I'd like to use that in my sig Will, OK with you? "Take the best, and
disregard the rest."

--
Cheri

W.M.McKee wrote in message ...

Thank you Will,

San,
and my sic is Quality of Life verses quantity of life.

Hi Laura,
Thanks for the welcome message.  Many times I wanted to write to the group,
but I hesitated.  I was feeling very ill since year 2000, kept telling the
doctor my symptoms, not all at once but in parts, he didn't put it together
that I might have diabetes.  In the winter of 2000 I had a ball fall on the
slippery icy grounds.  I had hurt my right side quite badly, couldn't walk
good on my right leg.  The physiotherapist didn't do a good job, so I
stopped after two times.  Then, I started to gain weight because of my lack
of movements.  I used to suffer from big huge boils, he prescribed me with
antibiotics.  Almost everyday I had a boil coming up somewhere.  Once on a
visit I told him I was tired, extremely tired.  He didn't take that into
notice.  Language was a barrier then, being new to this land.  So husband
was the one translating what I said.  So, year 2004 I went back home to SE
asia for a holiday and bought One touch ultra.  I also visited the sports
therapist there and got my bad back fix.  The therapist said I had a slight
slipped disc.  No wonder I could hardly walk good for the last 4 years.
Back home here I was testing and it was about 7 or 8 mmol.  I didn't really
test much those days.  However in year 2005, right on my birthday, when I
turned 45, my sugar level was 13 plus mmol.  I was so tired, extremely
tired.  That's when I made an appointment with the doctore.  By now, I can
speak the language reasonably well, and forced this issue on him and also
gave the data I collected of my Fasting Blood Glucose.

So, I was sent to the Diabetes center (I don't really know how to translate
that dept, sorry).  I was sent to the dietician and to learn to eat and
whatever and to see if my sugar levels would go down or stay high.  Pamplets
in dutch stressed me up further since I was already feel foggy and tired. I
had to learn to read the labels of food which I never really took time to do
before.  Furthermore, my sister, 57 years of age, passed away from cancer
and that stressed me up too, she being there and me being here.  Anyway, I
started reading ASd and decided that I had to get this in control.

In September 2005, I got medications and really that was the best thing I
had since nearly 10 years.  I started to gain my energy and I was not tired
anymore.  I had to run to the toilet only on the first day of Metformin, I
was lucky.   The boils started to decrease and now I don't have any.  My
crushing headaches stopped too.  September 2005 was a wake up call for me.
I did start to put my house in order then.  With my new found energy and all
those wasted years, husband and I painted and papered the whole house (we
didn't do much since we moved in),  I started to sort things out in house.
The house is all done and just the way we want now.  Next, I had to sort my
life out.  My wishes and hopes.  I moved on to do some of the things I had
wanted to do but never did do.  Even if I didn't complete whatever I set my
heart to do, at least I did try it.  I started quilting and finished two
tops.  I used to tell husband that out of my deep sadness I have ventured to
do something and made this beautiful colourful quiilts, actually quilt tops.

We have two dogs, minipinschers.  The male absolutely loves and adores me.
I should say thru my most saddest moments, my boy was always there to lick
my tears.  My husband, though he is kind and wonderful, doesn't have a clue
what I am going thru.  I tried to explain to him what diabetes was and the
changes I have to make to my diet and lifestyle, seems to fall into deaf
ears.  My greatest comfort and understanding came from ASD, even though I
was not writing, but I read what people went thru and could relate.  I was
not alone in this.

Like I said earlier, I was not depressed about being diabetic, I took it
positively.  My parents both had diabetes, both lived till 76 of age.  I
didn't really see them suffering from it.  All my siblings have diabetes and
they have been positive about it too.  Two siblings died in these last two
years and cause of death is not related to diabetes.  So, I am confident in
the path that lies ahead of me.  I take one day at a time.  I have no
friends here, language being a barrier.  Correction, I do have one friend,
my next door neighbour who is 83 years old.  Other than that, I have no one
to spill my guts to.  It's okay, time heals everything.  I try not to panic
about anything.  Stress, I have learnt makes my glucose level go up.  I try
to dream of things I would like to do someday in the future.  I try not to
focus on the past.

This is getting a bit too long.  Anyway, I am so glad that during those
lonely moments I had all of you to read from.  My deepfelt thanks to all.
San