New here...

My name is Mike, in mid 50's, dx w/T2 for 5 years, have only begun to take it serious for the last year or so. Find myself depressed about it now that I'm over the denial stage, but understand the importance of getting a grip on it. Had my first A1c about 5 months ago and it was 8.5-doc put me on 2mg glimepiride and the second A1c was 5.8. Do a pretty good job of keeping my levels in check, except when things at work don't allow me to. I know I should not allow anyone/thing to 'not' allow me to stay on top, but my job can be directly proportional to the weather. Not to mention the ahem, 'wonderful' people I work with. So I will do a lot of reading here and hope that I've found a place I can reside for a while-can't really say that I can offer much help other than support. Only question I have at this time is: How dramatically does stress affect levels? Because there have been times when I've been ready to ahem, 'interface' with some of my co-workers and managers that I conscientiously avoided taking a reading.

Thanks for the link. Good article. Hmm...guess my response of drinking more alcohol and exercising less was not the proper approach! Even tho, it did seem to work for me in the short term. I've also gleaned some good infomation from reading past posts on this forum regarding not just stress, but depression, denial and many other areas of 'greyness' that I've been avoiding looking squarely at. Like my doc said,'you're the only one that can control your diabetes.' Well, dismissing it didn't work, it wouldn't listen! It's truly that unwanted guest that won't leave.

Hi Champ! (I like the new moniker Lois gave you )
I'm about your age and in the same boat... just ahead of you by about 10 years on diagnosis. Some help I can give you...

Stress management doesn't mean you must become an airhead who is spaced out and doesn't give a darn about anything. Stress makes our body release adrenalin which kicks the body into high gear in case we have to kill a bear or swim a river or something. This is where the higher sugar levels come from. Exercise burns up that extra sugar that our body made available so it is removed from circulation. Ever notice how relaxed you feel after a game of basketball or a day of lawn work? You're tired but you're not stressed out.

The secret is to do some form of exercise during the day so your body can get rid of the adrenalin rush and it will learn to destress itself. Example: If you get a 1/2 hr for lunch eat your sandwich and milk, grab your apple and walk away from the building for 10 minutes. Turn around and walk back for 10 minutes. You have just done the perfect diabetic exercise, a twenty minute walk, and destressed your body, lowered your blood sugar and built some lean body mass (muscle) which burns more calories than bone or fat or organs and will use more sugar. Or you could leave for work 10 minutes early and park 10 minutes away from your office. You will get your walk in that way... ten minutes to the office, ten minutes to the car after work. While you are walking you can look at the world around you, increase your breathing, watch the seasons change and get a new perspective.

As you regularly use exercise as a pressure release valve your overall tension levels will receed a bit and you will handle stress better. This is important for your complete quality of life. Your 20 minutes a day will be a time you will look forward to for relaxing and sorting things out in your mind. The use of your largest muscles, your leg muscles, increases and enhances circulation which will in turn make your mind more sharp, help prevent neuropathy, help slow down all kinds of diabetic problems like blindness, leg ulcers and even E.D. (It also helps keep you regular.)

You can look on this as a prescription you have to fill every day. If someone asks about your walks you can say, "I gotta do it for my diabetes. I've already lost 2 inches in my waist! Wanna' join me tomorrow?" Then you can walk and talk with a friend. Walking and talking uses more calories than walking alone. Hope this helps.

Hi Mike,

It's only normal to feel down or negative about diabetes sometimes.  I've actually posted a new link about diabetes burn out - maybe you'd like to take a look?  We all feel like that sometimes, but it really does help just having someone listen to our concerns sometimes so please - if you feel like you are whining just carry on!  We're all here to listen to each other and support each other, and gain some information and help on how to live with this so don't feel bad!!

Claire xx

Thanks again, Jeannie for the kind words. I hate to generalize but I see so much wrong with the younger generation insofar as greed and selfishness. Don't get me wrong, I realize that me and my generation were worse along those lines than were my parents, but I honestly believe it has hit a point that I'm not so sure one could get MORE greedy and selfish than what I witness everyday. Along with a total lack of appreciation for those that preceeded. The few attempts I've made to point out that they would see things differently once they age, they just shake their heads as if I don't know what I'm talking about. Unless, of course, they INTEND to die young. Or more likely, never grow up.