My Diabetes began a long time before my diagnosis on the 22nd December, 2010. As a kid, I loved my food. It didn't matter what food it was I would eat it ... except seafood! I suppose it's the Italian hertiage. But hey, I still love food, just in a different way.
Growing up, you could see in school photos, I was the happy, chubby kid. Don't worry, embarrassing photos to come. At Primary School, from Year 4 onwards, I loved sport. I would play every day in the yard from cricket to table tennis and handball! It was always a great way to meet people and beat your friends! At the same time, my Mum was running a cafe so the supply of food was always constant, high calorie and high fat.
Then I moved onto high school ... and then became more involved with sports at a participation level. I began playing squash around Year 8 and then came swimming and then on top of that school sport. For some reason, I never dropped the weight that I should have. Well at least I was out doing something. I remember one Thursday afternoon, I had school sport which was badminton. After school, was a fast game of indoor cricket ... I think we won ... a quick bike ride home to get something to eat and then on the bike again, to the local pool for an hour of swimming training.
All through University and first few years of teaching, I didn't play much sport ... my education and career came first. It wasn't until my 3rd year of teaching in Mount Isa that I began playing squash again. During my time in Mount Isa, I could say my diet was (and I'm being nice here) very, very WRONG! But by now the seeds of bad habits were starting to be reaped.
Moving to Brisbane at the end of 2001, began the end of my sporting days. Work took over and the habits I had learned also took over, such as no breakfast, work all day and then come home to a big lunch and big dinner as well ... oh and of course during the day there was the occasional, everyday soft drink.
You see the picture, there was not going to have a happy ending!