This is my sugar story

Jay Valleser .

I WAS diagnosed with diabetes when I was 62 years old. I count myself lucky considering that my elder brother and younger sisters were diagnosed with the same issue when they were much, younger; when they were on their late 40s to early 50s.

It soon reached a point that my doctor put me on insulin. It started with 20 units and was later on increased to 30 units per injection. The injection came along with other capsules and tablets for diabetes.

Soon after, I was diagnosed with high cholesterol, high uric acid and with inflame prostate. I too had a chronic pain on my tendon. For the past three years, I had included in my daily regimen a 30-minute soaking on a warm with Epsom salt. I could not stand for 30 minutes as the pain on my tendon would be unbearable.

I was already calling my wife as my personal pharmacist. She dispensed my meds and served as my faithful time keeper so that the proper meds could be taken at the right time. These, plus the constant monitoring of anything that presented as “new” treatment on diabetes drove me to near insanity. I have to agree that some of those I experimented were more of a myth and a fiction than being scientifically based.

Late last month, I silently suffered from some low-down mood. I just got tired of all the meds I was taking for the past six years or more without seeing an iota of hope that I could free myself from any of my meds.

The constant waking up at night, the constant and often painful urination, the constant vigilance over what I eat simply drove me crazy. The worst nightmare I had was the thought that my internal organs could breakdown from negative side effects of all the medicines I was taking, particularly the insulin.

Then, I decided to research on alternative medicines, quack or otherwise. On the fifth day of my research, a colleague in the media profession called up with the invitation to attend an orientation on “live cell therapy.” It was at the point that I was willing to swallow a live snake or a kilo of nails and, so, I said yes. Earlier, I had my annual medical exam that included laboratory works on almost everything.

My fasting sugar was swinging from the lowest of 185 to the highest of 345. My PSA was 9.4. All other data were discouraging.

After about a week of new medicines and a doctor’s order to monitor my sugar, meaning to prick myself at least four times daily, the lowest result I got of my sugar was 145.

Last week of June 2018 — we were scheduled to have a week-long family bonding.  All members of my growing family were present.  The farthest came from New York; the youngest was barely a month-old baby. A total of 21 family members made the Serenity Resort in Cebu City a havoc of a place.

By then, I was already on the third day of my first month of a stem cell supplement. By some queer coincidence, my wife forgot to bring my best defense against diabetes which is my insulin injection.

With wild abandon, I binged on ice cream, cake, soda, coffee, chocolate and everything sweet. Getting fed up with all the meds, I simply refused to think on how much volume of prohibited items I was taking. Worst, I went through the whole week without a drop of insulin.

On our second day, the group went on a pilgrimage to the sacred shrine of Simala, the Temple of Leah and a hearty lunch of Carcar lechon, topped with “ampao” and “mahareal.”

I considered the physical activity I went through on that day as badly punishing.

But this 68-year-old body gave me a big, welcome surprise. Before, a few minutes of walk, with a good amount of climbing stairs, would have rendered me totally immobile; this time, upon arriving back at the mountain resort, I was still having a good swim and playing with my grandsons for about two hours. It was one of the best night sleeps I could remember after a long time.

My wife and kids were making fun of the absence of a single line of complaint coming from me all throughout the week.

I was never so excited to prick myself with a needle to have my fasting-sugar test than that first morning upon our return to Cagayan de Oro. I was feeling so good that I was interested to see my actual sugar count. I anticipated to have it register at no less than 250 considering that I took not a single drop of insulin for a more than a week now.

I had my daughter from New York witness the process and we both had, a big “huh” when the result came. My fasting sugar on July 2, 2018, Monday, was 94!

I intentionally skipped my insulin shot that day. The next day, Tuesday, July 3, 2108, with my wife as my witness, my fasting sugar was 88!

For dinner that evening (Tuesday), I had a full dessert consisting of one ripe mango, two cones of ice cream and four pieces of chocolate. Night cap was a mug of brewed coffee.

Wednesday, July 4, 2018–we woke up with an interesting conversation that today used to be a national public holiday as this was our American-dictated “independence day.” Today, with my eldest granddaughter, who is graduating from an internationally ranked prestigious Manila university by my side, I had my sugar tested. Hold your breath! It was 84!

This is my story and it is just beginning!

E-mail: tabletalkgsd@yahoo.com