10: Thankful

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."-1 Thessalonians 5:18

Credit: Country Living

Have you ever heard the Boys II Men song, Thank You? I've loved that song from the first time I heard it. "Cause even though when times got rough, you never turned away. You were right there. And I thank you, I thank you-oooouu."

I'm sure you are singing that verse now. It's a great song and symbolizes the band's gratitude for support from those dear to them. I had heard somewhere it was also a message about thanking God for His help with each of them throughout their lives. 

Being told that you don't have to do something anymore was something quite profound. I really thought it might be months before I could consider stopping the Eliquis simply because I was still fearful of the Afib. In fact, a few days after the visit, I reported a moment on my monitor where I felt like my heart raced for a moment. However upon checking it with the clinic, the heart rate barely got above 100 and was sinus rhythm, thus nothing they would be concerned about. The heart rate went back to normal, and there was no issue. It was a flutter like it sometimes happens. Anxiety was still the big issue.

In the following weeks, heading towards Thanksgiving, everything seemed to settle in more. Things at work were going great. At home was becoming even better. Although moments of friction still happened, especially during the holiday season, it was a great time with my family. We started attending Connect Classes at NewSpring to move towards becoming "members" there. Life was going great, and I was feeling much better. The only thing looming on the horizon was my next A1c check.

In May 2023, my A1c was 5.6. This time of year in November was my dreaded time of year for the A1c to elevate. There was never any rhyme or reason as to why it would go up. I just knew it had. This elevation was a source of frustration the past two years and I was hoping this time it would not go up. Compounding the issue, my next A1c check was AFTER Thanksgiving.

An A1c is a 3-month average of your blood sugar throughout the body, so a long weekend of eating probably wouldn't affect it that much, but this is Thanksgiving we're talking about. I was planning to make Maw Maw's macaroni and cheese. Mom was preparing chicken, dressing, green beans, corn, and mashed potatoes. Leslie was making vegall casserole. The Bowen Family Thanksgiving was also going to be that weekend with turkey, ham, more green beans, mac and cheese, dressing, and pies! Oh, the pies and the other desserts, too. It was enough to give you diabetes if you ate every last bit of it.

But as I had before Thanksgiving Week, I was trying to avoid going overboard. If I ate a lot at one meal, I cut down on the next. I still didn't eat much in the way of sweets, just something occasional. Water to drink, and I kept on exercising each day as I had before. I didn't run the Electric City Gobbler this time because I wanted to relax on Thanksgiving Day. Besides, I had run in the race the previous two years, and despite all the preparation for the 5K, my A1c went up both times. Running didn't help my sugar levels. Managing my diet and walking help much more. In fact, my knees were trying to tell me it was time to stop running. They ached all the time. So, although I miss running sometimes, I don't miss it enough for the detriment it was causing to the rest of my body.

So, despite the holiday season, I ate well, worked out well, and kept positive that everything would be fine the day I got checked at the clinic. I claimed that this would be the first time my A1c would go down from May to November. I believed it would be the case with all my heart. I was anxious about it, but not nearly as much as I had been before the stress test and echo. My anxiety was more of joy than apprehension. 

And I was thankful for it. I was thankful for a good life, good health, a great career, a loving family, and cherished memories that would carry me right through the holiday season approaching.

But now, it was time to see the results and if I had successfully managed things, even through the Afib drama. The Wednesday after Thanksgiving was approaching, and it was time to find out.

Stay tuned for the next segment, 10: The Serendipitous Results.