When Doctors Say There’s Nothing You Can Do: The Power of the Mind in Healing
Recently, my doctor told me something that stopped me cold. He said I would never bring my blood sugar down without insulin—and that it would only get worse with age. In general, I would say I am a goal-oriented and self-reliant person and have been since I was five years old when I declared to my parents: “Leave me alone, I’ll do it myself!” But for a day or two after this demoralization in the doctor’s office, I cried a lot and lacked belief in myself to improve my well-being, especially after being told that this refusal to follow orders would increase my risk of vison loss and amputation down the road, or worse.