Dino Baijnath, an avid gym goer, shares how a near-death experience caused by septicaemia led to a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, and how he defeated both.
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Dino Baijnath (47) lives in Sandton.
For the past 26 years, Dino has been an avid gym goer. “It started out as fun and to maintain muscle and have a good physique, but it soon became a lifestyle. It helps me manage stress and keeps me healthy too. I train four times a week for 90 minutes, and train each muscle group at least twice a week,” Dino says.
So, when Dino was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2023, this was a major shock to the muscle man.
Septicaemia leads to diabetes diagnosis
Dino developed a fever, thinking it was a cold but adds that it was unbearable. His colleagues encouraged him to go see a doctor as he was visibly not well. The doctor called an ambulance to take him to hospital.
“After being admitted, blood tests were done, and my liver and kidney were in failure, with a blood count of 330, and my blood glucose level was over 30. The high blood glucose level caused a blood clot in my lung that turned into septicaemia (a life-threatening infection that occurs when bacteria enter the bloodstream).”
Dino was put on an IV antibiotic drip for five days while in ICU and was put on oxygen as he had pneumonia too (lung infection that can cause inflammation and fluid build-up in the air sacs of the lungs) and was struggling to breathe.
“Thankfully, within three days the doctor was happy to see my organs starting to heal and insulin was administered to bring my blood glucose level down.
A week later, Dino had escaped death but now had to navigate life as he was now diagnosed as living with Type 2 diabetes.
Treatment
The medical treatment included pregabalin to treat nerve damage, and two insulins (insulin glulisine and insulin glargine) as well as blood thinners.
Dino also implemented lifestyle changes in his diet while administering insulin three times a day. “I always pack a cooler daily to keep the insulin in; thankfully it gets easier and is becoming second nature. Injecting insulin became part of my lifestyle and doesn’t bother me at all. My friends and family made it easier for my adjustment and helped me through the process with constant reminders of what I eat and medication times,” Dino explains.
Second septicaemia scare
Eight months later Dino defied odds again when he once again had septicaemia. He underwent another round of antibiotics in hospital but thankfully this time there was no organ failure, so he wasn’t in ICU, and was discharged in a few days.
Gym routine and diabetes management
Through trial and error, Dino has found what works for his blood glucose management and his love for strength training. “I usually train at night so just before gym it’s time for my last injection, so I administer before the workout and I consume branched-chain amino acids and creatine after injecting. This has been very positive in my training as insulin helps absorb nutrients. I actually gained 12kg of lean muscle mass, so I turned something negative to a positive,” Dino says.
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