Bummer, Kendall. It IS, as everyone has said, manageable.

You have probably learned this all already but here goes:

The main thing in DII is to keep your blood suger under control. Sticky blood clogs and damages your capillaries which is what caused the eye, kidney, and foot failure. You really don't want to go there.

It takes time and patience (you Down Easter, you) to figure out what YOU need to do to keep the blood glucose down; it's a very individual thing.

Your educator will undoubtedly give you a test kit and teach you how to use it; you will be testing before and after meals and it should be several times a day, a couple days a week. Don't let your insurance stint you on the test strips. This lets you know which food make you go high..

Yhey don't necessarily tell you that exercise is necessary because it lowers the insulin resistance, which iswhy sugar stays in your blood instead of going into your cells, which may scream to your body to eat, because they are not getting any. This is why a lot of us put on weight PD (post diabetes).

If you need to do shots to keep your sugar in range, do it. The theory now is to give shots sooner rather than waiting, because it gets your sugar under control and saves wear and tear on the pancreas. I'm on lantus and byetta.

Good luck; it can be a bitch but it's worth the trouble to do it all right.