First, the front matter:
Hola!
MFP tonight? Dealing with doctors who don’t get that I’m their most motivated patient.
As some here know (and some don’t), I have diabetes. I’ve been fortunate enough, at least to this point, to be spared the worst complications from the disease. At some point in the future though, those complications are going to manifest. In my case, they’re going to arise simply because I haven’t had a lot of complications to this point. Diabetic neuropathy hasn’t hit me yet, but there are days that I can feel that it’s on the horizon. The tingling in my feet; the occasional swelling in my lower extremities.
And I know what that’s all about. The research I’ve done (and I’ve exhausted the online library, believe me) tells me that whatever I do right now to stave off the severe complications, they’re coming anyway. The things that I did a few years ago to keep my blood glucose under control are not going to hold forever. We get old. We break down.
In my case, it’s more like WTF? Am I going to give up everything that makes life enjoyable / tolerable (the occasional cookie or shot of whiskey) to stay in front of the disease? For quite a few years, the answer was “YES” — and I took it seriously — I argued with the doctors, I took the supplements that helped, I avoided carbohydrates like the plague.
But lately I’ve hit a wall. I still work out almost every day, I do resistance training 3 or 4 days a week; I do cardio almost every day. It’s depressing when you get the lab work results that what you’re doing, diet, exercise, and supplements aren’t keeping up with the progression of the disease. I guess that’s just about getting older. The body doesn’t respond or cooperate. So we get down to the pharmaceuticals.
Last week, my doc gave me essentially a 3 month reprieve to get my A1C level down to an acceptable level or start insulin treatment. I’ll take that as a challenge to work out more frequently, with higher intensity. I’ll take that as a challenge to hike my fiber intake. But time on the planet works against me.
I’m a wuss when it comes to pain. Cardio issues and neuropathy that lay ahead brook no quarter from me. When it comes to those kind of challenges, I’m one tough SOB. But I acknowledged this past week that there comes a time when, despite my best efforts, I have to give in to the medical professionals.
Thing is, I don’t trust those professionals. They got me to where I’m at right now, IMO. (Another story for another day.) Spoiler — stay off statins if you can. There’s a direct linkage between statin uptake and Type II diabetes onset.
So MFP tonight is that I’m conflicted. Do I accept the medical prescription, or continue raging against the dying light? I’m not a young man anymore. Maybe my resistance is about reconciling myself with my pending mortality. That question will stew in my head until my next lab work three months down the road.
It was tough to write everything above. It’s hard to discuss FPs sometimes. But we’re a community here; nothing is out of bounds. What’s your FP tonight?
Note: I’m on the road, so may or may not be able to respond to comments in
a timely manner. Apologies in advance.
