Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Dashboard Idiot Lights


Day 18 of the Health Activist Writers Month Challenge prompts us to grab a book, flip it open, point to a phrase, and run with it!

In the short stack of the non-digital books I’m currently reading you can spot MARINE DIESEL ENGINES, by Jean Luc Pallas. Since my new floating home (come September) may only be kept off the rocks at times by one of these faithful beasts, I have some motivation to know them intimately.

Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608 and for kindle at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P6L5C4 tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle, HAWMC
On page 212, in a section on oil pressure, my finger lands on the phrase, “When the light or the buzzer comes on, the engine is already suffering from lack of oil.” Okie Dokie. Good to know. If you see it, it’s probably too late. Like in the middle of the night close to a lee shore you’re being blown onto. Fortunately, the subtitle of this page turner of a book is Maintenance and Repair Manual. Pallas gives loads of considerably more useful tips to increase the odds that you never see the low pressure warning light.

So you can take it from here, right? Substitute your own health focus into the analogy and debate the pros and cons of preventative maintenance vs. repair. The idea of no warning certainly resonates with me. My pancreas appeared to be beautifully handling everything a typical beer-guzzling, pizza chomping full blooded American male does. Until the moment it didn’t.

One way to proceed would’ve been to accept the prevailing wisdom that this autoimmune malfunction was a genetic manufacturer defect and that this engine would never run normally again. I could’ve accepted the permanent towboat of shots of insulin and kept eating my pizza.

But life behind a towboat would stink, literally. The whole point of a sailboat is to escape that kind of exhaust and cost. I couldn’t stomach the thought of it, literally. When the engine quit, I grabbed a wrench and a flashlight and went below to the engine room. Fortunately, the tide was turning and the wind eased a little. I had a few hours before my ship would ground on Complications Reef. It was pretty scary. There was no manual for curing a Type 1 LADA diabetic. I changed the oil, put in clean fuel, reconditioned the injectors, and promised my precious 80-horse Yanmar I’d forever go easy on the throttle.

As dawn broke, with just a few hundred yards to spare, I held my breath and pressed the starter. She sputtered to life. Exhaling, I realized I’d used at least one of this cat’s nine lives. My diesel runs smoother now, and cooler than before. I keep my promise, and take the time to find  clean organic fuel. The fruits, veggies, and fish are well worth it. I also don’t kick her or swear at her, or put her in unhealthy situations. I know I should have been doing all this long ago. But here was no warning light.


___
Refusing The Needle: A Diabetic’s Natural Journey To Kick-Ass Health by Russell Stamets
ebook available for all devices at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145608
tags: type 1, type 2, autoimmune, diabetes, lada, natural, alternative, diet, supplements, acupuncture, meditation, lifestyle, HAWMC

No comments:

Post a Comment