Clint Baron – It is what it is

Four years into living with Type 2 diabetes, we hear how Clint Baron has adjusted to this diagnosis.


Clint Baron (56) lives in Johannesburg South, Gauteng with his wife. They have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Four years ago, in October 2019, Clint woke up in the morning with blurry vision, so he went to see his GP and was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Even though there is a history of diabetes in his family, with his grandmother and uncle having had it, his diagnosis still came as a shock to him. However, he says, “But there wasn’t much I could do but take the next steps to deal with it. It is what it is, so I had to accept it.”

The grandfather was prescribed vildagliptin, metformin, gliclazide and atorvastatin. He was surprised that the hospital plan that he is on covers chronic medication. “My medication was reassessed in March 2022 when my blood pressure went up but no other changes since then.”

Since being diagnosed, Clint has made small adjustments to his diet such as eating lots of green vegetables, changing to low-GI bread and he adds that he eats dinner a lot earlier than he used to.

He says that his family offers good support. “They all make sure I don’t eat chocolates and that includes my six-year-old grandson. Plus, my GP is awesome, and he too gives valuable support.”

Thankfully due to the nature of Clint’s work (he has an electrical fence business), he walks a lot with added physical activity. “I install electrical fences which requires me to be on and off the ladder, walking the length of the fences, etc.”

Healthy habits

When asked what healthy habits means to him, he responds by saying healthy breakfast, nibbles and dinner as fuelling the body in the correct way is important.

“I’m proud to say that most of the time my blood glucose levels are well-managed. However, stress is a big contributor to it fluctuating.I test once a day with a finger-prick test; but when my vision becomes blurry, I know I need to check it out,” Clint explains.

Thankfully, he hasn’t experienced any other diabetes complications other than needing glasses when using the computer.

He concludes by saying diabetes has taught him to make a change to his lifestyle, eat healthier, eat greener and make the most of life.

Laurelle Williams is the Editor at Word for Word Media. She graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Live Performance. She has a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Her aim is to educate, encourage and most of all show there is always hope. Feel free to email Laurelle on editor@diabetesfocus.co.za

MEET OUR EDITOR


Laurelle Williams is the Editor at Word for Word Media. She graduated from AFDA with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Live Performance. She has a love for storytelling and sharing emotions through the power of words. Her aim is to educate, encourage and most of all show there is always hope. Feel free to email Laurelle on editor@diabetesfocus.co.za


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