Introduction

WEEK 1: SHARE
Monday, November 1st

Introduction-Tell us about yourself! Why did you decide to start a blog or share your blog with us?
Hi! I'm Ashley. I'm 22 years old, a newlywed since January, and a 2009 graduate of Texas Tech University. August 23, 2010, I was also diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes.

The weekend before, I had a feeling I knew what was going on, so I borrowed my dad's blood glucose meter (he has Type 2 as well). My numbers were fairly high, so I made an appointment for Monday afternoon, which confirmed my suspicions. Even though I was somewhat prepared for it, my diagnosis still came as a shock. First of all, I'm in that in-between area age-wise. I'm not quite young enough to be a textbook Type I, but I'm also not old enough to fit the mold of a "typical" Type II. Secondly, I'm not overweight, though I do always tend toward the heavier side of my healthy weight range (according to the BMI scale). I was overweight as a child and adolescent, until about 10 years ago when I finally made the decision to lose weight. Even though my dad and sister (Type I) have the disease (so obviously the genetic component is there), I never dreamed I would have to deal with it.

Nevertheless, my life has changed pretty dramatically in the last two months. Since losing weight in the past, I've always been a fairly healthy eater, but I love carbs. That's probably been the biggest challenge for me thus far, because my endocrinologist had me see a CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator) who recommended that I limit myself to three carbs per meal, and one/two for snacks. Also, we went over portion control...My measuring cups have probably gotten more use in the past couple of months than ever before! For me, it's just diet and exercise for now.

I have to say it's been a good change overall, because I've already lost almost 10 pounds since being diagnosed, and I've made an effort to exercise more. However, it's still a daily challenge trying to stay balanced, and sometimes I get overwhelmed by all the needle pricks and worrying how the foods I eat will affect my blood sugar. I also tend to worry sometimes about my future, and what impact this disease will have on it. I worry about having kids when the time comes, mostly due to all the extra attention to my blood glucose numbers and diet and, most likely, insulin it will require. Then I worry about health insurance, because if I stay home with our kids I won't be able to keep my current policy. Those are the things that keep me awake some nights.

For the most part, I've tried to stay positive and taken everything in stride. I've always been an optimistic person, and dealing with this has been no different. I've tried to read as much as I can about Diabetes (I have about six or seven books that I've either already read or am currently reading), because learning, and in turn knowing, makes me feel more comfortable with everything. The more I understand, the more hopeful I feel--I think because to me, knowledge truly is power with this disease. Knowing what I can do to keep my blood glucose numbers in line and the positive impact that has on preventing future complications empowers me and gives me the strength I need to deal with Diabetes.