Motivation and Diabetes

Personal Background

As a mental health counselor I am in the business of helping people see their strengths, adapt to changes, and learn to thrive with sometimes very challenging situations and conditions. As a person with type 1 diabetes I learned at an early age the importance of making healthy choices and have also survived through many incidents that occurred directly due to making unhealthy choices. Like the 3 times I have needed the assistance of trained medical personnel to get me enough glucose to snap out of a hypoglycemic reaction. However, for the most part I feel the greatest strength I have when it comes to maintaining a healthy life with diabetes for 26 years is staying motivated to keep my blood sugar levels as "in control" as possible. This article is written with the full appreciation for the complexities of this terrible disease and is an attempt to help both those with diabetes and those who assist persons with diabetes to understand the importance and the role of motivation in the management of diabetes.

When I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1975 at the age of 14 I considered myself lucky to be alive as did my parents and doctors as my blood sugar had risen to an astronomical 1600. I was in a diabetic coma for some time, two to three days, I think. I was most fortunate to be surrounded by a loving family and caring community that allowed me to reestablish a near normal adolescents despite having a life threatening disease. I am eternally grateful for the care I received at that time from my family, friends, and medical personnel as it taught me the significance of being connected to others.

One special person in my life at the time of my diagnosis with diabetes was legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano. Jim was a young coach at Bucknell University and had adopted me as a ball boy for his exciting college basketball team. Jim went on to become a famous coach doing well at Iona College then becoming legendary by guiding his 1983 North Carolina State Wolfpack to a stunning upset of favored Houston in the NCAA title game. Jim was able to visit me at the hospital when I was recovering from being informed I had this disease that I knew nothing about. His visit inspired me because he really cared and let me know it was not such a big deal and that I would be able to do anything if I really wanted to. His own personal fight against cancer

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