As the sun began to set, casting yellowish shadows on the earth. Matthew had just finished his business for the day and the thought of finding a place to eat ran through his mind. He went to his favorite restaurant and ordered a big plate of rice and carbonated drinks, enjoying his meal alone.
After his meal, he made his way back to his a self-contained apartment situated in a serene environment with rows of different kinds of new and old houses. The building was joined with other houses with the walls touching each other and these houses had their own tenants.
Matthew, a 27-year-old man, lived a carefree life filled with pleasure and excitement. He paid deaf ears to any advice about his excessive sugar intake, believing in living life to the fullest.
On a Sunday evening, he went out with his friends to a bustling plaza to have fun. As they sat down at a table, their voices filled with laughter and joy.
"Guy, you have taken too much of these drinks, while not take some food or even water," one of his friends tried to advise him about the
The satisfaction he found in sugary things made him pay deaf ears to the warning of his friends. All advice about reducing his excessive sugar intake failed on deaf ears. His motto to anyone that talks to him about the negative effect of excessive sugar intake was, "You only live once, so enjoy life to its fullest.”
"Babe, the end product of so many things we consume is glucose. I think you have to listen to him and eat something like food. Aren't you even tired of these drinks, everyday drinking sugary things and feeding on rice, bread and yogurt," Ella, his girlfriend expressed concern about his unhealthy consumption, supporting what his friend advised.
Ignoring them, he grabbed a can of malt on the table and drank it down. "Life is for enjoyment especially when the money is there, besides, I have been doing this for years without any issues," he retorted.
"Have said all I can."
A week after that, he went out for business and after sales he decided to have a nice meal since his babe had left for her house. He went to his usual restaurant and ordered his favorite and not without a drink. After eating, he started feeling weak and tired of walking.
His head hit hard, his joints ached and he felt his strength was failing him. Looking right and left he saw a school at the right hand side and laid on the field hoping to get better and go home only to lay there till dawn.
As he got home in the morning, he felt like he was okay but then his frequent urination and water intake scared him. One minute water intake, same minute passing of urine. As he passed the urine, he got weaker, standing at his mirror, he knew he wasn't himself.
"Why am I passing urine like this? something is wrong I'm sure," he stood up with the last energy in him and went to a grocery store for energy drinks with the conviction it was a quick solution to his weakness.
Days later, the symptoms worsened as he struggled to walk without assistance. Despite his deteriorating health, he ignored the warning signs, attributing his condition to malaria. He forced himself to a pharmacy for malaria drugs. With the drugs, there was no improvement. He knew something was wrong but couldn't tell what it was.
He kept on ignoring his health with the thought of getting better. It was when he was almost losing his strength he picked his cell phone and dialed Ella's number, his girlfriend.
Immediately after she arrived, they boarded a vehicle to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with diabetes. His sugar levels extremely high as a result of his unhealthy lifestyle all in the name of enjoyment.
As he lay in the hospital bed, his health had worsened to the level that he could neither open his eyes, sit erect, stand, talk nor eat. With the support of an oxygen, IV drip and other medical attentions by the doctors and nurses, he regained his consciousness. Surrounded by his friends and family, with words of encouragement and support, he found strength.
After weeks in the hospital, he was warned seriously on cutting every sugary snacks, drinks and any food that contains carbohydrates. It was a challenging thing for him to adjust to but having learnt a great lesson in a hard way, he turned a new leaf. The pains he went through wake him up to the necessity of embracing a healthier diet. He focused on eating protein-rich foods, as he regains himself fully, he realized that true enjoyment of life didn't have to come at the expense of his well-being.