Look at all that... sheesh!
I have been slacking lately. Fear not, I have been taking photos. I just have not had the umph to put them up.
I have been battling malaise and fatigue for the last few months. For those who know me, I have lost a LOT of weight over the last 7 months. I had it chalked up to quitting soda, and watching a little more closely what I eat.
Then I failed the insurance medical exam. Okay, not too bad…
Then I failed the second, and the blood test after that. I freaked. My wife could barely calm me down.
I turned to the Internet to find out what the hell is wrong with me. I *could* have gone to the doctor, but he lost his license to practice. (Damn!)
So I have been rolling it through my head as to what is wrong. Meanwhile I have been drinking like a horse, and peeing a lot.
Then the sight started getting wonky. Great! A guy who has 20/20 vision…
Finally, I was able to get in to see a doctor at a clinic. I asked for a diabetes test. (See, it runs in the family!)
Well, the score was 18. A normal blood glucose level is between 4 and 7.
Now I am the proud owner of a blood glucose tester, pills, needles, and insulin. Sweet.
I have no idea how to process this right now, except I am kind of mad. I am the guy who NEVER has any health concerns. Well, no more.
Looks like my lifestyle just changed… for good.
Have you had a medical issue come up that affects the way you will eat? Tell me about it, I would love to know.
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
sorry man. i don’t have any medical conditions now, but glaucoma runs HEAVY in my family ,so i changed my eating about a year ago. for the avoidance of glaucoma and simply for the fact that i did not want to get diabetes. whole grains, veggies, etc… gosh there is so much info out there on how to manage diabetes and even rid it forever. let me know if you want any help/advice/whatevs
I could go on and on and on… was diagnosed with allergies 10 years ago now. Then developed digestive problems. I was sick for two years, then waited over three years to see a specialist and was told I don’t have cancer (good thing after waiting 5 yrs!) but I have IBS and something called histamine intolerance. At one point I was eating only baby cookies and drinking peppermint tea for about 3 months (great weight loss plan. I was below 100 pounds at one point). Now my diet consists of chicken (no beef, no pork, a little fish), rice (no wheat products) and a strange mix of veg and fruit I can’t eat because they convert to histamine inside the body. No artificial anything especially sugars, aspartame, sorbitol, maltitol….. okay I have bored you enough. Diet change or life change due to medical problems are easy once you know what’s going on and get a routine. I’m happier and healthier then I was before so it was all a blessing in disguise.
Good luck!
My mom has had juvenile-onset diabetes since she was 8, so we are very vigilant about Sierra’s health, and what goes into her body as she is at high risk for the same. She also has allergies to MSG and red#5, so we eat very clean, very few prepackaged soups/foods and no orange cheese, etc. My best advice is to become educated ( become a label reader) and keep a daily food diary for at least the first year, see what affects you and how. That’s what we did with Sierra because she was getting migraines all the time. It was only when we read through a few months of the diary that we were able to pinpoint the foods that were aggravating her system and how. Then we were able to go to the allergist and have it confirmed. One thing we learned from my mom is don’t take any supplements without consulting an herbologist or diabetic nutritionist first, they can have adverse affects on you glucose levels! Good luck, my friend, you have all of my support in your new health regime!
You can do this…..My hubby is off all his meds – took about 2 years and a weight loss of about 130 lbs. If it’s white you probably can’t eat it…..that was the first rule I learned. A dietician will be your best friend! I found out that some foods will raise one person’s and not another…that can be frustrating, and will take some time to figure out. I do all the cooking so I studied until all of this became second nature. I would spend upwards of two hours in the grocery store, after planning meals just to find out DH couldn’t have that. Whole foods is the best approach…then you know for sure what you are getting. If you need any info, I will be glad to help…but I am no dietician.
@Paula – Thank you so much for the kind words. I am leaning towards the whole foods myself. I have a bit of work to do, but I am sure going to nail this down!
@Mellisa – Thank you Mellisa. I had no idea about your mother. Thank you for the tip about the food dairy. I find it refreshing to hear that you take so much care of what Sierra eats. I will follow your example.
@Julie – Wow, I won’t complain about my regiment. You are right on the mark though, knowing what is wrong with me is so liberating. Not knowing was driving me nuts. Now that I have a direction to go in, I can go that way.
Diabetes is a serious health concern. But like you said knowing what the problem is can be key. I also have to say, I know how important food is to you. You are going to have to readjust your thinking. I say, work it out… the ups and downs and all the in-betweens here on the blog. Writing it out, processing the emotions and putting them out there can be a great way to learn. It’s not for everyone, but I sense you are very self aware and it could help you along the path.
On a separate note. I came here to learn more about using weight as a measure in cooking. Could I re-run your piece on the subject at SippitySup, or would you care to write something new as a guest post that addresses this? GREG at SippitySup dot com
@Greg – Thank you for the kind words!
I will email you some details!