Distinguished actor, James Earl Jones, yes, that James Earl Jones who played in such legendary films as Field Of Dreams, Coming To America, and of course is the voice of Darth Vadar in the billion dollar mega series, Star Wars has seen a lot in his 85 years of living. But something that he was "accidentally" diagnosed with 20 years ago, that he says took him by complete surprise.
Now, Jones is sharing with everyone for the first time about how he's lived with the disease and what his health looks like going forward.
"I fell asleep on the bench in the middle of the gymnasium," he tells, AOL. "The doctor who happened to be there told me, 'That's not normal.' I took the test, and there it was. Type 2 diabetes. And it hit me like a thunderbolt."
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Jones said that even though he knew he was "at-risk" because he was Black, and his old age plus his family's medical history, he didn't feel like he had any disease and was shocked to hear the diagnosis.
"I'd been fit, climbing up mountains and skiing uphill and all that. I thought I was invincible, as the army teaches you to think of yourself, so it was a shock. There's a lot of denial," he said. "I'm still grappling with ways to live with it."
Type 2 diabetes, which affects over 29 million people in the U.S. And one of the ways that helps those who are affected by the disease is to adopt a healthier lifestyle. Eating a your "normal"every day meals can alter blood sugar levels, especially for the 89 million Americans whose numbers categorize them as pre-diabetes, which Anderson says is much easier said than done.
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Jones was forced to make tough changes which included cutting out his favorite dessert, strawberry shortcake. But he said he wouldn't have be able to do it without help from his wife and his son, who keep a close eye on his behavior.
See, when you have #diabetes, it not only affects you, it affects the people around you as well.
"My son is a good watchdog, and he's the first to catch me. My wife will count the cookies in the kitchen, but he will smell it in my...
...breath. These are stupid things on my part, but it's human to love sugar, and next to denial is trying to get away with it."
Wasked why he's opening up about it now, Jones' answer was simple: It's time.
"I have been working pretty steadily for the past 60, 70 years, and I haven't had a moment to commit myself to something like this. I'll get back to work, but I'll work more effectively once I come to terms with my ongoing problem with diabetes. I accepted I will always be a diabetic, but I can live a full life," he said.
For Jones, living a full life means continuing to do what he loves and adding to his nearly-200 acting and voice work credits.
"I'm an actor, and actors can work until they fall over, as long as you don't knock over the furniture and remember the lines. And that's what I intend to do, because I love it. I think I want to do comedy now. At my age, if you're going to make an ass of yourself, you can do comedy. I'm ready for that," he said.
