Friday, September 15, 2006

Sometimes, it really does pay off...

Well, I had my glucose test yesterday. The doctor said that "no news" would be "good news", but I didn't want to sit on pins and needles WAITING to hear, you know? So I called this morning, on the off-chance that they had received my results within 24-hours.

I was put on hold while the nurse checked. I had already more or less prepared myself for the worst case scenario - so at this point, I'm just tapping my fingers on my desk...she came back on the phone, and said, "Normal".

"I beg your pardon?" I managed to gasp. She confirmed it, wished me a good weekend, and left me gaping.

Why is this such a surprise and a big deal? Before I lost a good chunk of weight, I had major problems with my insulin levels. Even a small amount of sugar would send my insulin levels soaring, and my body would store fat. It was a vicious cycle. Essentially, I was pre-diabetic. That was the big wake-up call for me - and I decided that I needed to take my health into my own hands. Well, it took a long time for me to master the habits of healthy eating and exercising. And slowly cutting back on the sugar from my diet. It wasn't an easy battle, because I was CHANGING years of bad habits. And when I finally started to see results, it became easier. I didn't say EASY - but easier.:-)

After I became pregnant, I couldn't exercise as vigorously as I used to. My diet hasn't been terrible - but it certainly hasn't been STRICT. It's been fairly balanced - with some more treats than I probably should be having. I've been relatively active, but I really ought to be exercising more. It's been hard with my busy schedule - but that's an excuse. I need to make it a priority.

All this to say, that I simply expected my insulin issues to be worse, since I haven't been on a strict diet/exercise regimen for quite a few months now. And when the nurse said "Normal" today - I was totally shocked. It meant that my hard work pre-pregnancy paid off. It meant that all the "little" changes I've been making having been paying off. And I'm really, really, happy.

So, I called my husband at work, almost blubbering (yes, part of it is my pregnancy hormones making me emotional)...and I could barely get the words out. When I managed to squeak, "The test results from yesterday were..normal!" my husband completely understood why I was so emotional. I could almost FEEL his smile over the phone. And it was so, so, great.

All this to say - effort really DOES equal reward in the end. It might take a bloody long time. It might involve lots of blood, sweat, and tears. But good health is SO worth it.

As for my weight gain so far - I'm up around 13lbs. I've gained about 3lbs in the last month, which is very good. If I can keep this up, I'll be right on target. It would have been SOOOO easy to gorge myself during this pregnancy. Banana splits, chocolate cake, fries.....but it TASTES so much better in moderation, you know? I'm enjoying stuff so much more. And I'm finally starting to make peace with food. Imagine that!

So, THANKS to those of you who wished me well yesterday, and for understanding how silly I was being. I'm glad it's over, and I'm THRILLED that the results were good. I know that I'm not in the clear for good - I'll probably get tested again in a few weeks. But for now, I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing.

6 comments:

pinknest said...

that is wonderful wonderful news. congrats!

Living to Feel Good said...

WooHoooOOOo! That's fantastic!! I'm very happy for you!!

Belladora said...

I'm so happy to hear you got good results!!!

Bex said...

YAY!!!!!
I'm so so so so so so happy for you!!!!!!!!!!
Big BIG Hugs and Kisses!!
XOXOXOXO

Cowgirl Warrior said...

That's such good news and you're doing so well.
Hugs!

GetStrongGirl said...

That was a really nice entry! Congrats!