Diabetes: 7 Lessons from My Wife and 3 Roles I Play as Her Husband – ElPropósito4 min de lectura

According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), diabetes is "a chronic condition that occurs when the body can’t produce enough insulin or can’t use insulin effectively." In 2015 there were 415 million people with diabetes worldwide, and by 2040 there will be 642 million.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), there are two types of diabetes:

Type 1: the body doesn’t produce insulin

Type 2: the pancreas produces insulin, but the body doesn’t use it properly, so blood sugar levels tend to spike

The numbers are striking, and so is the condition. What stays with me most, though, are the statistics on people who still haven’t been diagnosed, and on those who have been diagnosed and don’t know how to face it.

In 2011 my wife was diagnosed with diabetes. It hasn’t been an easy road, but it hasn’t been impossible either. Here are 7 lessons I’ve seen firsthand and consider essential for tackling diabetes head on, plus 3 roles I’ve played as a husband.

1. Detect it and treat it early: get medical help as soon as possible and, if you can, always a second opinion. It’s something the patient will learn to live with for life, so it’s worth investing the time to be sure of the diagnosis
2. Accept it: since my wife’s diagnosis in 2011, I’ve seen many other people who’ve been diagnosed simply refuse to accept the condition. There are many reasons, I think ranging from taboo and fear of facing it to misinformation and deeply ingrained habits. There are so many books, videos and resources out there; just look at the 242 million results Google shows when you search for "diabetes." Accepting the condition isn’t easy. It means changes are coming, but as I’ve always said, they’re changes for the better
3. Get expert support: it’s best to always have a doctor you can consult, call and turn to with questions. Another essential, effective source of support is a nutritionist, who helps the patient identify everything they can eat (yes, you can eat everything), the portions and so on
4. Think positively: this one is hard to grasp at first. Nobody knows how to move forward when an organ is failing or won’t respond the way it used to. A simple thought like "I’m going to make it" or "I’ll get through this" opens the mind to the advice, support and actions needed to take the first step, little by little, and start seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. You start seeing that diabetes came to fix many things in life
5. Get ahead of it: I remember that early on, an excellent doctor we went to for a second opinion told us: "If you don’t exercise, carry too much belly fat, live under stress, eat poorly and don’t see a doctor at least once a year, you’re considerably raising your risk of diabetes… even if no one in your family has ever had it." I’ll never forget it. Getting ahead of it means exercising (which reduces stress and, done right, belly fat too), eating well (with a nutritionist’s advice) and getting a full checkup at least once a year
6. Discipline: I’ve seen that this is the most important of all. It means schedules and consistency in meals, portions, sleep, exercise and medication, among other things. Really, it’s self-discipline. Nobody will do it for you
7. Get on with life: the most beautiful tip of all. I’ve seen how, despite the ups and downs, life goes on, and with better quality. Someone who truly learns to live with the condition finds they can go on with their life and be an example for others

My roles:

1. Support: unconditional and at all times. There will be sugar crashes when you have to rush to the kitchen for food. Remembering to pack the medication when you travel, going to the doctor together, getting involved in the disease and understanding it
2. Reading: getting informed is the best advice I can give. First you need to understand what diabetes is and isn’t, and that it can be treated and you can move forward. I bought this book, and from then on I felt I had a handle on it: https://www.amazon.com/Diabetes-Dummies-Alan-L-Rubin/dp/1119090725
3. Following along: in the end you’ll be exercising, eating better and going to the doctor too. In short, you’ll be more aware of what you eat and of what causes diabetes

I hope this is useful if you or someone close to you is facing it. My final message is that it’s not impossible to live with, and it’s not an exact science either. You learn something new every day, and once you learn to live with it, life takes on a different flavor.

As always, thank you for your comments.

Rodrigo Baccaro

Author: Rodrigo Baccaro

Linkedin