In January of 2016 I found out that I had Type 2 diabetes. I was feeling terrible and drove to immediate care first thing in the morning. I was told that I had a blood sugar level of 317. That didn’t mean anything to me at the time, as like most Americans, I had no idea of what a good sugar level was. I was given an IV that took about an hour and a half to complete. Then the doctor checked my sugar level again and I was 327. She yelled at me, as if it was my fault. She also started another IV that was half as large as the first one. It took about an hour for it to complete. Another reading was taken and my sugar was 270. I was pronounced well enough to go home and I was ordered to take off work for three days! I’d held my job for twenty years and had never taken a sick day. What a tall order for me.

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That day I had had nothing to eat. I had felt nauseated and felt like someone was punching me in the stomach. So I hadn’t eaten breakfast. I sat in that treatment room from seven in the morning until two in the afternoon. I had absolutely nothing to eat. One thing though while receiving the I-Vs and after, I had no urge to pee. Just before the diagnosis I would get the urge to pee often, like every hour, and I was thirsty. I had to drink and drink and drink some more. Also while in the treatment room I felt cold; all of the staff complained how hot the room was. Ordinarily I’m the first one to complain of a hot room. I just wasn’t myself that day.

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The doctor prescribed metformin, 500 mg. twice a day, and recomended that I take one with breakfast and one with supper.

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Three days later I saw my own doctor. A wonderful doctor who is age 84 and still practicing medicine. He has wonderful insight from nearly 60 years of practice. He added a prescription of lisinopril, 10 mg., and told me to take one a day. I asked him what time of day. He told me to pick my own time, but stay consistent with it. I picked bedtime.

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I had heard Dr. Franklin House speak on 3ABN radio. He spoke about how so many Americans have diabetes and don’t even know it. He serves as the medical director at Lifestyle Center of America. He had written a book, The 30-day Diabetes Miracle. I ordered it from Amazon.com. I started following the advice in the book. I started walking two to six miles a day. I cut out all white flour from my diet. I stopped drinking any sodas. Since I’ve always felt that artificial sweeteners cause problems of their own, I’ve been pretty much free of sugar, but will use a teaspoon or less here or there.

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My fasting blood sugar in the morning runs from 100 to 125, most commonly 105-110. During the day, just before meals, my blood sugar runs from 85 to 92. Only one time have I tested 69. My doctor tells me I have this under control.

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Three years ago I weighted 290 pounds. I’m six feet one inch tall. Over the course of time, I have gotten down to 240 pounds. I’ve gone from a size 48 waist to a size 42 waist. My goal is to get down to 180 pounds and a 38 waist. That is what my size was when I married Dolly in 1984. My doctor tells me if I can get down to 200 pounds the diabetes should disappear completely.

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I eat Ezekiel 4:9 bread. I miss my 100-percent stone-ground whole wheat bread I’d eaten since I was a little boy. I miss flour tortillas. I miss the occasional piece of cake or pie. I want to get better. I want to defeat diabetes. I want to be well again…

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I will not feel I’ve defeated diabetes until my blood sugar level remains below 100.

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Any help this group can give me will be appreciated. Any help I can offer, I’ll gladly do. I’m so glad I’ve found this group. I found it after praying. I know so much more about diabetes than I ever have before in my 57 years. There is so much more I have to find out. I do have some neuropathy in my feet. I would like to get rid of it.

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Praise God for all of you. I sincerely pray that we can help each other. I’m making this group a matter of prayer! God bless us all in our work to rid our bodies of diabetes.

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Update, 1/11/2017:

One year ago today I took my first sick day in twenty years from Rose Mortuary. I drove to Immediate Care in Palm Springs as soon as it opened. I had never felt so bad. The doctor took some tests and then came into the exam room and lectured me harshly that my blood sugar was 319 and spouted at me that I was a serious diabetic. The doctor placed an IV into the back of my right hand. She claimed the IV would lower my sugar level. After an hour and a half the IV finished. Doctor checked my sugar level and found 329, up ten points. She became angry with me and told me again how bad I was. She installed a second IV. It was half the size and took a little over an hour to finish. My sugar level was then down to 250. She ordered some medicine for me and ordered me to stay home for three days to rest while I got used to the medicine. I picked up the pills at Walgreen’s and also bought a glucose monitor and test strips. I had heard Dr. Franklin House on 3ABN radio speak about how to control diabetes, so I contacted Amazon Prime and bought Dr. House’s book, 30-Day Diabetes Miracle. I followed the book and my sugar stays in normal range now. What a wake up call. Please celebrate with me that I now have this dread disease under control. Thank you to my wife, Dolly, for all her help. Thank you to the owners and fellow employees at Rose Mortuary for all their help in helping me get diabetes under control. Thank you to my friends and family for your prayers and encouraging words. Thank you to my own MD who has helped me greatly. He’s 84 years old and still treating people with quality care. Thank you LORD Jesus for listening to my prayers. 01/11/2017 marks one year. Walking, walking, and more walking has been a key to my success.

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Photo copyright by Dr. Paul Yoh. Used by Thomas P Moen with permission.

Thomas P Moen