I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes in July of 2014. It wasn’t that much time later I lost the sight in both my eyes due to Cataract. 6 weeks it started and then took both eyes. The Doctors for Center for Sight; Dr. Kim (yes very Asian, lol) said they had never seen a Cataract this aggressive in someone that was in my age range and the shape I was in. 5’2; 140 lbs, 35 years old @ 8% Body Fat at that time. Mind you professional bodybuilders usually come in, in and around, 3-5% Body Fat. So I was in pretty good shape on the outside. A month later I got surgery on both eyes.
Since then I have lost an additional 10lbs. When I went to the ER in July 2014 to find out what was up with me. I didn’t have a dollar in my name. My blood sugar was at around 500 then. I got a DUI in June of 2016 and they tested my blood then. It was High; around 455. I got cellulitis in my right finger in July of 2017, went to Sarasota Memorial, blood test came up at 475.
In the few months to come, I stabilized my blood sugar. However; I was having problems with the insulin I was on (Novolin R, and Novolin N) The N made me very sick and weak. I lose more weight. The R also made me sick an even after eating my Blood Sugar would drop way too low. I’d go to the gym and BOOM. Bottom the hell out in mid-set… I was so goddamn embarrassed.
You have to understand that I am a complete beast in the gym. I go at a hard pace and I don’t mess about there. All business… The one place where I can be a complete animal with just about no regard for anything but myself. I love it…
The reason why I am saying all this is to give you some back story about why I am here and why my profile sort of makes no sense on the outside looking in. I am not a typical Type II Diabetic case. My blood sugars are a little high from normal, to the mid 200’s. The only time I get spikes is in the AM, Fasted and/or If I eat a late dinner. I might see a 298-303 reading. Those bigger numbers that I talked about above where all situations where my body and my brain were under a lot of stress. Stress. I will come back to that.
So, for the most part, my blood sugars are not that out of control that I need to suffer every day being sick on a poor man’s insulin. I have no insurance so I cannot get the Novolog that I need. I have to get the Canadian Version from Wal-Mart.
I was laid off in November, I wasn’t feeling good at all. I also have a back issue. Back then it was at its worse. I could barely move around. It got so bad I had to take time off the gym and then another few months not doing LEGS. What real lifter skips Leg Day Yo? So; I was gonna get a shot in the spin but my PCP (Primary Care Physician) was being a real pain about it. Wanted all these tests that cost money I didn’t have and I had to pay them. I got upset and just said screw it to both. My back, the shot, my PCP. I fired them both and let them know what I was gonna do. I was gonna eat carbs and squat… They both didn’t like that. Get this… After 10 days of treating my back like I had no issues. My pain went from a solid 8 to about a 3. When the pressure drops here in SWFL it does affect it but I can usually fight through it.
So back to my diabetes… Your typical type II diabetic case are bigger people who cannot lose weight. In fact, they gain weight in most cases. Me? I lost 50+lbs in about 8 months and for the life of me, I cannot put weight back on. I literally cannot gain physical mass. No matter how much I eat/train/rest/repeat… I do not gain physical mass… I weighed today at 135… I look good; sure, but I am too small. I need to be 150-155. Then I would feel more me again. Me hopes…
I Googled/WebMD’d the FK out of this and couldn’t find much data on “Type II Diabetics trying to gain mass.” Almost all the fitness stuff on Diabetes is all big/fat people trying to lose weight. Their disease is what’s increasing their weight. Yet mine subtracts and I have only had mild success at putting muscle mass on. It’s actually quite maddening.
I truly believe that Stress from 2012-2013 put me into this state. I can actually remember waking up one day feeling like EVERYTHING around me that I knew was “off” or how I was seeing/interpreting it, was, OFF; mentally, physically and emotionally.
This is also why I am single. I do not gain mass because it’s likely my T levels are extremely low. I am willing to bet its closer to zero. I am sure you know what low T will do to a guy both mentally and physically. It has literally re-wired how my brain operates now. Especially in the guy/girl department.
Now that I am back to work. I plan to get a GAD Test. A GAD test is a blood test which measures whether the body is producing a type of antibody which destroys its own GAD cells. Apparently, this is related to Diabetes as a whole. Apparently, it’s not standard testing down here. How am I not surprised… Anyways… I am going to another Dr. I know from the GYM. He does TRT replacement. So I am going to get tested to see if that might help me be more, ah, more me; you know?
So now I have cut my workouts back to 4 days a week. My job is very physically demanding and I usually drink about a gallon to a gallon and a half of water between work and the gym. I sweat my weight in water so my job is cardio and I do a more powerlifting routine. My body responds better to this but still no mass gain. Will continue this when I see the Doctor and get those blood test results in.