Accountability

July 20, 2022 Carol Ann Erhardt

I’ve always thought about accountability as being responsible to others for what I do. It came into play a lot when I was working in the corporate world. I think of accountability when I look at our government in action. And I think of it in my relationship with God. But I’ve never thought of it in terms of being accountable to myself.

In my battle with diabetes, I became lax in looking at the truth of my actions. I was seeing the result when my A1C climbed from 6.4 to 6.9. I know I wasn’t eating a proper and regular diet for my disease, but since I wasn’t tracking, it was easy to fool myself. I had been stressed, more so than usual due to some heart issues cropping up, and holidays, plus a senior cat who required a lot of special attention.

Yes, stress can play a big factor in my numbers, so I settled for that. I brushed aside my own contribution of not eating the right foods. As my doctor’s appointment grew nearer, I realized I had to begin taking control of my own actions. I started to focus on being accountable to myself! I made changes in my daily eating and started tracking everything in an app. Oh, how easy it would have been to just skip the half a bagel I ate before bedtime, but I sat myself down and had a heart to heart. What good did it do to ignore the things I wanted to discount? No one was seeing this information but me. I needed to stay accountable.

I’m happy to say in 6 months my A1C dropped from 6.9 to 6.5. My doctor was pleased. I was pleased. I’ve always been one to set goals for myself. Now that I’m retired and my husband has passed, these goals, no matter how small, are achievements I can reward myself for accomplishing. Tracking my diet and exercise is a daily goal for me now. I’ve added healthy goals to my writing and hobby goals. Now I want to continue with the downward trend, lose weight, and hopefully reach a point in the future when I can get off medication for diabetes. It will require staying accountable to myself, trusting God, and a lot of prayer.

Diabetes 2

My Diabetes Journal

April 5, 2022 Carol Ann Erhardt2 Comments

The journal arrived and it is perfect for my tracking needs.

It took a couple days to remember to log everything I put in my mouth! The plus side is it provides an at a glance picture of how I’m managing my diet, including drinking water. Besides the cover is pretty, is it not?

So far I’m doing good at keeping my carbs right at 100 and my calories below 1200. I’ve changed my exercise time to mornings–30 minutes on the elliptical trainer. And I log all the stats on exercise from my Fitbit. I highlight where my numbers are jumping, especially from beginning evening fast to ending morning fast. Today my morning number was 30 points lower than normal, possibly because I ate a small snack to raise my glucose before going to bed. I like the fact that the journal allows me to see patterns and make adjustments as needed.

The biggest issue is my sore fingers from doing more finger sticking to track numbers than I’m used to. It is a little uncomfortable to type when all my fingertips are tender! I will need to slow down and choose the best strategic times to check, varying by day.

Another issue with diabetes is dry skin. I’ve tried many different brands of lotions, the most effective being Gold Bond for diabetics. My aged arthritic fingers have no fat pads and the skin is thin, making most finger sticks painful. I drop things a lot. Twice yesterday I was on the floor picking up the little “diamonds” from my diamond painting project. Very frustrating. Everything I do now takes time. I’m grateful I can still use my fingers and hands, can get on the floor and back up again, and continue with hobbies I enjoy.

If you have diabetes, you might benefit from using a tracking journal, whether it’s one similar to mine, or one you create yourself in a notebook. Tracking everything is beneficial. I know from experience it is easy to deceive myself about what I’m actually eating, etc.

I give thanks to God every day for His blessings. Others are not as fortunate in their health issues. If you are reading this, whether you suffer from diabetes or a different affliction, I ask God to bless you today.

Diabetes 2

Dealing with Rising A1C?

March 31, 2022 Carol Ann Erhardt2 Comments

I know I am not alone in dealing with diabetes type 2. I was diagnosed several years ago and have been taking medication to help regulate my blood sugar. Things were going fine until this year. The last time I saw my doctor, my A1C had risen to 6.9, from a normal of 6.1 or 6.2. This is frightening. I wasn’t sure what I was doing differently.

In order to bring down the numbers, I began fasting from sugars and not eating after my last meal around 5pm until morning around 7 am. Yet, the morning numbers continue to be high. My daily numbers also are higher than normal. This morning my wake up blood sugar was 191. This is the highest ever.

I do not want to have complications arise from this disease, especially since I have heart disease and take two medications for this, including a blood thinner. It seems these higher blood sugar numbers have shown up after starting Eliquis. Research indicates there is no side effect of Eliquis which causes rising blood sugar.

Now I’m on a journey to determine what is causing this issue with my numbers. I ordered a journal to track my numbers throughout the day, along with listing what I eat, exercise, and keeping a record of blood pressure and also information from doctors’ visits. I am also beginning an exercise plan geared to my age and health.

There is no cure for diabetes and it is important for me to take control. I won’t find a magic fix, nor can a doctor do much more than write a new prescription. The reason I’ve added this category to my blog is to share my journey which may help someone else who is struggling. Dealing with an incurable disease when one lives alone can be daunting. For me, I plan to spend a lot of time praying and talking to God about my health worries.