Hi @dorisena. I agree, it is difficult to manage diabetes in a social setting. I hear my mother who has diabetes say that others are always persuading her to eat. They tell her they eat what they want and are fine. My mother is now 89 years old. I tell her it is NOT a good idea to eat whatever and load up on sugars. Taking insulin should not be the ultimate solution for diabetes type II. Those people are taking the easy way out but little do they know they may be causing more harm to their health in the long run. There may be a spike in blood sugars until the insulin is taken. During that time the blood may not circulate as well to the tiny blood vessels. People I know that control their diabetes through diet and exercise only (no medications) do not seem to have neuropathy issues, like my mother. I always tell my mother that she is the one that has to deal with the pains and aches not them and to listen to her body. I think it is harder to control diabetes through diet and exercise. Weight loss may help too. It takes a lot of discipline so good for you for trying to achieve better health, after all, we have to deal with the choices we make. Have you been diagnosed with neuropathy in your toe? You mentioned you may have an increase in arthritis. Is perhaps gout a possibility? I know that it can be painful when a flare up occurs. Eating cherries or drinking cherry juice is very helpful to my uncle when he gets a flare up. He does not have diabetes.