I think we are all aware of complications that accompany our diabetes. Some of us deal with that specter in our future by denying its existence and some of us swing the other way and become obsessed with controlling our blood sugars.
Both extremes cause us to put our disease far ahead of our personalities, our lives, and our loved ones.
So what to do? The Mayo Clinic’s experts blogged this week about ways to stop worrying about complications of diabetes. Their suggestions included recognizing the tools we have now are far superior to anything in the past when it comes to management of our disease, and they reminded readers that the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial demonstrated the complications are not inevitable.
Well, that’s good.
However, I’m not sure that is very helpful on a day in, day out basis when we read our meters and see numbers we know aren’t in range.
I need a plan instead of what seem like blithe assurances from someone who doesn’t share my same fears.
So how do we deal with knowing our future may well hold complications we don’t want to deal with, but we have to deal with them in order to avoid them? (Yes, it’s confusing to think about. Reminds me of Back to the Future when the kids start becoming transparent because it looks like their parents won’t get together in the past… or is it the future…)
I think a way to approach the topic is to, as always, look it right in the eye. (This is the kind of thing I do when I run; I’m quiet, I’m alone; I’m almost in a meditative trance, and feel relaxed and safe enough to approach an incredibly difficult subject.)
So what am I most afraid of? Is there a particular complication I want to specifically avoid?
How likely is it that that specific complication is realistically in my future?
How likely is it that by changing something right now I can avoid the complication?
How likely is it that I can actually make that change and stay myself (and not become obsessed)?
I am always asking myself: Is it worth it?
I ask myself if the specific complication is worth the worry, fear, and anxiety I have already spent on it and am likely to spend on it in the future.
They rarely have been, when I’ve thought about them.
I know this isn’t something we can think about very often or for very long. Complications are scary to think about. None of us want to face getting older or having our disease impact our bodies any more than it already has. For me, though, I think it’s worth it to take whatever time we can to really think about it for ourselves and our lives.
I know that a lot of the energy we spend trying to avoid thinking about complications can be put to a much better use.
Take care of not just your body, but your mind as well. Know that you aren’t alone.
We’re all doing the best we can!
