Anyone diabetic?

[A/Fuel]

I just found out I am, long boring story, but anyway I talked my doctor into putting off the daily shots today. I only have a few days to get my levels down before he said I have to do it. I just wanted more time to research it because all this seems like it's happening fast to me. I guess the 14 or so pills a day are not working yet, and I need some time to figure out what I can and can't eat.
My family is freaking out but I feel fine, I just need to do a 180 degree life style change and all will be good.
The doctor said I probably won't be able to get them down to a normal level and I should be in the hospital, but I want to try first.
I'm also thinking about seeing another doctor just to have another oppinion. I just wanted to see if anyone else is dealing with this and what they did to get it under control.
Thanks

[milner351]

Dan Stokes is - he's learned to cope with it... he does require insulin shots with meals.

As with anything - I think getting another opinion is a very wise thing to do.

[A/Fuel]

Thanks, I just got off the phone with someone I know who I didn't know had it. His levels were twice as high as mine and he fixed most of it with his diet he said

[LORENSWIFE]

Of course no sugar...unfortunately no sugar includes potatos, pasta, bread, carbs in general and alcohol.
levels are always higher in the AM as you go through a sort of sugar dump from fat tissue into blood at that time.
Losing Weight is huge improtant if you are overweight.
Vegetable protein, especially from beans and green veggies is crucial.
Excercise is very important.
A cold, flu, surgery, stress or infection can jack your numbers up too.
Good Luck it sucks!
Gail

[A/Fuel]

My numbers since I've been tracking have been higher in the evening.
I can give up anything but the beer is what i'm going to miss the most. I'd eat dirt if I could still drink beer, lol

[LORENSWIFE]

Higher in the evening seems it would reflect what you've eaten during the day? Maybe because you are not taking the meds yet...

[Hemi Joel]

Last year I had type 2 diabetes. My triglicerides were over 600. Doc said I'd have to go on medicine, I said, no, just give me 3 months to cure it on my own. I knew how bad my diet was, and that what I had been eating was the cause. I completely cured it in 6 months with a diet change. Never took a pill or a shot for it. I just eliminated refined sugar. I now consider sugar a poison, I would no sooner eat a candy bar than a box of rat poison. Cutting back on suger dosen't work, it just puts your metabolism on a roller coaster. It needs to be ELIMINATED. I read the label of everything I eat. They have lots of sneaky ways to fool you in food labeling. I have learned all the different names for refined sugar, and don't eat it. No alcohol either. I eat all the fruit, vegtables, bread, poultry, fish that I care to. It is amazing what a difference in heath your diet can make. Good luck!

[kelly andersen]

Why are you not listening to the doctor,He's just trying to help you. I've had it for 20 years and my grandfather died from it after eventually losing his legs to it. You have to worry about stroke and heart attack also. I take lantus which comes in a pen syringe and also take metformin which is a pill. I lost 55 pounds which made a huge difference. You are not going to cure yourself,once you have it ,you have it.A few people have had it go away,but its still there waitng to come back. carbohydrates are you enemy, potatos,rice, cereal,beans, sodas and beer and such. meat and veggies are your friend,but not all of them. listen to your doc. He's trying to help you, the shots and meds are just a minor irratation, you will be glad in the long run.

[JRoberts]

Have you been diagnosed as type 1 or type 2?

I have been a type 1 diabetic for 60 years. I was diagnosed when I was three years old. It was difficult back then as most folks, including the doctors went by the rule that only old people got the disease. Of course over the years we have learned differently. My advise is to find a doctor who specializes in Diabetes, preferably an endocrinologist. These folks know the latest stuff and can more accurately deal with your situation. They also are usually much better at helping you deal with your situation. In most cases you need to get things together fairly quickly before things go too far downhill. I also have found nurse educators to be a great source of help. Many clinics have them. Certainly your major medical centers do. They don't take the place of a good doc, but are an immense help.

I am on an insulin pump. I fought this for a couple of years after it was suggested, but in reality it is great. It is like taking one shot every three days rather than up to four shots in a day (I was using a long term insulin in the morning when I got up and a fast acting insulin before each meal.) With the pump you can also dial in your blood glucose to make changes in you insulin throughout the day based on the those bg readings. It will be very, very important to check you blood glucose often, no matter what system you end up using. I check mine about 8 times a day. Some say that is extreme, but my A1C readings have been below 6.5 for the last 6 years. Diabetes does not have to be he curse it once was. But you have to take an active part in dealing with it. Your diet is important, but in reality once you get stabilized it is usually a matter of quantity as opposed to quality. There is nothing I cannot eat, you just have to watch how much and how often you eat it. I even put away a beer now and then.

Don't be shy about this. Make a list of questions for your doctor(s) and expect answers. Read about the disease and about what you don't understand. You have to be pro active about this. If you have questions for me feel free to email or PM me.

One more thing. There are folks out there that look at diabetes as a curse of some kind. It really does not have to be that way. If you are Type 2 you may not have to take insulin, but you do need to test your blood glucose, take your meds and get a doc you can trust. It does not have to be a curse. I can remember when you never really new what your blood glucose levels where and eating and insulin were always pretty much a crap shoot. Glass syringes, needles that got dull (some people even use a small file to keep sharp!) all that is in the past. Much easier to keep in control nowadays.

Good luck.

[SpiderGearsMan]

me .....

[67ragtop]

Google," Great Taste No Pain " And read Sherry Brescia's Testimonials about diabetes.
Victor

[A/Fuel]

Higher in the evening seems it would reflect what you've eaten during the day? Maybe because you are not taking the meds yet...

Maybe, I've been taking pills and started exersising yesterday and it's a little lower.

[A/Fuel]

Last year I had type 2 diabetes. My triglicerides were over 600. Doc said I'd have to go on medicine, I said, no, just give me 3 months to cure it on my own. I knew how bad my diet was, and that what I had been eating was the cause. I completely cured it in 6 months with a diet change. Never took a pill or a shot for it. I just eliminated refined sugar. I now consider sugar a poison, I would no sooner eat a candy bar than a box of rat poison. Cutting back on suger dosen't work, it just puts your metabolism on a roller coaster. It needs to be ELIMINATED. I read the label of everything I eat. They have lots of sneaky ways to fool you in food labeling. I have learned all the different names for refined sugar, and don't eat it. No alcohol either. I eat all the fruit, vegtables, bread, poultry, fish that I care to. It is amazing what a difference in heath your diet can make. Good luck!

This is what I'm thinking also, I just want to try first before the shots. I can't say I feel any different but my levels are a little lower now.

[LORENSWIFE]

J ROBERTS
You are an inspiration!
~Gail

[DanStokes]

Dang, Joe got here before I did. He's the only guy I know personally who's been diabetic longer that I have (almost 29 years for me). I'll pretty much echo what he said. General Practioner type docs seem to think that they can manage diabetes - and they CAN'T. It's just too specific of a disease for a doc with general knowledge to know the ins and outs. Find a good endrocronoligist that feels right to you and work with him/her. As Joe said, it matters a LOT if you're Type 1 or Type 2. He and I are both Type 1, meaning that we have no pancreatic function. Type 2 means that it's working but either not enough or the insulin can't get into your cells and do it's job. The results are similar but the treatment needs to be quite a bit different.

I do Lantus (slow acting) insulin in the morning and "bolus" shots of Humalog (fast acting) before each meal, which works for me. Joe and my bro are on the pump and they seem to work for them but I just don't trust them - sort of an old-fashioned guy, I guess. When I first started shooting up it seemed like the biggest deal in the world but now it's like brushing your teeth - you just DO it. It's truly no big deal. The belly works for me, 3-4 times a day.

The bottom line is TAKE CARE OF IT!!!!! I nearly went blind, I had a major heart attack, and I've had a lot of other complications as a result - just because I didn't take it seriously for way too many years.

Give up the beer, for sure - VERY bad for diabetics - although Joe will have one from time to time. Carbs ARE sugar so regard a slice of bread, hamburger bun, etc. as a sugary treat. You'll need a little but just don't overdo it. I'll also echo what Gail said and remind you to read labels. You'll become a MUCH more savvy shopper and eater. As you get control you'll sometimes have low blood sugar events. The best treatment I've found is M&M Peanuts. They release a shot of sugar to get your blood sugar back up and load of protein (from the peanuts) to sustain it. Works great. You can't get too much protein - not fat (like a lot of meats) but protein. The body runs of sugar and the protein breaks down very slowly to sugar so you get a long, slow release that your body can handle. So lean meats, nuts, and (yecch!) soy products like tofu really work best.

You'll find that you can't always stay on the wagon. Don't beat yourself up over it - just get back on ASAP. It's annoying but really not that tough.

Feel free to PM with any questions

Dan