As I went to my WOWY calendar (workout with you) on the Beachbody website (this is where I find out which workout I have to do and where I’ve met people who are on the same boat as I), it hit me, I am on day 82 of this journey! I am ALMOST done and I have ONLY 8 more days to go. I’m excited because of my results, although I haven’t taken any measurements yet, and I’m holding back until day 90.
Today however, it was extremely difficult for me in my professional life. I had to go interpret for a couple of patients, both of them with complications due to diabetes. One with dialysis, the other with end-stage liver disease, both had type 2 diabetes. The gentleman that I helped this morning was fighting teeth and nails to do what he wanted, the nurses and staff were so concerned about me not knowing how to interact with him that at the beginning of the session, I met with the head nurse for 40 minutes while she explained in detail. He wasn’t happy to see me, he was upset, frustrated and not wanting to follow orders. Then, I discovered something, he had NO idea why he needed dialysis. While I sat there and explained that his kidneys didn’t work and why they didn’t work, and what he needed to do and that I WAS on his side, his eyes got teary. As I bent down and looked into his eyes I recognized that look, it was fear, he was terrified. With that, it took this session a whole two hours and at the end, he was all smiles, happy, thankful and there was something in him that I sensed had changed. It seemed to me like he was more willing to follow the doctor’s orders, but right there, something had altered and the big wall he had put up, was down probably for the first time since he’s been receiving treatment. Then this afternoon, I met with the other patient, a wonderful lady, her loving husband was there with her, patiently waiting for the results.
As I walked away from these patients today, my only thoughts were: “this could have been prevented.” Diabetes is one of the worst illnesses, it is amazing how much it affects the body. Some patients lose their liver function, some their kidney function, others their eyesight. Diabetes patients are told to go to the podiatrist because they need special care to clip their toenails to avoid infection (and amputation). What people don’t realize is that because it is the blood that is affected with the excess sugar EVERY SINGLE ORGAN in the body is at risk. It’s a scary condition and it’s completely preventable and the sad part is that most people don’t know how to prevent it. Most people are told “eat a balanced diet” and they don’t know what that means. Most people are told to “cook healthy” and don’t know how. Others are told “exercise” and they are “too tired” or “don’t feel like it” or (fill in the blank). Some believe that eating healthy means eating tasteless foods. Others resist change and by the time they want to do something about it many times it’s too late.
If you are at a place right now where you feel resigned about your health and weight loss, there is good news, Beachbody, the distributors of the P90X and Insanity workouts have all the tools you need to succeed, from exercise, to healthy recipes, to support, to your own no-cost personal coach and all the supplements you need to make your journey easier. I won’t lie, this journey has been challenging. There have been days when I don’t want to workout, there have been days when I’ve been ready to quit. What has kept me going is this blog, my coach and my Beachbody team; the thing is, it doesn’t have to be difficult. When I think about my 90 day journey and this lifestyle change with exercise and healthy eating, I think to myself: “what’s more difficult, doing this or living one of these patient’s lives?” I think you know the answer to that question, right?