More Good Stuff I've Learned From Managing Diabetes

If you're one of my regular readers, you know that I often write about ways my diabetic condition has actually helped me. It got me down to a healthier (and cuter) weight. It kind of semi-forces me to exercise, which I would definitely not do if I wasn't diabetic. And it has introduced me to some delicious foods I probably would never have even tried if I was still gorging on fried everything and washing it all down with big gulps of sweet tea.

But there are more subtle ways learning how to manage diabetes has served me well and today's post is going to feature a couple of them.

For starters, managing diabetes has taught me to problem-solve issues. It used to be that if something problematic came up, I either immediately assumed the worst possible scenario or ignored it completely. Neither choice was helpful and sometimes they made things worse. Now that I have learned to pause, throw fear out the window, keep an open mind, and follow through with a possibility, I've discovered that almost anything has a solution.

A recent example that comes to mind is that I've been suffering this summer with allergies. Runny, stuffy, itchy nose. Sneezing. Pressure behind the eyes. The usual. And I was going crazy, but didn't want to take medications because I'm very sensitive to meds and I already know that the ones for allergies make me drowzy, but keep me awake.

I kept blaming my troubles on Louisiana greenery and thought there was nothing I could do, becoming more frustrated and miserable by the day. Then, sitting in a waiting room on Friday, I read a little article about dust mites and bedding. When I got a chance over the weekend, I bought a new pillow, put a new anti-allergen pillow cover on it, washed my bedding (including the mattress cover) in hot water, and voila! my symptoms went from unbearable to almost gone overnight.

Jumping straight to the medications out of desperation would have made me almost as miserable as the allergy symptoms. But not reading the article or telling myself that it "probably" wouldn't work anyway so there's no point in trying what it suggested would have left me continuing to blow my nose like it was a competitive sport.

Another thing managing diabetes has done for me was mentioned by somebody else recently in a casual conversation when they exclaimed, "You are so disciplined!" I looked behind me, thinking they must surely be talking about somebody else. After all, I've known me a long time and while I have some strong suits, I've never thought of "discipline" as one of them.

But the fact is that we get good at what we practice. And the more we practice, the better we get. Tennis. Typing. Video games. Diabetes management. Who knew? Next thing you know, somebody will call me a "grown up." Scary thought.