Move along, nothing to see here

My apologies.

Had another rough night after my diabetes kicked my ass, proving once again I’m not in charge of my own body any more.

As a nearly life-long cyclist, I’ve proved to myself time and again that I could will my body to do anything, at least on two wheels.

Now my own body is attacking me. And all I can do is struggle to control it, and too often, fail.

So let me remind you once again, if you’ve been told you’re at risk for diabetes, or have a family history of the disease, get tested. Then do whatever it takes to avoid getting it.

Seriously, you don’t want this shit.

As usual, we’ll be back tomorrow to catch up on anything we missed.

Stay safe out there.

2 comments

  1. James says:

    Bummer…hope you feel better. Not to minimize your suffering with my own selfish needs but I wish you had elaborated on the how. As in the symptoms you are suffering from your diabetes. I just turned 50 and I’ve been putting off going for a physical because I’m certain that I will be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I’ve had some nerve pain, relentless dry mouth, frequent urination, Ed issues, fatigue…all in the past few months where none existed before. I’m an athlete. Have been my entire life. I ride 130 miles a week. I eat healthy. Im 6’2 185lbs with a 34 waist and have been my entire adult life. I don’t understand how it’s possible that I’m diabetic but I certainly am. Hearing your story that sounds so similar to mine made me feel intrigued that there must be some shared, contributing factors that are the cause. Environmental, dietary, hereditary, etc.

    • bikinginla says:

      Damn, sorry to hear that. Your description sounds a lot like I was. 6’0″, 180 pounds, 32″ waist, rode an average of 150 miles a week, comfortably cruising at 15 – 20 mph. Problem is, it only masked the symptoms of my diabetes; in retrospect I probably had it for 15 to 20 years before I was diagnosed. In my case, I inherited it from my mother, who developed Type 2 in her 40s, and my paternal grandmother, who was Type 1 her entire life.

      I was told most of my life that I would never get diabetes because A) I was athletic and in good physical shape, B) I maintained a healthy diet, and C) I was hypoglycemic for a few years in my 20s. But I knew I had it when I had nerve pain, fatigue and frequent urination, followed by a sudden weight loss, dropping down to 145. By then, the damage had been done, I’d already developed an unusual form of neuropathy that causes extreme pain and causes my leg muscles to atrophy — an ironic twist for a cyclist, making it impossible to maintain leg strength.

      So drop what you’re doing, and get to a doctor and get tested right away. The earlier you catch it, the easier it is to treat, and the less damage it can do. You don’t want to risk your eyes, kidneys or an amputation. And I wouldn’t wish this neuropathy on anyone.

      Shoot me an email if you want to talk more. You can find my address on the About page at the top. And good luck!

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