Six years ago I was told by my doctor that I was diabetic. When I asked him if I could reverse it by diet and exercise his answer was that I would be on medication for the rest of my life. At that moment I could only assume what he said was true. I received four prescriptions that day. He even thought of putting me on insulin, which I now realize was absurd.

​

By the time I returned to his office 90 days later, after much research, I stopped taking three of the prescriptions.  At that time my blood sugar had returned to normal. I had developed a regimen of diet and exercise and had been taking Januvia for those 90 days. I requested to drop Januvia as well but he again said I would be on it for the rest of my life. He did write me a new prescription with a lower dosage.

​

After 3 more months, my blood sugar level tested within the normal range. The doctor said it would be OK to stop taking the medicine. When I admitted to him that I had not filled that prescription, he was astonished. "You mean you went 90 days without medicine?"

​

Fast forward six years, I have not taken any pharmaceuticals for anything. Unfortunately though, I have not stuck to my diet and exercise regimen and have gained weight, yet my blood sugar continues to test within the normal range. Three weeks ago, I recommitted myself to diet and exercise to become physically fit. For me, indeed for all of us, it’s important to our calling and to the One who called us to be good stewards of our health. The last thing I need is to sabotage my own health.

​

I share this as an encouragement to so many who are told that there is nothing you can do but take these pills. You have to ask yourself why do we dislike drug dealers but embrace drug pushers, when the pusher is an M.D.? Ultimately, we need to do our homework and take responsibility when it comes to our health. We also have to do the hard things. Taking a pill is easier but more times than not it leads us to more complications and more pharmaceuticals. By the way, I am not super human, if I were, I would have not found myself in trouble 6 years ago.

​

Long before I prayed for help, God had already answered with an incredible help meet, awesome family, and supportive friends. Some days are harder to stay motivated than others. On my most difficult days, I recall my father’s final words to me before he was hurt and passed away: “You can beat this, Jay, I believe in you.”  As encouraging and important as having people believe in me, I need to believe in myself even more.

I have learned a lot in the past six years, some of which I've listed here: Things I Learned Along the Way.

​

Here are my reflections in a blog post, One Year as a Diabetic, from 5 years ago.