Author: Reekay V.
Since 2012 I’ve been traveling through various islands of the Philippines as a full-time Expat and spent 1999 living in Vietnam.
Share with me my ongoing adventures of life in the Philippines. Hopefully you find my observations helpful in your own adventures.
— Reekay
Henry, glad you were blessed to regain and restore your vision!
As a Diabetic for about 25 years, diabetes has a habit and history of attacking vital organs, nerves, etc.
It has been scary when it affected my vision first, as I have Diabetic Macular Edema (hemorraging behind the eyes) and has caused me to get eye injections (on the white eye part) and laser treatments every other month for the past 4 years! My vision is currently 20/100 on my left eye (legally blind) and 20/50 to 20/70 on my right eye. Diabetes also has destroyed my 2 kidneys leading to Dialysis, followed by Kidney Transplant 3 years ago.
I can tell you for a FACT that I bet at least 5 out of every 20 Filipinos have Diabetes or recurring high sugar levels. Why? Because like many tourists and expats have said- the Filipino food has too much fat, too much sugar, and they don’t eat enough vegetables (despite the fact that they are living in a forest rich country!).
Watch your Diabetes Henry!
Check out Dr Ken D Berry a family doctor, and a nutrition that is 2nd to none
That is so scary. I’m glad you have your vision back to 100%. What a blessing.
Reekay I’m a pharma rep with 20+ years experience in diabetes. I don’t want to freak you out but with an A1C of over 10 and a fasting blood glucose of 400 you need insulin. Your age, race, and body type fit the model of a total insulin shutdown patient. All that sugar floating around in your body is damaging the little blood vessels in your heart, kidneys, eyes, feet etc. You have bad damage to your eyes already. The good news is my industry has awesome new medications that can normalize your blood sugar. Diet isn’t enough. These new medications can mimic the body’s normal function to eliminate sugar. They aren’t cheap and who knows if they are available in the PI. I’d get yourself to an endocrinologist asap damage has already been done to your body.
Be serious about the A1C stuff. Lifestyle is 100% the cause and it is 100% preventable. If you wish to live long and prosper, adjustment is most important because once health is destroyed, it’s gone.
Rebekay, Great to hear that you’re healthy, happy, and back to fully enjoying your relationship and enjoying life! Thanks for the update.
Alls well that ends well,,, (as they say) Sounds like diabetes type 2< I got that as well and I abuse my diet also,,, Glad your feeling better now Henry and your back where you belong, Best Wishes
Glad you was able to get the A1C down and the cataract surgery. That also answers my question about the neg covid test prior to travel. I will finally get back into the Philippines next week after almost 3 years. Hoping I still love it as much as before.
Congratulations, Just like Old time’s Walk and talk , happy 2023 to you and Vi..
Aussie here (pronounced “ozzy” BTW, not ossie)…During my posting to Japan to teach electronics to Japanese engineers (2007 to 2009), I used to ride a bicycle to and from the office. Riding home in the evening was becoming a danger to life and limb (mine) as my cataracts went from bad to worse. Particularly riding home after work in the winter time when it was dark. Any oncoming traffic headlights would literally blind me, since my pupils contracted (as they do in bright lights), forcing all of the light through the centre of the lenses, where the cataracts were worst. I had them done in Japan and the company health system paid for the surgery. Fascinating going through the process, getting a “birds-eye view of the ultrasonic masher mashing up the old lens and it then being sucked out by the vacuum cleaner. As soon as the new plastic lens went in, it was like a miracle!!
Since it is day surgery and with only local anesthetics, I am baffled as to why high sugar levels would pose a threat to the extent that it would cause the procedure to be delayed for you.
Am actually here in the Northern Philippines (way North) now, visiting my wife who I hadn’t seen for 3 years since flying out on December 31, 2019. Heading back to Australia at the end of Feb.
Thanx for sharing your story.
Ive been in the Philippines 20 years. Anything remotely go to Thailand Bangkok Hospitals. Filipino doctors and surgeons have wrecked my back with their surgeons. 1 surgery shoukd have corrected everything now im on my 4th and will have it done in Phuket.
Glad to see that you are back to YT and PH interesting talks. Those issues you describe show the fall of medical system in the western world, with its tremendous cost, highly specialized solutions but poor service without general concern about the patient. You pay, and the average service is not complete. Going along with the infantilism of spoiled grownups who won’t understand that sugar and salt are poison when absorbed in such volumes. You’re finally lucky to understand fully now the deadly trap of obesity. Enjoy the paradise of the smiling skinny people under the sun !
You are losing your vision because the plant toxins you ingest get through your leaky gut and end up in eyes, joints and blood vessels. Solution: eat the carnivore diet; no grains, no vegetables, minimal fruit (or just pop a C-tab like me).
The test-swabs are made from suspect materials. I don’t trust anything about the fantasy island called koh feed.
Glad you are doing well. Wishing you continued health in the future.
Important is you are fine and beside your l8ve one now the rest not important and is history. Cheers
Amazing story from top to bottom!!!
I’m born with amblyopia in my left eye and I’m legally blind in my left eye since birth but I have perfect vision in my right eye.
Really amazing story. And I agree: “Thank God”
Doctors are special people fantastic. You must feel so relieved and like a new man AYOS!!!!
Good ur back in Philippines with ya wife but HEALTH so important
Thank God Your Better, and You Were In The States, What If You Were In The Philippines, See God Works In Mysterious Ways, Keep The Carbs Low
Great to have you back in the Phils Reekay! Awesome to hear that you are healthy and back with V. Did the insurance company help with the Cataracts surgery or just the blood sugar issue?
Wow Henry, that just blew my mind. Thank you for sharing. I’m happy for you, that everything worked out.
I saw something that might interest you. Once I find it, I will PM it to you regarding the A1C
Good to hear everything went great with your health and your back in the Philippines. Live life to your fullest.
Wow! Amazing story Mr. Reekay. I am happy to see you are OK. I am now heading to 63 and I fast for 3 to 5 days every month and for 7 to 10 days twice a year. I have been this way for a good 10 years or so. Health is wealth. It saddens me when my friends get sick, get put on a bunch of pills. and pass. I have not had a vaccine or pill in almost 30 years. You are one of the good people in this world. We need your wisdom for many years to come. Take care of yourself. Yeha-Noha….
blessing in disguise…amen
As you know, I’m an RN Case Manager and deal with these issues daily. You’re basically explaining why our healthcare system is failing. Nobody follows through with helping patients manage their care and follow a medical treatment plan in between office visits. They basically leave it up to the patient to fend for themselves and return in 3-6 months without not so much as a phone call. It’s F’ed up and honestly, you could have gone blind and many diabetic patients loose their vision. Thank God you made it through this with your vision. Thanks for sharing Reekey
Blindness is a complication to Type II Diabetes. That’s why you need to get your annual physical done every year, so that you get on Metformin early and not have your blood sugar running up to such high levels.
Very scary to be faced with that Henry, glad you were able to correct your vision, many are not so fortunate. Fight the good fight and keep your blood sugar (as hard as it may be at times) a life or death decision every single day. I lost my closest brother to diabetes. It attacked his feet then his eyes and kidneys. You Can Do It!
That’s rough, glad your doing good now!
Have you thought about working out and doing strength training ? like barbell exercises ?
So have you been diagnosed as being diabetic? Having an A1C over 10 is definitely diabetic, and from what I’ve been told by my doctor, even if you are able to bring your blood sugar levels back into a normal range im still considered diabetic and need to be vigilant about avoiding sugars and carbs. This is going to be a life-long struggle for me because I love sweets and breads and have a difficult time avoiding them. But as I continue to save and prepare for my retirement in the Philippines, I understand health is wealth and that I won’t be having a happy retirement if I don’t stay healthy.
Did your eyes go bad because of your high blood sugar?
Wow, Life changing. Glad you made it through the other side. I’m sure you have a new appreciation for life.
Glad to know your eyes gotten better.
Did you use reading glasses before cataracts? If so, did the strength of the glasses change after surgery?
I’m happy for you brother our eye site is very important being able to see clearly makes you appreciate the everyday things even more.
Looks like you are in Panabo
you mean your A1C was super high, you are lucky, i know some with that problem,,,,,, daily glucose should be between 80 and 120…. well, your not too old for that condition but glad your ok now, best wishes
I can relate if it could go wrong with me, it did. I have had eye problems too; I also has a Hernia drop into my testacies. Which caused chronic diarrhea. They are the size of a football. I am using a 33-inch screen on my computer & can barely see it. Glaucoma & cataracts. I also had to file for reconsideration which cost a fortune. There was no way i could do my out & back in the condition I was in.
Would you have had the surgery if you had been in Philippines. Surprised at your age you only wear reading glasses. I’ve been wearing glasses since I was 10
Is the surgery painful at any time.
Reekay, when did you get the vaccine? Before the vision problem?
Funny as I am watching this video waiting in Cebu doctors parking lot as my wife brings her mother for her follow up cataract surgery performed last week. FYI 1K US dollar for Mom’s right eye…
I would say you seem to take the whole issue of getting health insurance in the USA for granted. Just a few short years ago you would have gotten NO insurance. Just the fact that you had a preexisting medical condition would have made you ineligible. BTW, I’m in the process of having Kaiser do the same eye surgery. What was your out-of-pocket cost for the surgery. Kaiser doesn’t give a reduced charge for something like this.
Glad you were able to decrease your long-term blood sugar (A1C). Might want to stay on top of that. Glucose is a very sharp molecule, and it’s like covering your red blood cells in razor blades when a person’s blood sugar is too high. Capillaries are damaged first in the extremities (feet, fingers), though the eyes (retina) and hearing (cochlea) are also especially vulnerable. Prevention is the only treatment.
Hi Rekay and Vi . I make sourkraut and also fermented garlic. Take care
I am sorry that you went thru this Reekay. Vi must have been going nuts about this. Yours is a great example of how important diet is for all of our bodily functions
A fellow pure blood 🙂
I am 59 and my mom is 87 Someone needs to be close or living with her. I know how you feel. Peace, love and happiness
Did You consult a Internal Med doctor (Primary care physician) after the eye doctor found You had High glucose level?
So basically health care in the U.S. is horrible. No Surprise there!! Happy to hear you were able to get things fixed and return to the Philippines before the insurance company let you die !!!
Can they also do cataract surgery in the Philippines?
-Nils
strange that you almost explained my experience of having cataracts at age 47 I already had diabeties and was treated with insulin which was my choice as metformin failed to work and gave me stomach pain, its amazing what the surgeons can do these days.
In the UK you get long vision lenses put in on the national health service and then you have to wear glasses for reading, I wear bi-focal glasses all the time with clear lenses in the top of my glasses and reading glasses in the bottom half of my lenses because if I am on a flight of stairs and I look down I cant focus on my feet without them.
good to hear your ok, ive watched a lot of your videos. Take care of yourself, all the best for the future. I found walking helped keep my sugars under control a couple of miles a day makes a lot of difference I lost 80lbs just doing a little more walking on a daily basis.
Glad to hear you are doing great.
Now, please explain why you decided to hide the event of getting married, a year or two ago?
-Nils
Reekay you could never get that kind of medical care in the Philippines. The best medicine is a loving women.
Congrats Henry on avoiding the clot shot
Thank God, stay safe !
Glad your mother is doing well. I lost my mother at the age of 67.
Paul accidentally revealed the issue of cataracts during a Livestream several months ago
Your better in Cali with Vi . Medical , mom and Vee can work there.
Scary medical situation about your eyes Henry. In Australia you might have received different / additional medical advice about lowering a person’s blood sugar levels … however, that can be a topic during a face to face meeting … hopefully later this year. Cheers, Chris.
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