Diabetes Lottery

Thanksgiving From A Diabetic's Point Of View.

I'm so happy.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I have a lot to be thankful for.  I have a wonderful wife. I have the two greatest kids in the world.  My diabetes is completely under control.   I look good (if I do say so myself), I feel good, things are... well, good.

Last year - not so much.  I mean, I had the same wife and the same kids, but the looking and feeling - not so much.  

I had just been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.  I felt like crap.  I tipped the scales at 254 pounds. And to be honest, I looked like ten pounds of sausage in a five pound casing.  But the thing that bothered me the most was that I was diagnosed with diabetes right before Thanksgiving.  

There are two things in the world that I love to do more than anything else: eat and hunt. Thanksgiving is the greatest day in the world for guys like me.  I would eat like I was going to the electric chair, and the next morning I would leave with my father and my cousin and head to the mountains of Pennsylvania for a week of deer hunting.  

And now what was I to do?  I mean - I could still eat and hunt, but not like I wanted to.  I wanted turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing, rolls and butter, way too much alcohol, and top it all off with pumpkin pie!  When we go hunting, we really enjoy cooking bacon and egg sandwiches on top of the mountain at lunchtime on our scouting days.  And now that was all behind me, right?

Wrong.

Living with diabetes is all about choices.  Make the right choices, and put in the necessary work, and its really fairly easy to control.

Take Thanksgiving dinner for example.  Now I know that we should watch our portions, and eat only the right things, and for the most part, I do.  But come on now.  We're talking about Thanksgiving!  Here's what I do.  I'll have my turkey, my mashed potatoes (did I say gravy?), my sweet potatoes, stuffing, a roll and butter, a drink or two, and I'll top it all off with pumpkin pie!  The difference between the way I eat now, and the way I used to eat, is that tomorrow I'll have one plateful.  I'm not going to measure anything.  And don't get it wrong - I'm going to eat too much. Remember though - IT'S ONE DAY.  You're A1C is measured over ninety days.  Tomorrow isn't going to hurt you one bit.  As long as you remember one of Uncle Bob's rules - DON'T BE STUPID!

Don't eat yourself into a diabetic coma.  Exercise some restraint.  Enjoy a healthy portion of whatever it is you see on that table tomorrow.  If you like it - eat it.  Don't deprive yourself.  On Friday, just get back to doing the right things again.  

Try this.  Tomorrow is your day off.  Don't exercise at all.  Eat as I have described.  And DON'T CHECK YOUR BLOOD SUGAR. On Friday, get back on schedule.  Make sure you eat properly, and hit the gym or whatever it is that you do for exercise.  Friday night before dinner, check your sugar. I'll bet you see no significant difference, and most importantly, you will have treated yourself, and satiated the need we all have to splurge every now and then.

I'm still having my bacon and egg sandwiches too (just whole grain bread please). 

Four Months In And Whipping My Diabetes

In March of 2010, I went for my four month check-up with Dr. Jim.  It was strange – I was actually looking forward to it!  I took my seat in the waiting room and awaited the call to the scales.

“Mr. Abernethy, you can come back now.”

As I stepped onto the scales, the nurse adjusted the sliding weights on top.  She put the large counter-weight to 200. 

C’mon lady, give me some credit here.

After a few more adjustments, the weigh in was complete.  194.  That’s right - I said 194. Want me to say it again?  194!  In four months I had lost 60 pounds.  Fifteen pounds a month.  Three and three quarter pounds a week.  Half a pound per day.  And I wasn’t on a diet!  At least I didn’t feel like I was on a diet.  Granted, I was watching what I ate, and I was making much better choices, but I was never hungry.  As a matter of fact I was eating more food, more often than I had ever eaten in the past – it was just the right food.

Today was going to be a good Dr.’s visit!

Dr. Jim walked into the room a few minutes later with a rather large grin on his face.  “WOW, LOOK AT YOU!”  I think he was shocked.  “Bob,” he said “this is unbelievable.  Since November you have gone from 254 to 194, your A1C has gone from 13.5 to 7.5, your bloodwork is awesome, and you look great.  I told you we had this covered, but to be honest, I am amazed that you seem to have this under control so quickly.”

Now, Dr. Jim may say this to all of his patients, but I don’t think so.  I think my progress was extraordinary.  But don’t get it confused – I worked at it.  Everyday. 

I have a disease that is debilitating.  A disease that is crippling.  A disease that will take your eyesight, cause you to have a stroke, or a heart attack.  And it may do all of these things to me.  But it won’t be easy.  I’ll fight this disease everyday, all day long.  It won’t beat me without a fight.  It’s all about attitude.

“Jim” I said, “When you called me to tell me I had diabetes, you sounded a little ominous.  You told me you had bad news.  Since that day, I have regained my life.  I feel better, I look better, I have renewed energy, I’m more confident, and happier than I can remember.  I have a tremendous feeling of accomplishment.  From now on, when you have to tell a patient they are diabetic, I suggest you say – CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’VE HIT THE DIABETES LOTTERY!”

He looked at me like I was nuts, but I meant it.  Diabetes has changed my life forever.  But I know that if I remain diligent, I will be running around coaching lacrosse with my grandchildren someday.  And if that isn’t like hitting the lottery, I’d like to know what is?