D-Blog day
A year ago, my life was quite different. Still reeling from my undesirable experience as a nursing assistant at a long-term care facility. Still trying to wrap my mind around my type 2 diabetes and hypothyroidism diagnoses made earlier that year. Still dealing with the ramifications of my husband’s hypoglycemic seizure that occurred on November 12, 2004.
Poking around the web, I had found Diabetes Talkfest much more informative and informal than the message boards at the American Diabetes Association‘s website. I also discovered some excellent writing from Kerri and Sandra. Then I found out about D-Blog Day and found a whole community.
I had been blogging in one form or another since the summer of 2003, but had never felt that my words were reaching anyone. On November 9, I joined D-Bloggers around the country on my blog, then called Montana Dreaming. Soon after D-Blog day, I shifted my blogging focus over to my health, my husband’s health, and our daily lives.
This past year has been very good to me. I turned 30 and had a wonderful weekend of celebration. Although I thought my immediate career path was towards health care employment, I ended up finding an interesting and challenging position at a small company where I truly feel appreciated. Flexible hours allow me the time to work out and go to doctor appointments without using up vacation time. I played the role of Diabetes Advocate at the Colorado State House and eventually found my writing voice again by blogging about the health issues that concern my little family. By being featured by BlogHer and ChronicBabe, I feel like my words are reaching people for the first time. This has led to confidence in my fiction writing as well as my blogging. Oh, and there are those 28 miles I walked over the course of two days while participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.
No, this year hasn’t been completely easy. Finding myself dragged down into depression was not easy, but I recognized the early signs and now have the official diagnosis of seasonal affective disorder. Light box therapy has been the best thing that has ever happened to my mental health. Finding myself close to ten pounds heavier than my previous 50-pound weight loss was not easy, but I knew how it happened with less exercise and poor food choices. I have begun to exercise on a regular basis again and the pounds are slipping off. (And next year, on the recommendation of a friend, I am giving out Play-doh to the trick-or-treaters on Halloween. No more candy temptation for me!) My husband and I are still dealing with some anxieties surrounding that seizure of two years ago, but we’re trying to get past it slowly but surely.
Some things have not changed. I still continue to hope that other younger adults with type 2 diabetes can be as successful as I have been in fighting it off, whether with a diet/exercise regimen, a oral medication regimen, an insulin regimen – or a combination of all three. I still continue to hope that healthy food choices can be everyone’s choice, whether rich or poor. I still continue to hope for a cure for type 1 diabetes.
And perhaps most of all, I am grateful for all the people I have “met” as a result of the OC. I wish we didn’t have to meet this way, but here we are.
Posted on November 9, 2006, in Diabetes, NaBloPoMo. Bookmark the permalink. 10 Comments.
Thanks for sharing, today and every day!
Indeed, here we are.
Rachel, you’ve come a long way in just one year– I’m so very glad you’ve shared that journey with us, and look forward to reading more…
You are a testament to how strength of character and courage can help a person through even the most trying of times.
It’s a pleasure to read your blog, Rachel. And it’s a pleasure to check out your cats on Sundays. ;)
Congrats on the huge weight loss, for one thing.
And thank you for your meaningful posts.
Rachel thank you so much for being so loyal to the diabetes talkfest and thank you in general for being you!
Kassie> Sharing is one of the best ways of coping, I suppose.
Sandra & Kerri> Thank you for those encouraging words. On a day where I dared to check my e-mail at work (because d-blog day meant so much), those messages meant so much to me.
Megan> Thank you. I know others have a lot more to lose in weight (and issues), but I just hope I can inspire a few here and there.
Gina> You are very welcome. Diabetes talkfest came into my life at a very needed time and although I can’t be there much these days, I acknowledge it as the beginning of good things for me.
Rachel,
Great to have you in the community!
Happy D-blog day to you indeed.
I did not realize the incredible weight loss you’ve had! Congrats!
Putting in the hard work to provide yourself with good health goes to show that you’re a strong, determined woman :)
Thank you, AmyT and Shannon!
Thanks for leaving a comment on my blog – I’m really glad I found yours as a result. Sounds like we have a lot in common. This year hasn’t been easy for me, either, but I’m finding that the ripples it has left in my life keep bringing really positive things with them. Here’s to the 30s!