One of the first thoughts after the shock wore off from my heart attack and diabetes diagnosis was that the doctor had put me on insulin. And specifically I started thinking of how that would complicate sailing, specifically the need for refrigeration. I started on a quest to put my heart back in shape and to get my sugars down so that my pancreas could handle the work on it’s own. And to do so as quickly as possible so we’d be ready to go sailing this coming spring without that added complexity.

While it’s not possible for everyone to get off insulin, for many with functioning beta cells in their pancreas there is hope through diet and exercise. I immediately cut out all sugars and grains from my diet and went to a super low carb diet. Together with Metformin and my 18 units of insulin each evening my sugars immediately dropped from an average of 250 mg/dL to an average of 90 mg/dL. The drop was dramatic and I added in daily walks, less than pleasant in the Maine winter. Starting with just a mile a day I was able to build up to 5-7 miles within just a month. By Christmas, I was told to double my Metformin dose with 500mg in the morning and another 500mg in the evenings with permission to step down on the insulin so long as my blood sugars didn’t go up. By the end of January, I was off insulin and while my blood sugar did go up slightly it only went from an average of 90 mg/dL to 95 mg/dL . I’m actually looking forward to my next A1c test. With luck, it’s dropped close to 5.

The drop in sugars and the “almost” daily walks resulted in a visit with the Cardiologist in mid January that had her say that if she hadn’t been there in the hospital with me she’d not believe I had a heart attack. There was however a discussion of the risks I now have, and a plan to hopefully get me off most of my medication by the end of 2021.

The new expenses certainly put some stress on our plans to buy a boat this spring. My part of the ambulance ride came to almost $800, and my medication is over $100 each month, the hospital has put me on a payment plan for $200/month to pay for my stay there as well. While there are many things I’d rather spend the $300/month on seeing that spending is certainly one reminder.

Boat wise with it being the middle of winter in Maine there may be boats for sale but they are wrapped up tight and waiting for spring. The task right now is checking on what’s still available from last year and making contact. I’ve emailed about three boats, Catalinas and Hunters in the mid 30ft range. Everyone is on hold right now. So the quest to pay down my debt is still second only to improving my health.