A Year Later....

[dvandom]

12 months ago, I didn't know I had diabetes, although I was dealing with a number of symptoms already.

Since then, a lot of things have changed.

I've lost about 40 pounds (210.0 lbs this morning).

I'm no longer so thirsty that I put away over a gallon of various drinks a day (usually broken down as a liter of soda, over a liter of milk, over two liters of water). Along with that, I don't need to rush to the restroom half a dozen times a day anymore. :)

I fall asleep in under 10 minutes most nights, rather than taking over half an hour every night.

When I lie down on my side on my saggy couch, I can now feel my ribcage bumping up against my pelvis (this is kinda disturbing, actually).

When I exert arm strength, I can actually see tendons and muscles and stuff.

I can climb the stairs all the way up from the basement to the fourth floor at work (about 60 feet/18 meters) without going into "painful exertion" phase (which used to kick in at about the halfway point).

I can button my shirt collars up all the way without it looking and feeling awkward.

I don't need a nap every afternoon (although this week I was back to napping, having gotten my sleep schedule messed up by noisy neighbors).

I no longer need a walking stick to handle my usual "exploration" walks at conferences.

My digestive system works better in general, and I no longer get various sorts of discomfort after eating too much (although a lot of that is because I no longer eat too much). At the same time, I don't feel weak and rubbery if I go too long without eating.

I do seem to have more problems with cold temperatures, although it's hard to say for sure why. Maybe I had been suffering the kind of nerve deadening typical of diabetes before, maybe my relatively rapid loss of bulk is just something I need to adjust to in thermodynamic terms.

Still dunno yet if my allergy issues will be lessened by my overall health improvement, I'll find that out in a few weeks when the spring allergen flood hits and ranchers start burning the prairies.

Comments

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Dude. Pretty good year, innit? Congrats. That's actually a bit inspirational -- I should really be working to improve myself, too. But procrastinations pays off now....

[loki-liesmith.livejournal.com]

Congrats! Always good to hear about someone doing better. It seems nowadays when health issues come up it's always for the worst.

[the-s-guy.livejournal.com]

I do seem to have more problems with cold temperatures

It could be the loss of insulation. I moved to a colder city around ten years ago, and the first winter I nearly froze my ass off. A couple of years of a comfy desk job later, I'd put on thirty pounds and could comfortably stand outside in the howling wind at 3am.

Of course, now I'm moved back to warmer climes, I'm dying of heat buildup. Time to lose the extra bulk, I think.

[liabrown]

Good work!

I get weak and rubbery if I go too long without eating...which sadly can't be a very long period. I'm always cold too. I've put on a few pounds in recent years and weight is definitely more of a struggle than it used to be, but I'm still around my ideal weight (I used to be quite underweight).

[kateshort.livejournal.com]

Way to go! :) I'm so happy that you're making progress relatively easily. That's dedication for you.