The Peak Condition Project - Matthew Baxter

I'll be upfront. My commitment to my PCP has been all over the place the past few days. This will be rectified beginning tomorrow morning.

As far back as ten years ago, I dreamed of participating in the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme. Now that I think about it, one of the motivating factors behind my decision to pursue a post-secondary education was the programme's requirement of a Bachelor's degree. As my relationship with Cesar progressed however, I felt less and less justified in leaving the country for a year... and perhaps uncertain that I could survive that long without him. Well that was then, this is now (this is Stouffer's...), and wouldn't you know it, I ended our relationship and am still around to tell the tale. The other night at dinner, I was reintroduced to a friend of a friend of mine who participated in the JET programme and since then it's been at the forefront of my thoughts. But as luck would have it, there are new barriers to my participation in the programme, this time of a medical nature. It's been so disheartening to consider the possibility that I might be disqualified from participation because of something even further from my control... I contacted the local consulate desk and the representative I spoke with seemed uncertain as to the answer she provided, so I sent a message to a CLAIR Programme Coordinator and was reassured that I will be on equal footing with other applicants come this September. I feel as though I now have at least something to look forward to in what has otherwise seemed a bleak few months... HUZZAH!

So... according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), my results of my most recent bloodwork indicates that I am prediabetic. Strange that my doctor didn't seem to be as concerned about it as I am (he even showed me a nice little graph of my rising fasting blood. Since the usual recommendation of losing weight doesn't really apply in my case, the only other option is increase my exercise and/or more aggressively cut my carbohydrate intake. I would very much like to avoid insulin sensitizing medications if at all possible.