A while back I was talking to Mogwi, and she said something that struck me so funny I just laughed and laughed. It was after I had been diagnosed with diabetes,and we were talking about diets. She had been curious what all my food program entails, and since I also have high blood pressure, I have certain foods I must avoid,beyond sugar and carbs, such as salty snacks. It had become second nature to me to run down the litany of things, so I said, no sugar,carbs,salt, caffeine or alcohol.She made a funny sound, like a gasp,and I said, what's wrong? I thought she had fallen or something. She said," Don't tell me you eat like that all the time!" Well, I said of course...except for the occasional times when I have a low blood sugar event, when I can have candy to bring my blood sugar up, it is necessary to stay on a strict food program. I can't call it a diet, because that denotes that at some time or other you can dispense with the limitations and eat anything you want. Mogwi was very quiet for a moment and then said, "My doctor wants me to be tested for diabetes, but I already told her I can't be diabetic, I don't have the discipline it takes!" Her implication was that that it was easy for me, since I have been doing it since 1994! Well, I couldn't help it! I guffawed in her ear to the point that she almost became insulted. Well, long story short..(too late!) a few months later I got a frantic phone call from Mogwi, she had just found out she was diabetic,and she felt herself in trouble, because there was no way she was going to be able to live like me! For all of her adult life she has eaten whatever she wanted,and just knew she wasn't going to be able to resist cakes, pies,cookies,ice cream and regular pop,among other things. I felt really sorry for her,and tried to calm her down, pointing out that once she replaced those sugary things with fresh fruits and a variety of fresh vegetables,and got used to portion control of meats and whole grain breads and cereals, she will feel better,and won't hardly miss the junk at all. Well, I almost had an argument on my hands. She wouldn't listen to me, but kept wailing and boo-hooing. Convinced she couldn't do it, she has struggled with the problem from that day to this. She has gone through a terrible time, with her legs, feet and ankles swelling and retaining water to the point that they continued to puff up like toads and began to get so large they would rip open and weep water through the skin. She would disappear for days at a time, and then finally I would find out she had been taken to the hospital,pumped full of water pills, the proper food and medication, and then returned home, only to go through the same thing again.
Well, I feel awful for having laughed, but at the time, what she said was funny. Only thing is, I didn't realize she was making a self-fulfilling prophesy. When she heard the diagnosis, she had no intention of putting forth any effort to maintain a proper food program, even though I was willing to help her any way I could.
Just yesterday I got a call from Jenny, and was not surprised when she too was diagnosed diabetic. She called me, since she knew I was following my doctor's orders,and wanted help getting started. She already knew of the possible complications of not paying attention to her diet,and I was very encouraged that she already knew that portion control was key,such as a serving of meat was about the size of a deck of cards,and that a regular serving of pop has 9 tablespoons of sugar in it!
Like the man said, "They can be taught!"
OUI?
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