Why Don’t I Feel Worse?

My A1C has ranged in the high 6’s and low 7’s for about 5 years. I’m 55 years old. I was a pretty high-level athlete in my youth, having started for three years at a major college football program. I have some orthopedic ailments from that, and now supposedly “diabetes.“

I just had surgery and had to fast for almost 24 hours. I had to stay at the hospital overnight, and by the time they got me into my room, the kitchen had closed. All they could find for me to eat were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, made with white bread and jelly loaded with sugar. I was so hungry I wolfed down four of them.

A while later, they checked my glucose and it was almost 400. If you believe what you read on the Internet, that should trigger a trip to the emergency room. But… I didn’t feel any different than I felt before I ate. I felt fine.

I am fit and strong…I can still run 7 minute miles and bench press over 300 lbs. I feel great and have lots of energy. I eat pretty well, but don’t obsess over it. I have never once felt bad because my blood sugar was supposedly too high. I track it with a CGM, and it will range from 270 or so down to about 60. I get “dangerous” notifications both times, but don’t feel any different either way. If I wasn’t wearing the monitor I wouldn’t even know if I was low or high.

How is that possible? Shouldn’t you feel terrible if your glucose is 400 or 60? Is it possible that “diabetes“ is just a scam to overmedicate people?

I just don’t get it.