"Diabetes Prevention Programme"

My story would begin over 20 years ago with my mother dying with a Diabetic Heart attack, she was 60 years old, she was given the best advice doctors could give at the time, she was diagnosed in her late 40s that she was diabetic, she started on tablets to injecting herself, but never heeded or understood the sugar or eating part of the illness. Going through the DPP I often wonder if there had been such a thing at that time, would she be here today, to see all her grandkids grow, alot of them she never met.

Why I have started with that, is the reality that only for the DPP I was on course to repeat history, because of my mothers Diabetes when I became 50 I started to realise that I might suffer from this as well. About a year and half ago I got tested and was 1 point of being a type 2 Diabetic. This scared me. I am in my early 50's and I have 5 kids all but one over 18. I was saying to myself another 8 years and I could be gone from here.

A nurse from the local clinic rang me and asked me would I be interested in attending the DPP,I responded certainly. I didnt want to be a diabetic and I didnt want to die maybe within the next 10 years.

Covid was here and they were working on away of doing the program online on ZOOM, she said she would be in contact with me when the DPP team get the zoom program nailed down. That was I think around NOV 2020. I got a call after Christmas near the end of Jan 2021 that the first zoom mtg was starting that week. I was I have to say a bit apprehensive about the whole thing.

I'm 5,4 to 5,5 in height, well over weight at this time, going between 14 and half stone and 15, my thinking as I look back now was just full of negativity. Sometimes that negative that even another 10 years on this planet would be fine. So along with that state of mind and thinking of the program wasnt good, I will have to stop eating & maybe have to do exercises of some sort. Doom and gloom. If there was a negative thing to think about it i thought it.

My daughter set the zoom up online on her laptop for me and I was waiting for 6 o clock that night to come nervously and anxiously, so 6 came and the screen opened and there was a woman who described herself like being our coach named Anne Marie. Outlined the whole DPP, I have to say you could tell this woman knew her stuff and was humble enough to say if I dont know an answer to any of your questions that yous ask me through the next 10 months, I will find the answer for you and email it to yous all and discuss it also at next meeting. I thought that part was great, at least I wont be left wondering about things and coming up with my own answers that I would make to fit.

It is said first impressions matter and in this case it did. This lady left an impression of trust and was ready to go to to town on helping the likes of myself not becoming a diabetic. On writing this, todays mid oct 2021,the groups second last meeting, and Anne Marie our DPP coach still leaves the meeting to me anyway like the first mtg. I know today its not an impression, its true, I can trust and and ask this lady anything after the mtg if very private or during mtg and it will not be repeated.

Trust is a big thing to me, and I admire the quality that this lady has the ability to say no I dont know the answer to that but I will find it out, I really hope all DPP coaches know how important that is. I was taken with the group through the different sessions in the book. I found it easy to understand and the parts I didnt were explained to me by our coach Anne Marie.

The negativity was taken from me sometimes slowly sometimes quickly. I began with help from coach and group to understand eating. Eating didnt have to be doom and gloom, exercise didnt mean I had to become a body builder lol. I was shown by making small changes to my lifestyle I could actually prevent becoming a diabetic, and it was put to me in a way that I could understand and more importantly in a way that I could actually do.

I was given the tools and information by the DPP on how I could reverse this 1 point of being diabetic. So I done it with Anne Marie/DPP Coach and the group and mtgs. I am 10 stone 1 at writing this, i have a positive outlook on life again.

I got tested in May and I was down to 42. I was now bordering on being pre diabetic not diabetic. An amazing drop!

A lot of pressure off, I have enjoyed this journey over the last 9 months, I never considered myself on a diet, i was on a change of lifestyle for a lifetime. I eat more than I have ever eaten, the difference being, because of the DPP, I know what to eat now, and there is a massive variety of things I can eat. There is no doom and gloom, I am thankful and very grateful to the DPP and to our coach Anne Marie.

There is only one thing I think might be a good idea to think off, maybe at the end, have a mtg 6 months from the last one maybe for motivation, THANK YOU