I'm supposed to check what???

A few weeks ago, I started to feel really, really bad. I had this continuous headache, felt nauseated, and was generally not feeling well. Then I missed work one Monday, and decided that I had enough, and made an appointment to the doctor. Since I moved, I've been meaning to move my doctor's office closer to where I live. I made an appointment with a doctor's office close by. Since this was my first time at this doctor's office, I had to go through the usual history gathering process. They found out I was diabetic, so they checked my blood sugar. I was surprised, let me repeat, SURPRISED, that my blood sugar level was 322. I have never had my sugar that high before! Immediately, the symptoms I've been having made sense. I was told to start losing weight (duh!) and told to get back on my meds (which I have not been taking because they make me nauseous).

Now, I know what I need to do and what to eat. I just don't do it. I've been in a weight loss program at church called First Place, so I know what I'm supposed to eat. Again, I don't do it. But as soon as I heard those numbers, I immediately went in defensive mode. The next few days after that, I cut back on my carbs and ate more protein and vegetables. One of the culprits was Coke. I had managed to cut back to 1/2 can of coke per day, but that was enough. Some days, it was maybe a whole can, sometimes I would drink a 20 oz bottle in about 2 - 3 days, but nevertheless, I drank Coke. As soon as I cut out the Cokes cold turkey, my body reacted. I needed to bring my sugar level down, so protein and vegetables were going to have to do. But I had a very hard week trying to come off of the cokes and dealing with high sugar levels. On top of all that, the doctor decided to give me flu and pneumonia shots, which didn't help me feel any better. I felt like someone was dragging me down Highway 6, continuously.

I think the break finally came at the end of this week. I finally started feeling better, back to my normal self. My blood sugar levels are down, but still higher than they should be. I'm taking my meds, and checking my blood sugar levels constantly. When I went for my follow up, I was told to keep it up, but I needed to work harder at getting my levels down. I was given the run down and the hard news that all of my levels were extremely high, and needed to come down. I was told to continue the two meds that I've been on for diabetes. I was given another one for high blood pressure because high blood pressure go hand in hand with diabetes, and they think I have high blood pressure because I've had high readings the last two times I've been to the doctor's (I beg to differ because I had a headaches both times, and that can raise blood pressure). Later, a prescription was called in for cholesterol because my blood tests revealed high cholesterol levels. I have to come back in three months, which is the usual fair for diabetics.

So, bottom line: lose weight. Apparently, that will solve a lot of problems. Losing weight will cause me to eventually not have to take my diabetes meds. It will cause me not to have to take high blood pressure meds. It was lower my cholesterol. Weight loss is the magic formula, along with exercise. There is no magic pill. Just do it. Lose the weight.

Will I do it? I'm having a hard time with this. I'm trying to make better choices on what I eat. I haven't been able to muster myself to exercise, though. But I need to do this. Pray that I will do what I need to do to lose weight and keep on the meds so that I don't fall back where I was a few weeks ago. I really don't want to repeat that.