Woohoo. I’ve got Type 2 Diabetes

Brad Bradshaw

Guest Blogger: Brad Bradshaw

Last week I went to MediaCity Manchester to improve my skills, regarding twitter with 4HubUK. In a discussion about diabetes, business and networking, Brad Burton the man behind 4networking came into the conversation.

I tweeted that Naomi Timperley sent her regards and that I understood he had diabetes, the answer came back “Yes, Diabetes Rocks! I was taken by surprise but totally delighted; I then asked if he could write a Guest Blog about his journey…..

Here it is, as written by Brad Burton himself – the title is his too. Enjoy!

A year or so back, the Doctor in a routine health check said, “I’m borderline diabetes, I should do something about my diet & health.” LOL. Only fat people get diabetes. I’ve no idea what Diabetes is TBH, but I know only really fat people get it.

So I kept on as I was, eating those KFC meal deals twice a week whilst on the road, driving up and down the motorway running my national business, motivating business owners all over the UK.

The first real signs that I may have had a problem, one night after a particularly boozy binge on a stag do, I got up 10 times for a pee, to be honest it was more like a p, as nothing really came out. Pins and needles was also happening on my left hand.. Weird.

Google is my friend, as is often the case when you hit the internet for a self-diagnosis every ailment tells you, you’ve got cancer. Fortunately, the results on this occasion kept pointing towards me having diabetes.

Nah… Surely not, after all its only really fat people that get it. Isn’t it?

I made an appointment to see the nurse, who took my urine and blood samples. 2 weeks later, I received a call from the Doctor, “Mr Burton, how are you?” after the cursory 15 seconds of pleasantries, he says “the results are back. You have type 2 diabetes.”

The moment, the phone went down, was the moment everything changed.

No longer was I drinking the 5-6 cups of coffee with 2 sugars in. I dropped to 1 a day, 1 sugar. I’ve not had a red bull since that conversation; I’d been known to have 3 cans on a big day. Those KFC’s banquet box meals with the lovely chicken gravy not had one since.

Things changed. My life was never going to be the same… it was pretty much over, or so I thought. Eating was always my thing, pissed off – eat. Happy – eat. Feeling melancholy – eat.

At my 7th Birthday party, my Dad had an eating competition with all the kids, to get rid of the food. I came 2nd. I’d eat lots and fast, as this was all about winning! As a kid, one day I was scared to go to the toilet in the evening, I recall eating some sweets to give me power, a bit like Popeye.

Food, eating, consumption was always part of me. Almost hard coded in over the years.

34 years on from that Birthday party… I’d finally won 1st prize in my eating competition. A diabetic bracelet. So everything changed, water, I drink loads of it, butter, what’s that? Funnily enough you don’t need butter on bread like I once did. I probably did 6 months straight of eating 100% perfect, the first 18 days of detoxing from caffeine and sugar were absolutely horrendous, dark dark days… but it passes.

I had a handful of cheat meals in those 6 months. Went back to the Nurse for tests, and she said “My you have been good” your levels have returned back to normal. Truth is I still have no idea about blood sugars or in fact the really ill effects of what happens if I choose to ignore my diabetes. I don’t want to know, this would be a problem if I chose to put my head in the sand, but I don’t need to scare myself to death. Just be the best I can be.

At Christmas, hit it (food) hard for a few days and about 3 days in, I felt the symptoms returning, weeing, pins and needles and I tweeted from my @BradBurton account “Thanks for the warning signs Type 2. I really appreciate it x”. Would I prefer to not have type 2? Of course,… but would I prefer to have type 2 over a heart attack. Of course. And that is where I was heading.

It’s part of me now, and yeah I still have the odd curry, cheat meal, go crazy. But it’s just that, odd, cheat, odd treat. A life of food excess was none-sustainable. I’ve been hitting the gym hard and my weight is down from 16stone 3 to 15stone in last 8 months. I look better than since my late 20’s, I feel better and those treat/cheat meals really are a treat right now and something I look forward to, rather than take for granted each and every day.

The truth is my hard diet, has slipped since those first 6 months, and I’m looking forward to getting my results back at next test to see have I still managed to keep it under control with the odd Snickers bar. My gut instinct is yes, if not we go back to being hard-core again. But never forget this, you are human; don’t beat yourself up if you fall of the wagon… Just get back on it as soon as you can.

My advice to you, the reader, if your Doctor says you are borderline diabetic, do something about it TODAY. As someone who was diagnosed with bacon retention, Diabetes Type 2 is avoidable; just don’t confuse your bad decisions with bad luck.

Brad Burton

MD of 4Networking - Website: www.4Networking.biz

The Highest rated/reviewed business author on Amazon.

The UK’s #1 motivational business speaker - Website: www.bradburton.biz

A Genius.

Modest.

Most likely “Keeping it real”

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