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.
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
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
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