They said acceptance is the first step, and that goes for pretty much everything, even living with diabetes. With so many holiday food treats out there, this can be a tough time for diabetics like Jesse Quiroz.
Quiroz has been through many things in his life. He is a retired veteran and a grandfather, but he added another to the list this year. He’s a type 2 diabetic.
He found out in January that he was pre-diabetic. The doctors gave him medication to take.
“I didn’t know much about it, and I told myself I didn’t have it, so I didn’t take it,” Quiroz said.
He said it slowly crept up on him as time went on.
Four months later, doctors told Quiroz he had type 2 diabetes. And he saw the signs, he just didn’t know at the time.
“You’re fatigued. You’re always thirsty and hungry. You always have to go to the bathroom all the time,” Quiroz said.
Becoming diabetic affected Quiroz’s self-esteem.
“I thought now I’m a substandard individual. Never been substandard. I’m retired from the Army, have always been airborne, and went to Ranger school. Always been with an elite group. For someone to tell me I’m diabetic, not knowing much about it, I said no it can’t be,” Quiroz said.
So, he faced two battles. The first was accepting he was diabetic.
“When I got past that, the second battle started, which was living with it. What you can, can’t eat, how much…”
The second battle, and maybe the toughest, was to adjust his lifestyle, especially around the holidays.
“I’m the cookie monster I love cookies. Well, I can’t have that. The other thing, we just had Thanksgiving. Everyone brings pecan pie because they know Jesse likes it. Unfortunately, Jesse couldn’t have pecan pie,” Quiroz said.
He said one thing he feels helps is holding on to a sense of humor.
“I got a hold of my pecan pie, I got a marker, and I wrote sugar-free.”
Quiroz now encourages others with diabetes to control their numbers to prepare before the big day comes.
“Don’t go indulging, but then come that day, you can cheat. You can cheat and have a little more than moderation,” Quiroz said.
He even shared tips to others who might like the same things as he does.
“The other thing I can’t have is Dr Pepper. Yes, I know it hurts. I was introduced to zero soft drinks. The key is to drink it with a lot of ice,” Quiroz said.
He said he doesn’t let diabetes define him, and neither should anyone else.
“I found out I’m not substandard. Im just an individual with diabetes. Don’t give up. Just follow your care provider's instructions, make a change, make it for your loved one,” Quiroz said.
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