Only a minority of wives think that their diabetic spouses are actively managing the disease, according to a survey released by the American Diabetes Association and reported in WebMD Health News.
As for the men themselves, only 30% say they know a lot about the symptoms or conditions related to type 2 diabetes, which is kind of typical of men in general in relation to their health. Men-in-denial in regard to their own wellbeing.
It's the same challenge facing health educators in prostate cancer for example.
Less than half of the wives think their spouses are actively engaging in activities such as physical exercise, reducing stress, or maintaining a positive attitude.
Diabetes management requires a holistic approach, and that's certainly the theme of this website because it reflects my own experience in managing my type 2 diabetes.
"These survey results reinforce that there are many health issues associated with diabetes that men currently overlook or aren't even aware of -- from managing blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol to physical, emotional, and sexual health issues such as erectile dysfunction and low testosterone," said Richard M. Bergenstal, MD, vice president of medicine and science at the American Diabetes Association.
Denial and grief form part of the acceptance of having diabetes. In my case I was diagnosed in 1999 after two earlier warnings about two years apart, and while I took some measures it remains an invisible threat. Then in 2003 I decided to get serious and started planning a "diabetic marathonTM " which would shape the rest of my life. That's had great results - five years of documented consistent improvement back to a normal blood profile.
Diabetics also grieve the loss of their former lifestyle to the constant blood testing, restricted diets, timed meals, medications and daily exercise required to keep the disease in check. “It complicates everything you do. You don't have the same freedoms you had before. That's a realization that's hard to fathom,” says Philip Raskin, a doctor and diabetes expert at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.
Psychology Today reports that Stephen Furst, "the actor who portrayed the portly freshman Flounder in Animal House, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes at age 17 and promptly slipped into a period of denial that lasted 23 years".
That's almost a lost lifetime, but there's always hope and ways to improve on your current state. The first step is to accept the diagnosis and then start to plan. Ask your wife to help think about your lifestyle and activities as it will shape many of the ways your family life develops going forward.
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