Russell's Diabetes Journey“It was a bombshell. Kind of like, it hit me so hard I broke down in the office.”“Oh yeah, oh my God, change lifestyle. I had to change the way I eat. I had to change the way I think.It was hard, going certain places to eat. Other people eating good, I couldn't eat.”“And diabetes effect you in a lot of ways. Sex wise, with heart things, your pressure, all that and thatreally took a toll to me. Especially when it came to the sex, you know, 'cause it really does somethingto you and you can't function as well when the diabetes has control of your body. And the only thingyou can do, you gotta don't let it control you, you control it.”“Well, when the doctor told me about things that you could lose and I watched my feet, I watched mycolor of my skin. I feel my ankles, I feel my feet where they swelling, coloring of the toes where theyturning black.”“So now I just be more careful of what I put on my feet to protect my feet as well as my- my hands,my fingers.”“I talk to my doctor and he's like, he was a marine, he's a pretty strict guy and he don't pull nopunches. And he ain't feeling sorry for you because he's telling you like it is. He tell you what youshould do and if you don't listen, you don't follow through, that's on you. He put it out there but youhave to listen, take it in and work what he tell you to do and that's what I do.”“She make sure I don't eat the wrong things. She make sure I check my sugar. That goes to showyou how she love me and was concerned about me. Sometimes a man like a woman tell 'em what todo you know, but in this case, that's something I needed to do because she show me concern andlove. That's all I can say about my girlfriend, she's there for me.”“I don't try to use diabetes as a crutch but I have a lot of happy moments with Margaret and thatbreaks the ice. So I don't always try to put diabetes as a crutch or saying I'm not gonna make it or thisand the other. No I don't do that. I say, "I will overcome and I will be happy."
Keeping Motivated and Rewarding Your Diabetes Self-Care Progress
Find out how getting feedback on your progress and treating yourself to occasional rewards can motivate you to continue working toward your healthy lifestyle goals.
