Since this has started I've been documenting everything on my YouTube channel. Day one in the hospital is even there. My channel isn't huge, but I have over 7,000 subscribers, and since this has started I've had a lot of messages from people saying they too have diabetes. It's amazing how many people are out there. Obviously I'm getting a lot of advice from people, some good, some not so good, and a lot of people just relay their story to me. I'm not passing judgement on anyone, but it amazes me to hear things from people saying it's ok to have diet soft drinks, or eat whatever you like and follow the sliding scale for insulin etc... I can't even imagine, at this point in time, putting anything into my mouth that could possibly hamper my efforts. Diet soft drinks may be ok, but I know for certain that they aren't as safe as plain old water. We went to Costco yesterday, which is a 2.5 hour drive from here so we don't go very often, maybe twice a year, and I was so looking forward to stepping off my highway to health and having a slice of pizza. Costco pizza is the best. So, for dinner, I did just that, I had a huge slice of pepperoni pizza. After 4 months of eating healthily, it was wildly unsatisfying. To this day I will still say that I DO NOT LIKE VEGETABLES. But I found it quite odd last night, while eating that slice of pizza, I was thinking about the Caesar salad my wife had in the shopping cart and wishing I had been eating that. I guess my tastes are changing.
I'm 48 years old. I think this diagnosis of diabetes has given me a second chance. A chance to get my health in order. A chance to make up for all the years that I abused myself with junk food and little exercise. I will reverse this and be insulin free!!! I will not go back to my old ways. But, let me say this, if I'm lucky enough to live another 25-30 years, I know I'll have the occasional cheat food. Right now though, there's no room for cheating. I feel horrible that I ate that pizza yesterday to be honest. Thank God it was only 1 slice. Haha!!
Ooh, one other thing I forgot to report to you guys, I haven't had a cigarette since February 27th, the day I went in. I started smoking when I was 13 years old. I smoked a pack a day or more for over 35 years, Marlboro. I dropped my cigarettes that day and, God's honest truth, I haven't had one single craving for a cigarette and right now, whenever I go in somewhere that smoking is allowed, the smell nauseates me and the smoke in the air burns my nose and eyes so bad that I can't stay. I went to shoot pool the other night, don't know if I ever told you guys that I used to play pool professionally, and I couldn't stay in the room more than 20 minutes. The smoke drove me out. I swore that I would never be the guy that quit smoking then rallied against people smoking. I hate those hypocritical aholes. I'm still not that guy, if people want to smoke, more power to them. If I ever get to a point where the smoke doesn't burn my nose and eyes I won't mind if people smoke around me. Right now though, I can't be around it. I'll still support the smoker though. I don't think places should be smoke free. Or, I should say that smokers should have a decent area to smoke in. If you can't smoke inside, fine, but have a decent place set up outside for the smokers.
You guys will love this. Day 2 in the hospital and now. I call that day 2 pic my "Unabomber" photo.