A Palpable Sense of Relief and Begininng the New Life Style

It's been a rough couple of weeks here. Shawn has been losing some of his hair and a lot of weight for no reason for about a month and a half or so. After a non-diagnosis and being told to wait three months (which should have been a diagnosis--it couldn't have been clearer if someone had taken a cast iron frypan, written the diagnosis on it, and smacked the person who missed it on the head with it--rest assured, I will be taking steps), and a new doctor with new tests and a CAT scan, we know two things--Shawn does not have cancer, but he does have Type II Diabetes. At least now we know what it is, and I can stop imagining all kinds of horrible things that are cancer related.

Diabetes is bad enough, and there are all kinds of horrible possible results of the disease if out of control and left untreated, but at least we have a shot of controlling it through diet and exercise. Good thing we had already started biking! We can't see the diabetes counselor/education person until June 16, but I bought a bunch of books, and we've started working with a food plan in the meantime as recommended by the American Diabetes Association, nothing extreme and very conservative. I just can't sit here and wait and not know what he should eat until June 16, being the type A kind of girl I am. The word "wait" is a dirty word. The other thing, is that I'm going to be following the food plan and exercise with him. Diabetes also runs rampant in my family as well, and we had a 50%/50% shot honestly of which one of us would get it first. If I get my act together along with Shawn, maybe I won't get it this early. (I'm still resigned to the fact that it is probably going to show up and whack me upside the head at some point). So we figured out what our exchange limits should be just until we see the counselor, and bought a new exchange list book, and went grocery shopping last night to outfit with new food.

It's a little scary and I am worried for Shawn. I have a hugely non-compliant father with diabetes, and although I am no longer in contact with him, I hear through the grapevine the things that happen when you don't take care of yourself (like having your leg amputated up to the knee). I've told Shawn he has to behave or it won't be the diabetes that is his problem :) However, it is not as scary as cancer would have been.