healthy living
Type 2 Diabetes
FROM HURTING TO HEALING
By Felicia Dilbert
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rowing up in south Georgia, I was surrounded by delicious food, praise, worship and the sweetest women on Earth. These women cared about their family and friends and taught me that taking care of the community was a “good” thing to do. I saw many women sacrifice everything for others, and I adopted this standard as my own, never realizing I was neglecting my own health in the process. In May of 2017, after months of intermittent headaches, bouts of anxiety, fatigue and mood swings, I took the advice of my primary doctor and went to visit a thyroid specialist. It was during this visit that I received major unexpected news when the thyroid specialist said, “Felicia, you are a Type 2 diabetic.” The doctor explained that my bloodwork showed an elevated A1C, or blood sugar level, of 10.5 and informed me that I could have easily slipped into a coma. The rest of my appointment consisted of very uncomfortable education. I learned that diabetes is a chronic condition that can cause major damage to the vital organs if mismanaged; however, it is possible to live a dynamic life with the condition. To achieve results, I would have to change my entire relationship with food and create healthy habits, such as consuming a protein-packed diet, getting plenty of rest and taking medication, as needed. Most important, I’d have to make a conscious decision to heal. I needed to be all-in, as half-way was not good enough to successfully fight diabetes. The following week, I was hospitalized due to complications. After I was released, I visited my primary physician, who
22 tallahassee woman • februar y / march 2018
explained to me the dangerous connection between diabetes and heart disease. Heart disease starts with high blood sugar levels: the high glucose in the bloodstream can damage arteries, causing them to become stiff and hard over time—which can increase the chance of heart attack or stroke. He encouraged me to face this situation with confidence and to fight it. I left the appointment empowered. I accepted that I couldn’t change the past—yet the future was unwritten. It was time to transform my health and my life. After the appointment, my husband, Louis, called me and said, “Babe, you’ve got this! If you have to change your eating habits, then so do I. I’ve got your back and WE will fight this together!” That was the moment when I chose to change every unhealthy habit that had led me to this diagnosis. No more working through lunch breaks or making excuses about taking medication. I stepped up and adopted a heart-healthy meal plan and made a commitment to myself that no matter what, I would exercise several times a week. Together, my husband and I attended educational diabetes management classes at the Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Metabolic Center. We learned how to cook delicious meals without salt, read labels to identify low-sugar, high protein foods and protect ourselves from a heart attack or stroke. Additionally, we learned strategies to help me in case of emergency blood sugar spikes or sudden drops in my blood sugar. For example, exercise, water and apple cider vinegar can lower blood sugar if it spikes, and glucose tablets or