For Julie Brown, the year did not start the way anybody would want: in the second week of January 2016, shortly after feeling really fatigued at work and being advised to see a doctor by her boss, Julie was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.
“I was very tired and not myself. I was constantly thirsty no matter how much water I drank,” says Julie.
Two days later, Julie was told she had diabetic ketoacidosis. To process information like that can be hard to swallow and fully understand right away.
“I was confused at first and it took a bit [of time] to sink in. I thought at first it was just a temporary thing and that once they gave me insulin I would be better. Once it was explained to me in more detail and I did more research I had a better understanding of what to expect.”
Julie is no beginner to training; she joined Innovative Fitness Four Seasons in Fall 2015 and has not missed a workout since. She works out twice a week in our club, goes to boot camp at her local gym twice every week and is active on weekend days running or hiking. But after being diagnosed, Julie took some time off work and training to adjust to her new lifestyle.
“My family and friends have been great support. My mom came out from Toronto to take care of me for a week while I adjusted to the new lifestyle. My friends visited me in the hospital and have also been very interested in learning more about diabetes so that they can provide support. I also received a lot of support from work; they made sure to have snacks and food I would need to treat lows when I returned to the office.”
To our big surprise, and thanks to the support of her friends, family, and coaches, Julie was back training and running in just two weeks! But even more shocking was the shape Julie came back in.
”My energy has increased significantly. I didn’t realize how low my energy was before until I started feeling better. I feel like I am much more productive in my workouts and in other aspects of my life, such as work.”
“It was very important for me to be able to return to exercise as soon as I could. I googled pro athletes with diabetes to have inspiration about being able to manage diabetes and exercise. Diabetes is an autoimmune disease so it’s very important to maintain a healthy lifestyle. “
We asked Julie about the adversities she has to face now:
“It has definitely been a huge adjustment but it has been manageable. There’s no day off from diabetes. I am much more conscious of what I am eating as that determines how much insulin I have to give myself. I have to inject insulin four times a day and check my blood sugars at least four times a day. I have to make sure I eat regularly.”
Despite her challenging new lifestyle, Julie decided she would not hold herself back and signed up for her first 10km race – The Vancouver Sun Run!
“I have thought about doing it before but I never went ahead with signing up. It seems like a good challenge. I have previously done 5km runs. I also think it seems like a quintessential Vancouver thing to do.”
Julie is now very focused in the gym as well as outside to get in shape for the run. Her goal is to finish the Race in 1hour 10 minutes.
“I am very goal-oriented so that keeps me motivated in getting ready for the race. It will be a great accomplishment for me to finish this race.”
What IF You could?
David Vavrik, ACE, FMS 2
Professional Training Coach
Innovative Fitness – Four Seasons
www.innovativefitness.com
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