Xtra Large yells to his girlfriend to bring his laptop from their bedroom. Once free as the summer breeze, he now relies on his support system for help with what some consider the simplest of tasks. Yet here we are: after a diagnosis of diabetes and several hospital admissions, the man famous for his catchphrase, “Get up and get it,” is left unable to stand on his own.
Anthony Dean has been a DJ for nearly 30 years, infamous for beating down on other DJs in sound clashes. Though he doesn’t smoke or drink, as many DJs do, the late nights and improper eating habits synonymous with Bahamian nightclub culture did their damage undetected for years.
half his leg was amputated.
Xtra Large is just one of many men living undiagnosed with diabetes and other related conditions. Studies by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) claim that 34,900 people had diabetes in The Bahamas in 2014. The Global Nutrition Report claims that one in four adult Bahamian men live with obesity.
Though Dean had traces of diabetes in his family, he ignored that fact.
Dean recalls visiting the doctor for his 40th birthday, finally forced to face the music. “I started to change my lifestyle almost a year before that, but when I found out officially, I just cut out a lot of stuff.”
It hurt when he stubbed his big toe, peeking out the front of his favourite Nike slippers, on the bike pedal while turning into his yard on his mountain bike, but days later, the gravity of the situation struck him like a truck. ‘When I finally went to the doctor, he told me, “Yo, ain nothin’ we could do with that toe.”‘ He hung his head as he replayed the scene.
Doctors would eventually remove his big toe; this would typically be enough to prevent further amputations, but the other toes were already infected.
Doctors removed his second and middle toes, but by then, the toxins were racing through the surrounding tissues in his foot. He would soon have to make the difficult decision of limb or life. Strong-willed, he told his doctor, “I came into the world with two feet; I’m leaving with two feet.”
The DJ imagined the impact his death would have on his two children and other loved ones, and the decision became clear.
“Right before I went under the knife, I thought about my kids, and you know that little voice that talks to you? It said, ‘Be still, I got you.'”
Now Xtra is on the path to recovery – doing therapy in preparation for a prosthetic fitting while still mindful that he is not out of the woods yet. He warns men to eat healthful foods, exercise, and get regular medical examinations. He remains optimistic and says things are in God’s hands for now.
Broken but not defeated, he prepares for the next round of the clash against diabetes, “Regardless of losing my foot, I know I still have to get up and get it!”