Saved by the Bell
2026-02-25
I've been on Mounjaro for three weeks now, and just had my week four dose today. People keep calling it a miracle drug, and they're not far off. Many of my current health issues—type II diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea—are caused largely due to my obesity. Maintaining a weight-loss diet has been an uphill battle for years; antipsychotics increased my appetite and blood sugar. On top of that, other symptoms of my bipolar disorder (depression) made it more difficult to have an active lifestyle. Further on top of that, the Covid pandemic made it even harder to go out and stay sane. Overall, there have been many factors that caused me to gain over a hundred pounds, and taking it off has been a massive struggle—until now.
I struggled with a big appetite for a long time. It was hard to feel full and when I would feel full, I'd get hungry again after only two or three hours. But with the Mounjaro, overeating just simply isn't an option. If I do overeat, I have to face the consequences of puking most of it back out. But even then, there's no cravings to binge anymore. Big meals have now become a thing of the past. I've been dropping weight like a rock, too—ten pounds since I started. At this rate, I should be at a healthy bodyweight come fall.
I still have certain things I'm skeptical about with the medication. I don't want to be on the medication forever, and I'm concerned that once I stop taking it, I'll put the weight right back on. The wisdom I've heard on that is that while I'm on it now, it's important that I cultivate healthier eating habits so that when I do get off the medication, I can fall back on the habits I've set up. Even before starting, I tried to establish a healthy routine around meals. I try to eat roughly the same meals at the same time every day. The more I can reduce decision fatigue, the lower my chance of binge eating. But while I'm on the medication, I don't have to worry too much about it. It's almost scary how effortless dieting is now.
Outside of appetite and food intake, the medication has also helped reduce my blood sugar levels drastically. I was experiencing early symptoms of neuropathy. I'd get shooting pains in my hands, arms, legs, and feet. I'd have extended periods of numbness. When I'd lie in bed to fall asleep at night, my feet went numb. Since I started the medication, these symptoms have reduced by over ninety percent, I would say. At night when lying in bed, I feel the blood vessels in my feet doing a lot of work.
I like to think my body is repairing itself.
I received a prescription for Mounjaro a few years ago back when it first came out, and I was the perfect candidate for it. However, my insurance refused to cover it. If I wanted it, I had to pay over a thousand dollars a month for it. Instead of remaining complicit in highway robbery, I decided to not take it. The consequence of that made itself clear over the years; my diabetic symptoms kept getting worse. I finally saw my doctor again earlier this year after not seeing him for three years. I got new blood work done and another Mounjaro prescription. I received a letter in the mail from my insurance saying that they approved coverage for it this time. Now I only have to pay twenty-five dollars a month for it. For what it gives me, I'll pay that any day of the week.
While I am upset that the powers that be wouldn't let me get it sooner, I'm just happy that I have it now. I knew that if I kept going without it, my diabetic symptoms would have ramped up like crazy. I most certainly don't want to lose balance while I'm walking or start losing my eyesight. I feel like I've been saved by the bell, so to speak. I'm happy that things will start getting better. As I keep losing weight, the diabetes and sleep apnea will reverse, and I'll finally stop being so fatigued all the time. My performance in the gym will improve drastically, too. I can really start to live a more active lifestyle. Whatever that entails, I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to experience that again.
Since 2020, life had been horrible. I had no direction. I was hopelessly sick. I kept losing my mind. But now I feel that I am finally in a place where life feels truly worth living. I look forward to what's next. In the midst of that horrible tempest, Christ reached His hand out to me and called me home. I found my calling: to write. Back then, I knew that I had something important to do with my life. I knew that I was here for a higher purpose. I know that purpose now, and all I can ask for is more of the same when I was at my worst.
Wisdom. Perseverance. Rest.
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