Self-Care and Your Diabetic Dog
Today we talk about the “never discussed” topic of caring for yourself so that you have the energy and stamina to care for your Diabetic Dog, your kids, your job, your family. I don’t know about you all, but the first three months of the diagnosis was no walk in the park for me! Can I get a show of hands from those of you that put yourself at the very bottom of the list when it comes to caregiving? If you raised your hand, then this post is for you.
I have shared in previous posts that I was completely overwhelmed when my Max was diagnosed. To say that I freaked out would be kind. I had never given an injection of any type to anyone or anything, not even an orange!! So that alone caused me to be just a little nauseous, ok, more than a little. I had those voices in my head screaming, “I can’t do this! How will I ever give him an injection and not hurt him? Etc.). Then, as I shared in the post about the bond we have with our pups growing stronger, I heard the vet say, “Or we can just euthanize him now. ”NOOOOOOOOO!!! That gave me all the adrenaline that I needed to pull myself together and commit to figuring this out.
I didn’t really sleep well the first three months because the vet’s words kept ringing in my ears… “If he has a seizure or becomes unresponsive, rub Karo syrup on his gums and bring him in right away. ”Well how was I supposed to know if he was either of those things if I was asleep!!! I “woke up” every time he moved and even if he didn’t and put my hand on him to make sure that he was still breathing. Suffice it to say that neither of us slept much those first 3 months. He got to catch up during the day, but I didn’t have that luxury! Mama needed to earn a living, so napping midday was not on my calendar!
The end result was that I was a walking zombie. I was so tired and stressed that I was afraid that I had forgotten something or that I was doing everything wrong. Finally, the light bulb went on. I needed to find ways and the time to take care of me so that I could take care of all the rest. I’m going to say that again. I needed to find ways to take care of me so that I could take care of all the rest. I’m going to suggest that all of you do the same.
The first thing that I did was find community. Knowing that there were thousands of other people in the same situation gave me some peace and knowing that I could ask any of my questions and get solid advice was just such a relief!
Next, I started testing. That was the game changer for me. I didn’t have to hover over Max all the time because I knew that his numbers were in a safe range from the testing that I did. I also knew that if they weren’t, I knew exactly what to do.
After that, I decided to try to enjoy our walks as much as my boys did. I didn’t realize that I was so stressed that something as simple as the leaves changing on the trees, which has always brought me joy, was not something that I appreciated anymore. So our walk time became a time for me to breathe and to appreciate my surroundings instead of focusing on every little thing that could be a hazard. Until that realization, our walks had become just one more thing to check off the list and then it was on to the next. I decided to try to approach our walk time like my boys did with joy and anticipation of what we might see.
I tried to set aside a small block of time twice a day to gather myself and breathe, do a little meditation or just step away from the computer and practice some appreciation for all the positives in my life, to just do something that recharged me a little. I gave myself 10-15 minutes in the late morning and then I gave myself permission to “just be” after testing, meals and injection was done, the kitchen cleaned up and any other little chores that I had to do. Whether it was time spent being mindless in front of the TV, or reading a new book by my favorite authors or even just sitting quietly and being thankful that another day was coming to an end. I took the time to unplug from the rest of the world.
Take the time each day to do whatever “recharges your batteries”. Maybe you’re like me and didn’t even know what that was. I encourage you to try to figure out what it is that fills you up so that you have a little more patience, a little more stamina, a little more energy for this season of your life. Diabetes is manageable yes; it’s a whole lot more manageable when you take a little time each day to practice self-care.
If you know what it is that gives you peace and fills you up, please feel free to share in the comments below for those of us that are still searching for that “perfect something”.
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Until next time…