I’ve never participated in a walk before.

This one just happened to be coming up soon after my diagnosis and it’s going to be at the Detroit Zoo and I haven’t been there in YEARS!!! So I asked my husband if he’d like to do it and he said “yes” and so did my mom and nephew.

So we’re going to be walking.

We will be gathering donations and walking to help Stop Diabetes.

I am asking for your help. By making a donation on my behalf, you will be helping the Association provide community-based education programs, protect the rights of people with diabetes and fund critical research for a cure.

Why help me Stop Diabetes? There are 25.8 million Americans living with diabetes, a disease that is outpacing heart disease, cancer and AIDS. If we don’t act now, one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

My mother, father, sister (gestational), aunt, and brother-in-law have diabetes. My grandfather and great grandmother also had diabetes. And now I also have diabetes. Many of my friends have family members who have diabetes or they have it themselves.

I believe that my participation in this year’s Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes can and will make a difference. Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes is one of the Association’s biggest fund raisers. With the help of people like you, the American Diabetes Association can raise over $20 million to help Stop Diabetes.

(That’s the Artic Circle of life up there ^^ I’ve never seen that! Last time I went to the zoo they were building this!)

Please help me reach my goal and go to my Web Page at http://main.diabetes.org/goto/peargirly, to make a secure, 100% tax deductible donation.

My goal is not large ($200.00) and I am halfway there now. Even a small amount will make a difference. And it would mean the world to me.

If you do donate and have a cause that is looking for donations, I will match your donation with a donation of my own to your cause. Leave me the information in your comments and I will get back with you.

Together we can Stop Diabetes. One step at a time.

Thank you for your consideration and support!

*For photo credits, click on the photos*

At the beginning of August I had a doctor’s appointment to refill my prescriptions. My PCP had left the practice and my new PCP wanted me to come in since it had been since last Oct that I was there.

They did some blood work, wrote me refills for my normal scripts and a new script (Metformin) and sent me on my way.

I got a call the next day saying that they needed to see me to go over my test results. I was pretty nervous because I’d never had to go back again for anything, but went after work that day.

The results: Type 2 Diabetes and Hypothyroidism…along with the high blood pressure and anxiety disorder.

Now remember…I didn’t go in because I wasn’t feeling bad, I just needed to refill my scripts.

Seems as though my sugar was over 400! (normal is approx 70-125) It was really high!

The doctor starts telling me what’s in store and it is insulin and pills.

Insulin.and.pills.

We totally passed by the “just pills” stage and went right into insulin. And now, I’m on 2 different pills AND the insulin.

That photo above is not my photo, but that is the same monitor I have. All of those things in the photo have become a part of my life now.

I never thought I’d need to give myself a shot everyday and purposely prick my finger to draw blood.

And the diet! OMG, I didn’t know WHAT to eat at first. I STILL don’t! It’s sooo confusing.

The good news is that I’m doing much better now.

My sugars have come down and are now in the 110-130 range. Still high, but SO much better.

I have more energy, I feel better overall, I’ve lost weight, and I’m eating healthier.

Silver lining to the not so great diagnosis?

I’m calling this my “rock bottom” and there’s only up from here!

My mom joined as well so I will have a WW buddy.

Looks like I’ll need to go to a real meeting in order to get the weekly materials unless I get them on eBay or something.

hmmm…

Then…it’s on!