Category: Health & Well Being

What Fills Your Cup…?

Once in a while, I come across a meme or a saying or something that I believe is worthwhile sharing or referencing on this blog. Writing about specific aspects of karate or Diabetes can become a bit saturating at times and I like to focus on the more philosophical aspects of life. This leads us to today’s post. I’m going to kick this off by pointing out that I can’t recall where I got this from, only that I read it online from one of the many sources I explore. I really should start writing this shit down but with all the reading and research I do on my own time, there would be no end to it, if I did. plus, I can never tell what I might use in a post and what I don’t. But I digress…

We’ve all heard the saying that it’s hard to fill a cup which is already full. Depending on where you’ve read or heard this saying and like many others, there are several sources credited with it. Some say it’s a Chinese saying, others attribute it to being a Zen proverb, which is the context under which I started hearing it. Either way, it refers to the concept that when one is learning, it’s exceptionally difficult to teach someone who already assumes they know everything. Life is an ever-constant journey of knowledge and one’s cup should never be full. But there are those who seem to operate as if it is…

But my point today is that there’s more to that than simply the teaching context. And here’s where my sourced material comes in. Here’s the scenario: You’re walking with a full cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill coffee everywhere. Why did you spill the coffee? One would be inclined to say that it was because someone bumped into them. But this would be a wrong answer. The correct answer would be that you spilled the coffee because there was COFFEE in your cup. If you had tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. Whatever is in the cup is what we spill out.

This means that when life comes along and shakes you, which will inevitably happen, whatever is inside of you will come out. It’s often easy to fake it or keep it concealed; until you get rattled. So, it becomes important to ask oneself, “what’s in my cup?” When life gets tough or you face adversities, what spills over? Will it be joy, gratefulness, peace and humility? Or will it be anger, bitterness and negativity? Life provides the cup. You choose what you fill it with and what you will inevitably spill onto the world.

I’ll admit that I agree with this line of thinking but I’m going to take it a step further and add my personal perspective to it because, well… my fuckin’ blog and all that. My view is that YOU are the cup. And life fills it. When life pours negativity into your cup, you need to find a way to empty it out to make room for the positivity. There are two ways to do this. The first is to allow it to spill out. Although this may not sound ideal, letting it spill out doesn’t necessarily mean you’re unleashing your rage on the world. It can mean finding healthy and proper ways of dealing with your negative thoughts and feelings. Exercise, working out, asking to someone about it… It can be a pretty hefty list.

The other way to empty your cup is to drink from it. But I if you’re looking to empty out negativity, drinking it will only cause you to internalize it, which is not only horrible for you but only delays the inevitable. That which is the eventual spilling over o the negativity. The difference is you may not have as a much of a say in how it spills out. That’s why every person sometimes needs to get help pin emptying their cup. If it’s positivity we’re talking about, have at it! Let that shit spill out on the world and drink it all in as much as you can. It’s all good. Just be sure to take care of yourself and keep yourself healthy. The cup isn’t going anywhere. And neither should you. Food for thought… ☯️

A Review – Star Trek: Picard (Definite Spoilers Ahead)

Whether you’re a Trekkie fan or not, there’s no denying the deep influence that the Star Trek universe has had on film and television since the late 1960’s. Spawning a number of subsequent television series and movies, it encompasses what I enjoy most about the sci-fi genre; exploration, future technologies and the possibility of what’s out there… All while enjoying it all from the comfort of one’s couch. Some of my best childhood memories included sitting on the couch on a lazy day with my father while watching Captain James T. Kirk make a flimsy effort at hand to hand combat, followed by quasi-inappropriate canoodling with a female of some previously unknown alien race.

My children apparently haven’t inherited my love of Star Trek, which is a shame. Despite that fact, I used to have the benefit of knowing I had watched every series and movie under the Star Trek banner. With the release of series such as Discovery, Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks, I fallen out of touch with some of the more modernized iterations of the Star Trek universe. This is a problem I sought out remedy by subscribing to Paramount+ a few months ago and starting with what turned out to be an excellent series. I’m talking about Star Trek: Picard. I advise you to stop reading now, if you haven’t seen it and don’t want spoilers…

Let’s start with how it began. Star Trek: the Next generation is a follow-series that ran from 1987 to 1994 and featured the exploits of the USS Enterprise “D” and its crew, some 80 years after Kirk’s Enterprise. It was a fantastic series and ran for seven seasons, covering new races, new planets and had better visual and effects than the original series, making it a more enjoyable experience for the 9-year old Blogging Buddhist who would sit and soak up every episode. Jean-Luc Picard was the Captain of this particular Enterprise and led the ship and crew through many adventures and hardships. The series ended with Picard ultimately contributing to saving nothing less than the entire galaxy and humanity itself, with some passive-aggressive help from the omnipotent entity known as Q.

What was fun about TNG is that it addressed some reasonably serious issue on the ship while not taking itself too seriously as a whole. Despite some negative criticism about some of the storylines, I enjoyed every episode. Star Trek: Picard takes place a couple of decades after the end of the TNG storyline and features a retired Admiral Picard who is suddenly thrown back in the fray when a young synthetic woman, believed to be the daughter of the later Lt. Commander Data, seeks his assistance. He spends the majority of the season sorting through the chaos and attempting to have a prohibition on synthetic life abolished. The season ends with Picard making an ultimate sacrifice but still pulling through.

Season 2 sees Picard and his colleagues trapped in a dark, alternate reality, somewhat reminiscent of the mirror universe, if you’ve read of those Star Trek books. This is done by none other than the infamous Q, who also appears to be slowly losing his omnipotent abilities. In an effort to right things, the team ended accidentally travelling to 2024 and putting one of Picard’s ancestors on the right path before Q sends them all back to their own time, seemingly using the last of his omnipotence and sacrificing his won life in the process. Once they return to the 23rd century, they are faced with a galaxy-destroying force that is being prevented by none other than the Borg. I had a hard time believing that myself, until I realized that the Borg queen was one of Picard’s characters that remained in in 2024 and waiting 400 years to save the day.

Season 3 is where things got interesting and the one I enjoyed the most. It reunites the majority of TNG’s original bridge crew and senior staff, including Geordi LaForge, Will River, Deana Troy, Beverly Crusher and eventually, a regenerated and reborn Data. Word shows up in all his Klingon glory and we eventually learn of a young man named Jack Crusher, said to be the product of Picard and Beverly Crusher’s sleepover activities, some twenty years prior. The premise of the season is that there seems to be something inside of Picard’s son, which is drawing him to the Borg. He eventually concedes and goes to a dilapidated and nearly-dead Borg queen, played by the same actress who was Borg queen in Star Trek: First Contact.

The Borg end up assimilating the vast majority of humanity within a short period, due to an infection that rewrites their genetic code when using the transporter. All individuals too old or who predate this genetic rewrite are being systematically eliminated by the newly-assimilated human race and it’s up to Picard and his crew to use their unique style of space-faring swashbuckling to eliminate the Borg queen once and for all and to save humanity. Which they do. With gusto.

Of course, there are a number of subplots and side stories that I’m not covering here, including with the Romulans and an abandoned Borg cube. But I need to leave some mystery for if you sit through it. Star Trek: Picard definitely manage to strike a perfect balance. For me, the nostalgia of seeing the old crew back together and operating as a unit occasionally brought a tear to my eye, reminding me of a simpler time and happy memories. Although it only ran for three seasons, it did something that most series fail to do; it provided a fantastic storyline while leaving the audience wanting for more. But it recognized when it was time to stop.

If you’re looking for something to binge over a weekend, I would highly recommend Star Trek: Picard. My wife watched it with me and I believe she enjoyed it as well. At only 10 episodes per season, the entire series is only 30 episodes long, which is barely a season and a half of most shows. Granted, it has an almost 1-hour runtime, so you’re looking at 30 hours of watching. Either way, see for yourself. If you’re a fan of the Star Trek universe, it’ll tie off some storylines from TNG nicely and stoke the fires of your memories from the 1990’s quite nicely. ☯️

Come Play With Me, Daddy…

I’ve often said that life rarely cares about one’s plans. While it’s great to have goals and objectives in life that you’d like to accomplish, it’s important to remember that things change, and you can’t be in control of every factor that may get in the way of what you’re trying to do. Planning out your life to the letter is nigh impossible. That’s why if you take a path where you expect things to happen within a certain timeline, you’ll undoubtedly be disappointed at the result.

Through my late teens and into adulthood, I faced the very real possibility that I would likely never have children. I don’t recall the exact statistic but doctors have told me that the majority of male Type-1 Diabetics usually end up not bearing children. In some ways, this came as a mild relief when I was younger since Diabetes can inherently be passed on to one’s children. But as I got older, I began recognizing that passing on one’s life to the next generation is important in all aspects.

Luckily, those concerns came to an end in 2014 when my wonderful wife and I had our first son, Nathan. It’s a pretty typical scenario that we’ve all seen, either in our personal lives or on television… The parents are burned out, exhausted and somehow still fighting and pushing forward, dealing with diaper changes, middle-of-the-night feedings, crying and a complete and utter disruption of the serene life they may have had before. Just imagine that many if not most of these couples have their children in their 20’s. Since life never goes according to plan, I met my wife and we had our first child when I was in my late 30’s.

Considering I was an operational police officer at the time, I was used to working through extended periods of fatigue, so my policing experience was actually quite invaluable in parenting. But I would be lying if I said it was a breeze. Add in the fact that as someone with Type-1 Diabetes, sleep, proper nutrition, exercise and a structured routine are all very important to maintaining one’s overall health. Raising an infant is the opposite of most of that. Most obviously, a parent wants to be able to play and interact and roll around on the floor with their kids. Sharing in the innocence and fun is a big part of the magic that is parenting.

When our second son, Alexandre, was born four years ago, it was even worse as I was now in my 40’s. trying to finding the energy to jump around and play with your kid when you’re burnt from a day’s work, still have laundry and household chores other do and all he wants to do is wrestle you to the ground and demonstrate his recently-developed right hook. First world problems, am I right? But energy levels for a Type-1 Diabetic are iffy at the best of times. Trying to share some of that energy with a toddler while in your 40’s is something else.

It can frustrating sometimes, as much for Alex as it is for me. Especially since he won’t understand that daddy’s tired and needs to rest. He just understands that he wants to play with his daddy. And so he should! That’s why it becomes so important to maintain those blood sugars, maintain your physical fitness and keep a healthier lifestyle. Doing so can help you to at least TRY and keep up with your next generation. For me, my children are a handful and they rarely stand still. My oldest is a roiling ball of energy and my youngest is a fucking tank. Both require their own amount of energy and attention; something that isn’t always the easiest.

I just need to keep my energy levels up enough to ensure that when they get older, they can look back and acknowledge that they had some fun with their father. Especially before I get much older and can no longer keep up. On the flip side, I’d be lying if I said there isn’t an inherent joy in being able to shed some of the adult facade and just play with toys or watch a cartoon movie with my kids. They give me as much as I give them. Maybe just not in the same way. ☯️

The Comeback Kid…

I have to say that 2024 hasn’t exactly started on a pleasant foot for me, at least health-wise. Back in November, my oldest son was diagnosed with bronchitis, which saw him on antibiotics and hacking like a chain smoker for a couple of weeks. All things consider3d and given his youth, he recovered reasonably quick. I, however, were not so lucky. Around the end of the month, I started coughing as well. And then I did something stupid…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being Type-1 Diabetic for 41 years, is that I’m inclined to catch each and every. Little bug that comes floating past me. Hazard of the condition, I guess but the result has been that I’ve developed a stubborn streak. Especially when it comes other obtaining basic medical care. I’ve always been of the opinion, and the current state of Canada’s healthcare system has proven it, that there’s little point in trying to see a doctor for something basic like a cough. It’s pretty rare but sometimes I’m wrong…

It stands to reason that in the first week or two, one will usually tend to ignore something as basic as a cough. Normally attributed to the cold weather or the common cold, going to a doctor for a generalized symptom like a cough is basically the same as wasting several hours of your life, especially since they’ll likely just tell you to grab some cough syrup, get rest and fluids and call it a day. I will fully admit that I do occasionally tend to consult with Dr. Google, and everything I found about bronchitis seemed to indicate that my son wasn’t contagious after three days. Since I didn’t start coughing until well after a week of his, I thought I was likely in the clear.

By the second week, my cough had worsened to the point hat I was chugging Buckley’s like it was Alpine beer (look that up, if you’re not from the Maritimes) and it was enough that it was beginning to affect my sleep and my work. Luckily, my blood sugars seemed to be rolling at a normal level, so… small favours. But after a couple of instances of missing work to catch up on sleep, it was mildly suggested that perhaps it would be time for me to get checked. However, my stubborn streak told me that this had to pass soon, considering I had already been hacking for a while.

The beginning of week 3 of this phenomenon was a short week for me, as it was the week before Christmas. With a mounting task list to accomplish before the holiday break and a multitude of meetings and events, I never got to a clinic. The following week was actually the week of Christmas. Although I was off all week, it was fuckin’ Christmas. I muddled through the holidays and we even travelled towards the end of the week to be with family for the New Year holiday. That was the conclusion of week four. I hadn’t gotten better and in fact, I start “throwing up” from my lungs and expelling liquid, as well as having some difficulty breathing.

That last sentence obviously kicks things up a notch and likely makes some of you wonder if I’m completely out of my mind for having waited so long. Time and circumstance can be a bitch. But upon my return to work on January 2, I made a point of trying to get in to see someone. On Wednesday, which was January 3, I finally managed to get in to see a doctor after waiting for over three hours and frightening some people with my hacking. I was diagnosed with a bacterial infection in my lungs and prescribed an antibiotic, steroid and an inhaler to help open up my lungs and breathe a little better.

That was on January 3 and I’ve worked my way through all the prescribed meds. The steroid had a ridiculous effect on my blood sugars, leading to some harsh nights without the carbs to account for it. It’s only been the past few days that the cough has all but disappeared and I’m starting to feel better. Lesson learned for me, that I should wait and ignore my illnesses. You’d think that would be common sense but if everyone had common sense, they wouldn’t need to call it “common sense.” But I digress…

The colder season can be harsh for anyone with some sort of chronic condition as we tend to get sick a bit more than the average bear. But when you factor in recovery time, blood sugar control due to the illness AND due to medication, as well as how blitzed you’ll feel from exhaustion, that cough I ignored way back in November may have been better served by visiting the clinic sooner. Lesson learned and food for thought. Don’t ignore your body. Although the symptom may seem simple (say THAT three times fast), the cause may be a shark in the water. Stay healthy, my friends. ☯️

The Second Family…

Most karate practitioners have been there and I spent decades experiencing the same routine… Your dojo doors open up and you show up for class about thirty minutes before start of class. There’s some friendly “how are you’s” and hellos exchanged while stretching. Maybe you engage in a form or two and do a bit of light shadow sparring. Sensei is always the first one there and always makes a point of asking you how your weekend was or, if you’re on the last class of the week, will ask you what plans you may have for the weekend to come.

Sound familiar? It should. This is the sort of social nicety that one can expect when entering a dojo and before starting class. Setting aside for the moment that not all dojos have the whole “get here half an hour before” mindset, you can usually expect that people who train together will bond together. Relationships and connections will develop, which will lead into a more social connection beyond the immediate purpose for being in the dojo, which is training in karate. This aspect is important, not only for you as a person but for you as a student, as well.

These connection make it easier and more comfortable to train in the dojo environment and allow for material to be absorbed and learned easily. If one is able to think back to the initial year one started in a dojo, there was awkwardness, silence and it felt as though one’s skills weren’t progressing. Some of that could likely be attributed to the fact that those interpersonal connections and relationships hadn’t been solidified yet, which led to less questions being asked, less people being approached for coaching and less overall learning.

Some may comment that this isn’t entirely accurate and that it doesn’t really play a role but I’ve seen it firsthand. It’s very hard to learn if you train like an antisocial douche who sits in the corner and doesn’t connect with anybody. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll learn NOTHING. But you certainly won’t learn at the level you should with the quality of teaching that a dedicated student deserves. The worst is when the teachers and instructors do their best to reach out but the student STILL wants nothing to do with connecting to other fellow karateka.

All that being said, my point is that training in karate has so much more to offer than just being in the dojo. It’s the semi-permanent connections made with the practitioners. For example, you can tell a lot about the dynamic of a dojo by what happens AFTER the class. For the most part and from what I’ve seen of many dojos I’ve trained in, the class closes, people change and get the hell out of dodge. I even trained at one dojo that boasted shower facilities on site but I’ve never seen anyone use them. Considering the key holders are usually standing there waiting like vultures for everyone to get into street clothes and leave, that’s not surprising.

In my home dojo, it usually took at least half an hour for everyone to leave. This is because once class closed, you’d have students helping each other with technique, or people would start chatting and conversing, almost to the point of hanging out. Hell, my home dojo had a standing tradition that on the last Wednesday of every month, senior students would get together to grab a beer after class. Stories and laughs would be shared and even if we were all karate practitioners, most of the conversations would be unrelated to karate. Imagine that? Even now, when I travel home for any reason, I make a point to have social visits with Sensei and others I’ve trained with. These are relationships and bonds that last a lifetime and can never be undone.

Am I saying this phenomenon is necessary to train in karate? Absolutely not. Considering I’ve been effectively training for over ten years by myself, by virtue of there being no schools of Uechi-Ryu in Saskatchewan, I think I’m living proof of that. What I’m saying is that it makes it BETTER. It makes it more fun and more motivating. Like it or not, human beings are pack creatures and we are drawn to others of our kind. To develop those bonds is to provide an undeniable benefit to one’s training and ultimately, to one’s overall personal development. Food for thought… ☯️

The Ozempic Follow-up…

So back in November, my visit to the endocrinologist’s office resulted in my having Ozempic prescribed as a weekly injection. I wasn’t particularly jazzed about getting on this medication as, in the history of my life, the introduction of any new medication has ALWAYS caused chaos in my blood sugar control. However, Ozempic works by mimicking the effects of the naturally-occurring hormone the body produces to tell your body that you’re full. The result is that you eat less. If you combine this with regular exercise, not only does your blood sugar control become much tighter, one tends to lose weight as a side effect.

While Ozempic isn’t primarily intended as a weight loss tool, I will point out that within a month of me using on the injections, I dropped from approximately 94.5 kilograms to 91.1 kilograms, which is a significant improvement. The loss of weight has made my cardio workouts a bit easier, clothing fits better and if I can finally kick this pulmonary infection, I’m looking forward to increased energy levels and ability to return to some of my physical activities, such as Kempo Karate, which I recently found out has re-opened its doors.

Even at almost two months in, I haven’t really felt any of the general side effects for this drug that most sites, such as WebMD tend to list. I’m actually enjoying the lessened portion sizes and I’ve started incorporating more vegetables and lean proteins into my diet. I’ve eliminated most (key word) processed meats and foods and enjoying the benefits of my exercise bike in the basement. The result has been a healthy drop in weight, as you can see from the photo above, which was taken yesterday morning. Fasting weight is subjective, based on a few factors, including whether you’ve had your morning bathroom trip, if you weigh yourself with clothing or not and removing anything that provide added weight, such as your insulin pump or cell phone. In recent days, I’ve gotten weight results as low as a flat 90 kilograms (approximately 198 pounds), which is the lightest I’ve been in over ten years.

Although the drug is primarily intended to help control blood sugar levels and tend to be used more with folks that have Type-2 Diabetes, it has very much proven to be an invaluable tool in getting me healthier. My blood sugars are smoother but the weight loss is the icing on the cake. So much so, that it has evoked the envy of work colleagues who would like to try the drug themselves. Considering they don’t have Diabetes, it speaks to the trend seen in recent media about the recreational use of this drug for weight loss. This causes supply chain issues for the Diabetics who genuinely need and benefit from this medication, which is why it’s important never to use something of this nature unless you need it and it’s been prescribed by your doctor or medical practitioner. ☯️

The Big, Medical Machine Grinds To A Halt…

2023 has certainly delivered its fair share of uncensored bullshit into my life. Especially in the final months, which included Canada Revenue Agency auditing me and discovering an error on my previous year’s filing, making me liable for thousands of dollars. Despite this being my accountant’s fault, they’ll only cover a small portion of the cost, causing me to incur significant debt for the first time in over three years. Then, my mother’s cheese slid off her cracker and I had to travel back to New Brunswick to have her committed to a home.; something no child ever relishes having to do.

In November of 2023, my bi-yearly visit to the endocrinologist revealed that my kidneys were struggling and I was told that I need to both sharpen my blood sugar control, which was only out of whack for a few months as a result of all the stress, travel and poor diet in dealing with my mother, and to lose weight. That last one is a bit of a kick in the teeth, since I exercise often and am by no means obese or even fat. But i was placed on Ozempic which, if you’ve been following mainstream media, you’re aware comes with it’s own set of side effects and complications.

To add just a bit of shit-flavoured icing on an other terrible cake, my oldest son, Nathan, was diagnosed with bronchitis in late November, which effectively ruined his ninth birthday. The issue beyond HIS immediate health, is that I started coughing soon thereafter, and have been coughing ever since. Yes, you read that right; I’ve been coughing throughout the entire month of December and as of time of writing this post, I’m still hacking, albeit on medication now. Here’s my story of the clinic visit…

Despite the fact that some of the women in my life would be likely to say that I was just being stubborn and should have gotten my cough checked out weekend ago, It’s not uncommon for me to ignore a cough or a runny nose for a week or two as it can potentially be just a common cold, which doesn’t really warrant a doctor’s visit. Given how taxed our healthcare system is in Saskatchewan and Canada as a whole, the last thing it needs is one more person clambering for antibiotics for a simple cold. Plus, given that as a Type-1 Diabetic, I catch almost every little bug that floats by, I’m inclined to simply fight my way through most things as opposed to seeking medical help. Call me stubborn at your peril… But I digress…

Once we returned home on New Year’s Day, I committed to hitting up a walk-in clinic on January 2. Since I had to work that day, I only made it there a short period after 5 pm, and the expected wait time was well over three hours. Here’s where I can admit that my stubborn streak comes out because there was no way in hell I was sitting in a clinic until 8 or 9 pm just to be told I have a cough and to take cough syrup and get some sleep. I left without seeing anybody and made my way home. Since I’ve suffered significant injuries in the past, including broken ribs and muscle damage, I had leftover muscle relaxants that weren’t expired. One of those babies got me some sleep through Tuesday night.

On Wednesday morning, I seemed to be coughing significantly more and some of the staff were beginning to voice concerns about my health and being in the office. They’re such a concerned bunch of fuckers. But seriously, one of my employees asked why I was waiting for after work when most people attended clinics and not going right away. I decided that her advice was sound and that despite my work load, I should contribute an hour or two to attend a clinic immediately. So, on Wednesday morning at 9:45 am, I left the office for the walk-in clinic. The time will become important as we I write on. Just bear with me…

I arrived at the clinic and presented myself, confirming that they were in fact, accepting walk-ins. The receptionist confirmed that they were. I sat down and began the long process of waiting my turn. At one point, I suffered a bout of extremes coughing. Just to clarify, I’m not an idiot and I’m very aware of the state of the world as we live in it. By virtue of this, I wore a mask into the clinic because I knew I’d be coughing. As I hacked, coughed and nearly threw up, the man in the seat ahead of me turned around and suggested that I “shouldn’t be out in public if I’m coughing this much…” I was a bit taken aback and I wasn’t sure how to respond.

I told him that this was a doctor’s office and that I was there specifically BECAUSE of my cough and that it was the place to be. He once again told me I should be around this many people with such a cough. I wound up telling him that if he was uncomfortable with my cough, he was more than welcome to leave. He apparently didn’t accept that invitation. Jackass. I swear, some people are always trying to ice skate uphill! Telling a sick person they shouldn’t be in a doctor’s office because of a cough??? What the fuck is wrong with you, dude? Were you dropped on your fuckin’ head? Last week? Maybe that’s why HE was at the doctor’s office. But once again, I digress…

I finally got into the exam room at about 12:15 pm, about two hours after my arrival. Not so bad in the grand scheme of things. I waited for another half hour, however. Once the doctor came in, he asked the typical generic stuff about allergies and whether or not I was a smoker. I explained that it’s been four weeks and I tried every over the counter remedy prior to visiting a doctor. I was concerned he’d say that since it’s been four weeks, it should pass shortly and there was nothing he could give me. Thankfully, I had a serious coughing spell WHILE he was listening to my chest.

Between the coughing and the background I gave him, he identified a bacterial infection in my lungs and prescribed some appropriate meds for me, including an inhaler to help with my breathing. I was glad he took things seriously and actually provided something to assist. As of time of writing, I’m still coughing a fair bit but I am starting to feel better. The lesson here is that one should never ignore illnesses for long periods of time; especially if you have Type-1 Diabetes. So although it was likely a good thing not to jump to the doctor’s office in the first week or so of my cough, I likely should have gone for help sooner, given the nature of what was found. One simply needs to balance the inconvenience and availability of the wait time versus healing properly. ☯️

A Better Resolve…

I guess first and foremost, I should start by wishing everyone happy holidays and a Happy New Year, considering I haven’t posted since before the holidays. For the most part, we had some pretty quiet holidays, with a nice stay-at-home Christmas Day and some brief travel to see family during the last weekend before New Year’s Day. All in all, it was pretty nice, despite my constant coughing and hacking, but that’s a post for a different day. Today’s post is about the strangest and most curious of traditions; the New Year’s resolution…

Now, I need to be very clear that I’m a big fan of setting goals and making resolutions. I think it’s a fantastic thing to do and helps one work towards specific outcomes in terms of their overall health and fitness (or whatever else you may be looking to alter or improve in your life). Hell, I’ve even been guilty of jumping on the resolution train a time or two myself, in the past few decades. But I will be the first to admit that the farthest I’ve gotten with a New Year’s resolution is about three or four months before I faltered and threw in the towel. The question becomes, why do people make such resolutions at what is without a doubt the very worst time of the year to do so?

What do I mean but that? Well, simply put, the beginning of January is the very worst time to make any sort of commitment towards improving your fitness or health or commit to dieting or changes in lifestyle. The reasons for this are quite simple. It’s the winter time and it’s cold. This limits a person’s motivation at the best of times but it’s even more limiting, considering you can’t spend extended periods of time outdoors to help you along, there isn’t as much sunlight and the days are shorter and last but certainly not least, you just spent the past couple of weeks seeing family, opening gifts and celebrating the New Year.

The period immediately following all of that includes a likely return to work, payment of bills and preparation for tax time (in Canada, at least). Then, you tack on a commitment to eat better or limit your diet or exercise for X number of times a week or whatever you’ve chosen, and it’s a sure recipe for failure. With that lessened feeling of motivation, it’s no wonder that people often falter in their resolutions within weeks of starting it.

The idea should be that one should resolve to increase their fitness and nutrition throughout the entire year. Instead of commuting to something on January 1st, when it feels more like a hindrance and you’re likely to give up, make a point of finding your resolution throughout the year. Another tool that’s extremely useful is having a resolution buddy. If you have someone working right long with you, it helps keep you on the path and keeps you accountable. By going this route, you’re less likely to fail so early into your goals. Last but not least, we’re all human. You may falter sometimes. You may take a cheat day or an added rest day here and there (proper fitness requires the occasional rest day, anyway). That doesn’t mean you’ve failed in your resolution; it just means you need to refocus your efforts and keep on going. Food for thought… 😜

I Dream Of Ozempic…

Holy shit, I haven’t posted in nearly a month!!! I think I’m taking this casual, stepping back from my blog thing a little too far. Anyway, here I am. It’s been a rough couple of months for me. In late October, I had to travel back to the Maritimes to do something every child fears; I had to place my mother in a nursing home. Between the stress, travel and eating like absolute shit during my travels, my blood sugars were completely Hayward and out of whack, which anyone who knows me is aware that it sin’s something I take lightly.

In the last week of November, I had by bi-yearly endocrinologist appointment. Normally, I get praised for my tight blood sugar control and solid blood work and I’ve gotten used to being told how boring a patient I am, for a Type-1 Diabetic. This appointment was a bit different. First of all, I had the highest Hemoglobin A1c reading in almost eight years, sitting at 7.9. The second issue is that by virtue of this poor control, my kidneys are struggling. I like to think that I’m not afraid of much in this life but organ failure definitely ranks high on the limited list.

Luckily, my doctor explained that the kidney function was very easily reversible, considering what I’ve been dealing with in previous weeks and having been sick and unable to work out as usual. Once my blood sugars were back to a smooth line and I got some physical activity going, things should go back to normal. That being said, it was a bit of a wake up call that as I continue to age, some of these complications will become more prevailant. And they may not always BE reversible.

Last but not least is the fact that I had been working pretty hard in the months prior to my trip to lose some weight. As you all know, insulin is a growth hormone and no matter how buff I get, slimming down that waistline is probably one of the biggest fitness challenges I face. But I had managed to start off at 95.2 kilograms (roughly 210 pounds) and got myself down to 92.8 kilograms (roughly 205 pounds). This involved working out twice a day and cutting out alcohol over a two-month period.

I was pretty proud of myself until my endocrinologist appointment where I was weighed and found to be sitting back up at 94.2 kilograms (208 pounds). I was angry and disappointed with myself, and that was BEFORE I found out that my kidneys were struggling. I almost left the doctor’s office in a despondent state, until my endocrinologist suggested something I hadn’t even considered trying; Ozempic. Cue the soft music and cheesy infomercial…

Those of you who know me are well aware that I don’t do the whole “band wagon” thing and I’m not a fan of trends, especially as they relate to diet and weight loss. In my world, weight loss has always involved good ol’ fashioned sweat and less calories. But this particular drug has made the news a great deal in recent months, given that it apparently has a side effect of helping one to lose weight. Realistically, it’s intended as a Diabetic medication to help control blood sugar levels. The weight loss is just an after effect, But good ol’ Hollywood is using it for the former, restricting availability for the latter. Typical.

Anyway, my endocrinologist suggested that I start taking it as a means of shedding a few pounds and helping not bring my blood sugars back under smooth control. He provided enough samples to get me through a few months, with a prescription to fill if I chose to continue taking it. I was a bit reluctant since, in the history of my life, I have never had a prescription change or addition that hasn’t totally fucked up my balance. But he explained that shedding even 5 to 10 pounds would help regulate my blood sugars and help ease the burden on my kidneys. So, here we are…

It’s been roughly a month since i started taking Ozempic injections, which are required o a weekly basis. I had my doubts as to its effectiveness but I have to admit, it’s doin’ something. The injection works within the mind, leading your body to believe you’re full, even when you’re not. The result is the consumption of less calories, leading to better blood sugar control and ultimately, loss of weight. As of this morning, I’ve found that I appear to have dropped in weight to 91.1 kilograms (200 pounds).

This means that in about a month, I’ve lost nearly 10 pounds. I’ve also started getting back on the bike, which no doubt helps. I’ve increased the amount of vegetables in my diet and my portions are significantly smaller due to the injections and my lack of hunger. Time will tell if my energy levels are a result of the lessened calorie consumption or the fact I’ve been sick for nearly a month. But it’s certainly a step in the right direction. Do I expect to get washboard abs? Certainly not but it will definitely be nice to shed some weight and feel a bit better.

As with all things in life, there is some negative to offset the positive. Like any prescription medication, there is a risk of side effects. With Ozempic, most of those side effects are digestion-related. Nausea, vomiting, stomach pains and constipation are the most common ones I’ve found posted on most medical websites. I can’t say I’ve experienced anything significantly out of the ordinary but it’s also only been four weeks.

Do I think this medication will help? It appears to be doing so already. Do I think people need to be smarter and not take this shit if they AREN’T Diabetic and didn’t get out prescribed? Absolutely. Of course, we’re living in a generation where folks eat Tide pods and snort condoms, so I don’t think I can expect too much. In any event, I’ll keep y’all posted. ☯️

It Can Happen To You…

Yes. Yes, it can. Most people go through their lives with a set of blinders on; unaware and unbothered about the potential pitfalls that await them and the consequences of their actions. In many ways, this makes sense. After all, if one spent the majority of one’s life contemplating their own death, they’d cause a level of psychological damage to themselves that would be difficult to ignore. People go through their daily routine with nary a thought about their own unavoidable demise, regardless of the fact that we all know that it’s coming.

Today’s focus is not quite as macabre as discussing death but rather, the strange dichotomy that society seems to have when it comes to assuming that. A particular thing won’t happen to them. Let’s take smoking, as an example. From a societal standpoint, half a century ago smoking was almost considered an expectation. When the health complications associated with smoking became common knowledge, you still had tons of people who would light up, several times a day. Despite the stories of pulmonary disease and cancer, people usually take a long drag while muttering, “it won’t happen to me…”

One would think that seeing a photo of a blackened lung on the cigarette packet would be enough o dissuade someone with a modicum of common sense from sucking back on a tar-filled stick of cancer causing chemicals but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Instead, some prefer to bury their heads in the sand and assume that such medical horror couldn’t possibly happen to them. But it can. Oh, but it can. Granted, when using an example that includes something addictive, such as nicotine, it can be a bit diffuse to provide a clear perspective. So, let’s look at some different examples…

This dichotomy I speak of, kicks in with just about everything. On the one side, you have the absolute committed folks who say you have to exercise constantly, never eat anything bad, don’t smoke, don’t drink, sleep eight hours and eliminate all stress from your life. On the other side, you have the ones who say you shouldn’t necessarily deny yourself the things you want, at least not completely. If you want that slice of cake, that beer, that cigar or take a day off from exercising, you should deny yourself that.

So, who’s right? Obviously, I’m a big supporter of exercising and eating right, to an extent. I’m certainly no supporter of those who flop down on the couch and do nothing with their time, eating junk and making no progress in their lives. And believe me, I know some folks who are like that. The big problem is that being at either extreme is not a good thing. Take Jim Fixx, for example. He was an American runner who ended up dying of a heart attack while, you guessed it, running! Although I don’t know the back story behind the actual cause of his death, the irony is palpable. I think Denis Leary joked about it in one of his comedy albums. But i digress.

The key to life is to find the balance that works for you. Exercise and proper diet is important, whether you have Type-1 Diabetes or not. Although you don’t need to slam hours of fitness and eat nothing but quinoa all day, you shouldn’t become a lazy couch potato eating nothing but beef jerky and wings, either. Find yourself a routine that works for you and indulge in it. Enjoy it. Work WITH it instead of thinking of it as a chore. And although you should try to balance out your diet so that you aren’t intentionally clogging your arteries, allow yourself the occasion to have that treat you’re thinking about or grab that beer with a buddy. Balance. That’s what it all comes down to.

Bear in mind that humans are fragile creatures. If you eat a pound of bacon every morning and expect NOT to have a heart attack, think again. It can happen to you. If your think that sitting sedentary all day, every day, won’t cause your body to atrophy, think again. If you think your chain smoking won’t result in lung problems and/or cancer, think again. It can happen to you. It can all happen to you. The idea is to find your balance so that you can live healthy AND live happy. And with that happiness may come the lesser stress you all seem so crazed about. Food for thought… ☯️