•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Is health, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder? As I consider the experience of my mother and her doctor, an easy way to define being healthy is simply that you’re not sick. You’re not stuck in a hospital bed, you’re not compelled to take lots of pills or tablets and you don’t do anything unhealthy with your body.

But most of the time, people don’t know they are sick because they feel fine. Maybe that’s why they call diabetes “The Silent Killer.” You have no idea that your body is a time bomb waiting to explode. And when it does, there’s no turning back. Or so I thought.

My mom has had diabetes for the past nine years. Her condition hit a critical stage last year when she was hospitalized with a blood glucose level of 483, far beyond the normal range of 70 to 120. Consequently, she had to take two different types of insulin shots four times a day. While many people believe that once you start taking insulin you’ll always be dependent on it, my cousin said my mother could be weaned off the hormone by adjusting her diet. My cousin also introduced us to a doctor in Serpong who could help.

The doctor’s simple diet, however, might be considered pure torture by some: Consume only carbohydrates, protein and fat. Almost all her patients were given the same daily diet of 200 grams of lettuce, one tomato, one cucumber, and a cup of broccoli for carbs. For protein, they could choose from fish, chicken or mushrooms. Finally, for fats, the doctor recommended large amounts of extra virgin olive oil.

After patients have their consultations with the doctor, many are simply incredulous. “She won’t let me eat anything,” they think. Those who agree with her keep on coming back, and those who don’t never return.

My mom fell into the first category. She followed the doctor’s instructions a bit at a time, even the exercise regimen. For a 61-year-old with diabetes, doing at least 30 minutes of morning and evening exercises felt like a daunting challenge.

The results, however, were dramatic. My mom lost 15 kilograms over three months, cutting her weight from 59 kilograms to 44. The doctor now wants her to do some weight lifting exercises to build muscle mass.

My mom’s significant weight loss has attracted comments from neighbors, friends and family. The most common comment is “What happened to you? Are you sick? Why are you so skinny?” Others thought the doctor was starving her, probably because she eats vegetables, but no rice.

And when I asked my mom how she felt, she said: “Never better.” She’s worried about the weight loss, but says she’s not starving. She no longer gets tired or sick as easily. Most importantly, her blood glucose is improving slowly, falling from about 150 to under 130. And what’s more, my mother is now completely off insulin.

Does it mean she’s healthy? In my mother’s eyes, yes. She doesn’t have to endure the pain of insulin shots and doesn’t have backaches, a bloated stomach or dizziness anymore. She exercises more now than she did in her youth. She’s happy.

And in the eyes of others? Most of my mother’s friends and relatives think she’s too skinny, and therefore sick and in pain. But when I lost a few kilograms after giving up rice, nobody ever thought I was sick. “You’re on a diet?” they would ask instead.

In some cases, drastic weight loss is a medical illness, as is the case with bulimia or anorexia. My mom, however, isn’t striving for a bone-thin body, nor does she have an eating disorder. During my mother’s journey to better health, the unexpected challenge ended up being the reactions of those around her. Not one of these people asked the important questions: How is your blood glucose level? Are you still using insulin?

It’s a bit discouraging to listen to the comments of those who don’t understand, because they don’t see the process like I do.

Most people want to be healthy. The challenge is improving your health if you are sick. If you have a poor diet, it’s going to adversely affect your health. It’s that simple. The journey of my mom and her doctor is one path to a more healthful life, at least for a diabetes patient. My mom still has a long way to go, but in her eyes and in the view of her doctor, she is on the road to good health. For them and me, a good diet and regular exercise — and a life without insulin — is being healthy.

Fidelis E. Satriastanti is a news reporter at the Jakarta Globe.