Hope in Times of Change

Hope in Times of Change

As many states and countries are starting to ease restrictions and come out of quarantine, we optimistically hope that we can return to some form of normalcy. Here in Utah, gyms, restaurants, swimming pools, and team sports have been given the go-ahead to open this weekend, among other things.

This, plus the warmer weather has lifted the spirits of everyone at my house. My oldest, Ruben, is excited to play with friends he hasn’t seen for months, and Olie, my 3-year-old, can’t wait to go the Chuck E. Cheese’s once it opens again.

Personally I can’t wait to get back to the pool to swim laps and get together with friends for a good bbq.

While we’re far from out of the woods with Covid-19, I’m glad to see a beam of hope in the darkness. This quarantine has been hard on many, in varying different ways. I’ve been fortunate to not have lost anyone to the virus, and I haven’t dealt with unemployment, as so many have, but it’s been hard in other ways. As I’ve felt added stress from juggling work with kids and a husband who’s been working more hours recently, as well as being less physically active than I normally am, my blood sugars have been a little higher on occasion. I’ve seen the need to make several changes to settings over the last few weeks and have seen how different situations have affected my blood sugars.

Change, whether good or bad, tends to make us change how we’re managing our diabetes. If you’re finding it difficult to manage on your own, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and we can help!

I’ve also found that’s it’s important to make time for myself to stay happy and positive. Whether it be a run in the morning, going for a hike with the kids, or going to bed early while my husband puts the kids to bed, taking that time has helped me relieve stress, and I’ve seen better blood sugars as a result.

So whether you have diabetes or care for someone who does, know that you’re doing a good job. Pat yourself on the back and allow yourself to do what you need to do to take care of you. They’ve termed our isolation “socially distancing”, but as I heard recently in a podcast I enjoy listening to, a more correct term would be “physical distancing”, as we need social interaction now more than ever. So reach out to others and remember that we’re all in this together.