Being a diabetic with hyperthyroidism you unlearn everything you thought you knew about yourself and health and fitness.

You will have good days, bad days, overwhelming days, too tired days, but always I need my family and friends today and every day.

I've been reflecting a lot on medicine practice and nontraditional alternative methods. It has me unlearning lessons imparted by medical professionals.

You're Too Pricky

As a diabetic, you don't have the luxury of #needlephobia. You become too pricky...you start monitoring your own glucose level which takes a certain fortitude especially if you hate needles. After my discharge from the hospital, I was armored with a diabetic starter kit that includes #onetouchultra2 blood glucose monitoring system, bottles of insulin, syringes that you can't read the lines. You wonder if this is what a junkie experiences. You find different spots to poke your needles so it doesn't hurt or build scar tissue. The method of pricking your fingers before eating is like a eeny meeny miny moe game with your fingers. Eventually, your #endocronologist will want to transition you to either the #FreestyleLibre or #Dexcom (we will save for a later blog post). I will say switching to nano needles is a big difference.

The days can get rough and messy and painful. When you look back, it's the moments that you felt #lost and unsure that you'll remember. It will be those moments after, those dark moments that lead you to #happiness. The days that break you are the days that make you. Things you deserve - a good life, good sleep, and good people. It does get easier and becomes a normal part of your daily routine.

You Win Different Battles

You can work incredibily hard, maintain a routine, follow all the medical protocol, and still not see results, and vice versa. I did everything within my control to manage my diabetes and #hyperthyroidism as much as possible. I kept a slew of #journals that logged my meals and carb intake, another that outlined the medicine and insulin I take, as well as record keeping my #bloodpressure and weight. I kept a fitness journal to document my workouts for consistency in keeping active and fit. But that didn’t always get me the results I wanted. It was hard to process that I was navigating in unknown territory.

I utimately realized I wasn't the only variable. Some of the variables that factor into the final result are within our control, but many are not. The effort put in does always lead to a commensurate result. I learned to accept different wins. It was a victory eating a meal with less than the recommended 60 carbs, glucose readings that were under 300, taking 10 units of #insulin rather than 25 going in my body. Some days it was a major victory to see a slight weight shift or decreasing my #methimazole to one pill a day. J.R.R. Tolkien said all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. While things don't go as expected, the bandwidth of goodness will keep coming. Fill your days with small pockets of joy.

Manging Your Mental Health Is As Important as Managing Your Physical Health

This is especially true for all of us. You have to show up for you. You have to reach out for help. With May being #mentalhealth awareness month, I want to impress how valuable your state of mind is for you. Spend time with people good for your mental health. On particularly rough days, when it seems you can't possibly endure, let me share with you that my track record for getting through bad days so far is 100%. That's pretty good. And if you keep score of yours, we are on equal footing my friends. I hope you remember, it is not the baggage of our life that weighs us down, it's the way we carry it.

Too often, we believe we are stuck. When in reality, simply you are committed to certain patterns of behavior because they helped you in the past. Now those behaviors have become more harmful than helpful. The reason why you cannot move forward is because you keep applying an old formula to a new level in your life. But if you change the formula, you will get a different result.

Life is tough but so are you. Be kind to your body. To your mind. To your feelings. And be even kinder to your beautiful heart. Yes, it is necessary that you have to #reset, refocus. Readjust. #Restart. As many times as you need to. Just never give up. Keep taking time for yourself until you are you again.

Be Your Own Hero

Sometimes, the things you might consider a regret, failure, or heartaches in the present can turn out to be the catalyst for something extraordinary in the end. Things didn't work out because, well, greater things were in the works. The universe has a beautiful way of straightening things out far better than we ever could. Each pain makes you strong, each betrayal more intelligent, every disappointment more skillful, and each experience more wise. I am #thankful for the experiences that make me laugh, make me cry, and make me grow. It is about all that you have, all that you had, and all that you will soon again. I am learning to accept the changes and the #strength to keep moving. Being diagnosed with diabetes and hyperthyroidism has me focus on what really matters, what is important to me, and how to make the most of what lies ahead ♥