Saturday, February 11, 2012

Right This Minute, This Is Somewhere

Written by

Gillian Zyland

Gillian Zyland

Thu, February 14, 2008

Ok, I have to start somewhere, and maybe this is the somewhere. 

Bottom line, I want my health to be fantastic. And this being the new millenium, I naturally started my pursuit of great health on the internet. I found this particular website by following Halle Berry links. Why Halle Berry? Well, as people on this site most likely know, she's diabetic, over 40, and pregnant. And this is relevant because? I'm diabetic, just turned 40, and have been trying to get (and stay) pregnant for almost two years. I had a miscarriage more than a year ago but haven't been pregnant since, so in January I had my first appointment with the fertility clinic, and am now going through the various tests to see what the problem might be so that I can get extremely aggressive about choosing and pursuing fertility options. That all sounds so technical and linear, not at all what I thought getting pregnant would be about, but I'm having to throw out all my romantic ideas about birds and bees, because all that sunshine has not shed its light on a baby thus far.

The main thing I can do at this point while I'm waiting for tests to come back and taking new tests is to get as healthy as possible. This site seems like a good place to start getting inspired to be fastidiously rigorous. I just read some great posts by Kelsey Bonilla and learned that she tests about 15 times a day -- wow, I thought I was prolific doing 7 or 8 times! Obviously, I have some catching up to do! I just had my first appointment in years with the diabetes education clinic a few weeks ago and that was helpful, but there's a lot more to learn that they can't tell me in a one-hour appointment. So I want to make a point of taking some time every day to read up on the latest research and conversations, just to keep myself motivated and informed. 

Hopefully this won't be my last post. I'm notorious for starting things and forgetting about them and I don't want this to be one of them because I think that using this website could be really helpful, both in terms of inspiration and information. The interactive aspect is particularly appealing because I could even use it as a support network for questions and concerns I have as I learn more and --*crossing fingers, toes, arms, legs, eyes, t's*-- figure out how to be a pregnant diabetic and a diabetic mom! I don't have any friends who are diabetic, so I have nobody to talk about it with. It's a pretty lonely place to be sometimes when I'm going through diabetic difficulties and nobody else even has the vocabulary to be able to understand what I would say if I tried to explain. I guess if there's any place that I wouldn't have that problem, this would be it. So here's to healthy beginnings -- good luck, Gillian Zyland!
2/15/08 9:58am

Hi Gillian!

 

Welcome to the community! I'm keeping my fingers/toes/etc. crossed for you as well! 

 

Let me know if you need anything (besides the well wishes I'm already sending your way! :) )

 

Krystle 

2/15/08 3:22pm
Krystle, 

I so appreciate the welcome message! I'm really looking forward to exploring the site. So far, I've found it really easy to navigate and I love the way everything is organized, you've done a fantastic job of making it incredibly user-friendly and fun to look at.

Also, thanks especially for adding your fingers and toes to my criss-cross wishes! ;) I don't have any community questions at the moment, but if I have any, I definitely won't be afraid to ask.

Cheers, 
Gillian
2/15/08 2:34pm

Gillian, Hang In There. Things will work out the way they are suppose to work out. You might be surprised at how many diabetics are out there and just don't advertise that they are diabetic --you could find a "friend" in some unlikely places that you can "share" experiences with each other. You'll be fine. One moment, one hour, one day at a time.

 

2/15/08 4:05pm

Hey Gillian!

 

Thanks for reading! I'm so glad you're finding my experiences helpful.  Please let me know if you have any questions. 

 

I can't wait to hear how your journey with fertility goes.  I'll be praying that it works quickly and you'll be enjoying your baby soon!

 

2/15/08 4:32pm

Welcome Gillian! This website is a great resource, also check out tudiabetes.com and diabetessisters.com, these are all great places to find support. There is also a chat group for diabetic moms on yahoo you could look into joining, there are a lot of women who are pregnant or who have kids that email back and forth.

 

Having diabetes is a lonely experience and it intensifies when you are trying to get pregnant. I now have 2 healthy boys after some fertility issues, and would be happy to share any advice or answer any questions if I can help!

 

I am working on a book, a collection of stories written by women with diabetes to combat the whole lonliness thing...so, if you are ever inspired to write a story about women&diabetes, check out my blog at www.alsmercer.wordpress.com.

 

Take Care,

Amy

2/16/08 10:35am

Hi Gillian!

You've certainly found a friend here at Health Central. In fact, you've found hundreds!!

It can be difficult explaining diabetes to folks, especially when they just don't understand why you can't have a piece of bread or a pasta dish. It's not sugar!! lol

 

I am sure you have found a lot of this information, but just in case, here are some things for you to read. You've already found Kelsey Bonilla. I had followed her shareposts for so long, when she had sweet baby Sienna, I felt like there had been a birth in my own family!! lol

 

There is a section of the site dedicated to gestational diabetes. Now I know you are not developing diabetes as a result of pregnancy, but there might be some information there you find helpful, especially with regard to what to watch for. 


There is also a primer about pregnancy that might be good for you to read. It might give you some information about questions you should ask your doctor.

 

Julee Suchada is also a member on HealthCentral who was expecting her first child (should have been born around Dec 2007) and has been a diabetic since she was a teenager. You can send her a message here at her profile and perhaps you and she can share experiences and tips.  

 

I hope some of this helps!! Please stay in touch and let us know how you are doing, how you are feeling. We'd love to hear from you. If you are having a good day, or if your day is full of challenges and you just need to vent, by all means put out a share post and let us know!! We're happy to listen and offer comfort and advice! We're not doctors, but we can be friends.

 


Adding my eyes, fingers and toes to the mix!  Pinch

 

Vicki M

 

 

 

 

2/16/08 8:42pm
Kiki, Kelsey, Amy, and Vicki,
Thanks so much for the warm welcome and all the suggestions! This place is proving to be as hospitable as it is informative, and I so appreciate that! Even after being diabetic for so many years, I still have days where it just seems so hard, and think, "I can't believe I have to do all this stuff just to stay alive!" The other side of it is that I can't believe "normal" people do NOT have to do it -- they can just eat stuff all day long and not even think about it. I guess the plus side is it forces me to eat a much more healthy diet than I probably would if I wasn't diabetic. Thanks for being so supportive, all of you! I will definitely check out all the suggestions -- sounds like there is a wealth of information on this and other sites -- I can't wait to get started!

Gillian
2/25/08 10:30pm

Hey Gillian,

 

How are you doing this week? Any news or changes in what's going on?

Stay in touch and let us know and if you have any problems, perhaps someone hear is going through the same thing and can help.


Take care!

Vicki M

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