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Canwest News Service
He doesn't walk around dreading serious illness or early death. But Stephen Drinkwater lives with a constant sense of vulnerability.
It's been that way since Drinkwater, a 53-year-old business consultant, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes six years ago.
"I'm always aware now that I'm a diabetic and that I need to manage it," Drinkwater said.
"It's been very sobering. But I no longer feel it's inevitable that I'll have complications like blindness or kidney failure."
Drinkwater knows he should have seen it coming. His father died of complications due to Type 2 diabetes, which is prone to being passed on genetically.
At mid-life, Drinkwater was leading a sedentary life that had left him about 13 kilograms overweight.
"If you already have a predisposition, weight can aggravate the situation, definitely."
Drinkwater was 47 years old when he learned during a routine physical exam that he had diabetes.
He began researching diabetes on the Internet and transformed his diet, eating fruit, vegetables, and grains and avoiding processed foods.
Drinkwater's daily regimen also came to include medication, which further regulated his glucose levels. "Being on medication for the rest of your life, it isn't easy."
Over time, Drinkwater's weight and blood sugar levels fell in tandem. But it didn't happen quickly. His blood sugar levels emerged from the high-risk zone only a few months ago.
"I still have to watch my food intake and exercise. I'm able to manage it, but I can't get rid of it."
Fouad Shirwa, 57, was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes eight years ago. He had many of the early symptoms of the disease — thirst, frequent urination and weight loss — but ignored them.
His friends told him not to worry. But, at his wife's insistence, Shirwa eventually saw a physician who found that Shirwa's blood sugar levels were alarmingly high.
"My first reaction was stress, denial and 'Why me?'"
Shirwa had lived an athletic life in his native Ethiopia and remained in shape after coming to Canada in 1988 as a political refugee. He'd continued to play and coach soccer.
Shirwa came to believe that he was a victim of his African heritage. He'd learned that people of African descent, according to medical literature, are often predisposed to diabetes.
Shirwa credits his wife and four children with helping him make the necessary lifestyle changes to manage his blood sugar.
"The kids will call me on a cellphone and ask me when and what I've eaten that day.
"They also avoid taking me to certain restaurants because the food is either not healthy or it takes too long to get the food."
Shirwa realizes that he has to monitor his blood sugar and physical health for the rest of his life.
"People say it's not a serious disease like cancer. But it's something you live with 24/7. And it can kill you if it's not managed well."
dward@vancouversun.com
