Onboard

Day 1 with the new company was the 1st of October. So far, we haven't felt any significant change. Most of us, if not all, are still going through the transitions. Unfortunately, it isn't going as efficiently as people thought it would, but that's a story for another day.

What I wanted to post about was the thing that greeted me on my first week. My pre-employment medical requirements have been based on the past annual physical exam we had with the old company. The results say I have Impaired Fasting Glucose. Now, if you're like me, your initial reaction would have been a mixture of confusion and shock. Stay with me, I'll educate you a bit.

I'm 28. There isn't supposed to be anything wrong with me yet. Apparently, I was wrong. Impaired Fasting Glucose is a fancy way of saying the medical term for pre-diabetic. It means that my blood sugar is above the normal range and is about to reach the diabetic mark. Since I am not exactly a fan of too much sweets, I'm blaming this on the love of rice, the occasional coke addiction, and chocolates.

According to Wikipedia:

Impaired fasting glucose (IFG), more commonly known as pre-diabetes refers to a condition in which the fasting blood glucose level is consistently elevated above what is considered normal levels; however, it is not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes mellitus. This pre-diabetic state is associated with insulin resistance and increased risk of cardiovascular pathology, although of lesser risk than impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). IFG can progress to type 2 diabetes mellitus if lifestyle changes are not made. There is a 50% risk over 10 years of progressing to overt diabetes. A recent study cited the average time for progression as less than three years.

I would have to have this cleared within 6 months or else I'm going to have problems with my health benefits. To address this, I have already vowed to stop soda and artificial juice intake. Also, I'm trying to lose weight by lessening rice during meals. Maybe next time I could try them totally without. Umm, what else? Uh, yeah, I need to get back to running... and/or start swimming when I do get the fats off, just so I don't embarrass myself wearing bikinis with bulges hanging out.

Initial lab tests done last Saturday, October 5, 2013 confirmed the elevated glucose in my blood. Although based on my HbA1c test, (find out about the test here) I am still within normal levels. Have a consultation with an endocrinologist scheduled for this coming Saturday. Kinda nervous about it, but I gotta do what I gotta do, right?

I'll keep a mini-journal here of what happens to my health problems.