Joined: 27 Nov 2003 Posts: 3 Location: İstanbul, Turkey
Do I Have to Change From Fun Loving 40 Something to Cranky.. Posted: 11-29-03 18:30pm
..Old lady was what I was going to say! I
was shocked by the diabetes diagnoses back
in april and have swung back and forth
between denial and coping then not coping
and because I am a teacher living alone in
İstanbul have battled alone without
the healthcare support my compatriots in
either the us or the uk enjoy and to be
honest I am finding the whole diabetes
'thing' totally overwhelming. My turkish
friends and colleagues are kind and
supportive but accept that even turkish
diabetics don't have enough healthcare
support so it wont surprise you to know it
took a kind friend to hunt down monitoring
gear and an english speaking chemist to
find the test strips and lancets. Beleive
me I am trying to not sweat the small
stuff and think positive an'all that but I
really am not coping - I get irritated
more easily - really lose it with the kids
sometimes (bad for a teach' yes?) I find
it harder and harder to deal with stress
and the fatigue is scary - there are days
when I just want to hide under my duvet -
help please I really need a good laugh and
to know I can deal with with this and that
I can drag my life back to some sort of
normality(whatever that is haha!!) thanks
lj xxx
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gram1228
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Nov 2003 Posts: 34
Hello Posted: 11-30-03 09:48am
I sympathize with you, diabetes can be
overwhelming. I.M a 63 year old grandma
and live alone also. We do have excellent
care here in the u,s. If you are on
insulin, as I am, I hope you have easy
access to it as that is what keeps us
alive and "well". Mood swings come with
the territory I guess. I find it so hard
to believe you had to humt down basic
supplies to monitor your diabetes, how
awful it must be to be a diabetic there.
I know I am not cheering you up terribly
well, but I am diabetic for 4 years now
and believe me, you accept it and it does
get easier. You have to be the master
over it, take very good care of yourself,
diet is the most important thing when
controlling this disease. Very low carbs
during the day is a must to keep your
blood sugars in line, try and stay away
from your breads, pasta, noodles, all the
high starchy foods and concentrate more on
small amounts of fruit and protein and
lots of vegetables. I probably do not eat
more than 120 carbs in a day. Once you
get your blood sugars stable, I think you
will feel more "normal"! I belong to a
few diabetes message boards, one very
good, busy one is at prohealthnetwork.Com.
It is full of caring, compassionate
people. Just go to that site and click on
to the diabetes forum, I think you will
surprised at all the information you will
receive, I learned more there than from my
own doctor. Sorry this is so long, take
care and be well. Sharon
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LJ
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Nov 2003 Posts: 3 Location: İstanbul, Turkey
Cranky Old Lady! Posted: 12-02-03 19:48pm
Hello sharon - thank you for your reply -
I must say the internet is proving an
invaluable tool - I will look up the site
you recomended - I have more on the lack
of medical support here, see what you
think of this - my school is very
supportive and have just gone to a lot of
trouble to organise my registration with
the turkish social health folks and my
by-lingual dept' head came with me to
complete the process at the local clinic-
the head doctor there would not
countenence prescribing my blood pressure
medication because they use generic copies
of drugs and he couldn't guarantee that
they would even contain any drugs let
alone the correct ones!!!! - my bp is
causing more grief than the diabetes and
of course the private healthcare
insurerers wont touch me so my medical
costs are becoming a bit of a burden -
imagine my horror though - I am entitled
to cover under the turkish system but the
system is so corrupt and so out of
control that apparently even the
pharmacist cant tell whether they have the
proper supplies - no wonder i'm cranky ha
ha!
As for the diabetes itself i'm actually
quite proud that I do keep it within the
norm just by diet - it is in the family so
I did have some prior knowledge but do
admit carbs are my downfall - they make
super bread here - fresh from the corner
shop - still hot sometimes if you time it
right so I have to be very strict with
myself. What worries me most is that it
is degenerative and that given I will have
to bear all the costs myself my plan to
buy a home here and retire here has almost
certainly been scuppered and I suppose its
that which is at the bottom of my
unhappiness because I have lived here for
over six years and am generally very happy
here - indeed current problems aside I
have felt I have more lifestyle choices
here than I had back home in the uk but
now I am having to consider going back
there because the healthcare costs are
already becoming prohibitive.....Just my
rotten luck - its just so sad when you are
happy - I love my home and my friends at
school and most of the kids I teach are a
pleasure to be around but if I cant find
the right medication and get some of the
associated stresses sorted I really will
be up against - it ain't life the
proverbial b...!
Anyway enough of my moans! Thanks for
being there - oh my real name is laura by
the way - keep well yourself and keep in
touch - bye for now ljxxx.
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gram1228
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Nov 2003 Posts: 34
to Cranky Old Lady (just Kidding) Posted: 12-03-03 18:03pm
Hi laura, what a maze you have to tread
through. I would say your health is more
important right now, if you can,t get
proper care there, why don,t you consider
moving back. What is life if we,re sick
all the time. I too have high blood
pressure but I am on meds for that and
insulin for the diabetes and am pretty
happy with my control. Isn,t fresh bread
the best? You had me salivating! I have
all I can do to mostly keep away from it.
Cheers! Sharon
it,s 5 pm here now on wed. And I have to
go to work.
