Usha Rachel Thomas' life was transformed when she visited a doctor in Mumbai in 2024 and heard the statement, "Physiologically, you should be in the ICU, but you are walking and speaking." Usha was accustomed to high stakes and high stress as a seasoned communications leader and brand strategist. However, the fact that her body had been gradually approaching a diabetic coma caught her off guard.

She didn't exhibit any noticeable physical indicators. All that remained was a rising weariness, a thirst she could not satiate, and an exhaustion that enveloped her after each meal. She shrugged off the symptoms for two months, attributing them to stress or heat. However, her blood sugar level revealed a different picture. "The number on the glucometer read over 500, 538 to be exact — more than five times what it should have been," the 57-year-old.

The day her "I'm just tired" story fell apart. Eventually, it resulted in a medical transformation for Usha, which developed into a very intimate journey toward self-care, self-respect, and self-awareness.

Symptoms of diabetes that were readily overlooked

Usha said that she had been experiencing excessive fatigue, particularly after meals. The desire for sleep would be overpowering after a brief breakfast. The same thing happened after lunch. "I thought it was just Mumbai's unrelenting heat or the stress of our company's merger," she says.

Dehydration was the cause of the extreme thirst, she claimed. Frequent urination is a normal consequence of increasing water intake. But what she overlooked was the body's subtle signals that it needed help, which is something that many people do. Furthermore, nobody else saw any warning signs.

"The ideal storm of stress and isolation had been created by losing my father a year ago, caring for my mother's loneliness and handling her sorrow, the empty nest syndrome after my younger son moved to Toronto to live with his wife, and working from home while our business merged," she explained.

After waiting a long time, Usha was able to see her longtime doctor, Dr. B.S. Shetty, who quickly put everything together. He recommended a random blood sugar check. And the outcome was 538, at which point she received the news that every patient dreads hearing: "You should be in the ICU."

She was on the verge of going into a diabetic coma.

"Those words shattered the carefully crafted story I had been telling myself for years." My sense of invulnerability vanished in that sterile examination room. I was more than just fatigued. I wasn't simply thirsty. I was in terrible shape. My wake-up call was when I had type 2 diabetes, and it wasn't a minor case either! I was on the verge of a diabetic emergency that may have killed me, Usha says.

Usha can now see, in retrospect, the early warning signs that her body had been sending for years before she reached a critical stage. She claims she had been ignoring:

Minor changes in regular blood tests that were technically "within range" but headed in alarming directions

Longer recuperation period following unexpected sprains

Continual exhaustion even with sufficient sleep

Changes in body composition that she couldn't explain, which she blamed on aging rather than metabolic problems

modifications she made instinctively as her energy level dropped. She used elevators rather than stairs. Drove the automobile short distances that she used to walk.

The path to reversing diabetes

Usha was seated across from endocrinologist Dr. Dheeraj Kapoor a week after learning that she was about to fall into a diabetic coma. And without mincing words, he said to her, "You should have seen an endocrinologist 11 years ago when the weight gain began." The onus is currently on you, and you will have to put in a lot of effort. However, the good news is that your other vital signs are in great shape. You can recover from this.

She had a choice at that time: "I could continue spiraling, or I could begin healing." Usha made the decision to recover.

Reversing Type 2 Diabetes in 60 days

Usha's blood sugar levels returned to normal within two months of making significant lifestyle changes. She has kept them up for the last ten months without using harsh drugs or depriving them. How is the query?

Usha, a former journalist and IIM-A graduate, explains that it was founded on three fundamental pillars: systematic lifestyle rehabilitation, mindset change, and medical assistance (initially).

"I started with the lowest-dose tablet to stabilize my condition, and now I'm nearly medication-free. This support allowed my lifestyle adjustments to take root," she explains.

Changes in schedule:

The eating window was fixed: no more nightly late dinners or midnight bedtimes.

Dinner between 7:30 and 8:00 PM, no exceptions.

Get at least 10:30–11:00 p.m. of sleep to aid in hormone balance.

Daily routines that put self-care ahead of job needs

deliberate rise in mobility

Ten-minute strolls right after each meal

doing simple soleus push-ups while waiting for water to boil or cleaning one's teeth

regular dance and yoga classes taught by instructors Saurabh Bothra and Trishala Bothra, which brought back happiness and energy.

At least 45 minutes of focused walking each day

Modifications to one's diet

How she ate, rather than what she ate, was the primary shift.

Vegetables first, then everything else. "This simple sequence change dramatically impacted my glucose response. I simply flipped the plate, not the food," she says.

I practiced mindful eating, pausing to savor tastes, textures, and signals of satiety. I continue to eat chocolate and fruits. I simply use accountability and exercise to balance.

Strategic indulgence: “It was a yes to chocolate, yes to mangoes, but with precise awareness of timing and quantity.”

"I never deprived myself, only realigned priorities," is what I mean by consistency over intensity.

Positive indicators of diabetes reversal

Usha discovered that even these minimal dietary adjustments for diabetes control helped her blood sugar levels drop from 538 to 180, then to 112, and then 98 in just two weeks. "I reversed Type 2 diabetes in two months. For the last ten months and counting, I've remained in a non-diabetic range. Furthermore, I gradually shed 20 kgs without appearing gaunt or ill—just stronger and healthier."

She claims that although the statistics appear fantastic, they don't adequately reflect the mental clarity that reappeared like morning light after a long night, the resurgence of energy, or even the significant change in her attitude toward herself.

"I dismantled 36 years of unconscious self-neglect and rebuilt my relationship with my body," she says, adding that she is the mother of two grown-up sons. I came to the conclusion that my almost disastrous health emergency was not caused by weeks or even days of bad decisions. After 36 years of unintentional self-neglect, this was the end result. I thought, as many women do, that caring for my family and succeeding in my career meant I was taking care of myself. I was trustworthy, effective, and productive. That had to imply I was well, right? I missed how methodically I had put my own bodily needs low on my list of priorities.

Specifically, she claims that preventative care was an afterthought and that she only sought medical attention when there was an obvious problem. She constantly explained away her 30-kg weight increase by citing the unavoidable effects of stress and menopause. In the 24x7 media and entertainment sector where she worked, late-night meals and erratic sleep patterns became the norm. Her eating habits consisted of restaurant meals, processed foods, and late nights with little attention to portion size. She was connected to screens for 14–16 hours a day, making sure all deadlines for her job were met, and physical activity had almost disappeared from her life. She had just ceased paying attention to her body's signals in the midst of everything.

Concluding Thoughts: “Don't wait for a crisis to hit you”

Usha claims that despite the fact that Type 2 diabetes has been accepted as a natural result of genetics or aging, her experience indicates that people have been led to believe that personal agency has a far larger role to play.

My goal in revealing this very personal journey is to demonstrate potential for others. You may be in the same situation as me: productive but dying, working but failing. With the correct direction and dedication, you deserve to know that reversal is achievable. She says that your healing path should begin before you are compelled by a crisis.

Read Also: Doctor Explains: How to Tell Food Poisoning and Appendicitis Apart

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