My 'D' Day 2014-04-03

The End of my Life

I initially had a sense that my life was over and I would lose a leg or get infected while using an insulin needle. I was very happy to hear that it has not progressed enough to require insulin. However, the idea of using a glucose monitor did not appeal to me either. It has taken me awhile to get used to pricking my finger several times a day but it is better than having to prick my finger and take a shot.

Do it for TJ

Once I got over my initial fears, I realised that I need to make some life changes to make sure I am still around to see my little man grow up to be a big man. I could not afford to wallow in self pity because I need to show him how a man handles adversity.

The Changes

I have been doing a lot of reading on Diabetes and how carbohydrates turn into sugar. We were already eating wheat bread but I have now started skipping all of the "white" carbohydrates including potato chips. It was not as hard as I thought and I have found some healthier alternatives in the process.

I have dramatically reduced the number of times I eat out for lunch and we have started making more meals at home. My wife, Aliah Henry, has been very supportive during this whole process and has helped me stay on track by preparing lunches on some of the days I conveniently forgot.

One of my first purchases after the diagnosis was a smoker from Amazon.com. It has allowed me to prepare meats on the weekend for my lunches and dinners during the week. We are still working out how to prepare and season the meats for the process but I have been very happy with the results so far. I did not realize how good smoked pork chops were until I wanted to try something other than chicken. Even TJ has grown fond of "The Other Chicken". I have been looking for a smoking book but have not pulled the trigger yet so if anyone has a good one let me know in the comments.