My Apologies...
It goes without saying that once again, I have pretty much neglected my wine blog...this time for three entire months! I want to apologize to my readers (the few of y'all that are out there!), but I do have a good excuse to offer up, I promise =) But for that, I'm going to have to stray from the topic of wine for a bit...
And, An Excuse...
For the past several months, I've been tired. Not as in "I'm tired by the end of the day", but as in "I'm so tired that I feel like I haven't slept once I wake up and can't get out of bed in the mornings" tired. I knew something wasn't quite right, but I brushed it off as another harmless case of anemia and started taking my iron pills again. However, after a couple of months, I started having to get up in the middle of the night to guzzle water because I was so thirsty...Then, of course, I would have to get up again to go to the bathroom, and drink more water, and so on.
After about a month of that, I had a light bulb moment. You see, I'm very good at self-diagnosing. Almost every time something is going on with my body, I've identified what it is before I get to see the doctor. This time, though, I was hoping and praying I wouldn't be right.
My sister was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes a few years ago at the age of 16, and my dad found out he had Type II about two years ago. My sister, of course, has to be on insulin (and has a pump now), but my dad was able to control his through diet and exercise--he lost 30 pounds, and eats salads almost every day! Anyway, even though it was something my family had dealt with, I didn't think it would ever happen to me.
Fast-forward to a month ago, and there I was. I borrowed Dad's blood glucose meter and started testing myself over the weekend, then made an appointment Monday because my blood sugars were definitely on the high side. Monday afternoon, one of the local doctors came in after having ran some tests and told me I had Diabetes. Just like that. I had prepared myself for it in advance, so I held it together pretty well, but I couldn't help but imagine how horrible it would have been for someone who wasn't expecting it to find out that way.
At my next appointment later that week, he lectured me (seriously, he used a dry-erase board and everything) on the disease and how it works, and even though I am technically overweight by a pound or two according to Body Mass Index, he managed to make me feel like it was my "fault" that I got Diabetes because I ate like a pig. Which I don't, I swear! When I told my dad, "I guess I'll just have to eat healthier," he said, "But you already eat healthy..." Now, after having read several books on the subject, I know that you have to have the Diabetes gene(s) to get the disease, and I think the fact that I was obese as a child and preteen has something to do with having triggered its development. I guess I'll never know for sure, and wondering doesn't help, but the investigator in me wants to know!
Anyway, a month later, I'm doing just fine. I went to see the endocrinologist that my sister and dad see yesterday, and found out that mine is most likely Type II and that I'll probably be able to diet and exercise to keep my numbers down. He also alleviated a more personal concern I had about the disease--having children in the future--and reassured me that I would be fine in that respect, which came as a great relief.
Back to the Subject at Hand (Wine)
And, of course, one of my other concerns (much more minor in the greater scheme of things!) was whether or not I would be able to continue drinking wine. I did some research on the subject online and in my Diabetes books, and found out that the occasional alcoholic drink is fine as long as your numbers are good, and that since most red wines have little residual sugar, they don't have a big effect on blood sugar. Of course, the key (as with anything) is moderation. Also, an important note (especially for those with Type I or are on insulin) is that alcohol can lower your blood sugar too much--something to take into consideration when you're planning on having a drink!
Word of caution: I'm definitely not an expert and I'm not going to try to give medical advice to anyone else, but I'm glad that I'll be able to enjoy my wine much like I used to...Especially since I'm having to make so many other changes to my diet and routine! I believe that wine (mainly red) is good for you due to its natural antioxidants and other health benefits.
For further reading about wine and diabetes, I encourage you to visit the following pages:
--Wine Spectator Article on Diabetes and Wine:
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/Diabetes-Patients-May-Benefit-From-Wine_4082
--WebMD Article on the future of a chemical found in red wine in treating Diabetes:
http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20091009/red-wine-chemical-may-one-day-treat-diabetes
--Wine Whines Blog:
http://blog.wineeducation.com/2007/03/diabetes-and-wine.html
--Tino's "Little Fat Wino" Diabetes Page:
http://www.littlefatwino.com/tinodiabetes.html
In the weeks to follow, I hope to upload some reviews I still have in my wine journal and look forward to tasting new and exciting wines to share with you. Today I received the order I placed on Wine.com in July (it was on hold due to the lovely Texas summer heat), so I now have another six bottles on hand to test!
No comments:
Post a Comment