Accepting My Care Needs

While I was on my break, I had a follow-up appointment with my doctor, who was monitoring some small things my prediabetes and my cholesterol. My blood level readings showed that my number had plateaued. They didn't get any better, but they didn't get any worse.

I wasn't happy with that. I had been doing everything that I'd always done, so I had hoped to see some improvement. Then I came to a place of acceptance.

I realized that my body's getting older, and so I may have to do more than I've always done.

My doctor came back with some handouts, and after I sat down and read them, I looked at them, and I saw some dietary tweaks that I can make. I also challenged myself to really be conscious of a bad habit that I have since I was a teenager. I have always skipped meals, and that's a very bad thing for people who are diabetic or on the brink of diabetes. I had to accept that what I do at 62 sets the foundation for my health at 72 and 82 and beyond.

I realized that if I want to maintain my health the way that's satisfying to me, I'm going to have to carve out a little bit more time to consciously engage in activities that will foster that health.

Sometimes when I cook a lot, I get full from the smells, and then I don't feel like eating. So it's important for me to remember to prepare some food for myself before I start preparing meals for my mom. Many days, I'm so focused on getting her meals prepped and doing everything else around the house that I zoom past meal time for myself. And then all of a sudden, I get super hungry, and I just grab and eat whatever I can get my hands on, and that's not good for maintaining the healthy blood sugar levels that I want.

Accepting that I have needs that have to be addressed is the first step towards making decisions and taking actions that will give me the outcomes that I want.

My encouragement for you this week is to think. Think about what your needs are and maybe look at the things you can do to get the outcomes that you want.

Thank you for reading.

Be well until next time, Dr. Sheri.

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Dr. Sheri L. Yarbrough is an author, caregiver, and founder of Praxis Senior Care-Giving Solutions, a consulting business that provides care-givers with practical and easily implemented strategies that can be tailored to meet their individual care needs.

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