Lessons Learned the Hard Way.

                     I like to participate in the DSMA Diabetic Social Media Advocacy tweet chat on Wednesday nights. last night they were discussing eyes and feet. I have learned a great deal of lessons from my early twenties and have paid the price for some. I had suffered from an eating disorder called exorcise Anorexia. I was so obsessed with exercise and not eating. I used to work out around 2 or three times a day for at least to two hours at a time. I did however take care of my diabetes during that time. I did not sick doses and I did test frequently which is opposite of the diabulemia that some diabetics do suffer from. I was 26 the last time I really struggled with it. I had lost around 65 pounds in three months. I weighed 116lbs at 5"11 which is not good. I was skin and bones. I wore a size zero and still felt fat. The funny thing now is that you cannot tell I ever had an eating disorder. I do exercise but I have to watch my self I can get obsessed with it really easily. I also learned when I went to counseling that I am not allowed to own a scale and I also was told when weighed to turn around so I cannot see what my weight is. My number does seem to trigger me back to my old bad habits. Through the help of my family I have not gone back down that road which is great.

                      The bad part of eating disorders is the havoc it creates. I know I had stress fractures at 29 years old from running. I had three in one ankle and two in the other. The stress fractures started at the top of the ankle all the way down to the heel bone on both my feet. I had to wear air-cast boots for months and then physical therapy to regain my balance afterwards. I have plantar factitious which relates to the stress fractures in my heel bones. This of course was cause by the damage I had done by not eating properly my bones did not get the proper vitamins to keep them strong. I know that there is other things that were affected as well. I have learned a great deal about myself dealing with my exercise anorexia and I still to this day have to be careful about various aspects so I do not go back to where I was. I'm sure I will struggle with that the rest of my life. I  have learned how important a balanced diet is and a balance of exercise as a whole. I need to stay away from extremes which can be difficult and I have done well so far. Taking care of feet and eye's as a diabetic are so important.