DR. PONDER: Diabetics don't have to be perfect - Odessa American

  • By zz-omni-cms
  • May 3, 2011


Few would argue that our emotions control our lives. This is especially true for people with diabetes. Our outcomes are heavily influenced by emotions and how we act on them, or not.

Being told that you have diabetes, or might be at risk for it, generates an emotional response. Often that response is denial. You will make excuses as to why your sugar level might be too high or simply ignore the diagnosis altogether. The early stages of diabetes actually conspire with you to deny it since the symptoms may be mild at best: perhaps just an extra trip or two to the bathroom each night. Blurred vision? Just get some new glasses. Fatigued? I must be working too hard. Our mind will always find a way to explain away what it doesn’t want to accept. Sadly, this is the reason that 8 to 10 million Americans remain undiagnosed and untreated each year. Are you in denial too?

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Ponder has type 1 diabetes and is a professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center....

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