totally anal about it. But I did it enough to start changing my habits.
Of course, when I finally took control, my symptoms started to go away. High blood sugar symptoms are:
1. Persistent thirst
2. Persistent hunger
3. Dry mouth
4. Going to the bathroom often
5. Dry itchy skin
6. Extreme tiredness
7. Blurred vision
8. Recurring infections
9. Impotence
10. Wounds that heal slowly
11. Unexplained weight loss
I didn’t have all the symptoms, but I had enough to give me a warning. Unlike me though, if you have any of these symptoms, don’t ignore them. Please see a doctor as soon as you can. I don’t know what kind of damage I did while ignored them. I’ve seen what can happened though. An uncle who had a severe stroke. Another who lost a leg. If they had paid attention in the early stages of the disease, they could have possibly prevented these events.
So I was able to pull myself out of my downward health spiral. I can tell you that the changes you need to make in your life to get control are not that drastic. While people will tell you that you can’t eat this, or you can’t drink that, there’s remarkably little that you can’t enjoy if you do it in moderation. Your meter will tell you when you screw up; so you learn to adjust. But don’t ignore blood sugar symptoms if you have them. You know them now. Do yourself a favor and pay attention.
Steve Burton is a diabetic who wants to help newly diagnosed diabetics and their friends learn to control the disease. His blog, Blood Sugar Symptoms: An A to Z Guide has tips and advice to help get through the tough times.
Tags: diabetic, medicine, diabetes, science
