At peace with diabetes

For others, being told they are sick, especially of something that could be life-threatening, can be unnerving, worrisome, even terrifying.

But not for Freddie Santos, whose resumé reads like that of a Renaissance Man’s–stage/theater/concert director, stage actor, lyicist, and event director. One of his more recent projects was transforming the NBC Tent into a magical forest for the birthday of KC Concepcion.

When he found out he was a Type 2 Diabetic in 1992, Freddie took it calmly, with a sense of relief even. True, he was told his life was not in imminent danger, that he could deal with diabetes, and live with it. But he was going to have diabetes all his life.

Back then, Freddie was almost 240 pounds. He was on top of the world. "I was very disciplined with my work but I was gloriously undisciplined with myself. You know, overeating, staying out late, refusing to exercise, working long hours, the works!" he reveals.

Then in October 1992, he found himself urinating around 40 times a day. Around the 30th time, ants were all over his toilet bowl.

To others, it would have been the end of the world but to direk Freddie, diabetes was the answer to his prayer. "When my doctor, Ernie Santos, an internist, confirmed that I had diabetes, peace filled by heart." Now he knew the score, what he had to deal with.

Freddie took his doctor’s word as smartly and as philosophically as an authentic man of theater could–diabetes was not going to get the best of him! Life had a lot more to offer him than diabetes mellitus.

With his doctor’s help, Freddie came up with a straightforward plan of dealing with diabetes.

According to direk Freddie, when one has diabetes, there are three things he must do: "Exercise, carefully monitor your food intake, and drink plenty of water." In short, breathe, drink, and perspire.

Direk Freddie exercises not so much to build muscles mass but to burn off the fat and expend any excess sugar in his system. He works out at home nearly every single day except when his sugar levels are particularly low.

Those who remember him as big and heavy are taken by utter surprise when they see today’s "streamlined", more energetic version.

When it comes to food, he asks himself first if the additional sugar he’ll be taking in will be burned or just lay dormant in his system. More importantly, he makes it a point to monitor his sugar level. This is easier and convenient these days because of monitoring devices like the One Touch Ultra Blood Glucose Meter. Almost painless, One Touch Ultra is direk Freddie’s ally in keeping track of his diabetes.

He also makes it a point to drink as much as 15 glasses of water a day.

Direk Freddie says, "Diabetes does not depress me at all. With God’s grace, it’s become the best thing that’s ever happened to me. It’s given me a better lifestyle, affecting me more positively as a person."

Freddie is a consummate actor and one of the finest stage directors around. He founded Trumpets over a decade ago with Joseph, The Dreamer, to date the country’s most successful stage musical, having been seen by over a million people on stage and on television. He is artistic director of Father’s Productions but still freelances for large-scale corporate and social events. Recently, he wowed the Ayala Mall crowds with his enchanting, musical/action comedy Song of Mulan, which starred Nancy Castiglione and Greg Turvey.

Shortly after, he wrote and directed the relaunch of GMA Artist Center introducing over 50 resident artists, each one given his or her own showcase.

In November, he restaged First Name, the country’s first gospel musical written in 1988, for Christian Harvest Academy at the Saint Cecilia’s Hall in St. Scholastica Manila.

Among his recent works were a new staging of his radical and critically-acclaimed 1996 musical on marital trials, Widows, Orphans and Wildebeests with music by Dan and Geri Gil and a new large-scale musical on the Renaissance, Il Divino, which he wrote with Mano Po’s award-winning composer Von de Guzman. Dynamic, satirical, and dramatic, Il Divino centers on the intertwined, scandalous, controversial lives of Da Vinci, Michaelangelo and Raphael.

As in all his original works, humor plays a major part in direk Freddie’s life. This innate love for laughter never waned even with diabetes. If anything, the laughter has become louder than ever.

Direk Freddie is a renewed man with zest for life. The way he deals with diabetes has all the elements of the things direk Freddie loves most–art and life.