A Sweet Mind Exposed

2 idlis with sambhar – 300, a ripe banana – 90, a glass of milk – 85, a serving of rice – 200, a cheese burger – 400, a gateaux - 250 and thus the list goes on. For every article of food that we consume can be tagged with a number. Now don’t mistake these numbers to be the cost of the said item. Although the price of commodities has rocketed, they are yet to reach this level. These values as some of you would have guessed are the calorific value of that particular food. For most people these numbers may not mean anything as they are simply not aware and can afford to stay ignorant. However for people like me these numbers form an integral part of my life. Without this awareness, I can simply say that my life would be catastrophic. I need to literally calculate and juggle with these numbers if I need to lead a healthy life. The reason for this being the fact that I can only take in a prescribed amount of calories - an amount that is deemed right for a healthy living. There is a definite no-no to the frills which others take for granted. I do not have the ability to produce as and when required the hormone which assists in the metabolism of the glucose present in these foods. This hormone is produced by a group of cells called the Islets of Langerhorn situated in the Pancreas. The hormone is none other than the one and only INSULIN. Yes I am a diabetic and thus the amount of insulin produced is less than what is required for the burning of all the calories I consume. I am forced to restrict myself to foods which are less in calories and at the same time have enough of fibres to give the satiated feel. Like most diabetics, the moment I see a heavy laden table, what comes first to my mind are a whole range of numbers. It is unlikely that I would notice things what others would like the presentation and quality of the preparation.
I think I can call myself a PRO at the juggling game for I have been doing it quite successfully for the last two decades. Yes it is unfortunate that I became a Diabetic early in life, however at that point, I wonder if I gave the condition, the importance it deserved. Even while being a Diabetic ‘green horn”, I had a great advantage on my side. I knew the calorific value of most foods. This was something I had learnt in college by virtue of having done my under graduation in Nutrition and Dietetics. When the course was thrust on me (I say thrust, because my ambitions were elsewhere), little did I realize as to how useful it would come in my later life. I knew exactly that sugars namely glucose was present in almost all foods that we consumed and not just in the additive that gave the sweet taste. Thus I knew that rice and all cereals were rich in sugars and that it had to be consumed in the right quantities. This did not mean that I never indulged for one of my weaknesses is the desserts namely pastries and puddings. However on consumption of the same, the guilt pangs were hard to ignore and this resulted in an extra round of walk or a slight reduction in the next intake of calories. As I mentioned earlier, meals became just calories and the names of foods just ceased to exist.
Many a time I cheated on myself by literally starving on the day before the blood test, for then the fasting sugar value would read the way I wanted it to. On days when the Post Prandial values were to be taken, I made sure that I cut down on my regular breakfast for I did not have the guts to see big numbers. However this technique was short lived, for soon came into my scheme of things the HbA1c test also called the Glycosated Haemoglobin Test. This test shows the average blood sugar value for the past three months and there was no way in which one could manipulate the same. The ideal value is 6 and anything up to 8 is considered decent for a Diabetic. To achieve this hard value, one had to really be good and follow things to the T. It also meant that the management of Diabetes was turning into a number game. The goal was always to achieve a value of 6, and for this goal, one had to just consume “X” calories. A little more was tolerated but a value of more than 8 called for stringent measures and an addition to the prescription cannot be avoided.
When you have Type 1 or Juvenile Diabetes, the only option you have is taking Insulin injections. Depending on the severity of the condition, the dosage and the strength of the Insulin varied. For a Type 2 Diabetic, the category into which I fall, Insulin is not required initially; however there are times in one’s life when Insulin has to be taken (pregnancy being one of it). I was advised a couple of years ago by my doctor to switch over to Insulin. The reason given was that Oral medication takes its toll on the kidney and other organs over a period of time, whereas the Insulin would just merge into the blood stream and do its work without leaving behind any residue. I mulled on this idea for over a year, for I did not want to be bracketed in the Insulin dependant group. However seeing that the magical 6 was way beyond my reach, I decided to succumb. It is well over three months since my initiation and time to take my next HbA1c. Anything up to 7 is welcome, but I have no clue as to what will be in store. Having made far too many trips in the last three months, I have been at the losing end of the number game on more than one occasion. With “X” plus calories in my system, I really wonder as to what the outcome would be.
I have come a long way in my understanding of Diabetes Mellitus. What started of as something that really did not bother me as long as I abstained from sweets and rich foods have progressed into a condition, where I have become my own nurse, technician and dietician all rolled into one. From the condition being a passive one, which can at times be forgotten, it has now become active for when the needle goes through my skin, there is no way I can ignore what I am endowed with. I wonder if the latest discovery namely the Insulin Inhaler will make me revert to the oral medication stage. If that be the case, it will only be the PEN for me.
In the mean time, I continue telling people that I am a sweet person when asked if I need sugar in my tea.