Reduced Insulin Usage and Lowered A1c from 8.4 to 7.1

My name is Susan Waters, and I live in Benicia, California, which is in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have Type 2 diabetes, and I was diagnosed probably about 15 years ago. I would say that I was going in a lot of different directions. I would, uh, follow this program, then that program. I'd do it for a little bit and not, then not do it. Sometimes I'd have really good control of my blood sugars, sometimes I wouldn't. And, um, I think the main thing I was lacking was consistency and a good overall plan that explained the pathophysiology of diabetes and why a certain method would work. Oh, I would say about, um, 14 years. [laughs] Yeah, a long time, a long time. I have a friend who is going blind, and I became very concerned about my eyesight, and I realized that diabetes can affect it. And this was the wake-up call that I needed. Um, right, yeah, uh, right before starting, it was, my A1C was eight point four. I was on Glucophage, a thousand milligrams twice a day, and on insulin. At the time, I was taking NPH as my, um, insurance would not pay for Lantus. So I was taking... Trying to remember 'cause I'm not on it anymore. I was taking probably about, um, thirty to forty total units a day of Lantus, and then the, um, rapid-acting insulin. You know, it would vary, but probably about, um, thirty to forty units a day total, so quite a lot. Uh, well, it was partly the medication, it was partly me. Uh, when I was following what I thought was a pretty good diabetic diet, my numbers would be much better. I don't think it was the medications, I think it was me and compliance. My highest A was, A1C was over ten. Well, I saw the book in a bookstore, and I just picked it up, and I started looking at it. And to tell you the truth, I thought, "These people are idiots. They're telling you to eat more carbs f- to control your diabetes." And I thought it was so stupid that I got intrigued, [laughs] and I started reading it. And I thought, you know, it kind of went against everything that I had learned and everything that I had read. S- so I just started reading more and more, and I thought, you know, it made sense, that I had nothing to lose by trying it. So I got the book, and I read it, and I didn't start right away. I think it was an ad on Facebook that got, that was the final impetus. I just said, "Okay, I'm gonna do this." And I started, and I could not believe the difference that it made. I came way, way down on my insulin very, very quickly. Exciting. They were exciting because I felt like I was really understanding what was happening in my body. It made so much sense, and it was, it was working so well, and it wasn't some crackpot thing where you, you know, only eat this one food or s- you know, something like the keto diet that doesn't really make sense. It was, it was a very, very healthy approach. And I, I felt so good. And I've always had cravings for sweets and salty foods. You know, I think if I were on a desert island, I'd probably bring potato chips. Well, before. I don't crave them so much anymore. But, um, my cravings really lessened dramatically. I don't think it was, like, one specific minute, but, like, even over the first few weeks, I could see the changes already. I was lowering my insulin. I was feeling like a person. I wasn't super hungry during the day. I could eat a banana if I wanted. It was, yeah, it was wonderful. It was really life-changing. The amount of carbs in them and the fact that my sugar would come down after eating the carbs instead of going up. It's somewhat counterintuitive until you understand the reasoning behind it. Okay. Uh, since working with Mastering Diabetes, my life has gotten, uh, less chaotic, more sane. I feel more in control of my health and also many other aspects of my life because Mastering Diabetes, of course, focuses on food. But with the group, uh, meetings that we have every week, we talk about other things that affect your blood sugar like exercise, sleep And stress. And that kind of holistic approach has really helped me because I've never incorporated all that when I've tried to be really strict about my diabetes. Oh, my energy level, I used to have to take a nap every day, and I would wake up in the morning thinking, "Okay, where, when can I take a nap today?" I was already planning my nap as soon as I woke up in the morning. And now I feel like I'm 20 years younger. I have so much energy, and I can live life much better. It's wonderful. It's given me not only my health, but my, um, my ability to live life in a much more full manner. You're asking me what my life is worth? Yes. It's real simple. Yes. If you're considering working with diabetes, I would strongly recommend giving it a try. And if money is an issue at the beginning, um, I certainly understand. What I did was I got the book, and I kind of started the program on my own. I saw that it was working, and I wanted to do it 100%, so I made the financial sacrifice, and I'm so glad that I did. If it's important enough for you, you will find a way to do it. M- uh, before Mastering Diabetes, my A1C was eight point four, and I just checked it the other day on a home test, and it's down to seven point one. Uh, I'm still taking the Glucophage. I have decreased my insulin. I was able to switch from NPH to Lantus. I am down to six to eight units of Lantus a night and maybe a total of, of less than ten units of the rapid-acting in a day. So it's been a very significant decrease. Another thing that I'd like to add is a motto that we use in, in the group sessions that I have is that it's progress, not perfection. I was feeling hesitant to do this interview because I read through some of the other, um, testimonials from people, and they'd lost like, you know, 100 pounds in a year, and they'd gone from twelve point eight to five point two. And my numbers don't look like that, and it's okay. This is the way I'm doing it. Um, I was, um... Last fall, I was diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo treatment. I'm fine now, but that really threw me off, and I think that perhaps I'd have more significant numbers. However, given the whole context, I'm very happy. There's several things that I want to add. One, the coaches are invaluable. Uh, I've been using Wendy, and she's fantastic. I really look forward to our meetings every week. Uh, sometimes when she's been on vacation or unavailable, we've had other coaches step in, and it's really nice to get a different perspective. And this is something that I said in our group meeting. One thing that I have noticed about all the coaches is their skin. It's radiant. You can tell that these people are healthy. It's-- I think to me, that's one of the biggest advertisements. [chuckles] Another thing that I have, that I've really appreciated is the support that we have online. I love going to the recipes. I love going to the community chat. I love everything that's available. I use the recipes so much, so many times. I like to tweak 'em and try a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The amount of material that we have online is incredible. And the last thing I'd like to say is thank you. Thank you to Mastering Diabetes and all the people who work to make it the program that it is. It's given me my life.