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Family and Life
by Richard Rodriguez
from The Immanuel Buzz, June 2006
On May 8, 2006 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Although diabetes runs on both sides of my family, it was still a shock
to learn I had it too. Because of this, I struggled with many questions.
Why did God let me become diabetic? Why did He allow
this disease that could cost me my eyesight, a limb, maybe my life?
It's natural to ask the "why" question at a shattering time like this,
but the events surrounding my diagnosis have instead made me grateful
for God's perfect timing.
In late April I was suddenly let go from a temporary
job. No advance warning, no exit interview, I was just told the
assignment was over. The next week I was at the L.A. Works career
center in Irwindale reading the online job sites when I saw a flyer for
a free health fair at San Dimas Hospital, including glucose screenings.
With my family history of diabetes, and some free time on my hands, I
went to the fair to get that screening. My glucose level was abnormally
high. I went to my doctor the following week for the full test, and
that's when I got the official word… I was diabetic.
I didn't ask for diabetes. But then again nobody put a
gun to my head and forced me to drink that Coke or eat that donut. My
poor eating habits contributed as much to this disease as my family
DNA, if not more. And yet God, in His amazing grace and mercy,
engineered the above series of events to save my life - at least that's
what I believe. Had I not lost my old job, I never would have gone to
that career center, where I saw that flyer for the health fair, where I
got that glucose test, which sent me to the doctor, who told me I was
diabetic, and then prescribed the medicines, diet and exercise to make
me well!
Do you see a chain reaction here, folks? I'd still be
slurping and chomping my way to a stroke or coma had the Great
Physician not intervened in a way I couldn't imagine! Why He intervened
in my situation, when I know of others not so fortunate, I don't know.
I'm just SO thankful He did anyway.
The story of Joseph, where he was sold into slavery by
his brothers, thrown into prison, and ultimately promoted to prime
minister of Egypt to save the nation from a seven-year famine has a lot
more meaning to me now. What man had meant for evil, God
meant for good. Just as a series of seemingly unrelated
events worked to save the lives of the Egyptians and the family of
Israel, God did the same on a much smaller scale to save mine.
All I can say is wow.
As of October 2011, my
diabetes is now under control. I was taken off Glyburide in 2007 because it caused
dangerously sharp drops in my
glucose levels late in the afternoon. I initially lost 30 pounds and took four inches
off my waistline. But after being laid off around Christmas 2009 and being out of work for 18 months, I fell into depression and gained all the weight back. In 2011 I started making a concerted effort to slim down and have again lost 15 pounds.
 I now wear prescription
eyeglasses, which is strictly for nearsightedness. I have some damage
to my retinas as a result of diabetes, but according to my eye doctor
it's a natural occurrence and not a major concern. Nevertheless, I accept it as a consequence for not taking care of myself when I was younger.
I also now have a
healthy appetite for fruits and veggies through changes in my diet. In
the process I have lost my appetite for all things deep fried, which
has disappointed some of my friends but I take it all in stride.
I have also begun competing in local 5K and 10K runs, including the Chapman University 5K Walk/Run and flying to Hawaii for the Great Aloha Run in Honolulu. Again, all I can say is wow... or more like wowzers.
For more info on diabetes, including symptoms, testing
and management, visit the American
Diabetes Association.
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