Life As I Play It

When I was in my early-to-mid twenties, I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. It happened by accident; I was at the doctor’s trying to get cleared for something, they ran my blood work, surprise; no more Reese’s for you.

Of course, being me, I didn’t take it seriously; there are certain foods I’m just not willing to give up. I’ll find a way to beat it. I always do.
Well, it didn’t quite work out that way. Type 2 can be a bitch, unmanaged. You live in the bathroom, especially at night. You can also drain the Pacific and still be thirsty as hell. And you sleep; you sleep a lot, whether you want to or not.

Sometimes you can sleep and not be sure if you’ll ever wake up.

You sleep because your heart is having such a hard time getting blood through your system that the only way it can do so is to shut you down. And if it can’t get the process back up to speed, well…

Type 2 Diabetes is the result of your body’s inability to produce enough insulin to counter the sugar that passes through your bloodstream. The sugar then acts like acid, literally eroding away at your major organs. Left unchecked, it can result in the amputation of your limbs. Amputation follows diabetic neuropathy.

Going from a physically active lifestyle to sleeping fifteen hours at a time was kind of a wake-up call. I was happy to learn that exercise, especially aerobic exercise, greatly countered the effects of this poison racing through my bloodstream.

I began to take it seriously. I was unmedicated for three years—during which time, I actually lowered my blood sugar by more than fifty points by exercise alone. I came to learn that enough exercise can actually replace the need for medication. I can live a very long life if I take care of myself…

I confess that there’s more to it than that…
When I was younger, and I fought, I could dance. I could float across the ground like I was walking on clouds, make my opponent dizzy just by continuing to circle them, and frustrate them by making them miss their every move. A friend of mind once told me he just wanted to grab me and plant me into the ground so he could land one clean shot. It was too much work trying to chase me down. Even more so, my right leg was a tripwire with a cannonball at the end of it. It was a threat from any range, at any distance. I used to taunt people; I didn’t even need my hands. You get close enough to me, and my right leg will take the wind right out of you.

Nothing beats the sensation of flying; leaping through the air and tagging your opponent with three kicks before gracefully returning to terra firma.

Type 2 slows you down. My entire body felt so heavy that when I fought my last battle in Saginaw, I did it using boxing—and got very, very lucky.

I run an average of about seven miles a week now. I can’t leap like I used to, but my body is beginning to remember the footwork again. What few sparring sessions I’ve had, the physical memory is kicking in. I may never be as fast as I used to be, but if I can lighten my body, it’ll make things easier on my heart.

If George Foreman can win the heavyweight crown at forty-five, I have no excuses.

My goal is to be completely off of medication by the time I’m thirty-five. To this end, I’m (somewhat) careful about my diet, I work out religiously, and I monitor my blood sugar.

This category is going to be a weekly journal of my progress. I find that I’m more accountable when people are reading. Beyond that, I’d like to help anyone who’s at risk for getting this disease, or having trouble managing it. I’ll post what I’m eating, how I work out, my blood sugar levels—even when I screw up. For the record, Red Bull Sugar Free is a great energy drink that doesn’t skyrocket your blood sugar.

Feel free to contact me or comment, and thanks for following along.

(c) Avery K. Tingle for Modern Magic Enterprises LTD and Nomadic Productions LLC

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