The reality is that sometimes our bodies need help.
Although I have been living with type 2 diabetes since 2000, I have only noticed in recent years the stigma surrounding the use of medication to manage type 2 diabetes.
To be clear: using medication for type 2 diabetes does not mean you are failing.
So why the stigma? Type 2 diabetes is often seen as a lifestyle disease. The common misconception is that people with type 2 brought it upon themselves with bad choices and laziness.
Many people believe that we could fix it if we applied it.
With all the new dietary trends and supplements available, many people believe that reversal type 2 is a quick fix for lifestyle.
The online arena is a landmine for diabetes advice:
Just eat keto and your diabetes will go away!
Just take the XYZ supplement and your diabetes will go away!
Just drink (add horrible vegetable juice here) and your diabetes will go away!
Just need to lose weight and your diabetes will go away!
Only. Only. Only.
But what about when that does not happen?
Over the past 8 years, I have completely revamped my life. On paper, I did everything ‘right’.
Change my way of eating? Cheque.
Start practicing? Cheque.
Lost 100 pounds? Cheque.
I even went so far as to become a personal trainer and fitness instructor, which has made my exercise in my career. But guess what? I still need medication to manage my numbers.
If I looked through the outside world, I would easily be disappointed or let my body down.
Instead, here are some tips that have helped me accept my medication treatment as part of my diabetes self-care, instead of viewing it as a reflection of my efforts and self-worth.
I choose to see medication as a tool in my toolbox for diabetes management.
My medication falls into the same category as my blood glucose meter, continuous glucose monitor (CGM), weights, scale and food choices.
They are all equally important to my overall goal of leading a long and healthy life with type 2 diabetes.
With diabetes, it seems like it’s all about the numbers. A1C, fasting blood sugar, cholesterol, how many days a week you exercise, how many carbohydrates you eat and how much medicine you use.
It’s hard to stop comparing numbers to someone else’s. It is especially difficult not to compare your progress with someone else.
I had to learn to turn on blinds and focus on my own path. My body, my diabetes and my medical history are unique, so it made no sense to measure me against others.
Over the past two decades, I have needed different levels of intervention in the form of medication.
During my two pregnancies, I had mealtime and long-acting insulin. After I finished breastfeeding, I only returned to oral medicine.
There were also periods due to personal crises, when nutrition and exercise were not my priority. During these times, a medication was added to lower my numbers.
When I reconnected to a healthier way of life, I was able to completely reduce or eliminate the medication.
I had to be OK with help needed, either for a season or permanently.
The world is, literally, within our fingers. With a quick online search, millions of articles appear with seemingly legitimate information on how to live, manage or even live with heal your type 2 diabetes (by the way not something like that).
I had to limit my consumption. It just means taking in reliable sources of information.
I avoided doctors claiming on social media that they have all the answers. I avoided listening to the well-meaning stranger who commented on my Instagram post about the herbalist who healed his cousin.
I made it part of my self-care to follow people who often told me that my way was wrong or embarrassed me about the way I chose to manage my diagnosis.
Having an open line of communication with my medical care team is an essential part of my diabetes management.
I had to meet several doctors until I found a doctor I was comfortable with.
Now I am always open and honest about my feelings, plans, hesitations and worries. I ask any questions I have so that my doctor has the opportunity to address them.
My own lawyer is empowering, and my doctor is there to be my partner. I learned not to be afraid to talk.
The reality is that sometimes our bodies need help.
What I have learned over the last 21 years is that there is no one way to deal with type 2 diabetes.
Some will be able to manage their blood glucose through lifestyle and weight loss, and others will need medication.
Whatever the method, the goal is the same: to live long, healthy, fulfilling lives, despite type 2 diabetes.
Mary Van Doorn lives in Georgia with her husband, their two children, three dogs and three cats. She is a Type 2 Diabetes Advocate and the founder of Sugar Mama Strong Fitness & Wellness and Sugar Mama Strong Diabetes Support. If she’s not looking after the kids, the house, or the zoo, you can watch her favorite shows: ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘This is Us,’ and ‘A Million Little Things.’