Type 2 Diabetes My Diabetic Journey

My name is Richard, I’m 40 years old. I have Ocular Myasthenia Gravis, and I’m diabetic. It’s not the end of the world. I have a healthy lifestyle that includes a diabetic friendly diet which I’ll discuss in greater length later and an exercise program called P90X which I discussed in this hub. If you have Type 2 Diabetes and are taking insulin injections, there is hope but it has to come from within you. You have to want to be healthy. You have to take control of your diet and your exercise. I know no man wants to hear this, but consult with your doctor and get on a program that is suitable for your physical condition. Remember, diabetes is a leading cause of death in men and can contribute to other serious health factors. IF YOU LET IT!

PLEASE KEEP READING :)

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of death in men.  According to the American diabetes Association, men with diabetes suffer more from diabetes-related health issues than women.  Some of these issues include retinopathy, which is a vision disorder that can lead to blindness; peripheral vascular disease, which can lead to coronary heart disease, stroke or amputation.  Men with diabetes can also face sexual problems such as impotency, not being able to get or keep an erection.

Just because a man becomes diabetic does not automatically mean these health issues will arise.  The likelihood that they will develop depends on the man and how he controls his diabetes.  Yes, diabetes can be controlled through a proper diet and exercise. 

Isn’t it funny that you hear that all the time about certain diseases that can ruin your life.  “If I had only eaten better and exercised more, this wouldn’t be happening to me.”  Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.  Some people are predisposed to certain disease.  The same is true for diabetes.  If diabetes is common in your family then the likelihood of you developing diabetes is greater than the likelihood of someone else who has no family history of diabetes.

Here is my story.  I have had a problem with my left eye that couldn’t be diagnosed for many years.  Mostly, it was my fault because every time I would see an ophthalmologist I was given dozens of tests with no results.  I was sent to specialist after specialist and nothing.  So, I quit going and my eye problem worsened.  Then, a couple years ago I decided to try again.  I was hoping to just get the symptoms treated but doctors don’t like to treat symptoms without fully knowing the causes.  So the testing began again.  This time I had a great and knowledgeable doctor.  She examined me for less than 15 minutes when she told me what she thought I had. 

We were in a medical university and I had reservations about being treated and examined by students but then what the heck, nothing else was working.  She sent me up to see a neurologist to do a nerve induction test on me and the results were conclusive.  I had a disease called Ocular Myasthenia Gravis.  It’s an auto immune disease which means my body was fighting against itself.  The neurotransmitters that were being sent to my eye to tell it which way to look or focus were being attacked and the information was never getting to where it needed to go.  Myasthenia is a form of Muscular Dystrophy so that makes me one of Jerry’s Kids.  I was in good company with many thoughtful and caring people.

Now we know what it is, so now we can plan a treatment.  My first method of treatment came in the form of a pill.  It was actually a steroid called Prednisone.  I was told that in many cases the Prednisone could not only stop the attacks on my neurotransmitters but could also reverse the affects.  No more drift of the eye or droop of the lid.  I jumped at the opportunity.  I started right away.  Two days into the drug therapy, I noticed two things, I couldn’t quench my thirst and I had to urinate every 15 minutes or so.  My boss came to me and told me that he had those same problems when he found out he was diabetic.  So, I immediately went to my family doctor to get tested.  Sure enough, my glucose level was at 486.  That’s over 3 times the norm.  My doctor informed me that I was indeed diabetic.  I was to immediately start taking insulin injections and that I would have to take them the rest of my life.

I can’t really explain what went through my mind at the time.  I know now that I slipped into a slight depression.  I went in to get treated for my eye and came out diabetic.  The hope that my eye would be normal again vanished in that instant. 

I learned that in the tiniest of print on the Prednisone literature that one of the “side effects” could lead to the development of diabetes.  But in 2 days?  It was nuts.  The neurologist that prescribed the medication took me off of it but the damage was done.  I didn’t give up all hope and went on to the next phase, which consisted of 5 sessions of plasma transfers.  Not a very pleasant experience either but the nurses did everything they could to keep me comfortable.  That treatment was a wash too.  I had run out of options for treating the Ocular Myasthenia Gravis.  Although, I did feel lucky that my condition would not become General Myasthenia Gravis and that it would forever only affect my eye.  General Myasthenia affects all organs and muscles.    

I had to give up worrying about my eye. Now I had something more dangerous to concentrate on. I had to cure my type 2 diabetes even though I was told it wouldn’t be possible. I got on a very strict diet and eliminated all the sugars and anything that had high levels of sodium. I needed to increase my proteins and decrease my carbohydrates. I also needed to exercise.

I went over and beyond what I needed to do but it paid off in the long run. Not only did I lose weight, not that that was a big concern for me, but I was able to control my sugar levels. As a matter of fact, 3 months into my regiment, my sugar levels remained normal, at or around 120. My diet and exercise was working so well that I stopped taking my insulin injections. I continued my diet and exercise and didn’t take an injection for 7 months. I checked my sugar levels regularly and no change. Then my work schedule changed and I so did my sleep patterns. Soon it also affected my diet and exercise. I checked my sugar level one day after work and it was over 200 for the first time since I started taking insulin.

I had thought I was cured, but the proper diet and exercise just maintained where my body needed to be. I had moved and now with a new family doctor that took me off the insulin injections and placed me on a glucose pill. I was encouraged to continue with the diet and exercise but to also take the medications daily even if I don’t think I need it and to continue monitoring my sugar levels. I had to come to terms with my diabetes but I didn't have to let diabetes control me.