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Wow, I'm freakin' diabetic!
- Thread starter Stinsok
- Start date
Type 1 for 29 years. Still rocking (well I think I am)
Use this as an opportunity. Try to do what is best for you. Tea tastes great with just tea in it.
All the best.
- Jan 12, 2011
- 4,578
- 2,460
- Disclosures
- Artist, Trickfish Amplification Bartolini Emerging Artist, MTD Kingston Emerging Artist. Artist, Tsunami Cables
Just watch your diet, and start leaving the sugar alone. That is soft drinks, fruit juices, baked good etc and you might be fine. My numbers are close cause I'd rather drink fruit juice rather than water. After my most recent Drs visit, I'm changing all of that. Drinking more water, leaving the sodas, pies, cakes, juices etc alone.
Unrepresented
Something Borderline Offensive
As a southerner, you're at much higher risk for developing diabetes.
Here's a map of the "diabetes belt" (courtesy the CDC):
And just for poops and giggles, here's another one that's affectionately called the "stroke belt":
Here's a map of the "diabetes belt" (courtesy the CDC):
And just for poops and giggles, here's another one that's affectionately called the "stroke belt":
- May 30, 2000
- 4,707
- 257
- Disclosures
- Creator of: iGigBook Sheet Music Manager
I was diagnosed pre-diabetic a couple of years ago. I cut out all sweets and all junk food, started exercising and my blood sugar dropped back into the normal range. Further, I ended up losing a lot of weight without really trying and now feel like I am in the best shape of my life at 49 years of age (almost 50). I feel the experience has been a blessing because I would not have changed my life otherwise.
My parents both had adult onset diabetes and it scares me to death. I will do anything I can to prevent it.
My parents both had adult onset diabetes and it scares me to death. I will do anything I can to prevent it.
I got diagnosed 2 years ago. My A1c was 9.5 and my blood sugar was about 295. I started exercising more and cut out soda, orange juice, and many other carbs and had it under control in 3 months. Haven't gone above 5.9 since. Was 5.6 yesterday.
If you cut the carbs - especially the liquid ones (sweet tea is a big one) you can get it under control easily. The oral meds are probably metformin - it helps a lot. PM me if you have more detailed questions or need to talk to someone.
If you cut the carbs - especially the liquid ones (sweet tea is a big one) you can get it under control easily. The oral meds are probably metformin - it helps a lot. PM me if you have more detailed questions or need to talk to someone.
I was prescribed Metformin. I have gone into Safe Mode. No sugar, no bread, etc. I just tested a while ago at 212. Now researching what I can eat other than salads!
There is a TON you can eat, my friend. Proteins are good, as well as anything green. If you do have a carb - try to pair it with a protein. Start looking at the labels for your food - if you have a carb that also has at least 5 grams of fiber as well, you can subtract half of the fiber value from the carbs.
Example: If you eat a grilled chicken wrap on a wheat wrap that is 16 grams of carbs and 8 grams of fiber. You can actually subtract 4 grams from the carb content and be at 12! It helps when you are on a 45 gram of carb per meal diet like I was.
There are tons of resources at your disposal for diet planning, etc. Your local hospital might also have a diabetes management program. I went to that and it was very helpful.
Those numbers are a huge improvement from the ones you posted earlier. Keep it up.
Look into the Keto diet. It has reversed Type 2 for many people. Of course ask your doctor.
Invalid Link Removed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19818281
Invalid Link Removed
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19818281
Good that you are seeing this in a positive light. A positive attitude toward adjusting your life due to this disease is the way to go.
Glad to see that the numbers are improving. Test often. Listen to the nutritionist and your doc. Like others have stated watch your carbs especially hidden carbs that are in fruit. Exercise. Educate yourself (as others have mentioned). Also educate your loved ones so they know what to do if you get hypo or hyper glycemic. Watch your diet. If you drink alcohol remember that it is 100% carbohydrayte.
Also remember to take care of your body. As diabies progressess it effects your circulation which can lead to all sorts of serious problems down the road.
Take care of your feet and dry your toes after bathing. Pay attention to how long it takes for scratches and cuts to heal. The better you manage your diabeties now can lower the possibilities of experiencing some of the serious complications that can occurr.
Glad to see that the numbers are improving. Test often. Listen to the nutritionist and your doc. Like others have stated watch your carbs especially hidden carbs that are in fruit. Exercise. Educate yourself (as others have mentioned). Also educate your loved ones so they know what to do if you get hypo or hyper glycemic. Watch your diet. If you drink alcohol remember that it is 100% carbohydrayte.
Also remember to take care of your body. As diabies progressess it effects your circulation which can lead to all sorts of serious problems down the road.
Take care of your feet and dry your toes after bathing. Pay attention to how long it takes for scratches and cuts to heal. The better you manage your diabeties now can lower the possibilities of experiencing some of the serious complications that can occurr.
Pass my DOT physical! I have controlled it in a week's time, lost 4lbs, do not get up to pee at night (or that much during the day.) My best number so far is 134.
Also diabetic, diagnosed for over 10 years. In that time I've had good control and not so good. First diagnosed in an emergency room with a glucose level of 1155, no that's not a misprint, true. Spent four days in a coma, then another two weeks in the hospital. And it's true, hospitals Do Not serve a glass of champagne for New Years Eve. Had to go back in one more time when my pancreas failed, that pretty much sucked.
Type II for resistance, Type I for no pancreatic action. Luckily I get to enjoy the best of both worlds.
I take Metformin for the resistance and got an insulin pump at the start of the year to replace pancreas. Insulin pump makes life much easier than shooting lots of insulin a few times a day. Much easier to keep good control.
Here are a few little things that might be of help to you.
DO NOT get all crazy about tight control, diet, weight, lifestyle change, etc in the first week or month. This will lead to diabetic burnout and you will find yourself gradually slipping back to where you were and your blood numbers becoming very erratic. Do Not Despair, this is very common and happens to everybody at some point. The trick is to balance between your need to keep your numbers regulated and your need to have a normal life. It can be done, albeit, not always easily.
You will have to watch what you eat and drink. You will have to do at least some sort of minimal exercise. What most nutritionists and diabetic counselors recommend is just normal walking. Portion size is going to become a way of life.
Have your Dr get you appointments with a Diabetic Counselor and a Certified Nutritionist. This is important and a great help. You will be thankful you did. The results are like going right from the 3rd grade to High School.
Ask your Dr if he thinks that you might try Prandin or some other fast acting pill. This is the pill equivalent of the Humalin insulin. I used it for years until I got my pump and it does help to keep down the spikes you get right after you eat. Also ask about some Statin like Pravastatin. Even if you don't have high cholesterol and your lipid panel looks good a lot or even most diabetics don't. And something like Lisinopril, a generic version of Alltace, which has been shown to help protect kidney functions. Another problem some diabetics will encounter at some point.
If you drink you still can. But moderation is going to be the key. If you drink, nibble (that is nibble on something not gulp down handfuls of chips) on something. The reason for this is the affect that alcohol has on your blood sugars. Beer and wine will initially raise your numbers, and then when the sugar burns off the alcohol will lower them. Alcoholic beverages will lower them, sometimes pretty quickly and dramatically. So, nibble on something that has carbs in it. Watch out for the mixers in drinks. Most of them have very high sugar content and can raise your numbers significantly.
Test before you eat and two hours AFTER you eat. Some say two hours from when you start, but that doesn't seem to be as reliable method. Some people, like me, eat very slowly. What others eat in 5 minutes can take me a half hour. That can throw the post prandial test off. It just seems to be more reliable to test two hours after finishing eating.
Keep a log or journal of all your tests. You and your Dr will need these to see if any changes are need to your meds. VERY IMPORTANT!
Here are a few things that I use and you might find useful:
1: 2013 edition of The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter. This is the best of the myriad of carb counter books. Extremely handy.
2: Mynetdiary. http://www.mynetdiary.com/ Keeps track of foods. Cals, carbs, fat, portion size, all other nutritional data, exercise, etc. There are versions for computer, iPad & iPhone and probably the Android,
3: A reference book like Everything Diabetes Book, Diabetes for Dummies, etc. You'll find this handy when you have a question or can't remember what you were told about something.
4: A glucose reading log book or journal. I know I mentioned this before, but it is the only way you and your Dr have to review if the current treatment is working. Even if you don't use any of the other tools available, this one is critical.
5: Also handy is something on the computer to keep track of your numbers. An easy spreadsheet, one of the dozens of programs to log into. Your meter might even have one linked to it that does everything automatically. This easily lets you see trends. Also lets you see the difference between different meals. Different foods will affect your numbers. You'll find that some types of carbs have little or none. Some types send them thru the roof. It's different for everybody, so what works for a friend might not necessarily work for you. Maybe potatoes have little effect and rice makes them go crazy, or just the opposite.
6: Low Carb Foods. Hmmmmm............ This one can lead to about anywhere. You'll find some of them work well, and some not at all. You will have to learn how to read the Food Nutrition Labels.
Here are a few that I use and work for me:
A: Fiber Gourmet Pasta. http://www.fibergourmet.com/Default.aspx?src=AdWords Lower cals and carbs. High in fiber. Cooks and tastes like regular boxed pasta. I use this almost exclusively.
B: Walden Farms. http://www.waldenfarms.com/ Makers of low and zero calorie and carb products. I like some of their salad dressings. The syrup is OK, the BBQ sauce isn't.
C: Mama Mary's. http://www.mamamarys.com/ They make lower carb and cal pizza crusts (Thin & Crispy) and their sauce had no HFCS just the things that should be in sauce.
D: Egg Beaters or Egg Whites. http://www.eggbeaters.com/?gclid=CMeNu6j697UCFYqf4AodRSsAqQ Work and taste as good as whole eggs but have lower numbers than whole eggs.
E: Yogurt. One of the foods I truly like everyday. My favorites are Chobani http://chobani.com/products/ and Yoplait [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] I know that Yoplait Light isn't considered one of the best out there but they have so many flavors that you can have a different one every day. Also one that isn't as well known Cascade Fresh http://www.cascadefresh.com/products.html Their Green Apple Pie is absolutely delicious.
F: Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes http://www.muirglen.com/ and Eden Organics Invalid Link Removed They both make very good canned tomatoes and other products. I use their No Salt Added Tomatoes and Eden's No Salt Added Beans. If I want salt I want my own level, not some company who puts in lots of it to cover up the quality of the food.
Hope this helps a little. There are a lot of diabetics on here and a whole thread dedicated to it. Most, if not all of the people on there would be more than willing to give you any help or advice you need.
Type II for resistance, Type I for no pancreatic action. Luckily I get to enjoy the best of both worlds.
I take Metformin for the resistance and got an insulin pump at the start of the year to replace pancreas. Insulin pump makes life much easier than shooting lots of insulin a few times a day. Much easier to keep good control.
Here are a few little things that might be of help to you.
DO NOT get all crazy about tight control, diet, weight, lifestyle change, etc in the first week or month. This will lead to diabetic burnout and you will find yourself gradually slipping back to where you were and your blood numbers becoming very erratic. Do Not Despair, this is very common and happens to everybody at some point. The trick is to balance between your need to keep your numbers regulated and your need to have a normal life. It can be done, albeit, not always easily.
You will have to watch what you eat and drink. You will have to do at least some sort of minimal exercise. What most nutritionists and diabetic counselors recommend is just normal walking. Portion size is going to become a way of life.
Have your Dr get you appointments with a Diabetic Counselor and a Certified Nutritionist. This is important and a great help. You will be thankful you did. The results are like going right from the 3rd grade to High School.
Ask your Dr if he thinks that you might try Prandin or some other fast acting pill. This is the pill equivalent of the Humalin insulin. I used it for years until I got my pump and it does help to keep down the spikes you get right after you eat. Also ask about some Statin like Pravastatin. Even if you don't have high cholesterol and your lipid panel looks good a lot or even most diabetics don't. And something like Lisinopril, a generic version of Alltace, which has been shown to help protect kidney functions. Another problem some diabetics will encounter at some point.
If you drink you still can. But moderation is going to be the key. If you drink, nibble (that is nibble on something not gulp down handfuls of chips) on something. The reason for this is the affect that alcohol has on your blood sugars. Beer and wine will initially raise your numbers, and then when the sugar burns off the alcohol will lower them. Alcoholic beverages will lower them, sometimes pretty quickly and dramatically. So, nibble on something that has carbs in it. Watch out for the mixers in drinks. Most of them have very high sugar content and can raise your numbers significantly.
Test before you eat and two hours AFTER you eat. Some say two hours from when you start, but that doesn't seem to be as reliable method. Some people, like me, eat very slowly. What others eat in 5 minutes can take me a half hour. That can throw the post prandial test off. It just seems to be more reliable to test two hours after finishing eating.
Keep a log or journal of all your tests. You and your Dr will need these to see if any changes are need to your meds. VERY IMPORTANT!
Here are a few things that I use and you might find useful:
1: 2013 edition of The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter. This is the best of the myriad of carb counter books. Extremely handy.
2: Mynetdiary. http://www.mynetdiary.com/ Keeps track of foods. Cals, carbs, fat, portion size, all other nutritional data, exercise, etc. There are versions for computer, iPad & iPhone and probably the Android,
3: A reference book like Everything Diabetes Book, Diabetes for Dummies, etc. You'll find this handy when you have a question or can't remember what you were told about something.
4: A glucose reading log book or journal. I know I mentioned this before, but it is the only way you and your Dr have to review if the current treatment is working. Even if you don't use any of the other tools available, this one is critical.
5: Also handy is something on the computer to keep track of your numbers. An easy spreadsheet, one of the dozens of programs to log into. Your meter might even have one linked to it that does everything automatically. This easily lets you see trends. Also lets you see the difference between different meals. Different foods will affect your numbers. You'll find that some types of carbs have little or none. Some types send them thru the roof. It's different for everybody, so what works for a friend might not necessarily work for you. Maybe potatoes have little effect and rice makes them go crazy, or just the opposite.
6: Low Carb Foods. Hmmmmm............ This one can lead to about anywhere. You'll find some of them work well, and some not at all. You will have to learn how to read the Food Nutrition Labels.
Here are a few that I use and work for me:
A: Fiber Gourmet Pasta. http://www.fibergourmet.com/Default.aspx?src=AdWords Lower cals and carbs. High in fiber. Cooks and tastes like regular boxed pasta. I use this almost exclusively.
B: Walden Farms. http://www.waldenfarms.com/ Makers of low and zero calorie and carb products. I like some of their salad dressings. The syrup is OK, the BBQ sauce isn't.
C: Mama Mary's. http://www.mamamarys.com/ They make lower carb and cal pizza crusts (Thin & Crispy) and their sauce had no HFCS just the things that should be in sauce.
D: Egg Beaters or Egg Whites. http://www.eggbeaters.com/?gclid=CMeNu6j697UCFYqf4AodRSsAqQ Work and taste as good as whole eggs but have lower numbers than whole eggs.
E: Yogurt. One of the foods I truly like everyday. My favorites are Chobani http://chobani.com/products/ and Yoplait [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] I know that Yoplait Light isn't considered one of the best out there but they have so many flavors that you can have a different one every day. Also one that isn't as well known Cascade Fresh http://www.cascadefresh.com/products.html Their Green Apple Pie is absolutely delicious.
F: Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes http://www.muirglen.com/ and Eden Organics Invalid Link Removed They both make very good canned tomatoes and other products. I use their No Salt Added Tomatoes and Eden's No Salt Added Beans. If I want salt I want my own level, not some company who puts in lots of it to cover up the quality of the food.
Hope this helps a little. There are a lot of diabetics on here and a whole thread dedicated to it. Most, if not all of the people on there would be more than willing to give you any help or advice you need.
My best number so far is 120. I slept nearly 9 hours last night without having to get up to pee once! I am on a program of about 210 carbs a day. I figured up an average day's intake before the diagnosis and I averaged between 450 to 500 carbs per day!
Good job.
I do suggest that at the very least you pick up a copy of the 2013 edition of The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter.
It is worth every penny. Just makes life easier, and is invaluable when dining out.
I do suggest that at the very least you pick up a copy of the 2013 edition of The Calorie King Calorie, Fat & Carbohydrate Counter.
It is worth every penny. Just makes life easier, and is invaluable when dining out.
I spent the day in a nutrition class. It's amazing what's loaded in prepared foods. They gave us a book with most popular restaraunt's dishes and their carb/calorie count. A real eye opener.
It really makes you think about your average restaurant portion size doesn't it? I've been type I diabetic since I was 9 years old. I'll be 40 this summer. It's been a pain at times, but at least I've never had to deal with chemo or other nasty treatments for a disease like cancer. I can manage diabetes. My mom and dad taught me to look at things positively and to be grateful for my blessings. Things will be ok. BE CAREFUL IF YOU GET ANY KIND OF INFECTION LIKE THE FLU!!! If you start vomiting and can't keep food OR drink down, your BG is high, and your running ketones in your urine, GET TO THE HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY!!!! You are probably going into diabetic ketoacidosis...DO NOT JACK WITH THIS!!! IT IS LIFE THREATENING! You need to get that under control ASAP! It feels horrible. It's only happened to me twice in 30 years as a diabetic, but I've known others who were diabetic for less time and had been there much more often. Don't mess with it. Get to a dr as soon as you suspect this. Take care of yourself, keep your head up, and drop me a line if you have any questions or just want to vent to someone who has been there. Trust me, it helps...
