From 333 to 94: My Journey with Diabetes

When Reality Hit Me

When I was diagnosed with diabetes it was like a slap in the face. We all think it will never happen to me. That is exactly what I always thought. I knew I wasn’t eating right and I was gaining weight. I always told myself I would change when… I always had an excuse as to why I ate the way I did and always told myself when xyz happens I will do better.

The problem is why xyz would happen I would come up with a new xyz. It took years to finally get serious and decide to make the changes I needed to get healthy. I joined Weight Watchers. I had lost 50 pounds! I was doing great. I was exercising consistently, eating right, and doing all the things.

The Wake-Up Call I Couldn't Ignore

Right after hitting the 50-pound mark, I had to get some routine lab work done for my insurance. I told the doc to go ahead and check my sugars and cholesterol. The results hit me like a ton of bricks. My fasting sugar levels were 333 and my A1C was 6.5. I didn’t know what my A1C meant at the time but that 333 scared me. I knew that was real bad. I blamed the doc for it. I told myself it was her fault. She checked me last year and told me everything was fine. I told myself that if she had just told me I was pushing my luck I would have worked harder sooner and I would have been able to prevent becoming diabetic.

Let’s be honest though. You know as well as I do that is not true. I always said I would try harder when… and then one day it was too late. My ship had sailed, and I felt like I was drowning.

Suddenly I didn’t know what to do. I worked as a CNA when I was younger. I used to prep food for the diabetic in a facility I worked at, but I suddenly had no idea how to eat or how to take care of myself. I felt like everything I knew about diabetes had just fallen out of my head and I was completely lost. I canceled my Weight Watchers subscription. I stopped exercising and started focusing on how to control my sugars. I gained back all the weight I had lost and more.

The Struggle to Find Answers

I talked to my doctor, my mom who is an LPN, and a diabetes specialist. Nothing anyone told me was working. I was told to watch my carbs and figure out what my “magic number” is. I was told to focus on complex carbs and stay away from simple carbs. I would think I had found my “magic number” and then my sugars would go all over the place again.

I ended up getting on Ozempic. This was a huge mistake. Several times a day my sugars would crash, and I couldn’t get them back up. I would eat candy to get my numbers back up which never worked. I would drop down into the 50 and 40 and could not get them to go back to normal.

I told my doctor about my sugar crashes and all she ever said was “Okay”. Eventually, I took myself off Ozempic and stopped going to that doctor.

Hitting My Breaking Point

At this point I hit a real low point. I didn’t know what to do. I avoided going to the doctor because I knew they would end up putting me on insulin and that was not a step I was willing to take. My sugars at this point were averaging in the 200’s. I would wake up and be at almost 300 almost every day.

This is when I hit a turning point. I learned about some more research that had been done on GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic). They had come out with new ones. These new ones helped stable sugars instead of lowering them.

During this time, I learned I could get on Weight Watchers for free through my employer. I signed up and that led me to doing the discounted trial for the clinic side of Weight Watchers. The doctor there helped me get on Mounjaro. While all this was going on my mom was telling me about how she was doing an all-protein diet. I did not feel that was a smart idea, but I started to learn more about protein and how it helps to level sugars.

For the month of June while I waited for my Moujaro prescription to get approved, I completely changed my diet. I stopped focusing on carbs and started focusing on protein. My sugars were getting better. They were staying about 120. This was amazing for me. However, I still wanted to eat candy and junk food. It was very hard to say no to those cravings.

Finding Hope Again

In July I was able to start Mounjaro. Between changing my diet and taking this new med, my sugars were leveling out in the 80’s and 90’s. I have also now lost over 30 pounds. I am no longer using the clinic with Weight Watcher. I am still on Weight Watchers though. My goal is to stop taking Mounjaro after I have been at goal weight for a while and see if I can maintain on my own. I still have about 80 pounds to lose. But I do have a plan and for the first time I am losing weight, and my sugar levels are staying in a good range.

You're Not Along

If you made it to the end of this, it is probably because you can relate to my story in one way or another. Everyone has a different story. I am sharing my story with you, so you know you are not alone. We have all struggled with our journey with diabetes. It is a roller coaster of a ride. But you are not alone. There are others out there who are struggling too. When you feel like giving up or you don’t know what to do, stop and remember you are not alone. Come back and read my story. Go to Facebook and join a diabetes group. Find your people.

If you are struggling with finding the right diet that works for you, check out my post Why I Eat The Same Thing Every Day.