I went for what I thought was routine blood work a week or so ago. I figured, "No biggy". I get this done once a year, as I'm on regular medication for my heart condition and high blood pressure. Doc wants to make sure we're not wrecking my liver in the process of keeping my ticker working.
Well, the next day I heard from my doc. She had some news that I didn't particularly want to hear. Bottom line, I now have Wilford Brimley Syndrome (WBS), aka Type 2 Diabetes. OK...no one calls it that but me...just remember - humor is how I deal with things. On a more positive note, the rest of my blood work was amazingly good!
I really shouldn't be too surprised. I'm 48, overweight, and while I try to take care of myself, I can do better. Also, I had a few episodes of dizzy spells over the summer. I attributed them to the weather. The first one, I was painting a house and thought I had heat stroke. The second time, it had been particularly warm, and as I was getting up from the couch, I got pretty light-headed and had to sit right back down. I've also been pissing a lot more than usual lately...but honestly, I attributed that to being a prostate cancer survivor and to drinking as much coffee as I do. I had a few other very minor episodes, and I just attributed those to my lifelong habit of forgetting to eat. As big as I am, you'd be surprised at how infrequently I eat a meal.
Along with the WBS, I have a mild blood condition, polycythemia, common among diabetics. Long story short, I have sludgy blood. Needless to say, the past week has been a pain in the ass for me. I've been working on booking 2 tours for next year; Europe and Australia. I've been feeling very positive about life in general, so I should've known it was all going too smoothly! LOL Needless to say, I'm cancelling the tours. I need to work on my health more than I need to tour. I've seen a lot of musicians wreck their bodies just to keep playing music. I don't want to be that guy any more.
Being told that I'm now a card carrying member of the Wilford Brimley Dia-beetuss Society just didn't sit well with me. It doesn't run rampant in my family. In fact, I can only think of 2 blood relations who had it; my paternal great grandmother, and a great aunt. Neither of my parents are/were diabetic...to my knowledge, no one on mum's side had it...so, just my luck! I got it. It looks like I'll finally be slowing down a bit. Damn it. I'm not happy about that. But...a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do, right?
I'm now in the process of making some significant lifestyle changes. Sure, diet and exercise...but for me, it's a lot more. I've been in show biz for decades. I'm used to late nights, smokey bars, partying, living it up...you know, all the fun stuff that is really bad for you. I've never been good at moderation. But I'm working on it! I've already lost a couple of pounds just by making some diet changes and walking a bit more. Time to take this bull by the horns and get it under control.
My goal now is to attempt to reverse this. While I'll never be a non-diabetic again (barring a miracle of modern medicine), it is possible to get myself off of the medication I am now on. It's going to take a lot of work on my part...mostly behavioral. Lucky for me, behavior is what I spent 25 years doing for a living! I know that I can do this and that the end result will be positive and beneficial to all aspects of my life. What it's also going to mean is changing more than just my diet and exercise regimen.
I am going to have to take a few healthy steps away from the rock and roll lifestyle. Let's face it; there are a lot of negative influences and temptations there. In my case, it's the booze. I can outdrink almost any human, and have on many occasions. I don't drink all of the time, and haven't for years...but I can still hold my own. That's got to stop...and spending too much time in that environment would make it tricky. I also work door at a bar. Last weekend was tough...but proved to not be impossible. I worked both nights and instead of my usual 3-5 beers while working, I had 3 over the course of 2 nights. I would've only had 2....but ran into an old friend, so I cheated. I paid for it.
A few of you already know about this, and now the rest of you do. To those that already know, thank you for the kind words and support! I can do this! I don't want attention about it, don't really care to discuss it, and unless you're a diabetic or an endocrinologist, don't really care to hear your two cents worth on the subject. I'm working very closely with my doc (a great gal!) and we've caught this early and are getting things under control. Like I said, I'm already working on the dietary changes and getting more exercise. I'm now on medication and monitoring my glucose levels and following the doc's orders. I had a few more tests done this morning, and all in all, I feel fine. My biggest battle is going to be behavioral. I have 48 years worth of bad habits to undo. But like I keep reminding myself, I can do this. I have a lot of reasons to want to stay healthy for a long, long time.
Don't worry...I'll still be making music every chance I get, albeit maybe not performing it live. I'll still be the same cantankerous old smart ass you've come to know and love. I'll just be even better looking...I almost feel bad for y'all! Clean, sober, talented, AND good-looking! Can you handle all of that?
Little chocolate donuts...I think I'll miss you most of all!
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