DO IT!

Stop Taking Your Metformin - Can you say that again?! (Part 1)

I had a Macaroni vs. Pasta experience some weeks back at a local dining place in town. Upon leaving there my daughter-in-law and I headed across the road to some other shops to browse. It was pretty noisy in one of them and my phone rang. I could barely hear the person at the other end.

“It’s Nurse …, Doctor asked me to tell you that you have been doing so well, you can stop taking your Metformin. Congratulations! You are now pre-diabetic.”

I caught the words: ‘stop taking’, ‘Metformin’, ‘congratulations’.

“Can you say that again Nurse?” To which she repeated herself loud and clear. I couldn’t believe my ears. I even got her to repeat it again just to make sure I heard it right!

It felt like a reward for all my hard work. When in a very dark place some years ago I didn’t care too much about anything. I put on tons of weight, quite unrecognizable from what I was before. I shut myself away and steered clear from the public eye because I didn’t like what was happening. I hid in my shelter until I was ready to come out.

I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes November 2012. I was stunned, scared, mad, and numb. I was given a bunch of pamphlets to go home with and read! I didn’t read. I carried on with my bad habits. I saw a new doctor (thankfully) in 2013, to which I was advised to start making some changes or it could/would get worse. I left that day and carried on with my bad habits.

It’s not that I wanted to ignore it so much as, ‘how on earth do I go about making a start?’ It certainly wasn’t reading some silly pamphlets! And I knew I had done some damage and knew it would not be an easy road back. I still carried on with my bad habits.

My doctor wanted to see me. I stalled for a while but finally went. That was the third jolt and something got into my head and I thought, ‘I better blinkin’ well listen or I ain’t gonna be around for long’. So I pulled my head in and started listening. Oh yes, and I did read the ‘silly’ pamphlets! I had Type II Diabetes, grossly overweight, bad Asthma, and low self-confidence and belief; and a huge protruding lump on the front of my torso.

And so began my journey. I went to a not-so-public sports ground and began walking right around the circuit, every day. I loathed it so much. I had to take my Ventolin with me and use it regularly all the way around. I couldn’t wait for it to be over! I did that every day for a several weeks. Then I went to see my best mate/mentor and she said to me: “You come into my office every morning at 7:30 am for as long as it takes.”

She made me park my car up by the library and walk to her office. I hated it. She made me walk back to my car. I loathed it! I had to take my Ventolin all the time. It was agony. Seriously. For me it was. I did this every day. She made me park my car further away each time, and walk to her office, it was great getting there and sitting down, but I loathed walking back.

2014 I started walking around our beautiful Virginia Lake. It has three levels, ground, second, and top level with steeper inclines. It took me forever to do the ground level but I did it every morning, either before 7.30 at my mate’s office, or after my hour with her, I would go to the lake.

Then came another bend in the road… a big one. To me, ugly and scary. The big protrusion on the front of my torso. Continue reading

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