Is there any hope?

I have been type 1 for 18 years now. In the past I drank heavily, smoked (until 2 yrs. ago) and I am currently about 50 pounds overweight.  

I have a 2 year old and it breaks my heart to look at her and think I might not be around to see her go on her frist date, or graduate from school or walk down the aisle. I think that I've done so much damage to myself that there is no hope for me. Is there any hope for me? If I lose weight, exercize, lower my cholesterol would it be possible to reverse the damage I've done to myself? I am supposedly an intelligent woman yet I let myself go down the drain.  I knew what was required, I just got lazy. Is there any hope for my future?

Carol

[JDRF-Team-sgg]

I, too, am a type 1 diabetic, and I have lived with it for 34 years. I am delighted to tell you that I have seen the birth of a grandchild that I love dearly, never thinking I would be able to live this long healthily. I firmly believe that instead of beating yourself up for past mistakes, you need to take each day as it comes. Set your priorities as far as your health is concerned and take them one step at a time. The birth of my first child was the time that I came to grips with this disease and determined that I wanted to live to see her grown, like you. Before that, I truly had no real incentive and ignored my health like many folks do. But the answers to all of your questions are YES, YES, and YES! It appears that you know what needs to happen, so start a program and take those famous "baby steps" back to good health while you can. It does take energy, but many of the damages of diabetes can be stopped, slowed down, or even reversed if you lose weight, lower cholesterol, excercise, and of course keep your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible. Again, take the blood sugar issue one meal at a time and do what you need to do to get it down and keep it down by next mealtime. It sounds as if the incentive is there, but new habits need to be formed. If there is a family member that you can enlist to be your partner in this endevour, you can give that person the power to hold you accountable and perhaps reach your goals that way.

[DHG]

We have a dughter,now 28 who was diagnosed a IDDM at the age of 13 months, and she has completed college very successfully, has a great job, made it through dating, high school, teen tours, camps, etc. and is now happily married, found a mate who not only accepts her having diabetes, but is an important part of her diabetes care, like we were while she was growing up.  When we strated there was no blood sugar testing at home, so the progress has been tremendous, and the liklihood of a true cure in her lifetime, and in your child's lifetiem, is quite real, all due to the efforts of organizations like JDRF and the NIH.  Keep your chin up. Know that the light at the end of the tunnel is real, will come soon, and will end this disease.