The Day My Life Completely Changed
Adjusting to life with diabetes.
On October 1, 2020, my life completely changed.
Earlier that day I had blood drawn for some lab work. Shortly before midnight, I received an email that my results were available online. Ah, the wonders of the Internet. It’s not just for porn and buying stuff you don’t need. Now you can get a detailed report of how unhealthy you are!
With more than a little apprehension, I clicked the link.
My blood sugar was listed first: 243 with “abnormal” in bold red letters next to it. When I was able to get my breathing and heart rate under control, I looked at the rest of the results. My triglycerides were also higher than normal — 231 when the maximum should be 150 mg/dL. Everything else looked OK. I immediately scrolled back to the top.
243.
After several hours of fasting. “Normal” blood sugar after fasting should be 70–99 mg/dl.
I was officially diabetic.
Fuuuuuuuuuu-
“Abnormal”
OK, if I’m honest, I can’t say that it was a complete surprise. I suspected that my age, weight, and sedentary lifestyle were taking a toll on me. Of course, suspecting it and actually doing something about it are two different things. But the 243 was a shock to me. That was creeping into dangerously high blood sugar.
I immediately started researching my best course of action. I read late into the night. I didn’t care; I wanted — needed — some answers. The fear of insulin shots for the rest of my life compelled me. Ultimately, the answer was clear: A low-carb diet combined with at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.
I tried a low-carb diet (Atkins, specifically) in the early 2000s, so it wasn’t anything new to me. Unfortunately, I abandoned it after around 18 months. I lost quite a bit of weight, but I don’t know how much, and I don’t know the effect it had on my numbers. I never went to the doctor to have those checked during that time. I have always been notoriously bad about going to the doctor. That has changed, though.
I started the next morning, throwing out food that I could no longer eat. I made a shopping list of new things I needed. Fortunately, I know my way around the kitchen. I love cooking — I’ve done it for years — and I’ve become quite good at it. In retrospect, I should have become a chef rather than a writer. I think that if you don’t know how to cook, or don’t like to, a low-carb diet will be much harder to follow.
The exercise aspect would be more difficult. I was not in good shape. In the first month, I was lucky to get around 50 minutes of decent exercise in a week.
One week later I had an appointment with my doctor to review the results. In that week I lost 4 pounds and my blood sugar dropped to 200. He was impressed by that drop, and after discussing my plan, I was not put on insulin. I was prescribed an oral medication — Metformin. He also prescribed Lipitor for my high triglycerides.
I kept at it, refining my diet, and slowly increasing my exercise. I also started daily, intermittent fasting. I took it very seriously. As if my life depended on it because, well….
Just to be clear, I don’t follow what is usually described as a ketogenic or “keto” diet. I find that too restrictive. I follow a more general low-carb diet, cutting out flour, sugar, and starches. I do still eat a variety of fruits and vegetables — in controlled, measured amounts. I refer to their glycemic load to determine what I eat now. I have cut out potatoes and bananas, which is a shame because I love both. Where a strict keto diet typically allows approximately 20 carbs per day, I stick to around 60 carbs (20 per meal). I’m usually under that, but I like the flexibility that gives me. Still, it’s quite a change. I love pizza and Chinese food. I can eat bagels like doughnuts. That’s not a joke by the way. I can literally eat them like doughnuts. Nothing on them.
When I visited my doctor again a few weeks ago. I was 50 pounds lighter. My lab results were all normal (my triglycerides dropped to 86), except my blood sugar was still a little high at 103 — a decrease of 140 points — and according to my glucose monitor, I have averaged 100 each morning for the past month.
You read many stories about how a low-carb diet can improve your numbers, and it’s easy to be skeptical about it. But this wasn’t a random testimonial from an unknown person, these were my numbers. I saw, firsthand, that it worked. My doctor, impressed with what I had achieved, told me to keep doing what I was doing and cut my Metformin dosage by 75%. I am still on the same dosage of Lipitor, but by November, I am hoping to be off all medication.
This is my life now. Being more active, eating better, and checking my blood at least once a day.
It’s much easier eating low carb now than when I first tried. There are more foods available in stores and so many resources online to help. Since last October, I’ve read three books on the subject, and I’ve lost track of how many videos I’ve watched and websites I’ve visited. There are hundreds of great low-carb recipes out there. Again, this is much easier if you know how to cook. Regardless of how much I’ve learned so far, my research into this won’t stop. I learn something new every week.
But…
I will never escape the fact that I now have a disease that, if left unchecked, can result in terrible consequences: Heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure, nerve damage, or loss of appendages. It’s like a monster lurking in the shadows, always following me, ready to pounce if I make a mistake. However, as I researched this, one concept kept appearing: If I take it seriously, the complications from diabetes are not a foregone conclusion.
I have been surprisingly positive through all this. Sometimes it does get to me, though. I can’t help but think about it when my feet have that odd, almost electric tingle or, as I look down at my hands as I type this, I see a few minor cuts that don’t heal like they once did. Am I tired because I just didn’t get enough sleep? Is it a factor behind my tinnitus? There is always some sort of reminder. That’s my life now. I’m proud of myself for taking the necessary, extreme steps to control my blood sugar. I don’t have a history of exhibiting self-discipline like this, and that’s pretty much what created my problem in the first place.
But…I will not let it depress me. I will not let it win.
NOTE: I am not a doctor nor do I play one on TV. The plan I follow was formulated through personal research and multiple discussions with my doctors.
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