2 ms·

My father was Type 2 and for decades drank sweet tea; sweet tea that progressively became sweeter and sweeter. If you were to let it settle, you would see a thi

My father was Type 2 and for decades drank sweet tea; sweet tea that progressively became sweeter and sweeter. If you were to let it settle, you would see a thick layer of sugar sitting at the bottom of the glass. Eventually, he lost both of his legs beneath the knee due to infections that festered. He spent his last few years in a wheelchair and then eventually died of a heart attack. Bad habits, bit by bit, over the course of years. As a photojournalist, he won a Pulitzer for earthquake footage in 1989, saw the shuttle take off and land countless times, and took an incredible photo at a NASCAR event of a car, engulfed in flames, flying directly at his lens. (He got the shot and then dove out of the way.) Which I guess is to say... life is ups and downs. Be wary of sugary stuff.

mc3301 2y ago
That sounds like an epic photo, indeed.
underlipton 2y ago
Your father sounds similar to mine: high-achiever, running every which way. Question: how was his sleep? My father's career was in a field that required annual physical fitness certification; his diet probably could have stood to include less salt and sugar when I was very young, but he cleaned it up, especially by the time he was diagnosed with T2. Something his job also required, however: early mornings. Late nights. And, evidently, not enough time to stop for a moment and determine if he might have sleep apnea (he did). So, I think it's a three-part issue. Diet (sugar), obviously. Exercise, too, and whether or not you're getting it regularly throughout the day, every day. But I think it all goes to shit if you're getting bad sleep, especially if that "bad sleep" is "miniature bouts of asphyxiation." It completely screws with your body's ability to regulate itself, hormonally, and to recover from the day's damage.
- mrcwinn 2y ago
  Agree about sleep. He managed a newsroom and “put the paper to bed” so he worked from 7pm to 4am. I’m sure it didn’t help. For myself, I’m physically built very differently (leaner) and I don’t care much for sweet tea, so I’m lucky I guess. But as an achiever, sleep is always my battle. Comes and goes!

mc3301 2y ago

That sounds like an epic photo, indeed.

underlipton 2y ago

Your father sounds similar to mine: high-achiever, running every which way. Question: how was his sleep? My father's career was in a field that required annual physical fitness certification; his diet probably could have stood to include less salt and sugar when I was very young, but he cleaned it up, especially by the time he was diagnosed with T2. Something his job also required, however: early mornings. Late nights. And, evidently, not enough time to stop for a moment and determine if he might have sleep apnea (he did). So, I think it's a three-part issue. Diet (sugar), obviously. Exercise, too, and whether or not you're getting it regularly throughout the day, every day. But I think it all goes to shit if you're getting bad sleep, especially if that "bad sleep" is "miniature bouts of asphyxiation." It completely screws with your body's ability to regulate itself, hormonally, and to recover from the day's damage.

mrcwinn 2y ago
Agree about sleep. He managed a newsroom and “put the paper to bed” so he worked from 7pm to 4am. I’m sure it didn’t help. For myself, I’m physically built very differently (leaner) and I don’t care much for sweet tea, so I’m lucky I guess. But as an achiever, sleep is always my battle. Comes and goes!