Hamza and the Mixtard

It was a long overnight trip that I barely slept in it; I was totally consumed in thinking about what will happen in this short business trip and whether it will be fruitful, business wise, or no. I was napping a little, reading a little and get bored a little during the long five hours flight. I arrived to the Airport and finished all arriving visa and luggage chores and as soon as my feet touched the land of the beautiful city of Koshi, India I felt that magical feeling - It was raining like I never seen before in my whole life and I always adore raining, That rain was extremely different, it was strong,  powerful and charming. Kind of rain that makes you feel that it is sweeping and cleaning you from the inside out. I just left my soul to sail with this God beauty especially the pure smell of the rain water when it touched the land. That beautiful pouring rain is free to be used, for irrigation, drinking, washing or whatever – it doesn’t ask for money to serve us  – it is just serving us for the sake of goodness and welfare.

While I was taken with such a wonderful scene, I felt a hand touching my shoulder gently and a voice asking “Are you Eng. Ahmed?” I said “yes”, then he said “I am Hamza”.

Mr. Hamza is an Indian man about 60 years old with a medium white beard and face that told me, from the first glance, that Hamza is a kind man that apparently has an inner faith in God that calm his manners mixed with an easy going character. But even though I noticed some kind of pallor and paleness in his face – that paleness I know very well!!

Hamza gave me the ride to the hotel promising that he will come tomorrow for all business issues that I came for. I spent the rest of the day trying to sleep but I couldn’t; can say that I was kind of tottering being so tired and not able to sleep, just looking from behind the window at the wash out rain and the drops that looked to me big in a size of babies coming down from the dark grey sky, I was just thanking God for the beautiful and breathtaking scene that I was allowed to witness and enjoy.
At the end; I Slept like a baby overnight. I met Hamza in the morning and he took me out to his office for our business issues. On the way to the office it was still raining hard. We reach the office and start our meetings.

Hamza watched me measuring my blood sugar three times in about 7 hours in his office but, at the beginning, he did not comment – just ignored it first time, then second measurements he was looking at me with (are you crazy) kind of  look and then at the third time he was just full of me and said loudly” Ahmed are you crazy, you measuring your blood sugar three times in six or seven hours?”

I smiled and answered “I knew you are diabetic Mr. Hamza the moment I saw you back there at airport and from the pallor face I knew you are not controlling your blood sugar” Are you really diabetic? –
He answered “Yes I am but you are wrong about the not controlling diabetes statement Ahmed – I am controlling my BS very well my friend”

Me: “Fine Hamza, how many times you measure your BS daily”
Hamza: Denouncing “Daily!!! No I measure once a month as per my great Dr. Instructions!!”
Me: “Ok and what is your reading usually comes in this once a month Hamza”
Hamza replied with confidence: “About 220 – Around that after food”.
Me: “And what your great Dr. told you about these numbers Hamza” me replying.
Hamza: “Nothing – he agrees on such readings with a little note “try to walk 30 mins a day”.
I asked “What medication are you taking Hamza?”
He said “ Mixtard Insulin 30 – 70”.
OMG what a silent killer this mixed insulin; that is been described in this part of the world by almost 70% of Doctors to make it easy for themselves (NO FACTORS NO CALCULATION , NO BASAL ADJUSTMENT) just fixed doses morning and night and it is really impossible to control blood sugar with such fixed percentage mix of insulin.
Asking Hamza “Can you measure your BS now?”
 “Of course “ Let me see……..  It is 292 !!!! Hamza was shocked but I was not; I know how is the control with mix insulin as I had been there for two years before I learn and own my own my diabetes version destiny.
Me asking “Do you have severe complications Mr. Hamza?” – Yes Ahmed” my feet hurts and pinning all the times, forget about sex with my wife 3 years ago” Hamza replied.
An what Dr. Told about that Hamza” – Nothing just this is Diabetes it is a progressive disease” Hamza replied.

“Hamza, Listen - Do you want to control your blood sugar?” I asked.
“ Of course” Hamza replied.
Ok listen to me very carefully my friend and focuse. I started to explain to him all factors IC ratio, correction factor, IOB calculation, carb count, what is fast acting insulin, what is basal, how he can master MDI, how he can decide numbers of units required for food (IC ratio), how he can correct his high or low BS, what is fast acting and slow acting Carbs, the story of Dr. Bernstein and his approach and at the end I said “ and the most important thing is that I will order an execution verdict on you now!!
He opens his mouth and said “what is that”
I said “ NO WHEAT AS OF NOW _ NO GRAINS THEY ARE PURE GLUCOSE IN YOUR BLOOD -  it is only way to have sex again”.

Hamza: What!!!! Pure sugar – how come Dr. told me to eat wheat – Whole wheat and no issues. NO NO NO Ahmed I will take you to the hotel now and I will bring my son who is an engineer and come over to you this evening and chat about all this again I am so confusd– PLEASE HELP ME.
“OK Hamza, Take me to the hotel and I will be ready this evening for you” I replied while talking to myself “Diabetes is running behind me where I go” – amazing.
Arrived at 6 pm, to the hotel took a shower, got ready and Hamza came at 7 pm and we met at the lobby drinking coffee and started taking all his questions one by one and answer them clearly with a background music of severe rain again.

He asked about everything three or four times and I was responding and answering again and again. Meantime; I was writing every single thing for him, as per his request.
While I was writing; I raised my head and looked at him and to my amazement his tears was coming down like rain, crying silently and his face was red. “What happen Hamza”, I asked.

He said: “You know Ahmed I live 200 Km away from here and our office in this town here and in fact I was not gonna attend this trip today or yesterday with you – my elder son was supposed to do that but he got sick two days ago and I replaced him just to come here and meet you to save me just like that – that is God work not me not you… Thanks God for you kindness” Hamza said while crying happily.

“I have five persons in my close family just Diabetic like me and I will learn and practice and help them if I can” Hamza said.
We sat together until 2 am and it was a complete guide to his coming years. I sum it up for him and he left.
I came up my room so tired and consumed but so happy, complacent and calm.
No sleep but happy and that is what matter, real happiness is there for you when you help and support people without waiting anything in return.

Hamza came again at 6 am to take me to airport and he parked the car and walked me in to departure hall and hug me long goodbye while we both were tearing just like the nonstop rain outside – what a beautiful state of mind I was in that situation .
Hamza told me in the car, on the way to airport, that he bought the required basal and fast acting Insulin and started the no grain no wheat that morning breakfast.

I arrived five hours later to Dubai airport to find a SMS that made me extremely happy and tearing again.
SMS says “ Dear Ahmed, you are God sent to me, for the first time in 11 years being diabetic I measured 118 after food, I cannot believe it – I just wanna say thanks a million to you and thank GOD that I met you”
A trip That I will never forget.