It seems that good bg control is a challenge to many diabetics.
We need heroes like Bernstein but better than Bernstein we need ideas
that work for us, the struggling individual. Successful means
keeping complications away by keeping the bgs in the normal range. It
seems that not everyone has attained a harmonious level of control.
The Bernstein model is great if you can at the beginning of your
attempts at control attain his ideal. There must be a more pragmatic
model, one that is flexible even humorous way to attain at he very
least protection from the complications.
It is important for diabetics to have exposure to diabetics who have
attained some kind of nirvana living with diabetes. Control means
keeping an eye on diabetes most of your day and making everything
that happens keep your bgs in the normal zone. What does it take to
motivate the ordinary diabetic to maintain adequate control?
Are you a model, or do you defer to Bernstein. Where is the golden
mean that any diabetic can live with .
Do we need to rethink, reorganize control so that it is easier for
the many to get adequate control?
But maybe we need to struggle without models to find what fits our
unique diabetes, after all the models attain their control by making
what works fit their individual needs. This implies that the
individual needs to experiment with many approaches and continue
experimenting until such time as what works is done without feeling
that the task is too demanding.
At the very least, what is needed for the individual diabetic
struggling for good control is a way that works for most individual
diabetics. We have that ongoing debate in diabetes care between the
extremists and the compromisers who favor progressive control that
improves gradually as in weight training. Since success comes to the
individual who struggles with his own diabetes and ways to make his
own diabetes controllable without getting discouraged and pulled back
by the thought that the process is too demanding. For now most of us
muddle through and not always adequately to keep complications away.
Do any of you have any practical suggestions?
Hoping all of you enjoyed my favorite holiday, thanksgiving!
Joe Posted by: "Joseph Navarro"
Monday, November 30, 2009
Question about fasting numbers
Okay, I have been able to keep my sugars at 105-116 during the day and at night, but first thing in the morning my fasting reading is 135. I am on 500 mg Metformin at night. Is it normal to be higher in the morning than in the day?
Katherine
Take about 150 of your daily calorie allotment and eat it at bedtime, making sure that part of the calories is spent as carbs and the other as protein. A string cheese and half a small apple. A slice of low carb bread with a couple of ounces of leftover meat from dinner. A half cup of milk and a half serving of cereal. An ounce of cheese and six crackers. You get the drift. This should be eaten right before bedtime. Give yourself a good 10-14 days of trying this before you decide whether it's working or not. It might result in lowering your AM numbers. Or not. Some have good luck with the bedtime snack, others do not. Worth a try.
~BK~
This results from two distinctly different processes: Dawn Phenomenon and Somogyi Effect. Type them in your search engine. Hope this helps! Rita
Our livers kick out some sugar while we're sleeping no matter if we eat before bed or not.
Katherine
Take about 150 of your daily calorie allotment and eat it at bedtime, making sure that part of the calories is spent as carbs and the other as protein. A string cheese and half a small apple. A slice of low carb bread with a couple of ounces of leftover meat from dinner. A half cup of milk and a half serving of cereal. An ounce of cheese and six crackers. You get the drift. This should be eaten right before bedtime. Give yourself a good 10-14 days of trying this before you decide whether it's working or not. It might result in lowering your AM numbers. Or not. Some have good luck with the bedtime snack, others do not. Worth a try.
~BK~
This results from two distinctly different processes: Dawn Phenomenon and Somogyi Effect. Type them in your search engine. Hope this helps! Rita
Our livers kick out some sugar while we're sleeping no matter if we eat before bed or not.
no lights on MM transmitter
I haven't had this happen in almost a year...tonight I attached the
transmitter after letting the sensor wet for 20 min. Nothing out of the
ordinary but NO LIGHTS. I can't remember what the "no lights" thing means.
Does anyone remember? I tried re-attaching a few times. Then I recharged
the transmitter and reattached again. Nothing. So I turned the whole thing
off and willl try again in a couple of hours. Just wondering what the
lights blinking on the transmitter signifies...I can't remember.
Wendy
Mom of Alex, age 6
MM integrated CGMs since 11/08
If memory serves me correctly, the green lights signal communication between the transmitter and the sensor. Personally, I've taken to inserting a new sensor at bedtime (while the old one is still working and attached to the transmitter) because 20 minutes rarely gets all three layers of the sensor wet. Tell us whether or not you eventually got the green lights!
SM
The "no lights" happens to us occasinally. We usually start the sensor anyway and might get a couple of "weak signal" or "lost sensor" error messages, but the sensor will start working and asking for calibration after the usual two hours.
Maya
transmitter after letting the sensor wet for 20 min. Nothing out of the
ordinary but NO LIGHTS. I can't remember what the "no lights" thing means.
Does anyone remember? I tried re-attaching a few times. Then I recharged
the transmitter and reattached again. Nothing. So I turned the whole thing
off and willl try again in a couple of hours. Just wondering what the
lights blinking on the transmitter signifies...I can't remember.
Wendy
Mom of Alex, age 6
MM integrated CGMs since 11/08
If memory serves me correctly, the green lights signal communication between the transmitter and the sensor. Personally, I've taken to inserting a new sensor at bedtime (while the old one is still working and attached to the transmitter) because 20 minutes rarely gets all three layers of the sensor wet. Tell us whether or not you eventually got the green lights!
SM
The "no lights" happens to us occasinally. We usually start the sensor anyway and might get a couple of "weak signal" or "lost sensor" error messages, but the sensor will start working and asking for calibration after the usual two hours.
Maya
Sunday, November 29, 2009
more about type one and type two
I have two friends who are type 1, both use insulin pumps, and both were diagnosed in their early to mid 20s. Type 1 can be diagnosed at any age, although the typical newly diagnosed is early adult or younger.
<>>
Both type 1s and 2s are prone to the exact same complications. The big diff is the insulin therapy that type 1s get right from the get-go and the prevalence of the use of insulin pumps for them. They get no mollycoddling from their medical caregivers-- it's insulin for them, right from the get-go, and their treatment is aggressive, right from the get-go.
Type 2s are often several years into their disease process before diagnosis. Then, once labeled, they're often allowed to be less-than-vigilant about good glucose control, while their docs pat them on their little heads and say things like, "That's okay, you just go and lose that 150 extra pounds like a good girl, and while you're at it, take a walk once in a while, okay? That little bit of sugar problem you have is just type 2, so you won't have to bother with that pesky insulin. Here, take a pill every day, you'll be fine. Oh, and testing? Don't bother your pretty little head with all of that-- a couple of times a week will be okay. Y'all come back and see me next year at this time, okay? And we'll see if you've been a good girl." ARGH!
Argh, argh, argh... *hangs head*
<
??? Blurred? Type one is type one and type two is type two. The two diseases are no longer called juvenile and adult-onset and haven't been for years.
Yes, a lot of kids now have type two, but just because they're kids doesn't mean their type two is any different from ours. They probably have family history, they're sedentary, overweight, eating a high calorie high carb highly processed diet, and they "come down with" type 2 the same way we did, just a lot earlier. With the typical medical mollycoddling applied, I shudder to think about their rate of complications and the impact to the overall health care situation in the US and other developed nations in the decades to come.
Judy D.
<
Both type 1s and 2s are prone to the exact same complications. The big diff is the insulin therapy that type 1s get right from the get-go and the prevalence of the use of insulin pumps for them. They get no mollycoddling from their medical caregivers-- it's insulin for them, right from the get-go, and their treatment is aggressive, right from the get-go.
Type 2s are often several years into their disease process before diagnosis. Then, once labeled, they're often allowed to be less-than-vigilant about good glucose control, while their docs pat them on their little heads and say things like, "That's okay, you just go and lose that 150 extra pounds like a good girl, and while you're at it, take a walk once in a while, okay? That little bit of sugar problem you have is just type 2, so you won't have to bother with that pesky insulin. Here, take a pill every day, you'll be fine. Oh, and testing? Don't bother your pretty little head with all of that-- a couple of times a week will be okay. Y'all come back and see me next year at this time, okay? And we'll see if you've been a good girl." ARGH!
Argh, argh, argh... *hangs head*
<
??? Blurred? Type one is type one and type two is type two. The two diseases are no longer called juvenile and adult-onset and haven't been for years.
Yes, a lot of kids now have type two, but just because they're kids doesn't mean their type two is any different from ours. They probably have family history, they're sedentary, overweight, eating a high calorie high carb highly processed diet, and they "come down with" type 2 the same way we did, just a lot earlier. With the typical medical mollycoddling applied, I shudder to think about their rate of complications and the impact to the overall health care situation in the US and other developed nations in the decades to come.
Judy D.
intro and hello by ott chip
New here with much to learn as well as much to put into practice.
Type 2, 2 years with diagnosis, lost 40 pounds, 250 metformin each
evening. I am worst at NOT doing exercise even though I know the
value of using my weights and pilates exercise equipment. the treadmill
remains as good as new. I am bad at not using much self control
if there is a dessert nearby ready to be tasted. Mostly I eat a little
but do try to watch what I eat in a day. 145 is a usual number after meals
while upper 90's is the norm now in the morning. I watch my fats due to a
cholesterol reading last doctor visit, but no med for it. I am using diet and
garlic capsules for that. I take fish oil capsules for tryglicerides which at
one time were getting over the top. I also use benefiber each day for a
darn sluggish colon...always been slow.
all in all I feel I am very healthy. For the most part I do work hard at eating
the right balance of carbs and other foods. I wish to learn from your
experiences and discussion. They call us the "show me" state....yup...I need
lots of "show me".
ott
In everything there is a lesson...pray you learn it...in all ways
be thankful
Posted by: "ott chip"
Type 2, 2 years with diagnosis, lost 40 pounds, 250 metformin each
evening. I am worst at NOT doing exercise even though I know the
value of using my weights and pilates exercise equipment. the treadmill
remains as good as new. I am bad at not using much self control
if there is a dessert nearby ready to be tasted. Mostly I eat a little
but do try to watch what I eat in a day. 145 is a usual number after meals
while upper 90's is the norm now in the morning. I watch my fats due to a
cholesterol reading last doctor visit, but no med for it. I am using diet and
garlic capsules for that. I take fish oil capsules for tryglicerides which at
one time were getting over the top. I also use benefiber each day for a
darn sluggish colon...always been slow.
all in all I feel I am very healthy. For the most part I do work hard at eating
the right balance of carbs and other foods. I wish to learn from your
experiences and discussion. They call us the "show me" state....yup...I need
lots of "show me".
ott
In everything there is a lesson...pray you learn it...in all ways
be thankful
Posted by: "ott chip"
Some suggestions about exercise
Mike, If you're already exercising once daily for 30 minutes
then adjusting your exercises should not be a problem. If you
are just getting started exercising then caution is recommended.
My favorite exercise is a brisk walk. Living in a university community
I make a point of walking as fast or faster than the young students.
A 30 minute walk lowers my BG 50 points so a snack of 15 grams of carbs is in order.
Swimming is another favorite. The great thing about swimming is it
takes nearly all the weight off your body as the water holds you up.
Swimming also gives the arms a great deal more exercise so I double the size of snack I have before swimming.
When unable to get out of doors because of horrid winter weather
I "bicycle" for 5 minutes and do 30 sit ups. "Bicycle" is a pseudo
bicycle where I lie back on the floor place my legs straight up
into the air and with my hands on my haunches pump my legs as if bicycling upside down.
Please consult with your physician before starting a new exercise routine. I know groups of Insulin Resistant (Type 2) Diabetes Managers exercise together in my community.
FYI I enjoy a large breakfast requiring 20 Units of U-100 Humalog.
My lunch has no carbohydrates and requires no insulin. Dinner
has 50 grams of carbohydrate requiring 6 Units of Humalog. My
Lantus dosage is 8 units once every 12 hours.
Best of luck,Posted by: "TimothyH"
then adjusting your exercises should not be a problem. If you
are just getting started exercising then caution is recommended.
My favorite exercise is a brisk walk. Living in a university community
I make a point of walking as fast or faster than the young students.
A 30 minute walk lowers my BG 50 points so a snack of 15 grams of carbs is in order.
Swimming is another favorite. The great thing about swimming is it
takes nearly all the weight off your body as the water holds you up.
Swimming also gives the arms a great deal more exercise so I double the size of snack I have before swimming.
When unable to get out of doors because of horrid winter weather
I "bicycle" for 5 minutes and do 30 sit ups. "Bicycle" is a pseudo
bicycle where I lie back on the floor place my legs straight up
into the air and with my hands on my haunches pump my legs as if bicycling upside down.
Please consult with your physician before starting a new exercise routine. I know groups of Insulin Resistant (Type 2) Diabetes Managers exercise together in my community.
FYI I enjoy a large breakfast requiring 20 Units of U-100 Humalog.
My lunch has no carbohydrates and requires no insulin. Dinner
has 50 grams of carbohydrate requiring 6 Units of Humalog. My
Lantus dosage is 8 units once every 12 hours.
Best of luck,Posted by: "TimothyH"
just curious
I've only been using a CGM about 2 weeks so this may be a stupid question but here goes. Today I ran a test on my meter and went to key it into my receiver for extra calibration. The number on the receiver was exactly the same as what I got on my meter. But when I keyed in the number the number on the receiver went up 7 points. Any idea why it would go up and not just stay the same?
A good majority of my tests are pretty close in numbers as to what is showing on the receiver so I am loving this so far. It is definately giving me confidence in trusting the number I see on the machine. Right now my CGM is feeling like a security blanket. I can look at it and see a number and also see if I am going up, down or steady. I think this is great!
Posted by: "anngelia@ymail.com"
This happens because your receiver is averaging your last few
calibrations. The only time that you are guaranteed to see the number
you put in is when you are putting in the first cal for a new sensor
or new sensor start. It seems like you are doing great with your cams
to be getting such a nice match between meter and receiver. Kudos to
you!!!!
Wendy
Mom of Alex---age 6
Integrated MM cgms since 11/08
Sent from my iPhone
A good majority of my tests are pretty close in numbers as to what is showing on the receiver so I am loving this so far. It is definately giving me confidence in trusting the number I see on the machine. Right now my CGM is feeling like a security blanket. I can look at it and see a number and also see if I am going up, down or steady. I think this is great!
Posted by: "anngelia@ymail.com"
This happens because your receiver is averaging your last few
calibrations. The only time that you are guaranteed to see the number
you put in is when you are putting in the first cal for a new sensor
or new sensor start. It seems like you are doing great with your cams
to be getting such a nice match between meter and receiver. Kudos to
you!!!!
Wendy
Mom of Alex---age 6
Integrated MM cgms since 11/08
Sent from my iPhone
Saturday, November 28, 2009
comment about : New Introduction-DM 2
That sounds right. 6.5 is about a 150 average, so those numbers all sound like they make add up.
> Nov. 23 Doctor diagnosed me with diabetes 2 and put me on Metformin lowest dose (I think 500mg.)1 x day I am about 25 lbs overweight. Symptoms have been dizziness, blurred vision, feeling hot all the time, achey, tired, mentally spacey or confused, periods of euphoria, headaches, swelling of fingers (rings tight). Are these typical of diabetes 2? Do they go away when BGs are lowered?>
Hmm. Good questions for your doc, not us, because he knows what else you might be dealing with, like high blood pressure, female hormone issues, compromised circulation, medication side effects, etc. Out of the list you mention, the only two things I've never heard of in connection to high glucose are euphoria (do you have mood swings?) and swollen fingers.
Of course it's very possible to have more than just diabetes "going on". Many of us here have multiple health issues, maybe you do too? As I said, these are good questions for your doc.
>No excessive thirsts and no frequent urination and cuts heal fine. No numbness or tingling in fingers or toes>
At 6.5, you shouldn't be having any of that. Which is a good thing!
>But strong urine odor>
At 6.5, I'd be surprised if you're spilling much glucose into the urine. Everyone's renal threshold is different, but at a 150 average, it can't be happening much in you. Urine odor can be from dehydration or something you ate. Urine odor caused by sugar issues can smell syrupy, like maple syrup. But as I say, most people's point at which they spill into the urine is higher than where you're at.
>I have cut out white flour, white rice, white potatoes, exercise 30 min. walking daily. have lost 5 lbs. since Nov. 4th. I am eating fish, chicken, green and yellow vegetables, salads, almonds, fruits (berries), soft cheeses, whole grain cereal, vitamins.>>
All good! Are you testing before and after meals at times, to get an idea how specific foods affect you? Many of us can't handle cereal, for instance.
>Okay, fasting BGs have come down to 116-126. Highest during day is 140>
This is called progress! Great.
>How long does Metformin take to start working? I know that changes take time to stabilize BGs>>
Metformin kicks in certainly within a day or two. You're at the lowest dose. Your doc may up your dose once he sees your body is handling the 500 mg a day okay. Or not. As your weight approaches normal, you might very well be able to come off the med. Or not. Time will tell.
>One day, after walking, I got the shakes. My BGs were 80. (they had been 116 before the walk) 80 is a normal healthy level, so why the shakes>
80 is lowish, actually. Normal fasting levels are 65-99, but during the day, 80 is it's-time-to-eat-something lowish. Especially if you've been walking around a lot higher than that, 80 can feel pretty lowish because you're not used to how it feels.
Hmmm. Well. Maybe you were tired. Maybe it was time for a meal or snack... you know, maybe it was just time to eat! Maybe you still have a tendency towards hypoglycemia, which quite a few newly diagnosed diabetics do-- your pancreas simply doesn't get its memos, sometimes is wonky in the oh-look-I-made-too-much-insulin side of things rather than the oh-look-I-made-too-little. Actually, most of we type 2s DO make plenty of insulin, but our cells can't use it (this is insulin resistance), something the metformin helps with.
Carry glucose tablets with you when you exercise or are out running errands, etc. Anytime you feel you're a bit low, chew up 3 or 4 and swig some water and test again in 15 minutes or so. Should make you feel better. And do report this to the doctor when you see him.
Keeping a careful written log of all these glucose levels and when and how they came about will go a long way towards helping your doc decide about medications, of course.
>Tonight, I started feeling sick at my stomach. My BGs were 105. I ate turkey and started feeling better a couple of hours later. Checked my BGs and they were 116. Don't understand why I feel sick when they get below 116.>>
Maybe you had a bit of a flu bug or your stomach is sick of turkey. Not all symptoms are diabetes-related. Metformin can make you wicked sick to your stomach, especially if you take it without food. I've taken that med for YEARS and still can get nauseated around it if I take it at a time when my stomach is empty. I dunno, I'm just guessing. 116 all by itself shouldn't make you sick, IMO. ????
<< So my question is what is a normal level for DM 2. Why do I feel better at 116 and not good at 80-105?>>
It's very very very common to feel weird when the blood sugars start to normalize. This will go away. Ignore it. Test, believe your meter, but do not believe how you "feel", because your physical feelings will lie to you like a rug. Even experienced diabetes must test, test, test... ask any of us.
>Will the swelling go down in my fingers?>
Could be a med side effect, I suppose. Umm. Ask your doctor.
>Will the gassiness from the Metformin go away?>
Make sure your doc prescribed the XR or ER form of the drug-- extended release. Much easier on the insides. You may be someone who can't take the stuff-- some have to go off it because of the nausea and diarrhea. Gassiness could be from your increased fruit and veggie intake.
> Thank you for this group and for answering my questions. I know you probably get these same questions over and over. Thank you for your patience. Is there a link on the home page with basics to learn from?>
You can check the files section. Might be stuff in there. I like the book "Diabetes for Dummies", a cheap paperback with loads of info. Another good one is Calorie King, with basic diabetes info and listings of calorie and carb content of most foods.
I'm glad you're here. I think overall it sounds as though you're doing fine. Remember, you can always call your doctor's office between visits if you need to-- they're on your side, and they should be your first line of education and aid; they're the ones who know you best.
Judy D.
> Nov. 23 Doctor diagnosed me with diabetes 2 and put me on Metformin lowest dose (I think 500mg.)1 x day I am about 25 lbs overweight. Symptoms have been dizziness, blurred vision, feeling hot all the time, achey, tired, mentally spacey or confused, periods of euphoria, headaches, swelling of fingers (rings tight). Are these typical of diabetes 2? Do they go away when BGs are lowered?>
Hmm. Good questions for your doc, not us, because he knows what else you might be dealing with, like high blood pressure, female hormone issues, compromised circulation, medication side effects, etc. Out of the list you mention, the only two things I've never heard of in connection to high glucose are euphoria (do you have mood swings?) and swollen fingers.
Of course it's very possible to have more than just diabetes "going on". Many of us here have multiple health issues, maybe you do too? As I said, these are good questions for your doc.
>No excessive thirsts and no frequent urination and cuts heal fine. No numbness or tingling in fingers or toes>
At 6.5, you shouldn't be having any of that. Which is a good thing!
>But strong urine odor>
At 6.5, I'd be surprised if you're spilling much glucose into the urine. Everyone's renal threshold is different, but at a 150 average, it can't be happening much in you. Urine odor can be from dehydration or something you ate. Urine odor caused by sugar issues can smell syrupy, like maple syrup. But as I say, most people's point at which they spill into the urine is higher than where you're at.
>I have cut out white flour, white rice, white potatoes, exercise 30 min. walking daily. have lost 5 lbs. since Nov. 4th. I am eating fish, chicken, green and yellow vegetables, salads, almonds, fruits (berries), soft cheeses, whole grain cereal, vitamins.>>
All good! Are you testing before and after meals at times, to get an idea how specific foods affect you? Many of us can't handle cereal, for instance.
>Okay, fasting BGs have come down to 116-126. Highest during day is 140>
This is called progress! Great.
>How long does Metformin take to start working? I know that changes take time to stabilize BGs>>
Metformin kicks in certainly within a day or two. You're at the lowest dose. Your doc may up your dose once he sees your body is handling the 500 mg a day okay. Or not. As your weight approaches normal, you might very well be able to come off the med. Or not. Time will tell.
>One day, after walking, I got the shakes. My BGs were 80. (they had been 116 before the walk) 80 is a normal healthy level, so why the shakes>
80 is lowish, actually. Normal fasting levels are 65-99, but during the day, 80 is it's-time-to-eat-something lowish. Especially if you've been walking around a lot higher than that, 80 can feel pretty lowish because you're not used to how it feels.
Hmmm. Well. Maybe you were tired. Maybe it was time for a meal or snack... you know, maybe it was just time to eat! Maybe you still have a tendency towards hypoglycemia, which quite a few newly diagnosed diabetics do-- your pancreas simply doesn't get its memos, sometimes is wonky in the oh-look-I-made-too-much-insulin side of things rather than the oh-look-I-made-too-little. Actually, most of we type 2s DO make plenty of insulin, but our cells can't use it (this is insulin resistance), something the metformin helps with.
Carry glucose tablets with you when you exercise or are out running errands, etc. Anytime you feel you're a bit low, chew up 3 or 4 and swig some water and test again in 15 minutes or so. Should make you feel better. And do report this to the doctor when you see him.
Keeping a careful written log of all these glucose levels and when and how they came about will go a long way towards helping your doc decide about medications, of course.
>Tonight, I started feeling sick at my stomach. My BGs were 105. I ate turkey and started feeling better a couple of hours later. Checked my BGs and they were 116. Don't understand why I feel sick when they get below 116.>>
Maybe you had a bit of a flu bug or your stomach is sick of turkey
<< So my question is what is a normal level for DM 2. Why do I feel better at 116 and not good at 80-105?>>
It's very very very common to feel weird when the blood sugars start to normalize. This will go away. Ignore it. Test, believe your meter, but do not believe how you "feel", because your physical feelings will lie to you like a rug. Even experienced diabetes must test, test, test... ask any of us.
>Will the swelling go down in my fingers?>
Could be a med side effect, I suppose. Umm. Ask your doctor.
>Will the gassiness from the Metformin go away?>
Make sure your doc prescribed the XR or ER form of the drug-- extended release. Much easier on the insides. You may be someone who can't take the stuff-- some have to go off it because of the nausea and diarrhea. Gassiness could be from your increased fruit and veggie intake.
> Thank you for this group and for answering my questions. I know you probably get these same questions over and over. Thank you for your patience. Is there a link on the home page with basics to learn from?>
You can check the files section. Might be stuff in there. I like the book "Diabetes for Dummies", a cheap paperback with loads of info. Another good one is Calorie King, with basic diabetes info and listings of calorie and carb content of most foods.
I'm glad you're here. I think overall it sounds as though you're doing fine. Remember, you can always call your doctor's office between visits if you need to-- they're on your side, and they should be your first line of education and aid; they're the ones who know you best.
Judy D.
New Introduction-DM 2 by AnaLog Services, Inc
Us Type 2s sometimes get used to a higher than normal BG level. As a result, a really normal level can sometimes produce hypoglycemic-like symptoms, especially the shakes. Your "set point" will gradually adjust itself most likely. In my own case a BG reading of 100 seemed intolerable (I would even get the sweats sometimes). However, I have slowly adjusted, and now it takes a reading in the 80s to produce noticeable symptoms. Hang in there.
The swelling is a bit troubling in conjunction with that strong urine. I am not sure if it is a listed side effect of Metformin or not. Do you experience swelling in the ankles as well? Did this just start, or has it been going on for awhile?
Some of us long for Euphoria...
You don't say how old you are, but your symptom combination sorta sounds like something else a bit.
You are actually doing pretty well with those numbers this early on. The A1C of 6.5 ain't that bad. Don't get discouraged and try not to worry too much.
----- Original Message -----
The swelling is a bit troubling in conjunction with that strong urine. I am not sure if it is a listed side effect of Metformin or not. Do you experience swelling in the ankles as well? Did this just start, or has it been going on for awhile?
Some of us long for Euphoria...
You don't say how old you are, but your symptom combination sorta sounds like something else a bit.
You are actually doing pretty well with those numbers this early on. The A1C of 6.5 ain't that bad. Don't get discouraged and try not to worry too much.
----- Original Message -----
New Introduction-DM 2
A big sigh......Okay, so met with GP after blood work.
Nov. 4 Fasting BGs were 136 (at yearly physical) Urine Protein- negative
Nov. 5-12 did my own BG curves fasting ranged from 144-150 and got up as high as 190 during the day
Nov. 18 A1C was 6.5
Nov. 23 Doctor diagnosed me with diabetes 2 and put me on Metformin lowest dose (I think 500mg.)1 x day
I am about 25 lbs overweight. Symptoms have been dizziness, blurred vision, feeling hot all the time, achey, tired, mentally spacey or confused, periods of euphoria, headaches, swelling of fingers (rings tight). Are these typical of diabetes 2? Do they go away when BGs are lowered?
No excessive thirsts and no frequent urination and cuts heal fine. No numbness or tingling in fingers or toes.
But strong urine odor.
I have cut out white flour, white rice, white potatoes, excercise 30 min. walking dailey. have lost 5 lbs. since Nov. 4th. I am eating fish, chicken, green and yellow vegetables, salads, almonds, fruits (berries), soft cheeses, whole grain cereal, vitamins.
Okay, fasting BGs have come down to 116-126. Highest during day is 140.
How long does Metformin take to start working? I know that changes take time to stabilize BGs.
One day, after walking, I got the shakes. My BGs were 80. (they had been 116 before the walk) 80 is a normal healthy level, so why the shakes.
Tonight, I started feeling sick at my stomach. My BGs were 105. I ate turkey and started feeling better a couple of hours later. Checked my BGs and they were 116. Don't understand why I feel sick when they get below 116.
So my question is what is a normal level for DM 2. Why do I feel better at 116 and not good at 80-105?
Will the swelling go down in my fingers?
Will the gassiness from the Metformin go away?
Thank you for this group and for answering my questions. I know you probably get these same questions over and over. Thank you for your patience. Is there a link on the home page with basics to learn from?
I see my doctor again in one month.
Katherine
Nov. 4 Fasting BGs were 136 (at yearly physical) Urine Protein- negative
Nov. 5-12 did my own BG curves fasting ranged from 144-150 and got up as high as 190 during the day
Nov. 18 A1C was 6.5
Nov. 23 Doctor diagnosed me with diabetes 2 and put me on Metformin lowest dose (I think 500mg.)1 x day
I am about 25 lbs overweight. Symptoms have been dizziness, blurred vision, feeling hot all the time, achey, tired, mentally spacey or confused, periods of euphoria, headaches, swelling of fingers (rings tight). Are these typical of diabetes 2? Do they go away when BGs are lowered?
No excessive thirsts and no frequent urination and cuts heal fine. No numbness or tingling in fingers or toes.
But strong urine odor.
I have cut out white flour, white rice, white potatoes, excercise 30 min. walking dailey. have lost 5 lbs. since Nov. 4th. I am eating fish, chicken, green and yellow vegetables, salads, almonds, fruits (berries), soft cheeses, whole grain cereal, vitamins.
Okay, fasting BGs have come down to 116-126. Highest during day is 140.
How long does Metformin take to start working? I know that changes take time to stabilize BGs.
One day, after walking, I got the shakes. My BGs were 80. (they had been 116 before the walk) 80 is a normal healthy level, so why the shakes.
Tonight, I started feeling sick at my stomach. My BGs were 105. I ate turkey and started feeling better a couple of hours later. Checked my BGs and they were 116. Don't understand why I feel sick when they get below 116.
So my question is what is a normal level for DM 2. Why do I feel better at 116 and not good at 80-105?
Will the swelling go down in my fingers?
Will the gassiness from the Metformin go away?
Thank you for this group and for answering my questions. I know you probably get these same questions over and over. Thank you for your patience. Is there a link on the home page with basics to learn from?
I see my doctor again in one month.
Katherine
insulin shock, diabetic coma about James Fuller
Hi,
Abou 14 months ago my wife and I went to lunch and while eating I said
something to her. I realized that the words coming out of my mouth were
not what I was trying to say, in fact they made no sense. The noise
level in the restaurant was such that she didn't hear me. A few
minutes later I answered a question OK so I didn't worry abut it. A
couple of hours later while talking to a customer I did the same thing.
That scared me and I thought that I might be having a stroke. I left
the office and drove home. When I got there I told my wife what had
happened. She of course went into orbit. She wanted to drive me to the
emergency room and I assured her that all I needed was a nap. After she
explained that I could go either horizontally or vertically I let her
drive me there. After a few tests they got around to testing my BG. It
was 425. The Dr. showed up and gave me an injection of insulin and the
BG instantly went down. The disconnect between my brain and mouth went
away immediately. Since then I have had no recurrences and am taking
500 MG metformin and 1 MG glimepiride each morning. My only real issue
now is that in mid-morning I often fall as low as 50BG by about 10:00 or
11:00 in the morning. I keep testing equipment at the office so if I
feel shaky I test.
At any rate my point is that there can certainly be adverse reactions to
high BG...
James Fuller
Abou 14 months ago my wife and I went to lunch and while eating I said
something to her. I realized that the words coming out of my mouth were
not what I was trying to say, in fact they made no sense. The noise
level in the restaurant was such that she didn't hear me. A few
minutes later I answered a question OK so I didn't worry abut it. A
couple of hours later while talking to a customer I did the same thing.
That scared me and I thought that I might be having a stroke. I left
the office and drove home. When I got there I told my wife what had
happened. She of course went into orbit. She wanted to drive me to the
emergency room and I assured her that all I needed was a nap. After she
explained that I could go either horizontally or vertically I let her
drive me there. After a few tests they got around to testing my BG. It
was 425. The Dr. showed up and gave me an injection of insulin and the
BG instantly went down. The disconnect between my brain and mouth went
away immediately. Since then I have had no recurrences and am taking
500 MG metformin and 1 MG glimepiride each morning. My only real issue
now is that in mid-morning I often fall as low as 50BG by about 10:00 or
11:00 in the morning. I keep testing equipment at the office so if I
feel shaky I test.
At any rate my point is that there can certainly be adverse reactions to
high BG...
James Fuller
insulin shock, diabetic coma
A low can come on extremely quickly (minutes), and it's called insulin shock, which can lead to coma and rapid death. Technically, a low that needs to be treated is 70 or less, but even 85 or 90 can be dangerous if the glucose is in the midst of taking a nose dive and the person is an hour or less from really being in trouble. 85 or 90, or even a 70 that's stable and not nose-diving, isn't going to kill you, but it might feel pretty darned shaky and the person would probably want to treat it and get the glucose level up a bit.
A high normally takes at least days-weeks-months-years to develop to a place where it's bad enough to cause diabetic coma, which if not quickly reversed, can lead to eventual death.
I suspect that a person would have to have 600+ blood glucose average for quite a while to get into an actual coma or near-coma situation. As I said earlier, they'd be very sick. Sometimes they're admitted to the ER with symptoms of unresponsiveness, barely hanging on to consciousness, vomiting, babbling nonsense, etc, and then when the glucose is measured, it's found to be stratospheric, many times 800+. The highest I've heard of on my two diabetes lists (people who lived to tell the tale) were around 1200+. You can imagine how sick they were.
> Is it common for folks on meds to swing above say 400 out of the blue? I am personally pretty darn insulin resistant, and would have to make some kind of concerted effort to get above 400. But then I shoot lantus, and a lot of it, and that tends to smooth things even in the case of undershooting fast acting material>
Hey, you've been hanging out here long enough to know there's no one answer to this question. Sure, someone on just metformin, someone overweight, sedentary and making absolutely no effort to eat differently might easily see 400, especially if they're newly diagnosed and haven't come into control even once yet.
IMO, though, no one's going to see 300-400 out of the blue for no darned reason.
> I guess I have a hard time featuring going to the ER over a high>
Taking insulin and watching your food intake, you're probably not going to see 400, or even 300. The only exception I can think of to that is if you had a raging infection of some kind, were very ill with something, and/or maybe got put on huge doses of steroid meds.
Posted by: "Jude"
Judy D.
A high normally takes at least days-weeks-months-years to develop to a place where it's bad enough to cause diabetic coma, which if not quickly reversed, can lead to eventual death.
I suspect that a person would have to have 600+ blood glucose average for quite a while to get into an actual coma or near-coma situation. As I said earlier, they'd be very sick. Sometimes they're admitted to the ER with symptoms of unresponsiveness, barely hanging on to consciousness, vomiting, babbling nonsense, etc, and then when the glucose is measured, it's found to be stratospheric, many times 800+. The highest I've heard of on my two diabetes lists (people who lived to tell the tale) were around 1200+. You can imagine how sick they were.
> Is it common for folks on meds to swing above say 400 out of the blue? I am personally pretty darn insulin resistant, and would have to make some kind of concerted effort to get above 400. But then I shoot lantus, and a lot of it, and that tends to smooth things even in the case of undershooting fast acting material>
Hey, you've been hanging out here long enough to know there's no one answer to this question. Sure, someone on just metformin, someone overweight, sedentary and making absolutely no effort to eat differently might easily see 400, especially if they're newly diagnosed and haven't come into control even once yet.
IMO, though, no one's going to see 300-400 out of the blue for no darned reason.
> I guess I have a hard time featuring going to the ER over a high>
Taking insulin and watching your food intake, you're probably not going to see 400, or even 300. The only exception I can think of to that is if you had a raging infection of some kind, were very ill with something, and/or maybe got put on huge doses of steroid meds.
Posted by: "Jude"
Judy D.
New Member Introduction
A big sigh......Okay, so met with GP after blood work.
Nov. 4 Fasting BGs were 136 (at yearly physical) Urine Protein- negative
Nov. 5-12 did my own BG curves fasting ranged from 144-150 and got up as high as 190 during the day
Nov. 18 A1C was 6.5
Nov. 23 Doctor diagnosed me with diabetes 2 and put me on Metformin lowest dose (I think 500mg.)1 x day
I am about 25 lbs overweight. Symptoms have been dizziness, blurred vision, feeling hot all the time, achey, tired, mentally spacey or confused, periods of euphoria, headaches, swelling of fingers (rings tight). Are these typical of diabetes 2? Do they go away when BGs are lowered?
No excessive thirsts and no frequent urination and cuts heal fine. No numbness or tingling in fingers or toes.
But strong urine odor.
I have cut out white flour, white rice, white potatoes, excercise 30 min. walking dailey. have lost 5 lbs. since Nov. 4th. I am eating fish, chicken, green and yellow vegetables, salads, almonds, fruits (berries), soft cheeses, whole grain cereal, vitamins.
Okay, fasting BGs have come down to 116-126. Highest during day is 140.
How long does Metformin take to start working? I know that changes take time to stabilize BGs.
One day, after walking, I got the shakes. My BGs were 80. (they had been 116 before the walk) 80 is a normal healthy level, so why the shakes.
Tonight, I started feeling sick at my stomach. My BGs were 105. I ate turkey and started feeling better a couple of hours later. Checked my BGs and they were 116. Don't understand why I feel sick when they get below 116.
So my question is what is a normal level for DM 2. Why do I feel better at 116 and not good at 80-105?
Will the swelling go down in my fingers?
Will the gassiness from the Metformin go away?
Thank you for this group and for answering my questions. I know you probably get these same questions over and over. Thank you for your patience. Is there a link on the home page with basics to learn from?
I see my doctor again in one month.
Katherine
Nov. 4 Fasting BGs were 136 (at yearly physical) Urine Protein- negative
Nov. 5-12 did my own BG curves fasting ranged from 144-150 and got up as high as 190 during the day
Nov. 18 A1C was 6.5
Nov. 23 Doctor diagnosed me with diabetes 2 and put me on Metformin lowest dose (I think 500mg.)1 x day
I am about 25 lbs overweight. Symptoms have been dizziness, blurred vision, feeling hot all the time, achey, tired, mentally spacey or confused, periods of euphoria, headaches, swelling of fingers (rings tight). Are these typical of diabetes 2? Do they go away when BGs are lowered?
No excessive thirsts and no frequent urination and cuts heal fine. No numbness or tingling in fingers or toes.
But strong urine odor.
I have cut out white flour, white rice, white potatoes, excercise 30 min. walking dailey. have lost 5 lbs. since Nov. 4th. I am eating fish, chicken, green and yellow vegetables, salads, almonds, fruits (berries), soft cheeses, whole grain cereal, vitamins.
Okay, fasting BGs have come down to 116-126. Highest during day is 140.
How long does Metformin take to start working? I know that changes take time to stabilize BGs.
One day, after walking, I got the shakes. My BGs were 80. (they had been 116 before the walk) 80 is a normal healthy level, so why the shakes.
Tonight, I started feeling sick at my stomach. My BGs were 105. I ate turkey and started feeling better a couple of hours later. Checked my BGs and they were 116. Don't understand why I feel sick when they get below 116.
So my question is what is a normal level for DM 2. Why do I feel better at 116 and not good at 80-105?
Will the swelling go down in my fingers?
Will the gassiness from the Metformin go away?
Thank you for this group and for answering my questions. I know you probably get these same questions over and over. Thank you for your patience. Is there a link on the home page with basics to learn from?
I see my doctor again in one month.
Katherine
no alcohol but hangover feeling
Yesterday being Thanksgiving, I ate what I wanted and not what I should
have. Today I had a bad headache and hurt all over (I have fibromyalgia,
but no weather changes which usually trigger it) and just generally felt
like crap. I was not much of a drinker before being diagnosed, maybe one
or two drinks a week, and have not touched alcohol since being diagnosed
almost 4 weeks ago, so I'm just learning. Is the way I felt today due to
my bad eating yesterday?
I take 500 mg Metformin ER once a day. My levels are usually 120-180 2
hours after eating, depending on whether I've had any carbs and around
150 when I wake up in the morning. I seem to be very sensitive to carbs
and am planning on starting Atkins on Sunday. (my birthday) We had
already planned to go out to a dinner theater tomorrow so I want to have
one more "fun" meal to celebrate and then will go on the wagon.
Ethel
Very probably. High glucose can make your body feel as though someone took a baseball bat to you-- lots of muscle pain, headache, blurry vision, fatigue.
How high did your meter show you you'd gone last night and today?
Believe me, you'll get to the point where feeling like this won't be worth it anymore. Having "special" meals for "special" occasions just isn't worth hitting the glucose skids a few hours later and staying that way for a couple of days. At least, that's the conclusion I've come to for myself.
~BK~
have. Today I had a bad headache and hurt all over (I have fibromyalgia,
but no weather changes which usually trigger it) and just generally felt
like crap. I was not much of a drinker before being diagnosed, maybe one
or two drinks a week, and have not touched alcohol since being diagnosed
almost 4 weeks ago, so I'm just learning. Is the way I felt today due to
my bad eating yesterday?
I take 500 mg Metformin ER once a day. My levels are usually 120-180 2
hours after eating, depending on whether I've had any carbs and around
150 when I wake up in the morning. I seem to be very sensitive to carbs
and am planning on starting Atkins on Sunday. (my birthday) We had
already planned to go out to a dinner theater tomorrow so I want to have
one more "fun" meal to celebrate and then will go on the wagon.
Ethel
Very probably. High glucose can make your body feel as though someone took a baseball bat to you-- lots of muscle pain, headache, blurry vision, fatigue.
How high did your meter show you you'd gone last night and today?
Believe me, you'll get to the point where feeling like this won't be worth it anymore. Having "special" meals for "special" occasions just isn't worth hitting the glucose skids a few hours later and staying that way for a couple of days. At least, that's the conclusion I've come to for myself.
~BK~
Friday, November 27, 2009
Insulin Newbie
Just a friendly note that type 1 and type 2 diabetes are two completely different diseases-- they're both called diabetes, and they both involve glucose imbalance, and they both can be treated with insulin therapy, but they are caused by very different things-- type 1 is thought to be an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys its own pancreatic insulin-producing cells, whereas type 2 is a condition of insulin resistance, where usually, especially at first, there's plenty of circulating insulin, but the body's cells can't utilize it.
So when you ended up needing insulin, Terry, you didn't change from a type 2 to a type 1, you simply became an insulin requiring (or insulin dependent) type 2. Please don't think you have type 1 now, because you don't.
Just thought I'd step into the discussion and remind everyone of this, because there often is some confusion about what to call oneself when a type two finds himself needing insulin.
Judy D.
Some 6-7 years into my type-2 diagnosis, I've apparantly switched over to type-1. I've been dreading when my doctor would put me on insulin. I, too, hate needles. I cringe and whince when I get blood drawn for my A1C. I hate the finger sticks. But the diabetes educator nurse talks you through it - having you practice administering doses to an orange. It's not bad, really. The needles are extremely fine, some barely 1/4 inch long, so they don't penetrate deep. And you're usually injecting yourself in fleshy areas such as belly or thighs where there is no nerve endings (like in the fingertips). Despite my wimpiness when it comes to needles, I do manage to get up the courage to donate blood. Don't know how I do it.
Posted by: "Sherry"
So when you ended up needing insulin, Terry, you didn't change from a type 2 to a type 1, you simply became an insulin requiring (or insulin dependent) type 2. Please don't think you have type 1 now, because you don't.
Just thought I'd step into the discussion and remind everyone of this, because there often is some confusion about what to call oneself when a type two finds himself needing insulin.
Judy D.
Some 6-7 years into my type-2 diagnosis, I've apparantly switched over to type-1. I've been dreading when my doctor would put me on insulin. I, too, hate needles. I cringe and whince when I get blood drawn for my A1C. I hate the finger sticks. But the diabetes educator nurse talks you through it - having you practice administering doses to an orange. It's not bad, really. The needles are extremely fine, some barely 1/4 inch long, so they don't penetrate deep. And you're usually injecting yourself in fleshy areas such as belly or thighs where there is no nerve endings (like in the fingertips). Despite my wimpiness when it comes to needles, I do manage to get up the courage to donate blood. Don't know how I do it.
Posted by: "Sherry"
TALK ABOUT SNACKING
Going back to my WW days: Be very sure you get your 1/2 gallon of water every day and get some kind of exercise. When I remember to drink my water and walk, I find it much easier to stick to my food plan. That and keep a food journal. I tend to forget how many times I've had fruit or bread in a day and end up overeating on it. I don't know if you watch Dr. Oz but he has some great shows on ABC at 12 Eastern time each week day.
There is a new study out that states for us 'foodies" sugar is addictive as heroin to a drug addict. I could have told them that and saved them a bunch of money. Seriously, it triggers some kind of dopamine reaction in our brains. He had a weaning off plan to get off sugar. I'm sure it's on his website. For me it is very important I get lots and lots of green veggies (the kind my educator said I could eat all I want--fill up on them--and make sure I get lots of protein. Protein is more filling.
Fat will do the trick, I guess but I tend to crave more when I eat even healthy fats. I do my best to treat carbs as kind of the icing on the cake instead of making a full snack or a meal of a high carb foods. I know for me, the more carbs I eat the more I want. And when I screw up, I get up and get myself back on track. Remember this isn't a diet to lose weight, (although weight loss helps us a lot). It's a lifelong process to keep us alive with all out hands and feet, off a kidney dialysis machine and
being able to see the beautiful world around us.
Hope, Peace & Joy,
Glenda
When I do what I've always done,
I'll get what I've always gotten.
Posted by: "Glenda"
There is a new study out that states for us 'foodies" sugar is addictive as heroin to a drug addict. I could have told them that and saved them a bunch of money. Seriously, it triggers some kind of dopamine reaction in our brains. He had a weaning off plan to get off sugar. I'm sure it's on his website. For me it is very important I get lots and lots of green veggies (the kind my educator said I could eat all I want--fill up on them--and make sure I get lots of protein. Protein is more filling.
Fat will do the trick, I guess but I tend to crave more when I eat even healthy fats. I do my best to treat carbs as kind of the icing on the cake instead of making a full snack or a meal of a high carb foods. I know for me, the more carbs I eat the more I want. And when I screw up, I get up and get myself back on track. Remember this isn't a diet to lose weight, (although weight loss helps us a lot). It's a lifelong process to keep us alive with all out hands and feet, off a kidney dialysis machine and
being able to see the beautiful world around us.
Hope, Peace & Joy,
Glenda
When I do what I've always done,
I'll get what I've always gotten.
Posted by: "Glenda"
Debate is healthy and that is how we learn
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Debate is healthy and that is how we learn. I am very thankful we can have these conversations. Better to have all the views to base our decisions on.
Sam, The site you listed, generation rescue pdf states; these conclusions are based on only a few studies, none of which included both blood and brain mercury levels in infants. Also if thimerisol is so safe why did they take it out of most of the vaccines? You asked where I get my info. Other than first hand experience, I own a bookstore it's amazing all the info in books. The ones written by authors with no conflict of interest. Too bad everyone goes to the internet instead of reading anymore. Except for romance and science fiction that is. But lately I have been reading the FDA and CDC reports, it's all there. One sentence from the fda report is interesting.
There has been substantial consistency between laboratory and epidemiologic results, and there have been some studies that are done that I won't talk about today that suggest that the novel H1 viruses may not be fully adapted to humans yet. April 2009
The vaccine pushers just ignored that remark. It is amazing also that mankind survived millions of years with no vaccines. It has to do with better sanitation etc.
As far as autism, try finding some info on which children were vaccinated and which werent. There are other toxins besides mercury too, like aluminum and msg etc. Also you have to be open minded. A baby has it's mothers immunity when its born, why do they vaccinate a newborn. Do they still give polio or smallpox vaccines? I have natual immunity to smallpox so that one wouldn't be a problem for me. Take care, Rita
Debate is healthy and that is how we learn. I am very thankful we can have these conversations. Better to have all the views to base our decisions on.
Sam, The site you listed, generation rescue pdf states; these conclusions are based on only a few studies, none of which included both blood and brain mercury levels in infants. Also if thimerisol is so safe why did they take it out of most of the vaccines? You asked where I get my info. Other than first hand experience, I own a bookstore it's amazing all the info in books. The ones written by authors with no conflict of interest. Too bad everyone goes to the internet instead of reading anymore. Except for romance and science fiction that is. But lately I have been reading the FDA and CDC reports, it's all there. One sentence from the fda report is interesting.
There has been substantial consistency between laboratory and epidemiologic results, and there have been some studies that are done that I won't talk about today that suggest that the novel H1 viruses may not be fully adapted to humans yet. April 2009
The vaccine pushers just ignored that remark. It is amazing also that mankind survived millions of years with no vaccines. It has to do with better sanitation etc.
As far as autism, try finding some info on which children were vaccinated and which werent. There are other toxins besides mercury too, like aluminum and msg etc. Also you have to be open minded. A baby has it's mothers immunity when its born, why do they vaccinate a newborn. Do they still give polio or smallpox vaccines? I have natual immunity to smallpox so that one wouldn't be a problem for me. Take care, Rita
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Metformin?
Hi all! Happy thanksgiving! Was just put on metformin,but I am not
diabetic? My endo knows my strong family history.. My alc was 5.
Something,can't recall off hand,but I reduced my weight by 20lbs and had
started excersising for 1yr prior to this test,so I am guessing I
reversed it on my own. My ? Is has anyone used this as an anti
androgen? And what side effects should I watch for? Although my
glucose #s are ok,I am guessing I have insulin sensitivity,but still
can't figure out/learn all about this! I was just diagnosed with
locah,late onset congenital adrenal hypoplasia, the 3 beta hydroxylase
form,which is the rarest form? My androgens need to come down,and I
am not a candidate for steroids because of my osteoporosis..
I also
can't take bcps,so I am in hormone hell!!!!! Anyone know of using
metformin this way? She is going to add a small dose of spiro
later. Can u take it every other day,rather than daily? To help
insulin receptors? Again,I am not quite diabetic,so this is
confusing! I know since everyone in my family history has type 1 and
2,its a matter of time. Or again,I reversed it in the last yr. R
there people on this to prevent diabetese,even if they r not?? Also
if weightless happens,then does it all come back if u stop the met at
some point?? Like the rebound effect? I've worked hard,and although
its only been 2lbs a month,its better than nothing!! So if I for some
reason,lose lbs on it,then decide to go off,I DON'T WANT TO GAIN back
what took me a year to lose!!!! Please help! This is all so
confusing!! I am 44 and have hashis/graves,and lord knows what
else!!! Deb.
--aliano
diabetic? My endo knows my strong family history.. My alc was 5.
Something,can't recall off hand,but I reduced my weight by 20lbs and had
started excersising for 1yr prior to this test,so I am guessing I
reversed it on my own. My ? Is has anyone used this as an anti
androgen? And what side effects should I watch for? Although my
glucose #s are ok,I am guessing I have insulin sensitivity,but still
can't figure out/learn all about this! I was just diagnosed with
locah,late onset congenital adrenal hypoplasia, the 3 beta hydroxylase
form,which is the rarest form? My androgens need to come down,and I
am not a candidate for steroids because of my osteoporosis..
I also
can't take bcps,so I am in hormone hell!!!!! Anyone know of using
metformin this way? She is going to add a small dose of spiro
later. Can u take it every other day,rather than daily? To help
insulin receptors? Again,I am not quite diabetic,so this is
confusing! I know since everyone in my family history has type 1 and
2,its a matter of time. Or again,I reversed it in the last yr. R
there people on this to prevent diabetese,even if they r not?? Also
if weightless happens,then does it all come back if u stop the met at
some point?? Like the rebound effect? I've worked hard,and although
its only been 2lbs a month,its better than nothing!! So if I for some
reason,lose lbs on it,then decide to go off,I DON'T WANT TO GAIN back
what took me a year to lose!!!! Please help! This is all so
confusing!! I am 44 and have hashis/graves,and lord knows what
else!!! Deb.
--aliano
My Snacking is getting Out Of Control
Hi, I am really struggling with my Diabetes at the moment. I feel tired all the time, have no energy and Feel hungry all th time which is causing havoc with snacking. I will have a small piece of watermelon for a snack and find I just can't stop at one piece. I will eat a snack and still feel hungry. Does anyone have any ideas that might help.
Cheers Donna
I can only tell you what works for me. On my hungry days, I make sure to
snack on protein and fat because carbs will only lead to more hunger, for
me. Fruit for me is NOT a good snack. It never is filling, and not for long,
but a piece of cheddar cheese with a cracker, a slice of avocado, a couple
of olives, a few slices of pepperoni. These will almost always curb the
craving for sweets. I make sure to drink water or seltzer with these items.
good luck.
~diane
Hi,I am really struggling with my Diabetes at the moment.I feel tired all the time, have no energy and Feel hungry all the time which is causing havoc with snacking. I will have a small piece of watermelon for a snack and find I just can't stop at one piece.I will eat a snack and still feel hungry. Does anyone have any ideas that might help.Cheers Donna>
High blood glucose levels, especially chronically high ones, can give you physical hunger because your body's cells can't get access to the circulating glucose, so they're semi-starved and hollering for fuel.
The way I break this problem in myself is to revert back to Diabetes Nutrition 101-- no meal skipping, no snack skipping, absolutely nothing with refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup or white flour, cutting way down on the complex carbs (whole grain products, starchy veggies, whole fruit), only using milk in coffee or on cereal, in the smallest portions possible, and eliminating artificial sweeteners wherever possible.
If I can concentrate on eating a reasonably sized portion of protein at every meal and snack (eggs, cheese, lean meat, cottage cheese, beans, fish), one small serving of carbs per meal and snack, and load up on salad, non-starchy veggies and lots of water all throughout the day, I can break the back of that hunger-- it might take a couple of days, but if I can fill my face with the right foods (no starving, just exercising strict portion control in regularly-spaced meals and snacks and cooling my jets with the things that drive up my glucose), I'll feel about 200% better and more in control in a day or two.
Judy D.
Cheers Donna
I can only tell you what works for me. On my hungry days, I make sure to
snack on protein and fat because carbs will only lead to more hunger, for
me. Fruit for me is NOT a good snack. It never is filling, and not for long,
but a piece of cheddar cheese with a cracker, a slice of avocado, a couple
of olives, a few slices of pepperoni. These will almost always curb the
craving for sweets. I make sure to drink water or seltzer with these items.
good luck.
~diane
Hi,I am really struggling with my Diabetes at the moment.I feel tired all the time, have no energy and Feel hungry all the time which is causing havoc with snacking. I will have a small piece of watermelon for a snack and find I just can't stop at one piece.I will eat a snack and still feel hungry. Does anyone have any ideas that might help.Cheers Donna>
High blood glucose levels, especially chronically high ones, can give you physical hunger because your body's cells can't get access to the circulating glucose, so they're semi-starved and hollering for fuel.
The way I break this problem in myself is to revert back to Diabetes Nutrition 101-- no meal skipping, no snack skipping, absolutely nothing with refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup or white flour, cutting way down on the complex carbs (whole grain products, starchy veggies, whole fruit), only using milk in coffee or on cereal, in the smallest portions possible, and eliminating artificial sweeteners wherever possible.
If I can concentrate on eating a reasonably sized portion of protein at every meal and snack (eggs, cheese, lean meat, cottage cheese, beans, fish), one small serving of carbs per meal and snack, and load up on salad, non-starchy veggies and lots of water all throughout the day, I can break the back of that hunger-- it might take a couple of days, but if I can fill my face with the right foods (no starving, just exercising strict portion control in regularly-spaced meals and snacks and cooling my jets with the things that drive up my glucose), I'll feel about 200% better and more in control in a day or two.
Judy D.
Mon A Vie
Hubby brought home a bottle of Mon A Vie last night which is a Acai blend drink. It is "suppose" to be high in antioxidants help with joint health and mentions being beneficial for diabetics as it has a low glycemic index. I have a lot of back and joint pain on top of the T2. I'm not looking for any miracle cure for anything (wishful thinking for all of us though), but would like to know if anyone uses any acai products and whether they have seen any benefits.
Kim
All of these drinks sold through multilevel marketing schemes are basically a scam. You are paying big bucks for what is no more than fruit juice you can mix up for about $4.00 a quart with cranberry juice, blueberry juice and a little acai. That compares to $40 a quart for Mon A Vie. In the case of fruit juices low glycemic index is meaningless. It's still a large carb load.
Acai does have some mild appetite suppressing effect. Other than that it is just fruit juice. It doesn't help joint health and it doesn't help diabetics. All of these drinks tout their high amounts of antioxidants. The truth is that there has been no evidence that ingesting large amounts of antioxidants accomplishes anything.
Ron
Kim
All of these drinks sold through multilevel marketing schemes are basically a scam. You are paying big bucks for what is no more than fruit juice you can mix up for about $4.00 a quart with cranberry juice, blueberry juice and a little acai. That compares to $40 a quart for Mon A Vie. In the case of fruit juices low glycemic index is meaningless. It's still a large carb load.
Acai does have some mild appetite suppressing effect. Other than that it is just fruit juice. It doesn't help joint health and it doesn't help diabetics. All of these drinks tout their high amounts of antioxidants. The truth is that there has been no evidence that ingesting large amounts of antioxidants accomplishes anything.
Ron
Think about HbA1c
Marina,
First let me say that you've made a dramatic improvement in your HbA1c in the relatively short time since your diagnosis. Congrat's to you on that.
HbA1c is measured by testing the amount of "glycation" of our red blood cells. In simple terms, that's how much glucose is sticking to them at the time of measurement. Since our red blood cells die off in "approximately" 3 months, it's a moving number with new glycated red blood cells replacing the older ones. In your case for example, the old cells were more glycated than the newer ones so your HbA1c showed more of the lesser glycated ones, hence a lower HbA1c reading.
All that said, there's no way from just looking at a HbA1c test result to know exactly how much of that number is coming from the last month and how much is residual from the previous weeks. Suffice to say that the test is "weighted" by the most recent weeks.
Then there's the fact that there are several different math formulas that describe the relationship of HbA1c and blood glucose levels. There is so far no standard way of making that calculation, so you just have to chose which formula to use and be consistent if you want to make comparisons over time.
One formula would say your 12.8% represents a bg of 324mg/dl and your 8.7% = 201mg/dl. Other formulas would give somewhat different numbers. What's important is not the actual numbers, but the fact that you've made significant progress in the right direction!
Since you're new and I don't know how much you know about the importance of what's to be learned from the HbA1c numbers, I'll just give you the main reason we care about that test result---
HbA1c (Glycosylated Hemoglobin A1c) is our best (only really) indicator we have for our risk of getting one or more of the horrendous complications that can befall diabetics. The basic rule is that lower HbA1c = less complication risk.
So what "should be" our goal for HbA1c? The best possible would be to have it be in the range of the normal non-diabetic which at most labs is ~4.5% to 6% or in some cases just stated as "under 6%).
The truly non-diabetic will have a HbA1c near the low-end of that range rather than near the 6% top of the range, so that is the goal that many of us here on the list aspire to. Some of us make it, some of us are still trying, but we still keep that goal in mind. There are some other lifestyle factors that may make a higher than ideal HbA1c acceptable, but that's a discussion for another time.
I'm curious why you're asking about your past month's bg number in relationship to your HbA1c when you should be able to get that information from your own bg testing and the log you've kept of those readings, or perhaps you have a tester that can calculate that average for you, which some of them do nowadays?
Sorry for the long-winded answer to your short question, but not knowing how much you already know I thought I'd give you more information that you asked for, albeit not the answer to your specific question which really has no answer!
Roger, T2, etc...
I have a question regarding A1C numbers. When diagnosed Oct 2, my A1C was
2.8. I had another A1C test done last Tuesday, Nov 17 and the result came
ack 8.7. This was mostly achieved through change in diet and mild
xercise. I realize this is a 3-month test so how would I be able to
alculate what my average numbers were the past month only? I'm
ath-challenged, as you can tell ;-)
hanks
arina
First let me say that you've made a dramatic improvement in your HbA1c in the relatively short time since your diagnosis. Congrat's to you on that.
HbA1c is measured by testing the amount of "glycation" of our red blood cells. In simple terms, that's how much glucose is sticking to them at the time of measurement. Since our red blood cells die off in "approximately" 3 months, it's a moving number with new glycated red blood cells replacing the older ones. In your case for example, the old cells were more glycated than the newer ones so your HbA1c showed more of the lesser glycated ones, hence a lower HbA1c reading.
All that said, there's no way from just looking at a HbA1c test result to know exactly how much of that number is coming from the last month and how much is residual from the previous weeks. Suffice to say that the test is "weighted" by the most recent weeks.
Then there's the fact that there are several different math formulas that describe the relationship of HbA1c and blood glucose levels. There is so far no standard way of making that calculation, so you just have to chose which formula to use and be consistent if you want to make comparisons over time.
One formula would say your 12.8% represents a bg of 324mg/dl and your 8.7% = 201mg/dl. Other formulas would give somewhat different numbers. What's important is not the actual numbers, but the fact that you've made significant progress in the right direction!
Since you're new and I don't know how much you know about the importance of what's to be learned from the HbA1c numbers, I'll just give you the main reason we care about that test result---
HbA1c (Glycosylated Hemoglobin A1c) is our best (only really) indicator we have for our risk of getting one or more of the horrendous complications that can befall diabetics. The basic rule is that lower HbA1c = less complication risk.
So what "should be" our goal for HbA1c? The best possible would be to have it be in the range of the normal non-diabetic which at most labs is ~4.5% to 6% or in some cases just stated as "under 6%).
The truly non-diabetic will have a HbA1c near the low-end of that range rather than near the 6% top of the range, so that is the goal that many of us here on the list aspire to. Some of us make it, some of us are still trying, but we still keep that goal in mind. There are some other lifestyle factors that may make a higher than ideal HbA1c acceptable, but that's a discussion for another time.
I'm curious why you're asking about your past month's bg number in relationship to your HbA1c when you should be able to get that information from your own bg testing and the log you've kept of those readings, or perhaps you have a tester that can calculate that average for you, which some of them do nowadays?
Sorry for the long-winded answer to your short question, but not knowing how much you already know I thought I'd give you more information that you asked for, albeit not the answer to your specific question which really has no answer!
Roger, T2, etc...
I have a question regarding A1C numbers. When diagnosed Oct 2, my A1C was
2.8. I had another A1C test done last Tuesday, Nov 17 and the result came
ack 8.7. This was mostly achieved through change in diet and mild
xercise. I realize this is a 3-month test so how would I be able to
alculate what my average numbers were the past month only? I'm
ath-challenged, as you can tell ;-)
hanks
arina
Cheryl RE: [diabetes] Stole
i'm sorry. I lost mine and knew my medical coverage wouldn't pay for another one. I had no money to buy another oneI let my diabetes doctor know and she gave me another one and was sure it was one my coverage would buy strips, etc for. I hoe youreplace yours soon. My neighboris also diabetic ad I would go there and check my sugars two or three times a day most days until I got my new meter.
Would you believe if I told you someone went into my car, (yes I left it unlocked..ran into the store) There is nothing of value in my Little red Hyundai. Except my meter was on my passenger seat.
Well I got to work..I always set up my log book meter etc on my desk and I realize its gone.
Dam people..now I have my insulin, but no meter to check 1st..so I guess I wont take any insulin till I can got after work to replace my meter..
grrrrr
Thanks for the vent xo
Cheryl
Would you believe if I told you someone went into my car, (yes I left it unlocked..ran into the store) There is nothing of value in my Little red Hyundai. Except my meter was on my passenger seat.
Well I got to work..I always set up my log book meter etc on my desk and I realize its gone.
Dam people..now I have my insulin, but no meter to check 1st..so I guess I wont take any insulin till I can got after work to replace my meter..
grrrrr
Thanks for the vent xo
Cheryl
Just a greeting for now
Hi, my name is Cathy and I am a type II diabetic for 10 years now.
I was a WW member until they took away mine and several thousand scholarships...and then in June I had to switch to counting carbs. What a trauma that was...but now I am pretty good at getting the food part of my diabetes control down pat. I am on meds, and diet and exercise to take care of it..for now. I am always looking for new information, old information that I don't know, and anything that is highly supportive.
I am married to Bill for 31 years, have two grown sons, and two adorable beagles that I couldn't manage without. I love to scrapbook, make cards, have coffee with friends, read, knit and I could live in the water as a swimmer.
I can't wait to meet the rest of you and get to know you better.
Cathy J
I was a WW member until they took away mine and several thousand scholarships...and then in June I had to switch to counting carbs. What a trauma that was...but now I am pretty good at getting the food part of my diabetes control down pat. I am on meds, and diet and exercise to take care of it..for now. I am always looking for new information, old information that I don't know, and anything that is highly supportive.
I am married to Bill for 31 years, have two grown sons, and two adorable beagles that I couldn't manage without. I love to scrapbook, make cards, have coffee with friends, read, knit and I could live in the water as a swimmer.
I can't wait to meet the rest of you and get to know you better.
Cathy J
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Drs Say Low Pay for DM Care Shortchanges Patients
>Doctors Say Low Pay for Diabetes Care Shortchanges Patients
>
>Almost one-third of doctors in an industry-sponsored survey said
>they didn't spend enough time with their diabetic patients and
>blamed low reimbursement rates for diabetes care ...
Prior to World War II docs were no different than any other professions. They made home visits and they did not charge outrageous sums and an incompetent doc was not consulted. But since then docs make appointments, do not guarantee their work, overcharge and for a while there could become wealthy if they hustled hard like used car dealers or like the AMA whose arrogance and greed come off like bad breath. The folks at alternative medicine have not forgotten how they(AMA) got rid of their competition, viz. by making it illegal for them to practice medicine.
Overcharging has spread among our medicos like a metastasis cancer,
ruining our medical system like the bad cars produced by GM or like
one of our kidneys about to fail. But the greed I speak of, the
capitalistic juice that seem to be giving the whole world a disabling
disorder has of late not only eaten at the American inerts but has
been imported all over the world with as much devastation as our
processed food. It is not only the HMOs, the drug companies, the
docs that covet bucks, it seems the whole world is infected. I
talked to my urologist yesterday about a possible surgery and he said
that maybe the anesthesiology department which has a monopoly at our
only hospital factory, may not accept my insurance. They were saying
private insurance companies do not pay enough, they discount the
amount of money they need, especially young docs who want to buy a
million dollar house available through our bloated real estate world.
The young docs become immensely embittered at their inability to
maintain the level of life enjoyed increasingly by docs since world
war II and only our life savings, income and other assets can make
them happy.
Here in lovely Santa Barbara where if you are rich you are welcomed,
the lovely city has always had one of the largest number of doctors
in the world per capita. And the poor are so thoroughly unwelcomed,
they have to work two or three jobs to pay the rent as every square
inch in this happy village is rented if it can be. The reason for
this amassment of medicos owes to the wealth that lives here too. My
urologist, a decent man by decent standards, suggested he has made
enough money and retirement hovers over his life but the young docs,
they may not be able to move in with the wealthy as they have in the
past or send their kids to Harvard or some other overpriced school.
The impact of all this on our medial system and care is that we seem
to be enveloped by an increasing number of birds of prey, rampant
greed not only among docs but all subsets of the medical industry.
Here is what I did not like about the discussion with my doc, he
suggested that the anesthesiology department would not only not
accept my insurance but make me pay the whole thing. I told him that
I would inquire why the local hospital allows one anesthesiology
company to hog up the surgery business and forces patients to pay out
of pocket and I would find a company that accepts my insurance. I
added that maybe the medical unions need to be broken the way Reagan
broke the controllers? Fortunately my doc is not a partisan and I
left his office in relative peace.
I wonder how bad off we would be if we dismantled our whole medical
system and started off with doctors who are not so spoiled. When we
consider how everyone seems to be involved in grasping whether the
outcome of it would be another War. Will the old messiahs bail us
out of this?
Posted by: "Joseph Navarro"
>
>Almost one-third of doctors in an industry-sponsored survey said
>they didn't spend enough time with their diabetic patients and
>blamed low reimbursement rates for diabetes care ...
Prior to World War II docs were no different than any other professions. They made home visits and they did not charge outrageous sums and an incompetent doc was not consulted. But since then docs make appointments, do not guarantee their work, overcharge and for a while there could become wealthy if they hustled hard like used car dealers or like the AMA whose arrogance and greed come off like bad breath. The folks at alternative medicine have not forgotten how they(AMA) got rid of their competition, viz. by making it illegal for them to practice medicine.
Overcharging has spread among our medicos like a metastasis cancer,
ruining our medical system like the bad cars produced by GM or like
one of our kidneys about to fail. But the greed I speak of, the
capitalistic juice that seem to be giving the whole world a disabling
disorder has of late not only eaten at the American inerts but has
been imported all over the world with as much devastation as our
processed food. It is not only the HMOs, the drug companies, the
docs that covet bucks, it seems the whole world is infected. I
talked to my urologist yesterday about a possible surgery and he said
that maybe the anesthesiology department which has a monopoly at our
only hospital factory, may not accept my insurance. They were saying
private insurance companies do not pay enough, they discount the
amount of money they need, especially young docs who want to buy a
million dollar house available through our bloated real estate world.
The young docs become immensely embittered at their inability to
maintain the level of life enjoyed increasingly by docs since world
war II and only our life savings, income and other assets can make
them happy.
Here in lovely Santa Barbara where if you are rich you are welcomed,
the lovely city has always had one of the largest number of doctors
in the world per capita. And the poor are so thoroughly unwelcomed,
they have to work two or three jobs to pay the rent as every square
inch in this happy village is rented if it can be. The reason for
this amassment of medicos owes to the wealth that lives here too. My
urologist, a decent man by decent standards, suggested he has made
enough money and retirement hovers over his life but the young docs,
they may not be able to move in with the wealthy as they have in the
past or send their kids to Harvard or some other overpriced school.
The impact of all this on our medial system and care is that we seem
to be enveloped by an increasing number of birds of prey, rampant
greed not only among docs but all subsets of the medical industry.
Here is what I did not like about the discussion with my doc, he
suggested that the anesthesiology department would not only not
accept my insurance but make me pay the whole thing. I told him that
I would inquire why the local hospital allows one anesthesiology
company to hog up the surgery business and forces patients to pay out
of pocket and I would find a company that accepts my insurance. I
added that maybe the medical unions need to be broken the way Reagan
broke the controllers? Fortunately my doc is not a partisan and I
left his office in relative peace.
I wonder how bad off we would be if we dismantled our whole medical
system and started off with doctors who are not so spoiled. When we
consider how everyone seems to be involved in grasping whether the
outcome of it would be another War. Will the old messiahs bail us
out of this?
Posted by: "Joseph Navarro"
no idea why you asked diab. and swine flu shot
Thimerosal is no longer used in children's vaccines even though there is no evidence at all that it is harmful in the amounts in vaccines. Instead of some vague stuff about mercury, which is not even in the form that causes neurotoxicity when it's in thimerosal, and vague conspiracy theories, please show proof of its connection to any disease process.
A someone pointed out, we get more mercury in a can of tuna than in a vaccine. The only "proof" I've ever seen is an increased incidence of diagnoses of autism with increased vaccines. Since autism is often a vague diagnosis, it's probably just more being diagnosed than more occuring. After all, there were no cases of Asperger's until about 10 years ago. Now it's all over the place. But nothing really changed. And since thimerosal has been removed from childhood vaccines, there has been no decrease in the number of new cases of autism in that group of kids. Why is that?
Would you prefer we begin having epidemics of measles, whooping cough, mumps, and polio? Maybe we could even bring back smallpox.
Oh, this year's seasonal flu vaccine is against A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus; A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;
B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens. Not that it's at all relevant here. I have no idea why you asked that. My specialist gave me the shot.
Posted by: "bottomguyly"
A someone pointed out, we get more mercury in a can of tuna than in a vaccine. The only "proof" I've ever seen is an increased incidence of diagnoses of autism with increased vaccines. Since autism is often a vague diagnosis, it's probably just more being diagnosed than more occuring. After all, there were no cases of Asperger's until about 10 years ago. Now it's all over the place. But nothing really changed. And since thimerosal has been removed from childhood vaccines, there has been no decrease in the number of new cases of autism in that group of kids. Why is that?
Would you prefer we begin having epidemics of measles, whooping cough, mumps, and polio? Maybe we could even bring back smallpox.
Oh, this year's seasonal flu vaccine is against A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus; A/Brisbane/10/2007 (H3N2)-like virus;
B/Brisbane 60/2008-like antigens. Not that it's at all relevant here. I have no idea why you asked that. My specialist gave me the shot.
Posted by: "bottomguyly"
H1N1 Shot
I finally got the H1N1 vaccine last week at work. I was on vacation and the secretary in our department called me and said the hospital had gotten another shipment. About a week earlier, I had words with our employee health department head after missing out on the shot for the second time. The supply would run out as fast as she could post on the email system that it was available. Those who were getting the vaccine were office workers -- not direct patient care workers and/or those with underlying conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart conditions. So, when she got another shipment, she saved one for me and called our secretary. Other hospitals prioritized their employees.
Those in direct patient care positions got it first followed by those with health conditions. Not our's. With diabetes, asthma and a heart blockage, I would've gotten on anyone's list. I had no problems with the vaccine. At the time, I had hardly any problems with the shot in my
arm but Monday when I returned to work, I found the spot a little tender. I didn't notice it today. I strongly recommend to anyone with any of the underlying conditions to get the shot. A little arm tenderness is nothing compared to the problems you could be putting off for you and your family.
Michelle in West Virginia
Who is looking forward to turkey -- and not the carbs.
Posted by: "Michelle Blum"
Those in direct patient care positions got it first followed by those with health conditions. Not our's. With diabetes, asthma and a heart blockage, I would've gotten on anyone's list. I had no problems with the vaccine. At the time, I had hardly any problems with the shot in my
arm but Monday when I returned to work, I found the spot a little tender. I didn't notice it today. I strongly recommend to anyone with any of the underlying conditions to get the shot. A little arm tenderness is nothing compared to the problems you could be putting off for you and your family.
Michelle in West Virginia
Who is looking forward to turkey -- and not the carbs.
Posted by: "Michelle Blum"
mentioned a single flu shot
I make mine on facts, show me proof its been tested. I see 3 specialists and not one has mentioned a single flu shot. Can you tell me which 3 strains are in the seasonal shot this yr. please? Thimerisol is mercury one of the so called toxins. You break a mercury thermometer today they want to call hazmat. MSG is in it very bad for children and some people. People harmed by nuerotoxins takes years and it's cumulative. You're not going to see it the 15 min or 30 min they watch for adverse affects.
This happened yesterday!
Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson filed the Freedom of Information request.
Journalists are allowed to ask for expedited processing of their Freedom of Information request because, for obvious reasons, they´re working on a story that may have public impact or be of public interest. The agencies are not supposed to use the Freedom of Information Law to obstruct or delay the release of this information.
She was denied that expedited processing from Freedom of Information that she's entitled to as a member of the press; a letter from HHS or Health and Human Services (the CDC is under HHS) said that one of the reasons they´re denying expedited processing is because this is not a matter of "widespread and exceptional media or public interest." Really not a matter of public interest. I thought the president declared it a national emergency, but it's not a matter of public interest. Why are we discussing it? The CDC told everyone to stop testing for the strain in July. Do they want to exaggerate the numbers or keep them low, that's what you need to know. If it was a killer flu I don't think it could be hidden from the media. Very mild strain. This is supposed to be the height of flu season right now. Where are the millions of sick people? Rita
Posted by: "Rita Dallas"
This happened yesterday!
Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson filed the Freedom of Information request.
Journalists are allowed to ask for expedited processing of their Freedom of Information request because, for obvious reasons, they´re working on a story that may have public impact or be of public interest. The agencies are not supposed to use the Freedom of Information Law to obstruct or delay the release of this information.
She was denied that expedited processing from Freedom of Information that she's entitled to as a member of the press; a letter from HHS or Health and Human Services (the CDC is under HHS) said that one of the reasons they´re denying expedited processing is because this is not a matter of "widespread and exceptional media or public interest." Really not a matter of public interest. I thought the president declared it a national emergency, but it's not a matter of public interest. Why are we discussing it? The CDC told everyone to stop testing for the strain in July. Do they want to exaggerate the numbers or keep them low, that's what you need to know. If it was a killer flu I don't think it could be hidden from the media. Very mild strain. This is supposed to be the height of flu season right now. Where are the millions of sick people? Rita
Posted by: "Rita Dallas"
swine flu vaccine
I too am terrified of both the flu and the vaccine. What is the difference between the regular flu shot and this one??>
Not sure what the origin of your terror is-- haven't you been vaccinated against tetanus and pneumonia in recent years? The flu vaccines, both seasonal and H1-N1, containe killed virus, so unless you're sensitive to something else in the injection (preservatives, etc), nothing in it can hurt you. You cannot get the flu from a flu shot-- as I said, the virus is killed and cannot make anyone sick.
But anyhoo.... the "regular" flu is actually called seasonal flu. That vaccine contains killed virus from a few different strains of flu that the CDC (Center for Disease Control in the US) has determined will probably be the most common types of flu this winter. Every winter, the strains included in the seasonal shot vary according to what those in the know decide we need protection from.
The so-called swine flu shot is actually a vaccine for the H1-N1 flu, a particularly nasty flu bug that's currently striking small kids, kids in schools, and health care workers. Anyone can get sick with it, of course, but it's proving more deadly in young people and those with loads of exposure, like hospital workers. Those with chronic diseases (like diabetes) or chronic health risk factors(like obesity) also need vaccination (both kinds) because a bad case of the flu could carry them off much more easily.
Posted by: "BK"
Not sure what the origin of your terror is-- haven't you been vaccinated against tetanus and pneumonia in recent years? The flu vaccines, both seasonal and H1-N1, containe killed virus, so unless you're sensitive to something else in the injection (preservatives, etc), nothing in it can hurt you. You cannot get the flu from a flu shot-- as I said, the virus is killed and cannot make anyone sick.
But anyhoo.... the "regular" flu is actually called seasonal flu. That vaccine contains killed virus from a few different strains of flu that the CDC (Center for Disease Control in the US) has determined will probably be the most common types of flu this winter. Every winter, the strains included in the seasonal shot vary according to what those in the know decide we need protection from.
The so-called swine flu shot is actually a vaccine for the H1-N1 flu, a particularly nasty flu bug that's currently striking small kids, kids in schools, and health care workers. Anyone can get sick with it, of course, but it's proving more deadly in young people and those with loads of exposure, like hospital workers. Those with chronic diseases (like diabetes) or chronic health risk factors(like obesity) also need vaccination (both kinds) because a bad case of the flu could carry them off much more easily.
Posted by: "BK"
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
dave from georgiadoctor 4:oo tomorrow
Dave, I think you are handleing this all very well! I can remember my husband went around for the first year thinking the dr's were wrong. He only took the meds for me. Now he realizes that he has diabetes and he can control it instead of it controlling him. It's been a road to get here.
I can tell you from our experience that the dr's usually up the metformin when the side effects go away. So I would figure yours will be to 1000 mg (2 500 mg twice a day). If that doesn't lower it in the next few weeks it will go to 1500 mg. Then up to 2000 mg's.
Headaches are a side effect and usually don't come back when upped. If they do it's no where near as bad (I think my husband had a little bit of a side effect but not bad at all).
Don't worry so much about this. It is what it is. Worrying won't change the out come of the tests (except maybe make a finger poke higher). Your doing what you need to be doing and that's what counts.
So chin up and pat yourself on the back. Your doing great!
Posted by: "sdbmshad"
Hi Dave,
I was pretty much like you when I was first diagnosed in Sept. The best thing I did for myself is what is called "testing in pairs". That is where you test your BG before a meal and then again about 2 hrs after (some will say 1 hour). Doing this will show you what foods are bad for you. Doing this I found out that potatoes are
a real no no for me. I also found out that I am extremely carb sensitive (without meds any amount will raise my BG by a lot). If you are able to do this (you do it for about 7 days) it may help you feel more comfortable with food choices and how much you can eat.
If you go to accu-chek.com they talk about it there and have sheet you can print out to use and keep track of that stuff. I also make sure I always eat protein with any carbs I have (usually a handful of almonds). I also look for carbs that are below 10 grams total for my snacks (I have to have my chocolate and sweet fix) and that seems to work for me.
Any way - things to get better. I would like to say easier, but I am not sure about that yet :}. You seem to be doing everything right so far. Unfortunately this is one of those "it didn't happen to you over night, so it won't be fixed that fast" things.
I was also started on a low dose of metformin and had the same results as you. I am on amayrl now because I could not tolerate the metformin. I take 1 mg a day in the morning and that seems to be doing the trick (2 mg was causing too many hypoglycemic episodes).
My advice - take a few deep breaths, try the testing in pairs (if you can) or at least go to the site and look at what they have to say,and give yourself a pat on the back for the great job you are doing so far.
Posted by: "Alex Jackson"
I can tell you from our experience that the dr's usually up the metformin when the side effects go away. So I would figure yours will be to 1000 mg (2 500 mg twice a day). If that doesn't lower it in the next few weeks it will go to 1500 mg. Then up to 2000 mg's.
Headaches are a side effect and usually don't come back when upped. If they do it's no where near as bad (I think my husband had a little bit of a side effect but not bad at all).
Don't worry so much about this. It is what it is. Worrying won't change the out come of the tests (except maybe make a finger poke higher). Your doing what you need to be doing and that's what counts.
So chin up and pat yourself on the back. Your doing great!
Posted by: "sdbmshad"
Hi Dave,
I was pretty much like you when I was first diagnosed in Sept. The best thing I did for myself is what is called "testing in pairs". That is where you test your BG before a meal and then again about 2 hrs after (some will say 1 hour). Doing this will show you what foods are bad for you. Doing this I found out that potatoes are
a real no no for me. I also found out that I am extremely carb sensitive (without meds any amount will raise my BG by a lot). If you are able to do this (you do it for about 7 days) it may help you feel more comfortable with food choices and how much you can eat.
If you go to accu-chek.com they talk about it there and have sheet you can print out to use and keep track of that stuff. I also make sure I always eat protein with any carbs I have (usually a handful of almonds). I also look for carbs that are below 10 grams total for my snacks (I have to have my chocolate and sweet fix) and that seems to work for me.
Any way - things to get better. I would like to say easier, but I am not sure about that yet :}. You seem to be doing everything right so far. Unfortunately this is one of those "it didn't happen to you over night, so it won't be fixed that fast" things.
I was also started on a low dose of metformin and had the same results as you. I am on amayrl now because I could not tolerate the metformin. I take 1 mg a day in the morning and that seems to be doing the trick (2 mg was causing too many hypoglycemic episodes).
My advice - take a few deep breaths, try the testing in pairs (if you can) or at least go to the site and look at what they have to say,and give yourself a pat on the back for the great job you are doing so far.
Posted by: "Alex Jackson"
The skinny on diabetes and kidney failure
Are there any early warning signs that you can detect for early kidney damage other than a lab test?
Or does it progress silently, without any discomfort or symptoms till the late stages ?
I think this is the really sinister, evil thing about diabetes. It causes damage to alot of organs, but it does so very slowly that you don't notice or feel it. By the time the damage to organs is noticeable, it's already serious.
And then to top it off, even with very good glucose control, you can still suffer from various forms of diabetic complications, just from being "diabetic".
One really important point in the article to note is that blood pressure must be controlled to normal, if not lower, than normal levels because high blood pressure attacks the same organs as diabetes (heart, eyes, kidney) and this accelerates the symptoms more than twice (5-10 years versus 20).
Or does it progress silently, without any discomfort or symptoms till the late stages ?
I think this is the really sinister, evil thing about diabetes. It causes damage to alot of organs, but it does so very slowly that you don't notice or feel it. By the time the damage to organs is noticeable, it's already serious.
And then to top it off, even with very good glucose control, you can still suffer from various forms of diabetic complications, just from being "diabetic".
One really important point in the article to note is that blood pressure must be controlled to normal, if not lower, than normal levels because high blood pressure attacks the same organs as diabetes (heart, eyes, kidney) and this accelerates the symptoms more than twice (5-10 years versus 20).
diab. and swine flu shot
Just left my drs. and he wants me to get the swine flu shot because of my recent diag. of type 2 diab.(I also have moderate asthma). I had the reg. shot in Oct. but am very nervous about the swine flu shot. Has anyone here had it and any reactions? Any opinion if I should or should not get. Thanks. Jean.
I have not gotten the H1N1 vaccine because it has not been available. When it is available, I'll get it. One of my nephews got the vaccine at school about a month ago and he has not had any problems.
You are going to hear both positives and negatives. Two things you need to consider: How much do you trust what your doctor tells you and how do you feel about the vaccine?
My husband and son have both had the H1N1 shot (they both have
asthma) and neither had any reaction to it. My husband and I go to
different doctors in the same practice and he actually got a phone
call telling him he could make an appointment to get the
vaccine. The practice got such a limited amount of vaccine that the
doctors actually had to go through their patient lists and select the
patients that would be able to get a dose. I did not receive a phone
call, so I called my doctor's office and was told that I had NOT been
selected. Even with diabetes, I wasn't considered a high enough
risk. I hope that they will get more, or that I will be able to get
a shot at one of the few clinics that will be held.
Miriam
I have not gotten the H1N1 vaccine because it has not been available. When it is available, I'll get it. One of my nephews got the vaccine at school about a month ago and he has not had any problems.
You are going to hear both positives and negatives. Two things you need to consider: How much do you trust what your doctor tells you and how do you feel about the vaccine?
My husband and son have both had the H1N1 shot (they both have
asthma) and neither had any reaction to it. My husband and I go to
different doctors in the same practice and he actually got a phone
call telling him he could make an appointment to get the
vaccine. The practice got such a limited amount of vaccine that the
doctors actually had to go through their patient lists and select the
patients that would be able to get a dose. I did not receive a phone
call, so I called my doctor's office and was told that I had NOT been
selected. Even with diabetes, I wasn't considered a high enough
risk. I hope that they will get more, or that I will be able to get
a shot at one of the few clinics that will be held.
Miriam
Monday, November 23, 2009
Pernicious Anaemia and Diabetes
I was on Metformin for very many Years until earlier this Year my body decided to reject it in a way,,, I became a bathroom dweller ugh,,, but my GP took me off of the Metformin and started me on Sitagliptin tablets at one 100mg tablet a day along with Pioglitizone at one a day,, wow the difference when I was able to leave my bathroom dwelling and move back into the rest of my house was amazing and relieving!
Does anyone here suffer from ear infections?I had an ear infection that was bad enough to put me in hospital 2 Years ago, it was chronic, after that even though I am keeping them dry, not sticking anything in them etc and am a very clean person I have just had one ear infection after the other (in both ears) which put my bodys temperature up and make me ill ontop of each other, it has been constant and making me very weary! It took a certain Dr almost 2 Years to notice and confirm that my noisey ear had a burst ear drum and the eustation tubes in both ears are always full to overflowing causing a lot of problems... I do see a Consultant in ENT but I call him Dr no can do because he doesn't ever do anything for my ears, not even gromits for the eustation tubes. The noisey ear has constant ringing in it which I now know is caused by the burst ear drum and it is pretty bad, loud and constant..!If my ENT consultant had to live with this personally it would be a very different story now wouldn't it??
Hi Rita, Pernicious Anaemia just affects B12, I have to have injections ofB12 directly into my muscle, as my body destroys any B12 taken orally. I amnot having any bathroom problems with Metformin, thankfully, but my PA hasreally hit me with a vengeance the last few months, to the point where I amnow barely functioning and signed off work - I have had blood tests, justawaiting the results, but I just happened to notice in the Metformin smallprint that a very rare side effect is that it can deplete B12, so I amwondering if that is what is happening here, and thought I would ask just incase anyone else is lucky enough (haha) to have both of these illnessestogether.
Sorry to hear you are anaemic, I must admit I don't know a lot about it.Didn't know a thing about PA either of course till I was diagnosed - butthen again before I was diagnosed I thought diabetics just had to lay offsugar. Duh.
Posted by: "Edna Martin"
Does anyone here suffer from ear infections?I had an ear infection that was bad enough to put me in hospital 2 Years ago, it was chronic, after that even though I am keeping them dry, not sticking anything in them etc and am a very clean person I have just had one ear infection after the other (in both ears) which put my bodys temperature up and make me ill ontop of each other, it has been constant and making me very weary! It took a certain Dr almost 2 Years to notice and confirm that my noisey ear had a burst ear drum and the eustation tubes in both ears are always full to overflowing causing a lot of problems... I do see a Consultant in ENT but I call him Dr no can do because he doesn't ever do anything for my ears, not even gromits for the eustation tubes. The noisey ear has constant ringing in it which I now know is caused by the burst ear drum and it is pretty bad, loud and constant..!If my ENT consultant had to live with this personally it would be a very different story now wouldn't it??
Hi Rita, Pernicious Anaemia just affects B12, I have to have injections ofB12 directly into my muscle, as my body destroys any B12 taken orally. I amnot having any bathroom problems with Metformin, thankfully, but my PA hasreally hit me with a vengeance the last few months, to the point where I amnow barely functioning and signed off work - I have had blood tests, justawaiting the results, but I just happened to notice in the Metformin smallprint that a very rare side effect is that it can deplete B12, so I amwondering if that is what is happening here, and thought I would ask just incase anyone else is lucky enough (haha) to have both of these illnessestogether.
Sorry to hear you are anaemic, I must admit I don't know a lot about it.Didn't know a thing about PA either of course till I was diagnosed - butthen again before I was diagnosed I thought diabetics just had to lay offsugar. Duh.
Posted by: "Edna Martin"
ear infections
How well is your diabetes in control? Do you have an A1c of 6.0ish or under? An ear infection is like any other infection, in that diabetics are more prone to get them, and once we have them, they can be bears to get healed up. The more in control your diabetes is, the more your body will handle infections as if it were non-diabetic.
Ear infections *hurt*, and they can destroy hearing. Scary stuff.
It took a certain Dr almost 2 Years to notice and confirm that my noisy ear had a burst ear drum and the eustation tubes in both ears are always full to overflowing causing a lot of problems... I do see a Consultant in ENT but I call him Dr no can do because he doesn't ever do anything for my ears, not even gromits for the eustation tubes. The noisey ear has constant ringing in it which I now know is caused by the burst ear drum and it is pretty bad, loud and constant.If my ENT consultant had to live with this personally it would be a very different story now wouldn't it??>
You need a new doctor, hon. This one is a horse doctor. I'm just sayin'. This is *serious* and needs aggressive treatment, not this benign neglect your doctor is passing off as medical care.
Do you suffer from allergies, with post-nasal drip, etc? If so, you need a really good allergy doc, a course of allergy shots, and proper allergy meds, and that will all help beat that problem back. I suspect you may have one-thing-feeds-the-other going on-- diabetes, allergies, a stubborn bug or two, maybe a chronic fungal infection too.One thing you can try is keeping your ears dry-- wear protective ear plugs in the shower or while swimming, and then use whatever your doctor recommends for prevention purposes a couple times a day (saline? not sure what it'd be, but maybe something with a steroid in it to help with the inflammation, and/or an anti-fungal ear med).
Whatever's giving you those repeated infections thrives on 3 things: dark, damp and warm, so... just keeping it dry in there will go a long way in prevention.
Ask your doc too about having some lab tests done to see what kind of bacteria and/or fungus you're fighting. Without lab specimens, the doc will just continue throwing antibiotics at it willy-nilly, and it sounds as if you've done all the usual things and are getting nowhere.I'd start getting insistent and loud, if I were you. Enough is enough!
Good luck, and please let us know how you're doing, okay?
Posted by: "BK"
mood, food and life
I am not knowledgeable enough to say what the effects are to others, but,being DXd with DM for almost a year (late Jan 09) and changing my diet tohopefully less than 100 carbs in a day, I have noticed that I feel better,for the most part. I am positive that I feel better physically. I haveheartburn once in 10 months, and I think that was due to eating some pizzawith my kids (very minimal crust, but the topping is greasy compared to whatI've been eating, a glass of wine and taking a 1000 mg glucosamine after Ihad not taken any for over a week. I have to take half a pill for a fewdays and build up to it. Anyway, I used to get a lot of nausea and had ahard time discerning if it was anxiety or what I ate. My job can be prettystressful. I felt more energetic for sure for the first few months but withstress and the dark season coming on, I feel some slippage. I believe Ihave SAD (such an appropriate acronym don't you think?) so this time of yearis not easy to judge what effects what. Then throw in the holidays, well Iwon't go there tonight.
While I have read that carbs are essential to brain function, I know we getcartbs from the veggies we eat and the fruits some of us add in from time totime. I am able to eat a low carb bread by 'The Bread Garden" called CarbCurber and I know I get some fiber and carbs there too. But, if we needcarbs for brain function, it would not surprise me to find out that carbseffect our mood, both pro and con. Maybe too many carbs overload the brainand we feel mentally sluggish in response. and I'm sure too few could havea negative impact. I know we need to carefully control our carbs, I thinkwe need to, as most of us here do, look at the kind of carbs along with thecount. Complex carbs are always the better choice and then, what oursystems can handle.
Suffice to say, I do feel better, emotionally and physically, eating a verylow carb diet. Sure, I miss some foods, and with my first round of holidaysapproaching, I'm noticing some sense of loss around it, which I'm sure willget easier with time. I love eggnog and saw it in the store the other day.I thought Oh goody!! then I though, shoot! then I saw the light kind andthought, ooooh, maybe?? then I see they cut the fat but not the sugar.damn! Has anyone seen a SF eggnog out there? I sure wish..... Has anyoneever made it? I love a hot brandy and eggnog......
And my Mom, who died 3 years ago... still seems a bit like yesterday, andthe holidays are hard as I spent them with her, even as the Alzheimer's tookher, but we have a family recipe for a snack mix similar to the chex mix yousee this time of year but ours is soooooo much better. Peanuts, pretzels,rice chex and cheerios. well, as you can tell from the ingredients, it iscarb city. sigh.... I helped her make from the time I could stand on a chairand stir the melted butter with the spices. I teared up thinking I can'thave it. So I've decided to make one batch, the smell of it baking iswonderful, and figure out how many carbs is in 1/4 cup or some small sizeand see what it does to me. T&T as I've been saying to myself, taste andtest, like the ymmv. I may be able to have a bit and if not, I'll cope.
So, as I think back over what I've typed, food and mood are closely related,but, at least for me, I have to factor in life.
To the other US citizens on the list, have a good Thanksgiving and I hopeyour day is pleasant. I'm on my own this year, kids going to their Dad andhis GF's new house, Brother going with his wife's family and so my GoldenRetriever and I will do some quilting, watch a movie, take a walk and findmany things to be thankful for, first and foremost, my health, and for thislist where I've learned a lot to take better care of myself.
Posted by: "Michelle Honey"
While I have read that carbs are essential to brain function, I know we getcartbs from the veggies we eat and the fruits some of us add in from time totime. I am able to eat a low carb bread by 'The Bread Garden" called CarbCurber and I know I get some fiber and carbs there too. But, if we needcarbs for brain function, it would not surprise me to find out that carbseffect our mood, both pro and con. Maybe too many carbs overload the brainand we feel mentally sluggish in response. and I'm sure too few could havea negative impact. I know we need to carefully control our carbs, I thinkwe need to, as most of us here do, look at the kind of carbs along with thecount. Complex carbs are always the better choice and then, what oursystems can handle.
Suffice to say, I do feel better, emotionally and physically, eating a verylow carb diet. Sure, I miss some foods, and with my first round of holidaysapproaching, I'm noticing some sense of loss around it, which I'm sure willget easier with time. I love eggnog and saw it in the store the other day.I thought Oh goody!! then I though, shoot! then I saw the light kind andthought, ooooh, maybe?? then I see they cut the fat but not the sugar.damn! Has anyone seen a SF eggnog out there? I sure wish..... Has anyoneever made it? I love a hot brandy and eggnog......
And my Mom, who died 3 years ago... still seems a bit like yesterday, andthe holidays are hard as I spent them with her, even as the Alzheimer's tookher, but we have a family recipe for a snack mix similar to the chex mix yousee this time of year but ours is soooooo much better. Peanuts, pretzels,rice chex and cheerios. well, as you can tell from the ingredients, it iscarb city. sigh.... I helped her make from the time I could stand on a chairand stir the melted butter with the spices. I teared up thinking I can'thave it. So I've decided to make one batch, the smell of it baking iswonderful, and figure out how many carbs is in 1/4 cup or some small sizeand see what it does to me. T&T as I've been saying to myself, taste andtest, like the ymmv. I may be able to have a bit and if not, I'll cope.
So, as I think back over what I've typed, food and mood are closely related,but, at least for me, I have to factor in life.
To the other US citizens on the list, have a good Thanksgiving and I hopeyour day is pleasant. I'm on my own this year, kids going to their Dad andhis GF's new house, Brother going with his wife's family and so my GoldenRetriever and I will do some quilting, watch a movie, take a walk and findmany things to be thankful for, first and foremost, my health, and for thislist where I've learned a lot to take better care of myself.
Posted by: "Michelle Honey"
Thankful to be a diabetic
I was diagnosed as a diabetic in 2007 through an awful case of MRSA. At first I was really scared and not sure of my future because there is a lot of fear put into the hearts of diabetics (which needs to stop) there is also a lot of bad and mis-information regarding this disease put forth to the public. Sitting here tonight and thinking about my life's journey over the last three years I've come to the conclusion that I am so very thankful to be a diabetic...
it may sound strange so let me elaborate a bit... the first reason I am thankful to be a diabetic is because through this disease I have been blessed to meet some of the most wonderful and beautiful people on this planet. My Doctor's and care givers have been ever so supportive of me and my life has been made so much richer by knowing them.
I am also thankful to have this opportunity to learn a new way of eating ... one that is much healthier and makes me feel so much more energetic and viable during the day .... lastly I am thankful for being a diabetic because I really don't think they would have found the cancer, nor would I have known to look for the cancer that was diagnosed a year ago.
So through being a diabetic I have been blessed to meet wonderful and caring people, learn more about nutrition and myself for that matter and last but not least, I have my life...I am truly blessed by all of these things and for the first time in three years can honestly say I am thankful to be a diabetic.
Posted by: "zionbutterfly8"
it may sound strange so let me elaborate a bit... the first reason I am thankful to be a diabetic is because through this disease I have been blessed to meet some of the most wonderful and beautiful people on this planet. My Doctor's and care givers have been ever so supportive of me and my life has been made so much richer by knowing them.
I am also thankful to have this opportunity to learn a new way of eating ... one that is much healthier and makes me feel so much more energetic and viable during the day .... lastly I am thankful for being a diabetic because I really don't think they would have found the cancer, nor would I have known to look for the cancer that was diagnosed a year ago.
So through being a diabetic I have been blessed to meet wonderful and caring people, learn more about nutrition and myself for that matter and last but not least, I have my life...I am truly blessed by all of these things and for the first time in three years can honestly say I am thankful to be a diabetic.
Posted by: "zionbutterfly8"
Struggling with diabetic
I was diagnosed in 2007 as well due to an infection called MRSA which is scary. It is very difficult to be a diabetic and most people who don't know anything about it don't understand, they think we can and should eat just like everyone else which is so detrimental to us.
There are some really good things that we as diabetics can eat, some of my favorites have been chicken divan which is a VERY simple recepie, baby bell cheese, the soft laughing cow cheese and sargento low fat cheese sticks. Nuts are low carb and a good source of protein but you have to watch the fat intake.
I've started to really enjoy tofu and they do have tofu noodles that you can substitute instead of pasta. I've been known to fry turnips in olive oil like french fries and it is excellent and you can mash boiled cauliflour like potatoes and it's such a treat...I put low cal butter in it with garlic and leeks and it is to die for. I also saw a simple recepie I have not been able to try yet but would be perfect...you take chicken breasts and pound them till they are really thin and season them with salt and pepper...then you place a piece of swiss cheese and a piece of ham on the chicken and wrap the chicken around already cooked asparagus then you hold it together with tooth picks and fry it... I'm going to make it tomorrow for a friend.
There are so many wonderful things you can eat that don't have sugar in them and if you really stick to the diabetic low carb diet ou will find that you will feel so much better not just health wise but also emotionally wise. Another thing I did was get the gastric bypass surgery which has helped even out my bg. It's been a hard recovery but sooooooo worth it. I would consider it and research it.
Don't be ashamed that you are a diabetic. There are a lot of misconceptions in the world about this disease. Weight is a factor but not the underlying cause of diabetes. I had lost 50 pounds 4 months before I was diagnosed and was feeling great. The only reason I found out about this was because of the infection and if I did not get the infection and find out about the diabetes I probably would not be alive today because it ended up leading to a diagnosis of cancer.
Please please please take care of yourself. Do not be ashamed of who you are... manage your disease and don't let the disease manage your life. This will make you a stronger person. It is tough and I know that for a fact but I know that you can do it.Posted by: "zionbutterfly8"
How to choose good food?
Remember that dietary control is only one leg of a beast that has at least four legs. They are, in no particular order of importance, AFAIK:
a) cutting out refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup and white flour, and srsly cooling your jets about the quality and quantity of other carbs, even the complex ones. All excuses for overeating are g-o-n-e, so portion control is as important as *what* you're eating.
b) regular daily exercise, probably the most neglected of the four legs.
c) weight loss. Achieving and maintaining a normal BMI is of the utmost importance for long-term glucose control. Naturally, someone who's even moderately overweight isn't going to lose the extra pounds in a few weeks or a few months, so this can take time, sometimes years.
d) meds. Sorry, but diabetics oftentimes need meds if after 3-6 months or so of trying lifestyle changes (diet, exercise) and losing a few pounds, they still can't get their A1c down close to 6.0 or so (some doctors are happy with anything under 7.0, but IMO the lower the better).
You don't have to be hungry all the time, but you do have to decide on a calorie level and then carefully *eat up to that calorie level*. No starving. No skipping meals. No skipping snacks. Don't go to bed hungry every night. If you KNOW you're going to be hungry in the late PM, don't go to bed starving and miserable every night-- plan a PM snack, something made up of 150 calories or so, some carb and some protein. You'll sleep better, and your liver will be less likely to release glucose during the night.
Plan some real carbs for every meal-- three times a day, have a slice of whole grain bread, a small serving of whole grain cereal, or make your protein choice a meatloaf with loads of shredded veggies and oatmeal baked into it (yum, filling and satisfying). Have a small piece of whole fruit mid-afternoon, maybe with a string cheese or a couple of ounces of low fat ham rolled into lettuce leaves and garnished with a bit of mustard or mayo. Eat veggies at *every* meal-- broccoli, onions, shredded carrots in an AM omelet, a couple different veggies and a salad at both lunch and dinner. If you eat 1200 calories a day, you should be able to have 3 meals @ 300 calories each and 2 snacks @ 150 each, or whatever divvying up makes sense to you.
Either you'll be able to get your glucose into a good range with just diet and exercise, or you won't. But I'll tell ya, I'm convinced that walking around starving all the time is for the birds, both psychologically and physically. Choose a calorie level, don't eat (roughly) less or more than that, make your food choices as whole and unprocessed as possible, drink loads of good spring water if you can, remember to b-r-e-a-t-h-e as you take a walk or do other exercise every day, and just enjoy the good health you have. You might not have *perfect* health, you probably never will, but things can always be worse!
Meanwhile, this goal of good glucose control IS attainable; it'll just take some time and planning and effort. But no starving!
By Judy D.
a) cutting out refined sugar, high fructose corn syrup and white flour, and srsly cooling your jets about the quality and quantity of other carbs, even the complex ones. All excuses for overeating are g-o-n-e, so portion control is as important as *what* you're eating.
b) regular daily exercise, probably the most neglected of the four legs.
c) weight loss. Achieving and maintaining a normal BMI is of the utmost importance for long-term glucose control. Naturally, someone who's even moderately overweight isn't going to lose the extra pounds in a few weeks or a few months, so this can take time, sometimes years.
d) meds. Sorry, but diabetics oftentimes need meds if after 3-6 months or so of trying lifestyle changes (diet, exercise) and losing a few pounds, they still can't get their A1c down close to 6.0 or so (some doctors are happy with anything under 7.0, but IMO the lower the better).
You don't have to be hungry all the time, but you do have to decide on a calorie level and then carefully *eat up to that calorie level*. No starving. No skipping meals. No skipping snacks. Don't go to bed hungry every night. If you KNOW you're going to be hungry in the late PM, don't go to bed starving and miserable every night-- plan a PM snack, something made up of 150 calories or so, some carb and some protein. You'll sleep better, and your liver will be less likely to release glucose during the night.
Plan some real carbs for every meal-- three times a day, have a slice of whole grain bread, a small serving of whole grain cereal, or make your protein choice a meatloaf with loads of shredded veggies and oatmeal baked into it (yum, filling and satisfying). Have a small piece of whole fruit mid-afternoon, maybe with a string cheese or a couple of ounces of low fat ham rolled into lettuce leaves and garnished with a bit of mustard or mayo. Eat veggies at *every* meal-- broccoli, onions, shredded carrots in an AM omelet, a couple different veggies and a salad at both lunch and dinner. If you eat 1200 calories a day, you should be able to have 3 meals @ 300 calories each and 2 snacks @ 150 each, or whatever divvying up makes sense to you.
Either you'll be able to get your glucose into a good range with just diet and exercise, or you won't. But I'll tell ya, I'm convinced that walking around starving all the time is for the birds, both psychologically and physically. Choose a calorie level, don't eat (roughly) less or more than that, make your food choices as whole and unprocessed as possible, drink loads of good spring water if you can, remember to b-r-e-a-t-h-e as you take a walk or do other exercise every day, and just enjoy the good health you have. You might not have *perfect* health, you probably never will, but things can always be worse!
Meanwhile, this goal of good glucose control IS attainable; it'll just take some time and planning and effort. But no starving!
By Judy D.
Talk About test for kidney status?
My doctor is specifically worried about my GFR. I found the calculator online. It appears to be a statistic. It is based on certain probablistic figures based on your gender, race, and age. The only thing you plug in is your creatinine score, and I got the same score that is on my doctor's report. Now, I'm an active 53 year old in reasonably good physical shape, and if I plug in Black for my race instead of white, my GFR doubles. White women must be a pretty useless group of people, because even when I changed my age to 40, my GFR didn't greatly change. They're saying that even at fairly young ages we have no muscle and do no activity, relative to any other group of people.
That score isn't reliable at all, because you have to be close to the statistical norm for your age group for it to mean anything, in terms of muscle mass, activity and diet.
Black women do have GFR's that run differently than other people, possibly because they're more muscular and less useless. My doctor thinks it's a genetic metabolic difference, adn as she and I both realized when we discussed it, I have some Black ancestry! I mean, racial groups aren't all that distinct and never have been. I have considerable North African ancestry that fed into my Germantown founder lines in late 17th century southeastern PEnnsylvania, and a Mulatto ancestor from 18th century New England, who pretended to be from "Dos Azores". If you have ancestry from Flanders or Holland, some of it is likely to be Black, and it was very common in New England for mulattos who could pass to pretend to be Caribbean and start over.
Yours,Dora SmithAustin, TX
That score isn't reliable at all, because you have to be close to the statistical norm for your age group for it to mean anything, in terms of muscle mass, activity and diet.
Black women do have GFR's that run differently than other people, possibly because they're more muscular and less useless. My doctor thinks it's a genetic metabolic difference, adn as she and I both realized when we discussed it, I have some Black ancestry! I mean, racial groups aren't all that distinct and never have been. I have considerable North African ancestry that fed into my Germantown founder lines in late 17th century southeastern PEnnsylvania, and a Mulatto ancestor from 18th century New England, who pretended to be from "Dos Azores". If you have ancestry from Flanders or Holland, some of it is likely to be Black, and it was very common in New England for mulattos who could pass to pretend to be Caribbean and start over.
Yours,Dora SmithAustin, TX
reusing syringes
What about the pen needles? Do you just alcohol them?If you see the photo of the needle magnified 2000 times after one use it's scary.Anything to save money tho if it's safe.Sometimes my skin seems so tough, must be hitting a stretch mark or other scar.
The pen needles are different-- once recovered, you can't then get the pen cover on, so it's not practical to use the needles more than once. Regular syringes can be easily recapped (carefully, of course), making sure the needle itself touches nothing it doesn't have to. No, don't use alcohol on them, at any time.
Those super-magnified pics of used needles are propaganda generated by the syringe manufacturers, IMO. Doesn't that look dramatic? But in my experience, a syringe has to be used at least 3 times before I can tell a difference.
Experiment with it. If your skin is tough and reusing needles is uncomfortable, then it's not worth saving a few pennies. My point in posting was just to share what works for me (has for more years than I'd care to admit) and that we don't always have to follow the traditional recommendations of the manufacturers and medical powers that be. Reusing syringes and lancets makes a lot of financial sense, as long as you're not sacrificing too much comfort.
BY BK
The pen needles are different-- once recovered, you can't then get the pen cover on, so it's not practical to use the needles more than once. Regular syringes can be easily recapped (carefully, of course), making sure the needle itself touches nothing it doesn't have to. No, don't use alcohol on them, at any time.
Those super-magnified pics of used needles are propaganda generated by the syringe manufacturers, IMO. Doesn't that look dramatic? But in my experience, a syringe has to be used at least 3 times before I can tell a difference.
Experiment with it. If your skin is tough and reusing needles is uncomfortable, then it's not worth saving a few pennies. My point in posting was just to share what works for me (has for more years than I'd care to admit) and that we don't always have to follow the traditional recommendations of the manufacturers and medical powers that be. Reusing syringes and lancets makes a lot of financial sense, as long as you're not sacrificing too much comfort.
BY BK
My opinion about minimed vs. dexcom
I ditto Arlene about the Dexcom experience being great. Before I got Dex, I knew that I couldn't go with Minimed (even though I have the Paradigm Pump) as I ignore the alarms all the time and needed another form of receiver that I knew I wouldn't ignore. There have been times that I turned off the alarms and it was a big mistake - I actually got up into the 300's by disabling my high alert alarm.
Even though Dexcom's length of signal is not as far as Abbott's, I am amazed at how far Dex picks me up (for example I set Dex on bathroom counter outside of shower in a master bathroom and while taking shower Dex still catches my numbers - but then again I guess the distance is about as tall as a man not a giant).
Another reason I did not go with Minimed is that I am a bleeder, I have had blood go pretty far up into the tubing of my insulin pump just after insertion and after seeing Kerri Sparling's pictures on her website (www.sixuntilme.com) with how she had problems with blood in her sensors, I knew Iwasn't a good candidate for that product.
I have not had problems with bleeding with the sensors with Dexcom and the needle is the width of 3 hair strands I believe the website says? Dexcom has a really good and helpful website; whereas, Abbott's Navigator website did not help me when I originally looked into a CGMS (neither did Abbott's customer service help when I inquired over the phone about how to get a Navigator) whenever Abbott called and asked me about why I didn't get their product, I reminded them about my complaint of customer service - so I don't know if they ever improved but I received more than one call from various people, as it seemed one hand didn't know what the other hand was doing at Abbott.
I have to say that the customer service at Dexcom has been very helpful to me, as I had a problem with a sensor and I was new to CGMS during the first month in May, I called at 2 am with a problem and the Dexcom rep was more alert than meand very helpful over phone.
When there was a problem with the sensor, Dexcom replaced the sensor for free and mailed out a new one immediately (no backorders, etc.). Dex has been pretty on track with my numbers. I've also been able to calibrate even when I'm plummetting or skyrocketing with my blood sugar levels - the first month I wanted to overcalibrate and it didn't hurt Dexcom.
The transmitter is the height of 2 nickels (put one on top of each other), once inside a sensor it is 4 nickels heigh, the length is 1 1/2 nickels (sorry I didn't have my ruler to measure, my rulers disappear with kids/Hubby in house). There is no charging of transmitter or putting new batteries in transmitter (I would love to one day crack open a Dex transmitter just to look inside but at $200 a pop I think I'll wait till the transmitter dies in 2 years).
One thing to know if you are a Dexcom Seven Plus user is that the mode *vibe then beep* means that Dex will first vibrate, if you don't react to Dex then he will beep at you as though he is an alarm clock and on snooze alarm - he will beep at you every few minutes until you clear out the alarm... for this reason, I called Dexcom within the first month as I thought Dex should be yodeling (beeping) at me at the first alert, not after snooze... so I called Dexcom and I received a new receiver (Dexcom replaced receiver for free).
If there is a problem with Dexcom (and you live in USA), Dexcom Reps have been very good about replacing for free or helping try to solve problems. I was amazed at how fast the Dex Trainer got in touch with me (before FedEx showed up at my door with good ol' Dex) and set up a time to train. She also called on me many months later just to make sure I was still happy with my yodeling Dex 7 Plus. I thought I would be able tostump her with all the questions I had and somehow she had the correct answer for every question.
Good luck with your decision on the right CGMS for you.
From: webwiz_tn
Even though Dexcom's length of signal is not as far as Abbott's, I am amazed at how far Dex picks me up (for example I set Dex on bathroom counter outside of shower in a master bathroom and while taking shower Dex still catches my numbers - but then again I guess the distance is about as tall as a man not a giant).
Another reason I did not go with Minimed is that I am a bleeder, I have had blood go pretty far up into the tubing of my insulin pump just after insertion and after seeing Kerri Sparling's pictures on her website (www.sixuntilme.com) with how she had problems with blood in her sensors, I knew Iwasn't a good candidate for that product.
I have not had problems with bleeding with the sensors with Dexcom and the needle is the width of 3 hair strands I believe the website says? Dexcom has a really good and helpful website; whereas, Abbott's Navigator website did not help me when I originally looked into a CGMS (neither did Abbott's customer service help when I inquired over the phone about how to get a Navigator) whenever Abbott called and asked me about why I didn't get their product, I reminded them about my complaint of customer service - so I don't know if they ever improved but I received more than one call from various people, as it seemed one hand didn't know what the other hand was doing at Abbott.
I have to say that the customer service at Dexcom has been very helpful to me, as I had a problem with a sensor and I was new to CGMS during the first month in May, I called at 2 am with a problem and the Dexcom rep was more alert than meand very helpful over phone.
When there was a problem with the sensor, Dexcom replaced the sensor for free and mailed out a new one immediately (no backorders, etc.). Dex has been pretty on track with my numbers. I've also been able to calibrate even when I'm plummetting or skyrocketing with my blood sugar levels - the first month I wanted to overcalibrate and it didn't hurt Dexcom.
The transmitter is the height of 2 nickels (put one on top of each other), once inside a sensor it is 4 nickels heigh, the length is 1 1/2 nickels (sorry I didn't have my ruler to measure, my rulers disappear with kids/Hubby in house). There is no charging of transmitter or putting new batteries in transmitter (I would love to one day crack open a Dex transmitter just to look inside but at $200 a pop I think I'll wait till the transmitter dies in 2 years).
One thing to know if you are a Dexcom Seven Plus user is that the mode *vibe then beep* means that Dex will first vibrate, if you don't react to Dex then he will beep at you as though he is an alarm clock and on snooze alarm - he will beep at you every few minutes until you clear out the alarm... for this reason, I called Dexcom within the first month as I thought Dex should be yodeling (beeping) at me at the first alert, not after snooze... so I called Dexcom and I received a new receiver (Dexcom replaced receiver for free).
If there is a problem with Dexcom (and you live in USA), Dexcom Reps have been very good about replacing for free or helping try to solve problems. I was amazed at how fast the Dex Trainer got in touch with me (before FedEx showed up at my door with good ol' Dex) and set up a time to train. She also called on me many months later just to make sure I was still happy with my yodeling Dex 7 Plus. I thought I would be able tostump her with all the questions I had and somehow she had the correct answer for every question.
Good luck with your decision on the right CGMS for you.
From: webwiz_tn
compare minimed with dexcom
I purchased a Dexcom 7 and had nothing but trouble with it. At night I could not shut the alarm off and it did not work with an electric blanket. The Dexcompeople were very helpful but I finally gave up. I have no experience with their Dexcom 7+. I got a MM 522 and after using it for about a year I have to say that if I were repurchasing a CGM I would again get the MM. In using theCGM's I believe that there is a lot to learn in order to get the best results from them and it takes time to do so.
From what I read about all of them, none are perfect. The MM has a lag time when climbing or diving BS occurs but what I value is having available in the one pump/CGMis the running 24 hr chart indicating whether I am stable or my BS is climbing or diving rapidly thus preventinglow's and hi's.
As for accuracy, it is very accurate when my BS is stable but not so accurate if high or low because of the lag time. Some of the newer CGM's might be moreaccurate but I don't like carrying the extra receiver plus MM will surely be coming out with improved models. I also like having the chart available so that I can fine tunemy basal rate and not have to worry about night time lows. Currently I test 4 times/ day plus If I am going to be walking my dog or shopping.. Also I get 12 days persensor with no problems.
BY Richard.
From what I read about all of them, none are perfect. The MM has a lag time when climbing or diving BS occurs but what I value is having available in the one pump/CGMis the running 24 hr chart indicating whether I am stable or my BS is climbing or diving rapidly thus preventinglow's and hi's.
As for accuracy, it is very accurate when my BS is stable but not so accurate if high or low because of the lag time. Some of the newer CGM's might be moreaccurate but I don't like carrying the extra receiver plus MM will surely be coming out with improved models. I also like having the chart available so that I can fine tunemy basal rate and not have to worry about night time lows. Currently I test 4 times/ day plus If I am going to be walking my dog or shopping.. Also I get 12 days persensor with no problems.
BY Richard.
Talk About why would my glucose levels
why would my glucose levels be good one time and not the next when I eat the same thing. an ex. is I had a tuna sandwich two different times, same bread, tuna, and 1 tsp. mayo. My levels were low(118) one time and high.
118 and 145 are all in the same glucose ballpark. If you were bouncing between 118 and 218, then maybe you'd have to wonder. But this isn't a big diff.
The body is not a machine, and so it doesn't run like one. The difference in 118 and 145 could be... you climbed an extra flight of stairs (or didn't). You ate dinner a little later last night (or earlier). You had eggs and toast one morning for breakfast but eggs and bacon and a tiny slice of a bagel today. You're coming down with a cold, you have a big pimple somewhere, it's cold today, it's hot today, it's lukewarm today (and yesterday it wasn't), it's that time of month. Your boss yelled at you this AM, but not yesterday, or vice versa. If your mom calls you one more time and complains AGAIN about how her neighbor lady has parked on her lawn for the 18th time this week, you really will lose it. Or not.
Human digestion and metabolism is complicated; it ebbs and flows within certain necessary ranges, and you will never be able to hold up a metabolism technical manual, turn to the pages marked "settings for best pancreatic function" and then try to make your cylinders and spark plugs and catalytic converter line up with the tech manual's ideal running recommendations.
My advice would be to r-e-l-a-x. Just do the best you can, and resolve to concentrate on your meter's average readings, week to week and month to month.
BY BK
118 and 145 are all in the same glucose ballpark. If you were bouncing between 118 and 218, then maybe you'd have to wonder. But this isn't a big diff.
The body is not a machine, and so it doesn't run like one. The difference in 118 and 145 could be... you climbed an extra flight of stairs (or didn't). You ate dinner a little later last night (or earlier). You had eggs and toast one morning for breakfast but eggs and bacon and a tiny slice of a bagel today. You're coming down with a cold, you have a big pimple somewhere, it's cold today, it's hot today, it's lukewarm today (and yesterday it wasn't), it's that time of month. Your boss yelled at you this AM, but not yesterday, or vice versa. If your mom calls you one more time and complains AGAIN about how her neighbor lady has parked on her lawn for the 18th time this week, you really will lose it. Or not.
Human digestion and metabolism is complicated; it ebbs and flows within certain necessary ranges, and you will never be able to hold up a metabolism technical manual, turn to the pages marked "settings for best pancreatic function" and then try to make your cylinders and spark plugs and catalytic converter line up with the tech manual's ideal running recommendations.
My advice would be to r-e-l-a-x.
BY BK
Why do the vials have to be so big?
I'm not sure that I'm reading this correctly -- not because I don't believe that you're using or could be using this amount, but simply because I wanted to determine if I was reading it correctly -- are you using 140 units TOTAL, or 140 units TWICE per day, for a total of 280 units per day? Remember, too, that we are both Type 1 and Type 2 here, and the vast difference in insulin requirements between the two can be very significant. For instance, I'm a T1, and right now, I'm currently *off* pump and using Lantus and Novolog via injection (I've been off pump for either two or three weeks now; I believe it's at least that long, since I remember that I was off pump for my birthday, and that was November 9, and I'd already been off for a week at that point). For me, my basal rate on the pump is just over eight units in 24 hours. With Lantus, I use ten units per 24 hours.
I know that there was a mention to someone who was only using a very small amount of Lantus per day, and getting rid of at least a half bottle per month. I'm not saying that anyone should DO this without testing the vials first to insure that the insulin is still functioning without any deterioration in strength, but I've used open, refrigerated vials of lantus for MUCH longer than the 28 days that is suggested, and I've noticed no difference. My current open vial has been open and refrigerated at LEAST two, and possibly THREE, months. I DO keep my Novolog out of the fridge only because I HAVE to in order to take it to work with me, but normally, when I'm using the pump, I keep my vials in the refrigerator for the duration of its use.
I know that there have been many people who have noticed that Lantus really DOESN'T remain "good" for as long as other insulins, but for me, it's definitely more than 28 days. I'm planning on going back on the pump tomorrow evening or Sunday evening and starting the new work week back on, but I've (a) never kept vials out of the refrigerator once they've been opened unless I'm off pump, and (b) never used a vial of Lantus for only 28 days and only noticed a deterioration in the insulin strength when I've pulled it and used it when it's been open for much longer.
Test and see where you fall in terms of the length of time.
BY Christine
I know that there was a mention to someone who was only using a very small amount of Lantus per day, and getting rid of at least a half bottle per month. I'm not saying that anyone should DO this without testing the vials first to insure that the insulin is still functioning without any deterioration in strength, but I've used open, refrigerated vials of lantus for MUCH longer than the 28 days that is suggested, and I've noticed no difference. My current open vial has been open and refrigerated at LEAST two, and possibly THREE, months. I DO keep my Novolog out of the fridge only because I HAVE to in order to take it to work with me, but normally, when I'm using the pump, I keep my vials in the refrigerator for the duration of its use.
I know that there have been many people who have noticed that Lantus really DOESN'T remain "good" for as long as other insulins, but for me, it's definitely more than 28 days. I'm planning on going back on the pump tomorrow evening or Sunday evening and starting the new work week back on, but I've (a) never kept vials out of the refrigerator once they've been opened unless I'm off pump, and (b) never used a vial of Lantus for only 28 days and only noticed a deterioration in the insulin strength when I've pulled it and used it when it's been open for much longer.
Test and see where you fall in terms of the length of time.
BY Christine
Gastric Bypass...My experience
When I was getting info about gastric bypass some of the things they said about type 2 diabetes was too good to be true. I decided in favor of the surgery and had it on September 21, 2009. I am just about two months out and my blood sugar readings are in the upper part of normal with NO meds. I am truly thankful for this. I know the surgery is not for everyone, but for me it has been a blessing.
I have lost 40 pounds and feel wonderful. My eating habits had to change, but it has not been all that difficult. If you are thinking about it at all, please get all the information and make an informed decision. I have had people tell me they thought it was a cop out and giving up, but I did not and do not see it that way. I have my first official visit with my endocrinologist on Monday and cannot wait to get the results of my a1c.
I know it has only been two months, but I thank God for my surgeon and support staff. I truly believe that without this surgery I would have been dead in five years or less. Vicky Sheets。
I have been turning over and over in my head to get the Lap Band. I don't think gastric bypass is for me BUT I do need to lose some weight. I was taking Byetta and it stopped working, PLUS, it did not do anything from by glucose readings. My A1c went up to 11 so my endocrinologist took me off of it. I lost 40 lbs, but I could still stand to lose some more. I was reading that the Lap Band helps decrease the appetitie and causes slow gastric emptying which keeps the blood glucose level in check. I go in January for an appointment with my endocrinologist and I plan to ask her about it. What do you think of this procedure?
I have lost 40 pounds and feel wonderful. My eating habits had to change, but it has not been all that difficult. If you are thinking about it at all, please get all the information and make an informed decision. I have had people tell me they thought it was a cop out and giving up, but I did not and do not see it that way. I have my first official visit with my endocrinologist on Monday and cannot wait to get the results of my a1c.
I know it has only been two months, but I thank God for my surgeon and support staff. I truly believe that without this surgery I would have been dead in five years or less. Vicky Sheets。
I have been turning over and over in my head to get the Lap Band. I don't think gastric bypass is for me BUT I do need to lose some weight. I was taking Byetta and it stopped working, PLUS, it did not do anything from by glucose readings. My A1c went up to 11 so my endocrinologist took me off of it. I lost 40 lbs, but I could still stand to lose some more. I was reading that the Lap Band helps decrease the appetitie and causes slow gastric emptying which keeps the blood glucose level in check. I go in January for an appointment with my endocrinologist and I plan to ask her about it. What do you think of this procedure?
carb diet
Hi Roseanne,Yes, the low carb way of eating that I have adopted has gotten rid of my sugar cravings and helped me lose 32 lbs so far. I eat anywhere from 80-120 grams of carbs per day and I walk or swim each day. I cut out sugar and only each rice, pasta, potatoes or white bread in very small quantities. I eat a lot of chicken, fish, yogurt and vegetables and snack on things like hard boiled eggs, string cheese or nuts. My glucose is now under control and I feel sooo much better. I started out with an A1C of 10.8, and a FBG of 326 in September, I haven't had a new A1C yet but my glucose is generally from 80-120. Hope this helps.
Hi Lauren,
I eat, on average, close to what you eat per day in carbs, but I'm again, as I always am, surprised to see that that number of carbs is what some folks consider "low." I eat approximately 110-115 grams per day, and almost half of those are non-starchy green veggie carbs (I say almost half because for salad greens, for example, to equal over 50 grams of carb would mean eating several pounds of lettuce at the very least -- eight ounces of romaine has approximately 8 grams of carb). When I hear the term "low carb" way of eating, I think of numbers that are much lower than what you and I eat -- under or close to 50 grams per day. I've always considered myself a moderate carber, but if you view this from the perspective of the average, typical American diet, 115 grams is close to 1/3 the number of carbs that people eat on any given day.
I don't eat but the tiniest amount of starches, other than my whole grain or rye toast at breakfast. I haven't eaten pasta in over a year, potatoes in an even longer time. I occasionally eat very modest amounts of rice (no more than two ounces, by weight, at a given time -- that's less than 15 grams of carb), but I haven't eaten white rice in years and actually don't even like white breads, white rice or white pasta (but I've completely cut out pasta now since I can't make it work in any form -- white, whole grain/wheat or Dreamfields). I can't remember the last time I ate mashed potatoes; what I remember about it is how heavy they felt, and how sluggish *I* felt. I do enjoy an occasional sweet potato, which I think are much tastier and much better for us than white potatoes, but if I eat two of those a year, that's a lot. My main source of starchy carbs is bread, and I try to be as selective as possible with the breads I choose. Once or twice per year I'll treat myself to a bagel, but it's not an easy food for me, and I have to increase the insulin I use to cover it, as well as use a bit of "R" to overlap and work longer than the Novolog because of the possible sustained spike.
Would you consider this a low carb diet? I'm genuinely interested and curious, because as I said, there are those who would look at nothing above 50 grams per day as "low carb."
JoAnne
Hi Lauren,
I eat, on average, close to what you eat per day in carbs, but I'm again, as I always am, surprised to see that that number of carbs is what some folks consider "low." I eat approximately 110-115 grams per day, and almost half of those are non-starchy green veggie carbs (I say almost half because for salad greens, for example, to equal over 50 grams of carb would mean eating several pounds of lettuce at the very least -- eight ounces of romaine has approximately 8 grams of carb). When I hear the term "low carb" way of eating, I think of numbers that are much lower than what you and I eat -- under or close to 50 grams per day. I've always considered myself a moderate carber, but if you view this from the perspective of the average, typical American diet, 115 grams is close to 1/3 the number of carbs that people eat on any given day.
I don't eat but the tiniest amount of starches, other than my whole grain or rye toast at breakfast. I haven't eaten pasta in over a year, potatoes in an even longer time. I occasionally eat very modest amounts of rice (no more than two ounces, by weight, at a given time -- that's less than 15 grams of carb), but I haven't eaten white rice in years and actually don't even like white breads, white rice or white pasta (but I've completely cut out pasta now since I can't make it work in any form -- white, whole grain/wheat or Dreamfields). I can't remember the last time I ate mashed potatoes; what I remember about it is how heavy they felt, and how sluggish *I* felt. I do enjoy an occasional sweet potato, which I think are much tastier and much better for us than white potatoes, but if I eat two of those a year, that's a lot. My main source of starchy carbs is bread, and I try to be as selective as possible with the breads I choose. Once or twice per year I'll treat myself to a bagel, but it's not an easy food for me, and I have to increase the insulin I use to cover it, as well as use a bit of "R" to overlap and work longer than the Novolog because of the possible sustained spike.
Would you consider this a low carb diet? I'm genuinely interested and curious, because as I said, there are those who would look at nothing above 50 grams per day as "low carb."
JoAnne
waiting on monday
Dave, I saw a very interesting video in diabetes education. They were talking about not testing because of "knowing it will be high" but there's the issue. When we don't test we don't know how we are doing. I know my husband refused to test when he didn't think it would be good. But at the same time when he did and saw that his numbers were lowering it made him feel good. It does give you a pattern to see (whether going down or going up). It helps you to see what is happening to you at that moment and lets you change course during your day.
For example. If I test and my glucose is 172 (I use that number because it was that right before dinner 2 nights ago). I thought about what I had cooked and made sure I stayed away from the things I knew would make my glucose worse (the stuffing we were having, and desert). I checked 2 hours after dinner and my glucose had dropped to 154. I ate a protein snack instead of a piece of fruit and before bed I was at 110. so I self corrected. If you don't test you can't self correct with your foods.
Now before anyone jumps up and down.... The stuffing is made with whole grain bread and was the first time we had it in over 11 months. We planned to test it to see how it would be for thanksgiving. It didn't raise DH's glucose horribly bad (he stayed under 180). Now that is a side dish he will have once a month (he loves it). We are still learning what causes problems and what doesn't, it's a curve that we are gonna continue going around.
HTHtake careDonnaChecking BG Level with Strips
Thanks for your response, Sasirababu! I thought you were talking about urine test strips. I've since learned that this is an archaic technique of BG testing which is no longer used (or rarely if it is).
But since you're in India, let me ask you about something else. Are you familiar with gymnema sylvestre? I understand this product comes from a vine that grows wild in India which has been used to treat diabetes for thousands of years. I forget the local name, but I believe its meaning is 'killer of sugar' or the like.
I learned of this product about 2 years ago in this very same group and began using it. I had just recently been diagnosed with diabetes and given metformin, which was not getting my BG under control. After taking gymnema, I was eventually able to get it under control, and I still take gymnema twice a day and attribute to it at least a 20-30 point reduction in my sugar.
What I'm curious about (and you may be able to help me here) is how common the usage of gymnema sylvestre is in India today and in what form it is used. We get it here in capsules which have a smell reminiscent of old hay. Various sizes are offered, but I think I use the 250 milligram size. I've never looked inside a capsule, but I'd imagine the contents have little resemblance to whatever part of the original vine they come from.
LV HayesFayetteville, NC
But since you're in India, let me ask you about something else. Are you familiar with gymnema sylvestre? I understand this product comes from a vine that grows wild in India which has been used to treat diabetes for thousands of years. I forget the local name, but I believe its meaning is 'killer of sugar' or the like.
I learned of this product about 2 years ago in this very same group and began using it. I had just recently been diagnosed with diabetes and given metformin, which was not getting my BG under control. After taking gymnema, I was eventually able to get it under control, and I still take gymnema twice a day and attribute to it at least a 20-30 point reduction in my sugar.
What I'm curious about (and you may be able to help me here) is how common the usage of gymnema sylvestre is in India today and in what form it is used. We get it here in capsules which have a smell reminiscent of old hay. Various sizes are offered, but I think I use the 250 milligram size. I've never looked inside a capsule, but I'd imagine the contents have little resemblance to whatever part of the original vine they come from.
LV HayesFayetteville, NC
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Dexcom Insurance coverage for Kids??
Has anyone out there in CGMS land receiving insurance coverage for the Dexcom for a child? We have Premera (Blue Cross in Washington State) insurance, have been using the Dexcom systems for 3 years now, and have still not gotten insurance coverage yet. My daughter is 10 years old. In communicating with people who are being denied coverage, it's my understanding that Premera's policy is No Way, because Dexcom is not technically FDA approved currently for kids. (I also understand that Dexcom is seeking pediatric approval with FDA). Any experience with this?
We LOVE the Dexcom system, and will continue to pay out of pocket for it as long as necessary, and look forward to the Dexcom integration with the Animas Pump (which we are also currently using). But I am keeping my fingers crossed that there is insurance coverage in our future!
We LOVE the Dexcom system, and will continue to pay out of pocket for it as long as necessary, and look forward to the Dexcom integration with the Animas Pump (which we are also currently using). But I am keeping my fingers crossed that there is insurance coverage in our future!
insulin storage
Do you keep the Lantus pen in the refrigerator? Injecting cold insulin will cause a burning sensation. Take the pen out of the refrigerator 20 or 30 minutes before you inject to allow the insulin to warm up to room temperature. That will eliminate the burning sensation from cold insulin. If you do refrigerate the insulin pen that you are currently using, you should also know that all the insulin pen manufacturers recommend not doing that。
Cold insulin can be kind of uncomfortable... or not... sometimes I notice the cold, but not often. But anyway, the currently-being-used vial or pen doesn't need refrigeration. Just protect it from heat (don't store near a radiator, don't leave it in a parked car, don't leave it somewhere in direct sunlight, don't take it to a beach or park in the summer unless in a cooler bag), but don't let it freeze anywhere either, and then just use your noodle about keeping it clean (ordinary sensible hygiene rules apply).
Any extra supply of unopened vials or pens DO need to be refrigerated, however. They'll stay fresh until the expiration date on their labels. But once a vial or pen is opened, the insulin is supposed to be used within 30 days and any leftovers discarded.
~BK~
Cold insulin can be kind of uncomfortable... or not... sometimes I notice the cold, but not often. But anyway, the currently-being-used vial or pen doesn't need refrigeration. Just protect it from heat (don't store near a radiator, don't leave it in a parked car, don't leave it somewhere in direct sunlight, don't take it to a beach or park in the summer unless in a cooler bag), but don't let it freeze anywhere either, and then just use your noodle about keeping it clean (ordinary sensible hygiene rules apply).
Any extra supply of unopened vials or pens DO need to be refrigerated, however. They'll stay fresh until the expiration date on their labels. But once a vial or pen is opened, the insulin is supposed to be used within 30 days and any leftovers discarded.
~BK~
Re: cgms comparison
Signe, your point is well-taken and is a good one to investigate. I have hypoglycemic unawareness, which is what I am MOST concerned about. Although I am diligent about my diabetes care and test 10 times a day, I am also forgetful. Actually, that’s a little too mild. As I put it to someone else earlier today, I am the poster-child for ADHD and do not have an internal memory. I do, however, have a cell phone/PDA which is my EXTERNAL memory and I put reminders into that for doing things that need to be done (as well as remembering appts. , etc. Soon I’ll have to add reminders to breathe and go to the bathroom, but I am not there yet.) I am expecting CGMS to help me and it would be good to know now if it can’t.
My last episode in the car, for example, was one in which I tested upon entering the car, fell asleep, and was startled and awakened by a phone call and immediately started driving. I would expect that a few things would have prevented my narrow escape on the highway. 1) I would have seen that, even though my blood sugar, when tested, was slightly above my target level, that I was trending downward and needed to compensate and 2) there would have been an alarm well before my blood sugar got into the twenties as I was driving. (I bet you’re all glad you’re not on the Massachusetts roads.)
I never go ANYWHERE without my meter (and candy in my meter case), but I will certainly forget to do things that most others would remember.
How often do you need to calibrate? Is it just the day that you put in your sensor, after waiting for it to “get wet” or is it every day? What do I need to put reminders in for?
Thank you.
My last episode in the car, for example, was one in which I tested upon entering the car, fell asleep, and was startled and awakened by a phone call and immediately started driving. I would expect that a few things would have prevented my narrow escape on the highway. 1) I would have seen that, even though my blood sugar, when tested, was slightly above my target level, that I was trending downward and needed to compensate and 2) there would have been an alarm well before my blood sugar got into the twenties as I was driving. (I bet you’re all glad you’re not on the Massachusetts roads.)
I never go ANYWHERE without my meter (and candy in my meter case), but I will certainly forget to do things that most others would remember.
How often do you need to calibrate? Is it just the day that you put in your sensor, after waiting for it to “get wet” or is it every day? What do I need to put reminders in for?
Thank you.
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