Complacency is a Dangerous Game

In the last few days I found myself gradually becoming complacent and lax on how I dealt with my sickness. Whether this has something to do with what I heard from other people, or with my own disinterest, I really don’t know. Lately, however, I have been in conversation with some people who were afflicted with the same illness and it seemed that they had been taking their sickness quite lightly as far as I was concerned. One said that he had been afflicted with diabetes for the last seven years. In the course of these years, he was complacent on how he dealt with his sickness. He said he did not exercise much. Although he tried to watch his diet, as he explained, but most of the time he was eating beyond what was necessary. “Look at me, “ he said, “I am still alive and kicking.” Well, obviously I just smiled when I heard him say this. Another one said, “ I have had diabetes for a number of years now. I check my blood glucose only once in a while. When I know that I have eaten so much, beyond what is ordinary, then I try to check my sugar. Otherwise, I have been doing very well.” Listening from the experiences of people about how they deal with their sickness, it made me asked myself whether I was so strict in dealing with myself. Then, without obviously realizing it, I was getting lax on how I dealt with myself and my treatment too . I remember saying to myself, “If others can live well without really complying with the doctor’s order, why should I not do the same?” So, the first thing I did was to lessen the times when I had to check my blood glucose. Originally, as per my doctor’s prescription, I was checking my blood glucose at least three(3) times day. Then, I changed it to 2X daily. Lately, I was doing it only once a day (and, 2X a day on occasion). Even with my insulin shots, sometimes I tried to skip a day or two. When I realized that my blood sugar was up, then I gave myself a shot again. Otherwise, giving myself an insulin shot has become irregular. My eating habits has also changed a bit. I recall very well that when I was newly diagnosed with my sickness, I was very strict on the kind of food I was eating. For almost a month, I didn’t want to eat rice. If I did, I was just eating a small of portion of it. Mostly I was eating grilled fish or chicken – and lots of fresh vegetables and salad. Lately, I have been eating foods which I should avoid in the first place. Although I do not eat as much as I used to now, but I could see the gradual change of my eating habits lately. I think I am treading on a dangerous path.

I know that each person has his/her own way of dealing with this sickness. I know for a fact that I am different from others. But there is one common thing we cannot take for granted, or be complacent about. The way we eat, exercise and how we take our medications.