In 2018, at the age of 46, Stéphane Lachance felt tired while teaching. However, the fatigue was so sudden and severe that he immediately went to the emergency room after finishing his work day. The diagnosis came as quickly as his fatigue arrived: he was type 2 diabetic, it was believed at the time.
Looking back, he now recognizes the warning signs of the disease. The weeks before this episode, I got up at night, I was thirsty, I had to go to the bathroom
.
If we don’t take care of ourselves as a diabetic, the consequences are very bad and last a long time so it’s a bit like it slapped me in the face! Then I did a 180 degree.
He therefore decides to follow the recommendations of his family doctor, found at the last minute thanks to his sister, and to make significant changes to his lifestyle, in particular to modify his diet and resume physical activity.
My message is that [le diabète] It’s not a “sentence” […]. I used it more as motivation.
It scared me
admits the one who then decided to throw himself into the race.
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Since his diagnosis, Stéphane Lachance took up running and became addicted to it.
Photo: Courtesy of Lisa Lachance
Facing illness one mile at a time
Although initially filled with great motivation, Mr. Lachance, who was overweight and more sedentary, recognizes how difficult his beginnings were.
I had difficulty running a mile, I had to stop, I had to walk
he remembers.
After three weeks I almost gave up and one of my colleagues, who is an excellent runner, convinced me to continue.
It was then that he began preparation for a first local running event with the support of his colleague and friend, Cédrick Jean-Pierre, with the aim of participating in a local road race of 10 miles, or 16 kilometers.
Those 10 miles, when I finished, I thought I had done something so great! I was proud of myself, but I didn’t stop
says Mr. Lachance.
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Stéphane Lachance attributes his racing success to his friend, Cédrick Jeanpierre, who encouraged him to continue and with whom he still trains. They hold the coveted belt buckle, which only runners who complete 100 miles in 24 hours can earn.
Photo: Courtesy Donna Jeanpierre
The kilometers and sporting exploits then piled up: half-marathons, marathons and 50 km races.
All culminating in the spring of 2024 when he achieved the extraordinary feat of running 100 miles (160.93 km) in 24 hours.
Adjust, again and again
This story could thus end, with this remarkable feat, but Stéphane Lachance also wants to share the fact that things are not always easy.
He describes his last marathon, this fall in Toronto, as hard
et disappointing
. He completed the last 12 kilometers with severe cramps, unable to run more than three or four hundred meters at a time
.
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Managing diabetes is not easy. Stéphane Lachance explains that he receives help and advice from several specialists, including a nutritionist.
Photo: Courtesy of Mélanie Opaski
Diabetes is taking 180 more decisions than a normal person per day
he says, and his illness is constantly evolving.
Every meal, every time we eat, every time we move a little, we have to think about all of this.
If he went two years without taking medication, he now needs insulin.
Given his high level of physical activity, he has been using an insulin pump since April, rather than injecting himself every time, because that’s diabetes, it’s constant management
he emphasizes.
Since this first visit to the emergency room in 2018, the doctors finally clarified his diagnosis which eluded them. He has type 1.5 diabetes, a hybrid form of the disease which affects around 10% of diabetics.
His pancreas, which always produces a little insulin, may have reached its end
according to his doctors. He can’t run without his phone and must always have sugar with him.
A reflection is perhaps also necessary on the number of kilometers he travels, he who has been running nearly 3000 km annually for 2 years.
I need to move, it makes me feel good mentally too!
However, he hopes that his message shines. Regular exercise and healthy eating are essential, he says.
These don’t have to be marathons!
he says. But he firmly believes that before you develop diabetes, you need to move a little more and eat better.
Figures that speak
In Canada, approximately 3.8 million people over the age of one are living with a diagnosis of diabetes, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. A figure which represents 9.6% of the population.
As for the International Diabetes Federation, it suggests that 10.5% of people aged 20 to 79 have the disease and projects that this will be one in 8 adults in 2045.
She recommends practicing regular physical activity, at least three to five days a week, for at least 30 to 45 minutes
.
World Diabetes Day has been an official United Nations day since 2006 and is marked annually on November 14, the birthday of Frederick Banting (1891-1941), Canadian scientist and physician who discovered insulin with Charles Best in 1922 .
Source: United Nations website
The World Health Organization considers diabetes to be one of the great public health challenges of the century.
