My diabetes diagnosis did not come out of the blue -- my fasting blood sugars had been creeping up for a couple of years. However, the day my A1C came back 7.2, I was a bit suprised. An A1C, or "lie detector test", is a lab value which IS basically A summary of what your blood sugar has been over the last three months. The normal range for A1C is 4%-6%; anything over 6.5% on two separate lab draws indicates diabetes. My first impulse was to go out for ice cream. Fortunately, logic took over and I asked for the name of a good dietician/diabetic educator. I still really did want to eat ice cream, though.
For me, the diagnosis was a wake up call. I have worked in a nursing home with elderly adults who ignored their blood sugars for too long. Missing feet, blindness, nerve pain and kidney problems were the results of many years of undermanaged diabetes. I knew that I needed to make some tough decisions and a commitment to make a lifestyle change. Yuck! It's hard to life a lifestyle you don't choose.
There is a special place in heaven for my dietician. I have met with her several times to help me get on track. Occasionally I wander in to uncharted territory and need some guidance. She is so motivating and reassuring that I walk out of the appointments believing that I can take charge of my diet.
Well, I ran back into unchartered territory in my second week of training. As I said last week, I have a great trainer who motivates me to work hard and keeps me from hurting myself, which is not an easy thing for this accident-prone exerciser! We had discussed my diabetes at my initial meeting and his basic instructions were "sit down before you fall down". When my blood sugar gets low, my first sign is often feeling a bit jittery, maybe a little clammy sweat, overall weakness and being unsteady. As my sugar gets lower, I have been known to cry suddenly or even zone out a bit.
Tuesday's training time was great. I really need to work on endurance and resistance training. I was kidding myself into thinking that I was in pretty good shape after my 18 months of church exercise class; I was seriously overestimating my fitness level! My first time on the elliptical caused my heart rate to climb and I struggled to catch my breath. How long had I been on this torture device? Fifteen minutes, two hours, three life times?!? Uh, no... about three minutes. Yikes! I left sweaty and happy that I had survived another day!
Thursday began very much like Tuesday. I always start by warming up on the bikes. I pedal away for about seven minutes until my personal trainer (PT) taps me on the shoulder, hands me a wipe to clean off the bike and leads me to my next challenge. PT led me to this cool apparatus where you can do about a zillion different resistance training by clipping the handles to different parts of this frame. PT demonstrated the motions for the arm weights I would be using and handed me the handle. Obviously not prepared for the weight setting, it pulled me back to the handle's resting position. I am sure it was hilarious to watch! I kind of hung there by my arm perched on my tiptoes. I am sure that it's on Youtube by now. After the arm workout, PT decided I should do the bike instead of the ellipcal because I was feeling a bit dizzy. I cruised for about three minutes and went off to do lunges.
By the time I got off the bike, I was feeling more than a bit dizzy, but hoped that it would pass. I made about four lunges before I sat down mid-lunge. I was shaking, cold and clammy and not completely with it. It feels kind of like other people are talking to you from a distance. PT asked important questions that I could not produce appropriate answers for. Two hours later as I finished the supper dishes I realized what he was trying to ask me. My answer wasn't even close!
I needed to bring my pulse rate back down to a normal level, so he guided me over to the bike and asked me if I wanted some sugar. "Sugar??? Never heard of it!" my fuzzy brain was saying as I tried to formulate the word "yes". He was back in a flash with a sports drink and handed me the bottle. I looked at the bottle for quite some time before I figured out that I couldn't drink the contents until the cover was unscrewed. And for the life of me, I couldn't understand how you would get the cover off. After a few half-hearted attempts, PT took the bottle, unscrewed the cover and gave the bottle back to me. After a few drinks, I could feel myself perking up. After a couple of minutes of drinking the red nectar and biking, I headed to the office so PT could make sure that I was able to leave under my own power safely.
By the time I got to the office, I was able to form words and talk in complete sentences. Assuring PT that I would come back the gym that weekend only when other people were present, I was able to go home. I felt frustrated and defeated. A call to the diabetic educator gleaned some helpful tips and an appointment to discuss the issue at greater length. I needed to go back to the drawing board and figure out my pre-workout snacks. I needed to have a Plan B for quick sugar and carry this with me all the time.
I am surprised how much I enjoy this gym time. I lock my cell phone is the trunk of my car before I go into the building. The only thing I have to think about is my next breath and my next step. Sometimes I am pretty sure that my next breath and my next step might be my last!
I have never invested much in myself, not just monetarily, but also as a whole. I see the value of being stronger and healthier so I can be a better servant for God. Scripture tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, " Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." I guess my "temple" is under renovation currently. How is your temple?https://www.facebook.com/
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