My name is Lori, I'll be 42 in the middle of April 2001. I was born and raised in Southern California - and have lived here my whole life. I love to travel the globe and get to travel around the US with my job. I manage a GREAT group of consultants for a high-tech company. I have a BS in Accounting and MIS and a Masters in Software Engineering. I've never been married but have raised a foster son (long story) who is now 19. I have a VERY cute and cuddly American Eskimo named Misha - who is a very young 13 1/2. She still chases her tail and loves to play with her toys.
And, I too, have been heavy/big/phat my whole life. I remember the school nurse in the third grade announcing my weight to the class - 100 pounds at eight years old... and 250 when I graduated High School. I think I must have gained and lost 1000 or more pounds over the years. When I was 21 I got very involved in Overeaters Anonymous (oops broke my Anonymity!) and went on 'Grey Sheet' (anyone remember that?) which pretty much is Atkins.. no sugar/refined carbs and lost 120 pounds - from 310+ to 189. I would walk by a mirror or window and do a double take as I really didn't recognize the thinner person in the reflection (I had NEVER been that thin - size 15/16 - before). Well, over the next 10 years I gained it all back and then some... and have been hovering around 325 for years now.
I also have had type II diabetes for the last eight years, and due to the high blood sugar have had a lot of neuropathy in my feet and legs. Very painful as the high blood sugar starts to damage nerve endings. My feet and shins are numb - about 80% loss. And, I have had some pretty scarey injuries & infections in my feet - and didn't know it until I checked them out.
About a year ago I had Lasik surgery to correct my vision - I wore glasses for 32 years. Contacts were not an option for my correction. I now have perfect vision in BOTH eyes. And, I decided that I would REALLY like to keep it that way. But, diabetes, if out of control, could blind me. So, I HAD to do something. I finally talked to one of the guys at work and they guided me to the Dr. Atkins book and WOL.
Let me tell you - I've been on this eating plan since Feb 1st. I was taking THREE 850mg Glucophage pills a day, PLUS four 10mg Glucotrol pills a day. After about three weeks (and several low blood sugar crashes), I no longer take the Glucotrol pills AT ALL! And, I only take Glucophage twice a day. My average blood sugar is 105!! Normal is 80 to 120. That, in itself, is a miracle. This WOE should be REQUIRED for ALL diabetics! I couldn't believe that my blood sugar was at 86 AT BED TIME. AMAZING! Maybe I can reverse some of my neuropathy AND keep my eyesight (and Kidneys) AND my LIFE for a LONG time!
And, in addition to my normalized blood sugar, I'm actually losing weight - while NOT BEING HUNGRY! Yippee!
Lori
326/302/175 02/01/01
"Together we can do this"
P.S. Oh, I'm also a BIG Elton John & Billy Joel fan.
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