Walking the road to better health

As many of you know, I found out I had Type 2 diabetes back in November. It wasn’t a surprising diagnosis considering my almost lifelong battle with obesity and also because both sides of my family have a major history of the disease.

When I wrote my December column, I also said I already had begun to make some major changes to my diet and to my life in general.

How are those going, you may ask? So far, so good.

First of all, I’ve maintained my commitment to eating healthier by reducing my calories and eating fewer carbohydrates. While I have enjoyed the holidays, I have otherwise continued to fight the good fight of eating better.

And it’s paid off.

First, my A1C was way down when I had it checked in April. Five months after my A1C was an ugly 9.8, it registered at just 5.8 on April 17! My fasting blood sugar was 134 that day, roughly half of what it was back on Nov. 11.

It’s also paid off in a way I didn’t expect.

Before my diabetes diagnosis, my extra weight had crunched my joints so much that I used a cane every time I left my house. Walking just 20 or 30 yards was hard work. Pushing a cart in a grocery store? Forget it. Walking up a hill might have caused me to have a heart attack — literally.

Now, thanks to the amount of weight I’ve lost, I almost never use my cane, if at all. I was able to get out and shoot sports photos several times this spring. And I’ve even started doing some “old fashioned” grocery cart shopping at the stores — and climbed a couple of hills along the way, which is another pleasant surprise.

I’ve still got a long way to go. But I’ve also come a long way too.

Mike Buhler is a staff writer for the Daily American Republic. Contact him at mbuhler@darnews.com.