Back in 2003, when I was diagnosed with my wonderfully incurable disease, I was also diagnosed as a Type II diabetic. The first thing I did was to cut all sugar out of my diet. I lost a few pounds, but not enough to make a difference because I didn't change much else about my diet. I've always struggled with my weight and impulse control as far as food has been concerned. This particular journey had me on medications and I was "encouraged" to change my diet and to exercise. It kind of went in one ear and out the other. I'm just being real.
In 2016, Garrett hiked the Pacific Crest Trail for the first time. I was his support in that I mailed his resupply packages to him, learned a lot about the hiking culture, and generally did my best to help him out as best I could. A couple of years before that, he laid down a challenge to me. If I got to the point where I could climb Beezley Hill, he would take me on some hikes into the back country of Yellowstone (just a stone's throw from where he was living at the time). Gauntlet accepted. I started walking--first just 3/4 mile (around my loop) then 1.5 miles (twice around the loop) and then 2 miles--down to the egg farm and back. When it started getting hot, I'd drive into town and walk where there was shade covering the streets. I built up to five miles and lost more weight, but I never could shake the need for taking medications. They changed from time to time, some went off the market, some lost efficacy, and some I took with increasing dosage, but making no real progress.
About three years ago, I saw a video on YouTube that changed the way I thought, the way I ate, and the way I approached my situation altogether. I put into practice a few of the things that were described in the video, then I enlisted the help of an holistic nutritionist Garrett had met on one of his hikes. She reinforced what I was doing and then added a few things I could do to make things go better. Over the course of two years, I dropped from four pills a day to control my diabetes to needing NONE! My A1C dropped from over seven to 4.9-5.1. That is within the range for normal, non-diabetic people. This is the first time in my life I could be called "normal."
Because of arthritis in my knees, I am no longer able to walk like I used to, but I do have a recumbent bicycle on a trainer that I ride five days a week for exercise. There are some things that have become non-negotiable. What little exercise I can do is one of them. It's all a part of the journey.
If you are interested in the video, I have provided it here.
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