Reversing Diabetes is Possible

This is Brett's own story of how he reversed his diabetes (in his own words) in hopes of inspiring others:

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes this January. I was admitted to the hospital after a month of truly miserable symptoms. I had lost my sense of taste, my vision was mostly gone, water began to taste like salt and towards the end of the month my legs would buckle when I attempted to walk. I was admitted to the hospital and placed in a room where I passed out immediately. After a lot of wonderful assistance and numerous tests I was told my sugars were in the high 700s and an A1C of 13.1. I was placed on an insulin drip for the next 3 days. A week into my stay doctors and nurses could not get my sugars below 350 and although my legs felt stronger and my taste was recovering, I still could not make out anything past 5 feet in front of me. Eventually they placed me on a fast, doubled my insulin dose and discharged me with a sugar of just over 250. The first week home I struggled to get my sugars below 250 eating the recommended 60 carbs per meal while taking about 28 units of insulin.

I thought there must be a better way; I did not want the rest of my life to be dictated by this diagnosis. Naturally I was skeptical about every solution I saw. Eventually I stumbled across a few credible doctors discussing the benefits of low carb (sub 30 a day) and keto. I worked my way into the practice of reading scientific peer reviewed papers to try and understand the metabolic process and whether or not this potential avenue was tangible. I began keto in earnest soon after and within a week my sugars stabilized around the mid 100s. Another week went by and my sugars are stabilizing in the mid 90s to low 100s. With diet alone and the consumption of non-processed real meats and vegetables I was able to accomplish for myself what my care takers could not.

My next hurdle was weening off my insulin in a safe, reliable way. I knew I wanted to stop taking insulin and I had read anecdotes of people successfully doing it but I was scared to attempt it on my own. I needed professional help. One big problem; my current insurance covered doctor was not on board with my keto-centric approach towards curing my type 2 diabetes. In fact my doctor urged me to consume more carbs and potentially up my insulin take. I knew that I only ever felt worse when I did this and refused her suggestions. This began my long search for a doctor who was updated on their reading and understanding of proper treatments for people with diabetes.

After an exhaustive search I scheduled a meeting with a Nurse Practitioner - Polly Halpern. Her knowledge and support was everything I was looking for in a caretaker. Polly was and still is a perfect fit for me and my situation. She has a deep well of knowledge and a willingness to explain complex metabolic systems/processes in a way that makes sense. I met her about a month after my diagnosis and with her help and knowledge I have been completely medicine free for almost 3 months. My sugars range between the low 80s to mid 90s with a fasting sugar that usually resides in the low to mid 80s. As of this month my A1C is officially 5.6 placing me out of both the diabetic and pre-diabetic range.

I wanted to share my story to let people know that I reversed my type two diabetes and others can too. My goal is to have my A1C in the low 5s and work with Polly to clean up some smaller issues that were a consequence of my time spent with type 2 diabetes. Today I feel better than I ever have, I have more energy, my relationship with food has changed, and my mind feels sharper that it did pre-diagnosis. This journey took me a lot of time, discipline and effort but for anyone looking for the support needed on their journey to reversing their type 2 diabetes you need look no further than Polly.

This is not intended to be individual medical advice and please consult with your health care provider for any medication or treatment recommendations.