[DocWhitley]

In less than a year I was:

In severe pain from a back injury
Gained 65 pounds
diagnosed with Diabetes at a1c-13.9
Had Back surgery
Used Glubiride/Metformin and battled the other big "D"
Switched to Victoza
Lost 70 pounds

But the greatest news happened today
With an A1C since March in the 5.0-5.4 range and no medication for 3 weeks... The Doctors and I agree it is time to try to battle this disease wit Diet and Exercise!!! Good bye injections!!!

Just thought I would share my great news!

 

[Shanny]

What a year you've had, Will!

Way to be!

Thanks for the update . . . it's great to hear the good news!

 

[canadiandude]

Excellent work, Doc! You're a great inspiration for those just starting out.

 

[DocWhitley]

Thanks!

Canadiandude... I wil tell you that I came to this door when I was diagnosed and I lived on here. I read thread after thread after thread. I listened to the Doctors and I listened to the people living with The Big "D". I learned an important lesson that I will share... EACH PERSON IS DIFFERENT! I tell people to test... test... and Test. When I introduce a new food I test before and after every hour till I see how much I peak. Doing this I have learned I can Eat things a lot of people can not... Things like:
Pineapple
Blueberries
Mango
But I can not have:
Store bought BBQ sauce
Bannans

I also learned I actually do well eating a few more carbs than most do on here. I do between 30-40 a meal.

It works for me. I set a couple of goals when diagnosed and they were to exercise Everyday... and get off meds

I have succedded in one of them! Now I need to work harder on the second

Last advice to Noooobies. Suck it up! Being angry... trying to Bargain and denying will cost you a limb or your life. Work hard... Get it under control... And Live your life!

Doc

 

[foxl]

Great post, and congratulations on the payoff to all your work!

 

[Shanny]

For folks who have come in since Will's ordeal, he needed back surgery in the worst way, but the docs wouldn't do it until his BG was under control - isn't that about the way it went, Will?

So he came in here & got down to business with a vengeance . . . and you know the rest of the story!

 

[moon]

Wow Doc - just wow. Did I say wow?

EACH PERSON IS DIFFERENT! I tell people to test... test... and Test.

This is so true. Every body is different, and every body can give us fits!

Sunday I spent the afternoon without my own snacks and munched on some sweetened nuts. I thought oh boy - wonder what the heck this is going to do to me? Got home and my bs was 88.

This morning, I decided to try some scrambled eggs and cheese in a Mama Lupe's tortilla - oops! I spiked 40 points on those 4 carbs. It was in the AM but I still hoped for a smaller one ...

If we test enough, we'll find pleasant surprises 'mongst the disappointments, and your post has encouraged me to test some new foods I've assumed would spike me.

Thanks Doc - and congrats!

 

[DocWhitley]

That is part of the story... Not sure if I shared everything


I had a pretty bad back injury that I dealt with for years but it had progressed to the point that my left leg would vary from being numb to feeling like it was asleep and I was having pins and needles 24 hours a day. I was lucky to get 2 hours of sleep in 24hours... So I finally had an MRI and the conversation went like this:
Doctor: So Will how long you been having pain
Me: About a year
Him: WOW Do you have a high pain thresh hold?
Me: Well I think so why?
Him: Most people are crying when they have a problem this bad I am scheduling your surgery for 3 weeks from now so you can get all the test

1 week later...I went to the Doctors because I was not sleeping and was constantly thirsty... When I say constantly I was drinking 128 oz of Gatorade and 2 gallons of water a day and was still thirsty... and urinating twice as much... This doctor thought I had a virus

Another week goes by and I go in for my preops... and I get the following message "Will we need to cancel your surgery. You have Diabetes and you need to get it under control... It usually takes about 3 months"

I was devastated but, determined I called the doctor and asked when his next opening was... He said 3 weeks... I told him to schedule me I would have it under control. That was Thursday Starting BG was 427 and a1c was 13.9... Strange how some numbers stick in your head.

I bought a test kit... and began around the clock testing every 2 hours. Saturday at 8am was the last time I had a reading above 140. I took my meter in and was put on Glubiride and Metformin on that Tuesday. The Doctor thought I was faking the numbers so he tested me... I was 82. Surgery was on.

After the surgery I had to deal with complications and extra pain but, It did not stop me from walking Everyday.Now I do Cardio for 30 minutes everyday.

Someone once said to me how bad was my pain at the Doctors and I said a 4... Now I know that my 4 is a normal mans 9. I remember being in pain on some days that I would use the motorized cart at the store because I could not put pressure on that leg but my pain was only a 6 on those days.

Now I am facing another back surgery that the Doctor said I should have been in pain from back then but my other pain was so bad I could not even feel this. So for those that do not know... falling 100ft with a military pack on your back hurts your body!

Well time to go cook... I would say dinner but, I make my Dinner.. tomorrows breakfast and tomorrows lunch all at the same time... keeps me from cheating and now I know Cheating on my Diet is just taking a short cut to end this game we call life.

 

[Shanny]

Many thanks for filling in the blanks . . . I only remembered that you worked like a man possessed! LOL

 

[TarekElsakka]

That is awesome to hear, DocWhitley. Even though I don't know, I sure am glad you recovered from that. I also wish I had will power like you do, life would have been much better.