Someone asked me a few weeks ago how my type 2 diagnosis affected my family. Honestly, I said, not very much. And I'm not sure if that's good or bad or a mix of both.

For one thing, I've always been the meal planner, grocery shopper, chef and chief bottle washer in our family. Furthermore, I always cooked fairly healthy for my family, tried to get a good mix of meats, veggies, starches and fruits. So adjusting our meal plan really didn't take much effort. (I know, you're wondering how I got to be so overweight if I cooked so healthy. Sweets have always been a big part of my life. The weight comes from not sharing, essentially. And I like to eat. A lot. And all the time.)

So, really, when I was diagnosed with pre-diabetes in February 2005, I adjusted my own portion sizes, I started exercising and I checked my blood sugar randomly as directed by my doctor. I talked to my kids about diabetes a little. My son had just turned five and my daughter was barely three--there wasn't much I could explain that they would really understand. Even though sweets and overeating were a big part of my life, I was then and am now careful about how much I allow my children to eat and monitor closely the types of foods they eat. Dessert is allowed, but not every night. Soda has always been a special treat for them. Water, milk and iced tea are staples. So there really was no big adjustment period for my family. We all just went with the flow, which included bigger servings of vegetables, whole wheat pasta and constant questions about why Mom takes a walk every day.

The older two kids are old enough now to understand more, but it's still complicated for them. I check my blood sugar in front of them and they usually ask what the number is or want to push the button on my lancing device. They watch me take my insulin and other meds and know that I do it because I have diabetes. I haven't really sat down and tried to explain diabetes and its implications to them; maybe because they haven't asked many questions. And maybe that's because diabetes is just part of who Mom is and they accept that.