No Second Chances: How to Stop Diabetes in Its Tracks

By Jack Verani

Do you want to stop Diabetic Complications TODAY?

In No Second Chances: How to Stop Diabetes in its Tracks, author Jack Verani presents a solution-centered approach for staying in control of Type 1 diabetes. With insightful true stories and anecdotes, Jack shows the reader a lifestyle that can prevent diabetic complications.

It allows the reader, through the eyes of a diabetic, to take a light-hearted journey into the medical changes made in diabetes over the last 40 years. In this life- changing book, Jack Verani reveals a successful approach to get diabetes to work with you so that you remain in control and complication free. But be warned it's not easy, diabetes is never easy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 13, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452092546

Jack Verani

Jack Verani has been a "professional diabetic" for over 40 years and remains complication free. Jack started his diabetic career at age 12, back in the dark ages, when only one insulin shot a day was the norm. He has seen and tried several methods to keep control of his diabetes and has found a method that allows him to remain complication free. Jack works as a Professor at a community college and has a Masters Degree in Education. He has owned and run a successful pizzeria on Cape Cod and like most Italians; Jack enjoys a little red wine and pasta on occasion.

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© 2011 Jack Verani. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 01/11/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9252-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9253-9 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4520-9254-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010916260

Printed in the United States of America

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty:

The recommendations and information in this book are appropriate to the writer (John W Verani) exclusively and current of the date of publication. For more specific information about Type 1, 1.5 and type 2 diabetes, it is strongly suggested you consult a physician.

The information contained in this book is not intended to serve as a replacement in any way for professional medical advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the reader’s discretion. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation.

Contents

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty:

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Introduction

1 Chapter 1: Starting Out

2 Chapter 2: I Will Take the Wheel

3 Chapter 3: Insulin Injections

4 Chapter 4: Hot Dogs and Wine

5 Chapter 5: Exercise, the Silent Thriller

6 Chapter 6: Habits, the Gift of Repetition

7 Chapter 7: Bedtime Stories

8 Chapter 8: The Little Things Make the Difference

9 Chapter 9: The Excuse Parade

10 Chapter 10: Success

About the Author

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I owe thanks to a few people who have assisted me in working with my Type 1 diabetes over the years. First among these is my wife Lisa who was the number one inspiration for this book. She kept my focus for the past year and would not let me let it go. Lisa became my sounding board from the first story I told her of my diabetes 45 years ago to how much insulin I gave to cover last night’s dinner. I’d also like to recognize my mother (Helen) and father (Lou) for their love and skill for keeping their distance and letting me learn my own way of handling diabetes. My past and current support crew includes; daughter (Justine), step-daughter (Aleaha), brother (Bob), and the many good doctors especially Dr. Grahm.

No Second Chances

How to Stop Diabetes In Its Tracks

Introduction

I started my diabetic adventure over 40 years ago at age 12. Like most adventurers I was driven by one single-minded desire: to be complication-free my whole life. Diabetes was not going to cause me to be blind, to lose a foot, or to face kidney problems. I have been and still am complication-free.

I remember seeing Dr. Wayne Dyer on PBS one evening about five years ago, when he made a simple statement to his audience: Don’t die with the music still in you. I have thought about this lesson many times over the past couple of years. Dyer’s words taught me I had to get a few of my diabetic stories out there so they could help other diabetics.

About 10 years ago my doctor at the time was very impressed with how I was handling my diabetes. He was so impressed that he set up a meeting between me and a 16-year-old diabetic boy. The doctor wanted me to talk with him briefly about how I have kept my sugar in control. We were to meet at a pizza place across from his high school at 3:00 PM. I got there a half hour early and waited over an hour, but the boy did not show up.

I wasn’t angry. I remember the kind of person I was at 16. I thought I knew it all, and no adult was going to tell me different. Then there were times when I was 16 that I could have used a little practical advice about diabetes, like the times when my sugar was 300, and I struggled to control it.

Too many young diabetics are looking at very high sugars each day. Should they make a change for the better? Not unless they want to. This book is for the young diabetic who wants to keep this disease under control. This book is for the diabetic parent or parents that want to understand diabetes a little better. This book is for diabetics that will not tolerate losing eyes or feet or kidneys later in life.

Doctor Dyer and his music chant made me turn to the pen and write about some of the ways I have gone about handling my diabetes. I am insulin-dependent but very strong-minded and independent. I have listened to my doctors and read books about diabetes, but most of my lessons have come from my own experiences.

This book contains many of these experiences. I am not recommending that you follow my advice if it does not make sense to you. All I ask is that you read some of my stories, open your mind to a few new habits, and reinforce in yourself old habits that are working for you.

I enjoyed writing this book because it helped me understand why I have been a successful diabetic. I also wrote the book because I did not want to die with the music in me.

Chapter 1: Starting Out

If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.

Seneca

Not-so-good Friday

Another six milk cartons at lunch. My friend Stanley thought I looked crazy stacking the empty cartons on their sides to build a carton castle. The junior-high cafeteria was filled with all the regular pre-teen characters, but no one else that day was building castles out of milk cartons.

I was dying of thirst.

More milk, please, I said to the cafeteria lady. She smiled. I had been drinking six, sometimes seven, cartons of milk a day for the past two months. Six milks on my lunch tray gave me the feeling I was working hard at something. If you are going to stand out in a seventh-grade cafeteria, you might as well be drinking a six-pack of milk. Hey, if I can drink six milks, someday I’ll be downing a six-pack of cold beer all by myself. What a man! Or so I thought.

I came home that Friday afternoon at the usual 2:15 and downed three glasses of water, a couple of ginger ales, and as much iced tea as I could drink. Looking at me, my mom said, Hey, my boy is growing!

My Last Non-Saturday

Waking up at my usual time, I got out of bed and noticed my skin felt like I was in the Sahara. I downed what must have been two gallons of water. As the day wore on, I felt more and more tired. For supper my mother made big, butter-dripping pancakes with Aunt Jemima’s syrup poured all over them. I can still see that meal sitting there as I watched syrup dripping onto my white plate. I can remember thinking how much better I would feel once I ate those pancakes. They were gone in about twenty seconds. Yummy!

I left my seat at the kitchen table and for the first time in 12 years of life I asked my mother if I could take a bath. A bath for a 12-year-old, and on a Saturday night at that, was unheard of in my house. My mom looked at me like I was really sick. As I ran the bath, I bent over the tub, putting my mouth