Man, 56, Is Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. 6 Months Later, His Blood Work Comes Back 'Normal' After Picking Up 1 Habit (Exclusive)
https://sg.yahoo.com/news/man-56-diagnosed-type-2-100000271.html
Man, 56, Is Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. 6 Months Later, His Blood Work Comes Back 'Normal' After Picking Up 1 Habit (Exclusive)
The Manhattan teacher hopes to inspire others with his journey and his struggle with Lyme disease and type 2 diabetes
Pedro Soto
Pedro Soto NYC MarathonNEED TO KNOW
N.Y.C. teacher Pedro Soto was feeling under the weather when he decided to go to the doctor
After some testing, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
Not wanting to get on medication, he reveals the habit he picked up to significantly improve his diagnosis
Pedro Soto had a sore throat, so he went to the doctor, believing he had a viral infection.
However, when his doctor did a blood test, they found something else. In April 2024, the Manhattan school teacher, 56, says he "was officially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes."
His doctor recommended medication to get it under control, but Soto was determined to make a change to his lifestyle first.
"After receiving the news, I chose not to start medication right away," he tells PEOPLE. "Instead, I committed to exercising, running twice a week and improving my diet."
It turned out, running would change his life.
Pedro Soto
Pedro Soto NYC MarathonInspired by one of his colleagues whose husband ran the marathon, Soto applied to the TCS NYC Marathon through an application specifically made for teachers. He had to share an essay in which he spoke about his diagnosis, and was ultimately selected for the team.
As he trained and developed a running habit, he continued to undergo blood work scans and measure his results.
“I check my blood test every three months, and [it] made a big difference," he says. "Like three months later, I was even normal. My blood sugar level was normal, near prediabetic, but normal."
While type 2 diabetes — a chronic condition where the body doesn't respond to insulin properly, leading to high blood sugar levels — cannot be cured, it can be reversed, per Yale School of Medicine.
The marathon took place on Nov. 2, 2025, in New York City. Soto wasn’t able to consistently begin training until the beginning of August, because in June, he was also diagnosed with Lyme disease. It was also during this time that Soto’s father passed away.
Still, he used his runs as opportunities to work through his feelings and emotions, and to build his strength back from being sick.
More in Health
“I was mourning, and the way I mourn [is] through running and having quality time to think about it," he shares. "It was running to face my feelings and thoughts and make peace with myself and with my father. It wasn't coincidental that I had to run and train at that time. It was something that helped me a lot to process my loss."
While he didn’t fully know what to expect with the race, he did his research by watching YouTube videos and reading.
“For me, it was amazing. It is like a block party, but the block party is the whole city," he says. "During the race, you're gonna feel some pain. You are pounding for hours, the same ligament, the same joints, the same bones and muscles."
“Something's gonna start feeling pain, but the noise of the people out there, the music, the cheers, everything is louder than your pain," he adds.
Another thing that kept him moving forward was the motivation of his students.
“The last six miles is when your mind starts to sabotage you: Why are you doing this? You can stop anytime," he recalls. "I was thinking about my students."
Soto notes that he works with a "very special population" of students in a transfer program who haven’t succeeded in rural school systems.
Pedro Soto
Pedro Soto NYC Marathon“We bring them back into the school using alternative approaches, pedagogy and engagement activities. They went through a lot," he continues. "Every one of them is here for a reason, and not just one reason, multiple reasons. I thought many times, if my students are feeling the pain that they feel when they come to school, I can do this too.”
“I always think I'm feeling pain, I'm feeling tired. The fatigue is hitting me right now, but they can do it. They do it every day. I can do it for another hour or two hours," he says. "These students were my inspiration to keep going. I know how hard it is for them... and they still come to school, and they try their best. I can do it.”
The average age of his students is 17, with a few who are 19 or 20. In addition to being his motivation to run the race, Soto shares that his students are another motivating factor for him to take control of his health.
“If I'm in a better shape, that is gonna affect my students in a good way. If I'm sick and I'm missing classes, I'm tired if I don't feel good, that is going to affect my instruction in the classroom, my relationship with the students, and eventually the quality of me as a teacher," he tells PEOPLE.
“Teachers get burned out because sometimes they don't balance their lives. This TCS marathon was a great opportunity for me to balance my life," he continues. "Sometimes you need to advocate for yourself or put yourself first. That was a great opportunity to do that.”
Read the original article on People
Comments
Post a Comment