Miryam Ehrlich Williamson

If you're reeling from the news that you have Type 2 diabetes and wondering how much it will alter your way of life, or if you've lived with the Type 2 diagnosis for some time now without ever really feeling in control, this book will help you. It profiles the struggles and successes of people in middle age, most of them between the ages of 40 and 60, who were diagnosed within the last few years and who had a tough time adjusting to the diagnosis and finding their way to controlling their diabetes. Their generosity in sharing the most intimate details of their lives makes this book a kind of personal support group for those who read it. People in diabetes support groups are often remarkably frank with one another, drawing knowledge and inspiration from the collective wisdom of those who are meeting similar challenges.

This book will help you understand your own reactions and feelings. It will give you new ideas about how to deal successfully with your condition. Like a good support group, this book will help you come to terms with diabetes’s demands and learn to adjust to its requirements. You’ll even learn why some Type 2s think diabetes has had a positive effect on their lives.

You will also learn that there are various approaches to managing Type 2 diabetes; that different strategies work for different people; and that, with patience and persistence, you can find your own way. You'll learn that you're far from alone in your struggle--some 16 million people in the United States alone, 2 million in Canada, and millions more in other parts of the industrialized world, share your disease. You won't find here a bunch of starry-eyed Polyannas. You'll read of complaints and regrets. But you'll never meet a more life-embracing group of people and you're sure to learn something of value from each of them.

You will see the variety of circumstances that led people to their diagnosis, the multitude of symptoms--and sometimes the total lack of symptoms--that preceded diagnosis; the different reactions of individuals to the news that they have diabetes; the stages people went through before they accepted their situation; and where they wound up, physically and emotionally, after the initial news sank in. Seeing what others went through will validate your own feelings about having Type 2 diabetes.

Coping with diabetes requires problem-solving and navigating many obstacles to spontaneity in one's daily life--from frequent blood-sugar testing to rigorous meal-planning. But there are several less-obvious ways people have to adjust to the impact of diabetes on their lives, including sexual dysfunction.
Highlighting individual differences and the advice, suggestions, philosophies, and actions that have led others to adapt and even flourish despite a chronic disease that can be inconvenient, and sometimes downright dangerous. You will find a discussion of self-advocacy--standing up for yourself in the face of indifferent or incompetent medical care. The tradition of seeing doctors as authority figures is so ingrained in some of us that it's hard to advocate for ourselves, but sometimes that's exactly what you must do if you're not satisfied with the care you're receiving.