I had a good visit with Dr. Jo and her husband yesterday to discuss the results of my recent blood diagnostics. As mentioned earlier, I had several above-normal readings and one below-the-normal range. Only two were of immediate concern: The FBS (hexokinase) reading of 6.35 (normal is 3.89-5.49) classifies as “pre-diabetic,” and the red blood cell count of 4.57 (normal is 4.63-6.08).
I’ve been having some breathing issues again recently, and the low red blood cells could be a contributing factor. Dr. Jo gave me a B-12 injection and recommended getting one every 7-10 days to improve my blood chemistry. The cure for my blood sugar issues is not surprisingly diet related–I need to cut back on the carbs. I’ve been there and done that (lost 35kgs in the process), so I know it can be achieved with the right motivation and self-discipline. I must let go of my love for ice cream, cakey snacks, bread, potatoes, and other carb-rich foods.
But what about beer? Both doctors know me well enough that they assumed beer would remain my primary source of carbohydrates. Well, maybe not. As much as I like drinking beer, I think I can find ways to reduce my intake. Now, don’t get me wrong–I’m not giving up the bar scene; that’s a bridge too far. So, my thinking now is I will try renewing my relationship with gin, at least on a part-time basis. I need to find better ways to control my intake and level of inebriation, something I failed at previously. My plan this go-round is to do my gin and soda and then partake a can of soda water in between drinks. That will slow down my alcohol intake without reducing my bar time. We’ll see how that works out for me.
The blood work also indicates I may have some allergy issues, so I have some new meds for that. And a liver indicator was a tad high as well, which is really no surprise given my daily alcohol intake. My cutting-back plan should help there as well. But overall, most of my indicators look good, and I’m doing alright for an old guy. I need to make the lifestyle adjustments now to keep it that way.
After my appointment, it was going on three o’clock. It didn’t seem worthwhile to go all the way back home just to turn around and come back to town at beer o’clock. Sloppy Joe’s is practically next door to Dr. Jo’s clinic, so I popped in there to consider my options. And yes, I hydrated with a San Mig Zero. At the conclusion of my second beer, the thought occurred to me that I could pass some time and get some additional steps in by walking to Baloy Beach and then visiting the floating bar there. So, I set about doing that when suddenly, there was a cloudburst, and the raindrops were falling on my head.
I walked back to the highway, then decided to pay a visit to one of my old haunts, Snackbar. The memories there tend to make me sad, and last night was no exception. I finished my beer and caught a trike home.
It wasn’t even eight yet, so I watched a couple of more Lucifer episodes. I didn’t want the rocky road ice cream in the freezer to tempt me once I start my low-carb diet, so I took it out and ate it all in one sitting. Hey, the devil made me do it!
And just to keep these health-related issues in perspective, here’s something my favorite restauranteur, John Kim, posted on Facebook yesterday:
I was just at emergency room again because I couldn’t breathe well. That was why I was asking if anyone has 2nd hand oxygen tank that was not being used. I know where I can buy them, but my medical bill is eating up everything we have that it’s very hard to buy anything new. People look at me as if I’m unlucky with my situation and give me the sympathy look.
Well, here’s story of my life that you can judge whether I am unlucky or not. I came to the Philippines with my family, as early retirement. I had Korean wife and two sons. I thought things were doing good, but one day, my wife packed and left. So did my sons. I was devastated and started drinking a lot and also gotten into gambling. I was always shit drunk when I went to casino and gradually lost everything. I became broke and alcoholic. I was ready to leave the country but I met my girl, Lin.
She took me knowing I have nothing. I stopped all the bad habits, not because she told me so, but I just wanted to prove to her that I can get back on my feet. It’s 11th year that I live with Lin, but she’s never told me what to do or what not to do. We both worked hard and started get our lives on track, but getting paid in the Philippines was a joke, and we decided to work for our own. So we started frying chicken from our home and started delivering to Koreans. That’s how we started our restaurant business.
We had ups and downs but we manage to come this far. She is excellent cook and she does most of work. She trains new cook, accounting, purchasing and general work of entire place. When I started getting dialysis, she started working 18 hours a day to help out for my medical bill. And she doesn’t even have a washing machine. She often hand washes all our clothes, while all our emplyees get paid the most in town.
I’m probably one of the luckiest guys on planet. I can’t afford to get depressed. My one day is equivalent to one or two weeks of others. These days, I go out with my friends more than ever. I even go bar hop with friends, which I’ve never done in several years. It’s funny that I am enjoying my life more than ever.
Good luck to you, John. Keep fighting!
I’m no doctor, but your numbers really didn’t sound that bad, and the ones that were bad weren’t radically bad. Your docs seem to have confirmed that. It won’t take much carb-reduction to get your A1c under 6.0, which is why I suggested eating your favorite desserts X – 1 days of the week instead of X days of the week. You have no need to cut back on anything radically. Slow and steady will work just fine. And maybe get a couple thousand extra steps in every few days. Walking for extended periods reduces blood sugar.
Note: fasting blood sugar is measured with high numbers. Yours was around 114 or something; the 6.3 number is your A1c (short for HbA1c, or glycated hemoglobin). A1c is a three-month average and therefore stable; the fasting BS number can fluctuate by the minute, making it much less stable. A1c is a more reliable indicator of your average blood-sugar levels. Fasting BS, because it fluctuates so much, is a better indicator of how you react before, during, and after eating. The docs didn’t recommend that you get a blood-sugar monitor?
John Kim (also the name of my Korean uncle in Texas: Mom’s younger brother) has had a really tough life. It’s sad to hear his wife and kids just up and left. I don’t know what the issue was with the wife, but you’d think he’d at least have some contact with his kids. At a guess, his time spent in hell—with all that heavy drinking and depression—probably did a number on his body. Too bad we don’t live in a future where you can casually slip into a magical booth and have your major organs replaced with genetically compatible parts. I guess it’s good that John has Lin to do all that heavy lifting. (Buy that man a washing machine! And hire him a caretaker who only does laundry and clothes-folding! There’s your charity right there.)
We’ve all got our crosses to bear. Some crosses are self-imposed, pieced together from the karmic flotsam of our unwise choices.
Good luck as you manage your numbers.
PS: I don’t know why they call it “fasting” blood sugar. That Indian website you linked to also uses the term “conventional blood-sugar test.” You can do this test after fasting (as the website also mentions), but you can do the test after eating, too. It’s the exact same test either way.
If quizzes make you quizzical, then tests make you…
(There’s your dad joke for the day.)
Love the sound of those B12 shots, could do with a weekly infusion myself. They say that the excess gets harmlessly and orangely pissed away anyway, so why not triple down on Vit C pills while you’re at it? And isn’t Vit D the one they now claim can ward off cognitive decline (though you must gets tons of that photosynthetically whilst a gamblin through the trees)? Your doctors seem appreciably more sympathetic than the puritanical reapers I’m used to dealing with -and that to me is a good reflection on a lazy culture most men would like to retire to. Well done, John Kim indeed! (By the way, his woman sounds like she’s been ripped from a different century. The disasters that befell him previously paved the way to an angel and a life. Like the B shots, could do with a smack in the face like that myself.)
Personally I would not be looking to knock the booze on the head. Boy, I can picture myself taking that raft to a cold one out at sea to watch sun down every night of my life and not getting bored of the vista ever. So it’s got to be food. (I also think beer carbs aren’t the worst kind, but if you insist on cutting back on those, why not start ordering up large glasses of resveratrol-filled red wine -or don’t they sell it in Philipino bars?)
Seriously, just avoid orange food and your blood numbers will be pythagoreanly good.
Good stuff, Dan, thanks!
Yeah, I have the best docs ever, at least in the sense that they do seem to make realistic suggestions suited to both the needs and wants of the patient. I guess I should read up more on the B-12 injections, but it is certainly worth a try.
I’m not going to give up my booze, just moderate the type and amount I ingest. I agree that my best course of action will be improving my diet and reducing my carb intake. I know I can do it.
John Kim is indeed a lucky man, notwithstanding his current situation. The impressive thing is that he knows it. Too many folks (including me) forget about their blessings and get wrapped up in feeling sorry for themselves. I am going to strive to be better in that regard as well.
Kev, that’s right; the docs didn’t seem overly concerned with most of my readings, saying some high ones were counteracted by others in the normal range. And their advice was very similar to what you had given in a previous comment here (so similar that I was tempted to show them). They also cautioned about the impact of blood sugar on insulin levels. They didn’t mention a monitor, and I didn’t volunteer–we’ll see about that if things don’t improve. Your opinions may diverge from theirs in some ways–they cautioned against ketosis and didn’t seem to be fans of fasting.
I don’t really know John outside of the restaurant, and he didn’t seem receptive to accepting contributions during his initial illness. I’d be down with buying the washing machine and sponsoring a helper. He’s a proud man; I’ll have to maybe propose it as charity towards his wife. We’ll see.
As for your dad joke, that was a pretty ballsy one to tell. People might think you are nuts.