Something I just posted on MySpace Diabetes group, thought I would post it here

June 1st 2006, I was DX'd with type 2 diabetes. I have told everyone that this was the greatest thing that has ever happened to me, as I am finally in control of my body, rather then the other way around. I had started on 3 meds, Lantus, Byetta. I have been weaned off of everything (Metformin in the process), with Byetta being the last one. Since June 6th (I was 450lbs when I entered the ER, losing 30lbs in 2 weeks due to urinating, the hospital was kind enough to fill me up with 22lbs of fluids in 5 days ) I have lost 180lbs (472lbs 6/6/06 - nice devilish number). I have lost a total of 220lbs since January 1st, 2006, when I weighed my heaviest at 510lbs. I currently weigh 290lbs, with the hopes of reaching my goal of 195lbs by Christmas of this year.

I have learned how to eat properly. I have learned how to read nutritional labels. I have learned how to exercise, and work out. I have educated myself on this disease, and the afore mentioned things. I have set goals for myself to become a weight I hadn't seen since High School. I have become more out going. I have gained a ton of self esteem, and self confidence. With my continued program, I am striving to be "normal", whatever that means.

In short, thank you Diabetes for changing my life. I can now finally live!

Steven 6/1/07

Yay Steven . . .

You are an inspiration to us all . . . hope you will come and join us on our regular monthly chat thread . . . "Dieting with Diabetes" . . . look forward to seeing you over there, boy . . . you would be our second rooster and we'd love to chat with you on a regular basis.

Keep things moving and shaking . . .

Steven , you are an inspiration. you show what you can do. I posted on another site about my son ,also diabetic who has lost 125 pounds and gone down 12 pant sizes, his doctor has taken him off his medication. I congratulate you, Steven and brag about my son. I am ashamed of how I reacted when my son was diagnosed,I was so fearful because of ignorance. I just want to say this in the hopes that others with loved ones who are diabetic see what can be done. Congratulations again, Steven and thanks for sharing.

Good for you. You have a very positive outlook on life. And I've always thought the same, that change is always a good thing.

Great work, and it is work, and hard work at that. You're an inspiration to those of us who struggle.

Very inspirational! congratulations on changing your life. The world is your oyster now.

Thank you everyone who responded. I am sorry about not responding right away, but my lifestyle is really hectic

Something I just posted on MySpace, just thought I'd share it here. I call it my "Reality" check:

Because I have been serious about this weight loss, I had a genuine curiosity about "where I came from". The reason I have in my Pics page a old Dr's scale is because that serves as a personal souvenir for me. I knew my health clinic after awhile couldn't weigh me anymore because this scale doesn't go past 350lbs. It got to the point to avoid embarrassment the nurse simply asked me if I wanted to step on the scale. I ordered all my medical charts from the clinic I used to go to (a wisely spent $8).

In 1993 (21 years old) I weighed 305lbs, by 1996, I was tinkering around the 350lb mark and toyed around with dieting. In early 1997 I let myself go, I didn't care anymore. I do know starting in May of 1999 I started to drive for a living, driving nearly 10 hrs a day. Snacking on potato chips, jerky, candy, sodas, cookies, whatever. Just sitting there on my butt eating all day. Whenever I visited the clinic, the Dr kept on giving a diagnosis of "obesity/edema". Once during that time he ran labs. My glucose was at 89, my total cholesterol was 123, and other stuff I have no idea what they stand for. The funny thing is that these lab results look identical to the labwork done just this year (minus my A1c, of course). I remember in '97, I was told "I was nowhere near becoming diabetic". I took advantage of this comment, and always assumed that despite my weight, all my bloodwork will come out "normal".

In 1996, my employer was requiring a non-squid shoe. Because of my flat feet (grandma first noticed this when I was a child - husky, but nothing more) I could only wear a basketball shoe. I needed a note from the Dr giving me this permission. On my chart, my weight was "350+", his diagnosis was I had flat feet due to obesity (I told him, an he indicated on the chart that I had flat feet since childhood), and advised to lose "100lbs". My oh my, 10 years later, I am on my way to losing that 100lbs (from 350+).

In 1997 I complained of hemorrhoids, Dr advised that I had hemorrhoids, due to constipation. His diagnosis? Get exercise! I do not have problems any longer with hemorrhoids, but the constipation is neverending. Might be IBS (never diagnosed with this, but am on a med for it), might be lactose intolerance. I am getting my fair shake at exercise nowadays, and that doesn't help. Fiber helps. So does an excess amount of sugar alcohols!

I personally hated this Dr. One day, he came in the room and said "we have a big one here, big fella". I felt this was very inappropriate talk from a Dr. Thank God I have a Dr that is supportive of me, and encourages me.

Like I said in a earlier thread, I acknowledge that I got diabetes based on my lifestyle, and since I have no family history of this, I blame no one but myself. I do wonder if things would have turned out different if this other Dr offered to help me lose the weight, ran more tests, etc.

Sorry if this was OT (I did mention glucose, I get some credit!), but by me viewing these charts, it took me down a weird memory lane. I'm glad I got to see this, keeps me more focused on my goals, but then it was kinda depressing at the same time. "What could have been?"

Another really enlightening post . . . . . . Once again, thank you for sharing, Steven. Wow do I ever agree that your first doctor was someone to be rid of . . . you definitely got lucky there.

I know all about flat-feet . . . got mine from my Father (heredity, you know). Everybody used to think it was sooooo cute that the little girl made duck-shaped footprints with absolutely no sign of an arch whatsoever. Never bothered me until I started gaining weight in my late 30's/early 40's. Now that I'm in my 60's, diabetic and still chronically obese, they bother me a lot. Obesity certainly didn't cause the flat-feet (not for me, anyway); but it definitely hasn't helped them any.

Flat feet is weird to me. I know basketball shoes, based on the cushiony soul was always comfy on my feet. But now that I have taken up walking, I can easily set out to do a 5-6 mile walk (upwards to 8miles through an entire day). Sure, my feet will be sore AFTER that long walk, but who's wouldn't? If I do these long haul walks 2 days in a row, my thighs start begging for mercy Sure I am wearing comfy walking shoes now, but is that the main reason why why flat feet aren't hurting as much as they used to?.

I am learning more about my body, and it's limitations thanks to diabetes! Thank God I was diagnosed with this. This has really changed my life

I have NEVER been ashamed of my diabetes, in fact, I have become my own spokesperson. EVERYONE knows about it, I will freely talk about it. The funny thing is the more I talk, the more I learn who else has this. When I did a 5mi walk last year for ADA (this was my 1st attempt at the walking - I was dragging at the end), I was given a t-shirt that says every 21 seconds someone is diagnosed. I wear that from time to time.

Because of diabetes, I learned yesterday I weigh less then I did 15 yrs ago. I am probably at my high school weight now. The achievements "outweigh" the disease.

Question for you...You said your son lost 125lbs and the Dr took him off his meds. I know everyone is different, and I am in the weaning process, but what was his starting weight? What meds was he taken off? Who initiated this (him or his Dr)? Also, I went from a size 64" waist, to a 48" - BUT I can squeeze into 44's. This is in 1 yr's time

Steven, I remember reading about your journey on the MySpace group, and I have to say it's quite commendable that you, even at that size, went to turn your life around all by yourself. That's amazing. And I see you're looking better and better - styling your hair, wearing more fashionable clothes, etc since you've lost all that weight.