January is a time of change for most people, resolutions, challenges, promises. With some people change comes in physical ways not just words. Ja Morant, the darling of the NBA because of his unique basketball skills and leadership in winning consecutive games for the Memphis Grizzlies, was 5'10 inches in high school. That isn't very tall for a basketball player who expects to be recruited by the big schools. He wasn't--went to a smaller school and then grew to be 6'5''. The pros came calling then to put him on their teams. Now he can do amazing dunks and make baskets right up with the big boys. Stetson Bennett IV was a walk-on Freshman at Georgia and didn't play for his first year, so he left to go to a junior college. He came back to Georgia as the second string quarterback for two seasons and didn't get to start until 2021 when the first team quarterback was injured. Just a few days ago he took Georgia to the first place in college football by beating powerhouse Alabama. All those moves he made paid off despite what others thought.
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Change in our family came when Ray left us on August 16. It should have come earlier even before he was diagnosed with diabetes. We have it three generations straight before him and in two of his cousins, Leigh Ann and Mark. Four consecutive generations --and I'm concerned about my great nephews and nieces, all 10 of them and my twin grandsons because it is a sure thing that diabetes will go after at least one of them. The DNA doesn't lie. Ray should have re-worked his diet and exercise when he was first diagnosed, but he didn't. Then when he went on dialysis, he should have taken more care, but he didn't.
Two hospitals in Lubbock, 2 rehabs in Lubbock, 1 dialysis center in Lubbock, 2 hospitals in San Antonio, 1 rehab in San Antonio, 2 dialysis centers in San Antonio, and someone should have been able to explain the pain and agonies in his body, but they didn't. Calciphylaxis, the name for what killed him, should be discussed and checked in every dialysis center, but it isn't. In Texas today 1-3 is pre-diabetic and should be taking measures, but they don't. In Bexar and Guadalupe County 1-9 are already diagnosed with diabetes and should work to reverse it, but they don't. I went before the Cibolo City Council in November to declare November as National Diabetes Month and hoped to see reports from people in my community that they are reading labels and declaring no sugar zones, but so far they haven't. Families everywhere should take a good look at their pantries and vow that they will eat well but not at the expense of letting diabetes creep into the household, but they forget.
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For those who came to Texas on the coast in 1844 from Germany after a 58 day trip, there were plenty of changes that seem just ordinary to us. The weather--they arrived in early December, and the temps were so much milder than back home. They had lined jackets, wool sweaters, heavy coats, and they didn't need any of them. Rivers--they had never had to ford a river in wagons and didn't know exactly how you did it. Food--they needed it desperately but didn't have guns strong enough to kill deer, so they had to just watch the animals and know they were missing meals. Language: a few spoke English but most spoke their native German tongue and didn't know how to communicate. One group who came a few years later, the ones called Free Thinkers, spoke Latin and found that was interesting but not much help. But they kept on coming in the thousands and determined that they would start over in this new and wonderful place, Texas
So we can start off 2022 with plans for new things in our lives.There's nothing unusual or wrong about that. What would be amazing would be the reversal of eating habits and exercise so that six months from now, our society would begin to see a difference in numbers and medical records.
It would be the biggest story on the nightly news. Change--it can happen.
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