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Life as a Type 2 Diabetic

  • Wake up, poke my finger, take med 1⁣
  • 30min later, take med 2 while eating my breakfast.⁣
  • Dinner rolls around; take med 1, 30min before dinner⁣
  • At dinner take med 2. ⁣
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This is what my schedule is like. I work my life around my diabetes. It’s not a walk in the park and it sucks. ⁣If I don’t eat enough during my breakfast my blood sugar drops and I am reaching for the honey sticks I have stocked up in the pantry with shaky hands. ⁣

⁣How did I get this? Was it my fault? How risky is it to have kids while diabetic? These were the questions in my head when I was told in November 2017 that I had Type 2 Diabetes. ⁣

⁣Diabetes runs on both sides of my family and I honestly never thought I would get it. I had gestational diabetes with both boys in 2010 & 2012 and was told of the risks of me getting it later on in life. Did I think it could still happen? no ⁣

My first pregnancy with Caleb was amazing, Oreos were my favorite craving. At 16weeks I had the mandatory glucose test and felt horrible with the gross orange sugary drink that I can still taste! I remember being hopeful and not thinking anything would be shown on the test. I was so wrong. I remember getting the email that I needed to come in and sit with a nutritionist, a nurse to teach me how to check my sugar levels and how to use the monitor. Being my first pregnancy I was so nervous and scared. My Oreos went out the door and let me tell you, I tried the sugar-free Oreos and they were absolutely disgusting. I never went back to them. It was an adjustment for sure and after he was born my levels and everything went back to normal. 

My second pregnancy with Nathan, I figured we would be the same. So from the beginning I tried making the right choices with food and exercise. And sure enough the glucose test showed that I had gestational diabetes. I remember always walking after every meal, being so tired of the meds and poking. All went well with him and my pregnancy since I felt like a pro by this time. 

Lily’s pregnancy was my third and last. It was so much different than the boys. I got diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes in 2017, so when I got pregnant with Lily in 2019, I was instantly put on insulin shots and that was a whole new game that I didn’t want to play. It was so difficult both mentally and physically. On 4th of July of 2019 I passed out from my blood sugar dropping so low, it was scary and something I never wanted to deal with again. ⁣I had horrible hip issues and couldn’t exercise for a while, I barely ate because I was nauseous with her all the time. But she was born thank God, healthy and fine. 

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Being a diabetic isn’t fun and is definitely scary. But it has helped me learn to listen to my body, learn how to eat balanced, whole foods and be an example for my kids to live a healthy life. 

Exercise is a huge tool that I utilize a lot. Being active in any way is great to help keep your sugar levels stable. So I have found that moving daily, whether it be a walk with the kids or a workout that I do, I am giving my body what it needs. Not to mention the mental benefits of exercise! ⁣

Everyday is a struggle because I very much hate poking myself, taking my meds, and sometimes not being able to binge eat ice cream when it’s that time of month. But I know my strengths and I know that I can do this, because God gives me the strength I need. The journey is not easy but I am determined to make it livable. 

I have a goal, and that goal is to reverse my diabetes and get out of this rut. I am working hard and will get there. The reason I smile in the pic below is not because I am happy to have diabetes but because I would rather have a positive outlook on this and make the most of it. 

Listen to my body, understand what it needs and nourish it with the love and care that it deserves.

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Becky Grymonprez
I am a mother to three beautiful kids and have a passion for speaking, writing and sharing my heart with others. Motherhood should not be done alone and it truly takes a village. Working on reversing my diabetes one day at a time.

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