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Friday, January 8, 2010

[Type-2-Diabetes] Digest Number 3864

Messages In This Digest (25 Messages)

Messages

1a.

Re: disposing of test supplies

Posted by: "Jude" peridotjude@yahoo.com   peridotjude

Fri Jan 8, 2010 11:06 am (PST)



--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, "Jill Ranney" <jill.ranney@...> wrote: That is the most straight forward and easy advise I've ever heard. For some reason I thought it was a law that medical waste was thrown away a special way. Jill>

There are OSHA (the Occupational and Safety Health Administration here in the US) regulations for large users, as I said. OSHA can come in and srsly close you down, if they see you're not handling medical waste properly. Small-volume dental and medical offices handle things differently than big hospitals, but the point is for them all to protect their workers from blood borne disease, protect the public from "catching" something from another patient, and also control where sharps and used syringes go, which is important from a public health and safety standpoint.

I don't know that those regulations are "laws", necessarily, but when an OSHA inspection is done and regulations are not being met, there can be fines and penalties, up to and including shutting down the business until things are made right. OSHA doesn't fool around.

Anyone who'd like to be more informed about this subject can go to this website http://www.osha.gov/

Judy D.

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1b.

Re: disposing of test supplies

Posted by: "Steve Yarbrough" medtexsteve@gmail.com   csy1846

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:11 pm (PST)



Best practice is to dispose of them with your sharps if you have any, other
wise strips can go into trash and lancelets into an old milk bottle or
equivelent, some lanceets come with a cover that takes care of the issue.

On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 11:55 PM, Joe <jhofmann44@yahoo.com> wrote:

>
>
> Should used lancets and test strips be put in a seperate container and
> disposed of as medical waste? I don't do it. Most of the time I throw them
> in the trash can or flush them down the toilet. If I was insulin dependent
> then I would probably save the used syringes in a seperate container and
> take them to my Dr. or wherever. I had a cat that was diabetic. I took all
> his old syringes back to the vet for disposal.
> Again...should the strips and lancets be disposed of as medical waste?
>
>
>

--
Steve Y.
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Messages in this topic (5)
2a.

Re: calcium sources

Posted by: "Jude" peridotjude@yahoo.com   peridotjude

Fri Jan 8, 2010 11:09 am (PST)



--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, "AnaLog Services, Inc." <analog@...> wrote: And incidentally those antacids typically have a gram or so of sugar in them. So maybe they could serve as the "bits" being discussed in here>

Interesting idea! Holly hopefully saw this.
Judy D.

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2b.

Re: calcium sources

Posted by: "Holly Shaltz" holly@shaltzfarm.com   hollyshaltz

Fri Jan 8, 2010 11:53 am (PST)



Syd writes:

<<And incidentally those antacids typically have a
gram or so of sugar in them. So maybe they could
serve as the "bits" being discussed in here.>>

I used to have a lot of heartburn before my
diagnosis, and used Tums almost daily. Have
hardly touched them since. Out of curiosity, I
got the container out for a comparison of
ingredients with the glucose tablets.

Tums ingredients: sucrose, calcium carbonate,
corn starch, talc, mineral oil, artificial flavor,
sodium polyphosphate, colors. (This happens to be
wintergreen flavor, FWIW.)

Dex4 ingredients: dextrose, cellulose,
maltodextrin, citric acid, magnesium stearate,
ascorbic acid, natural and artificial flavors,
colors. ("Assorted" flavors.)

Becker's book (Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year)
includes a couple pages discussing sugar and sugar
substitutes (pgs 26-30). She writes about
glucose, dextrose, etc. Some paraphrases and
excerpts:

Glucose is a monosaccheride - one type of sugar
only. It's also called dextrose. It works faster
because it's just one type of sugar. Fructose is
another monosaccharide. Sucrose (table sugar) is
a disaccharide.

"*Fructose*, a natural sugar found in fruits and
vegetables, is *metabolized* (broken down)
slightly differently from glucose and doesn't
raise BG levels as quickly. However, it has the
same number of calories, and it tends to increase
triglyceride levels more, especially if eaten in
excess."

"*Sucrose*, also a natural sugar found in fruits
and vegetables, contains half glucose and half
fructose. Hence table sugar won't actually raise
your BG levels quite as fast as starch, which
contains 100% glucose."

So, in theory, since the sugar in Tums is sucrose,
besides the other ingredients, it would hit the
bloodstream more slowly than glucose tablets.
OTOH, since the sodium bicarb in the Tums is
designed to neutralize stomach acid, might that
mean it would release the sugar into the
bloodstream more slowly as well? I doubt, in
practice, there'd be a noticeable difference, so
maybe, for those of us looking for a
*preventative* for BG drops, it might work. I
might try it during my T'ai Chi next session - if
I remember :) Will report back if I use it.

Holly in MI

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2c.

Re: calcium sources

Posted by: "AnaLog Services, Inc." analog@logwell.com   sydlevine

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:13 pm (PST)



Check the ingredients. Some versions have sugar alcohol in them, but sugar alcohol is a carb (carbiness depending on which sugar alcohol it is). The one I keep around (Wally World assorted berries flavor) says it has maltodextrose, but also says one gram of sugar.

----- Original Message -----
From: Jude
To: Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 2:04 PM
Subject: [Type-2-Diabetes] Re: calcium sources

--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, "AnaLog Services, Inc." <analog@...> wrote: And incidentally those antacids typically have a gram or so of sugar in them. So maybe they could serve as the "bits" being discussed in here>

Interesting idea! Holly hopefully saw this.
Judy D.

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Messages in this topic (6)
3a.

Re: Insulin Pumps

Posted by: "Jude" peridotjude@yahoo.com   peridotjude

Fri Jan 8, 2010 11:11 am (PST)



--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, "ifer_jenn" <thinking78@...> wrote: I am considering requesting an insulin pump next week at the endo.I am currently taking 3 short acting shot and 1 long acting shot. I am active outside my home and wanted to know the pros and cons.Thanks!>

The idea of type twos using a pump is a fairly recent one, but I think it's slowly becoming more accepted.

You won't want to do this unless you have excellent insurance. My old insurance gave me exactly $700 a year in durable medical equipment benefits, which barely covered the cost of my CPAP supplies, so I gave up on the idea of a pump. My new (as of Jan. 1) insurance has a $250 annual deductible, which isn't too bad, but then I have to pay 10% of the inflated DME fees until I reach my max out-of-pocket $1000 limit, after which they'd pay it all. So a call to your insurance company would be warranted before you even approach your doc about this idea; everyone's policy is different.

Insulin pumps are pricey-- last I checked, something like $3500, and the monthly maintenance for needles and tubing and insulin will run you in the neighborhood of $300. Without insurance coverage, I think you'd be sunk.

Other than that, go for it! For those with the courage to learn something new and do the testing necessary, etc, I think it'd be the closest thing to mother nature we currently have.

Judy D.

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Messages in this topic (5)
3b.

Re: Insulin Pumps

Posted by: "Steve Yarbrough" medtexsteve@gmail.com   csy1846

Fri Jan 8, 2010 12:59 pm (PST)



What would be your gain from a pump ? They only deliver one med. not both. I
have discussed pumps with my GP and my endo and neither is in favor of them
at this point.
I currently take 200U Lantus (100U bid) and sliding scale Novalog 4 times a
day. I have also worked with two people that were on the pump and both of
them had trouble with recurring lows, something to consider. It is certainly
worth discussing with your endo but I would not expect them to just write
out a Rx at your request.
On Fri, Jan 8, 2010 at 9:52 AM, ifer_jenn <thinking78@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> I am considering requesting an insulin pump next week at the endo.
> I am currently taking 3 short acting shot and 1 long acting shot. I am
> active outside my home and wanted to know the pros and cons.
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>

--
Steve Y.
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Messages in this topic (5)
3c.

Re: Insulin Pumps

Posted by: "sktrlady@tx.rr.com" sktrlady@tx.rr.com   sktrlady

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:15 pm (PST)



I love my pump. My insurance covered my pump but only partially on supplies. If you are expecting to have to test less though - that is not the case. I still have to test every meal and 2 a day for calibration so I test 6 times a day but it does wake me up if my blood sugar goes high or low and my bg is so much better on the pump.

I am a type 2 diabetic which I have been for 10 years. I have been on insulin for 3 years and the pump is the best way to go if your insurance will cover it.

---- Jude <peridotjude@yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, "ifer_jenn" <thinking78@...> wrote: I am considering requesting an insulin pump next week at the endo.I am currently taking 3 short acting shot and 1 long acting shot. I am active outside my home and wanted to know the pros and cons.Thanks!>
>
> The idea of type twos using a pump is a fairly recent one, but I think it's slowly becoming more accepted.
>
> You won't want to do this unless you have excellent insurance. My old insurance gave me exactly $700 a year in durable medical equipment benefits, which barely covered the cost of my CPAP supplies, so I gave up on the idea of a pump. My new (as of Jan. 1) insurance has a $250 annual deductible, which isn't too bad, but then I have to pay 10% of the inflated DME fees until I reach my max out-of-pocket $1000 limit, after which they'd pay it all. So a call to your insurance company would be warranted before you even approach your doc about this idea; everyone's policy is different.
>
> Insulin pumps are pricey-- last I checked, something like $3500, and the monthly maintenance for needles and tubing and insulin will run you in the neighborhood of $300. Without insurance coverage, I think you'd be sunk.
>
> Other than that, go for it! For those with the courage to learn something new and do the testing necessary, etc, I think it'd be the closest thing to mother nature we currently have.
>
> Judy D.
>

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Messages in this topic (5)
3d.

Re: Insulin Pumps

Posted by: "Jude" peridotjude@yahoo.com   peridotjude

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:37 pm (PST)



--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, Steve Yarbrough <medtexsteve@...> wrote: What would be your gain from a pump ? They only deliver one med. not both. I have discussed pumps with my GP and my endo and neither is in favor of them at this point>>

When you're on the pump, you only use rapid-acting insulin, Humalog. There is no more need for Lantus. The pump continuously delivers a steady basal dose, something Lantus can only mimic. Then when the person eats, he calculates the number of carbs he's about to consume and then enters the number of units of insulin he needs the pump to deliver for the meal-time boost.

Lows should be no more of a problem with a pump than they are with injected insulin. Anyone, pumper or not, who is troubled by lows more than once or twice a month needs to be re-evaluated for what their true carb-to-insulin ratio currently is. Weight loss or gain, activity level, stress level, illness, eating less than what's warranted by the size of the boost they've told their pumps to deliver, etc.

And finally, the new generation of pumps can be programmed to work with one of those new continuous glucose monitors. The combo of those two little machines has got to feel really good-- the control has to be spectacular, once the person has been trained in their management.

Judy D.

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Messages in this topic (5)
4a.

Re: Hello, I am new here

Posted by: "Deb Billwiller" auroraws@yahoo.ca   auroraws

Fri Jan 8, 2010 11:16 am (PST)



At 12:51 PM 2010-01-08, you wrote:

>1 slice bread = 1 carb point
>
>a banana = 2 carb points while an apple equals 1 carb point

When you say carb points, are meaning exchanges? or Weight Watchers
points? I can't stress enough the importance of reading labels,
especially for bread products. There are currently 3 open packages of
bread on my kitchen counter... the store baked flax bread my husband
eats has 43 grams of carb in one slice. The regular store brand whole
wheat my family was eating over the holidays has 14 grams of carb per
slice and the Weight Watchers Multigrain that I eat has 9 grams of
carb per slice. Big differences (I'm not deducting fibre from any of them)

As for fruit, it's really important to weigh the fruit as there can
be such a vast range of sizes available. There are even great
variances between one person's large/medium/small and another person's.

Deb in BC
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4b.

Re: Hello, I am new here

Posted by: "sktrlady@tx.rr.com" sktrlady@tx.rr.com   sktrlady

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:17 pm (PST)



That is why reading labels is so important but I am giving an approximate - when I say 1 carb point I mean 15 grams.

---- Deb Billwiller <auroraws@yahoo.ca> wrote:
> At 12:51 PM 2010-01-08, you wrote:
>
> >1 slice bread = 1 carb point
> >
> >a banana = 2 carb points while an apple equals 1 carb point
>
> When you say carb points, are meaning exchanges? or Weight Watchers
> points? I can't stress enough the importance of reading labels,
> especially for bread products. There are currently 3 open packages of
> bread on my kitchen counter... the store baked flax bread my husband
> eats has 43 grams of carb in one slice. The regular store brand whole
> wheat my family was eating over the holidays has 14 grams of carb per
> slice and the Weight Watchers Multigrain that I eat has 9 grams of
> carb per slice. Big differences (I'm not deducting fibre from any of them)
>
> As for fruit, it's really important to weigh the fruit as there can
> be such a vast range of sizes available. There are even great
> variances between one person's large/medium/small and another person's.
>
> Deb in BC

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Messages in this topic (13)
4c.

Carbs, Carb Points, Carb Exchanges, Carb Whatevers

Posted by: "ron42nm" ron42nm@gmail.com   ron42nm

Fri Jan 8, 2010 2:05 pm (PST)



This comes up pretty regularly, people getting confused over the carb terminology. And with good reason. I'm not sure why people continue to use carb exchanges, carb points, and worst of all, carbs, to describe 15 grams of carbohydrate. To confuse things further, many people use the term carb to refer to a gram of carbohydrate. So therefore "carb" means 1 gram of carbohydrate to some and 15 grams to others.

What is so magical about 15 grams of carbohydrate? Nothing that I'm aware of. It just seems to me to be so much easier to simply refer to grams of carbohydrates. There is no multiplying or dividing by 15, which is not easy without a calculator, and it is much more precise, especially when adding up a day's worth of carbohydrate. If you use the term "grams of carbohydrate" everyone knows what it means. It's self-explanatory. However, many don't know what a carb point or carb exchange is.

So, lets use grams of carbohydrate as the standard here.

Ron

--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, <sktrlady@...> wrote:
>
> That is why reading labels is so important but I am giving an approximate - when I say 1 carb point I mean 15 grams.
>
>
> ---- Deb Billwiller <auroraws@...> wrote:
> > At 12:51 PM 2010-01-08, you wrote:
> >
> > >1 slice bread = 1 carb point
> > >
> > >a banana = 2 carb points while an apple equals 1 carb point
> >
> > When you say carb points, are meaning exchanges? or Weight Watchers
> > points? I can't stress enough the importance of reading labels,
> > especially for bread products. There are currently 3 open packages of
> > bread on my kitchen counter... the store baked flax bread my husband
> > eats has 43 grams of carb in one slice. The regular store brand whole
> > wheat my family was eating over the holidays has 14 grams of carb per
> > slice and the Weight Watchers Multigrain that I eat has 9 grams of
> > carb per slice. Big differences (I'm not deducting fibre from any of them)
> >
> > As for fruit, it's really important to weigh the fruit as there can
> > be such a vast range of sizes available. There are even great
> > variances between one person's large/medium/small and another person's.
> >
> > Deb in BC
>

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5a.

Re: Sharps Containers

Posted by: "Donna" sdbmshad@yahoo.com   sdbmshad

Fri Jan 8, 2010 12:11 pm (PST)



UHM Micheal, I don't know where you got that information but I have been stuck by the part that is in the cap. I was replacing the little purple/blue cap in the needle and it poked my finger hard enough to bleed.
Take care
Donna

--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, Michael <bigbear@...> wrote:
>
> You're talking about pen needles, right? They do have a "needle"
> on both sides but the side that screws into your pen should be
> perfectly safe to dispose of unless you accidentally got blood
> into your pen/syringe. That side is not sharp like the side that
> goes into your skin so you shouldn't need to worry about
> pets/people getting stuck by it.
>
> --Michael

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6.1.

Re: Holly, role of exercise in A1c levels, etc.

Posted by: "Holly Shaltz" holly@shaltzfarm.com   hollyshaltz

Fri Jan 8, 2010 12:56 pm (PST)



Thanks for the detailed description, Amal. Sounds
like most diabetics in Bahrain, at least, are
caught very early - when they don't dodge the
tests like you apparently did :) That might
explain how many of them can control with D&E. It
also sounds like the standards for diagnosis are
set much lower than the ADA's.

Very interesting!

Holly in MI

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Messages in this topic (38)
7a.

I used to get hypos (not anymore) with 80mg Gliclazide

Posted by: "Wee K Chew" wee@weekhiong.plus.com   wee_khiong

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:16 pm (PST)



On Wednesday I stopped taking the 80mg Gliclazide but continue taking 1g
Metformin(twice daily).

Here are the BGs I am getting since Wednesday;-

Mgdl/L Time

Wed 165.6 13:02 Missed breakfast(got up late), appointment
with the diabetic nurse was 11:30
136.8 16:38 had southern fried chicken and chips for
lunch, can't help the craving :( naughty me
135.0 22:04 I never reach BG of 126mgdl/L :(

Thu 126.0 08:45 had some porridge oats with one egg only
126.0 13:23 had chicken curry, 1 naan bread & 1 papadom
+ portion of rice for lunch at 12:15
145.8 17:11 had nothing to eat, just herbal tea as I am
not hungry yet
124.2 20:08 had a light snack as I am still not hungry
122.4 21:22 OK, slightly peckish, so had a little snack
of peanuts and raisins.
127.8 23:21 last BG reading b4 I have some shut-eye :)

Today 117.0 06:30 dawn phenomenon/Symogi Effect in action?
145.8 08:15 didn't eat anything yet, notice the BG is
creeping up
165.6 09:34 snack on peanuts and raisins, not hungry yet
126.0 11:34 I am very hungry
185.4 15:10 I ate pasta salad at lunchtime
115.2 18:00 just had stir fry noodles with lots of green
vegetables and beans sprouts.

As you see on my first day on Wed above, (I missed breakfast) and struggled
to reach 126.
The second day, I barely reach 126.
Today was not much better, except "once only", at 6pm (no way near my target
of 100).

What was "most noticeable" was those dreadful hypos are now "impossible" to
reach.
I felt hungry at around 126mgdl/L, so I am never going to reach below 72, am
I? LOL :)
I am worried my Doctor may ask me to take 40mg Gliclazide(instead of the
80mg previously).
He may suggest this to bring the BG to my target 100mgdl/L.
But I don't want to go down that route, if I can help it.

Why my current BG is not going down any lower than what it use to before
Gliclazide was stopped?
Remember?...I even get a few hypos whilst shopping with DD before Xmas.

Experiment for tomorrow;-

Tomorrow, I will eat low GI foods and cut out as much carbs as I can.
Let's see how what kind of BGs I will get from that :)

Wee :)
Middx UK

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7b.

Re: I used to get hypos (not anymore) with 80mg Gliclazide

Posted by: "Jude" peridotjude@yahoo.com   peridotjude

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:52 pm (PST)



--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, "Wee K Chew" <wee@...> wrote:
On Wednesday I stopped taking the 80mg Gliclazide but continue taking 1g Metformin(twice daily).>>

What an interesting post, Wee. You keep good records! <G> Just FYI, when you convert your Brit glucose numbers to American, drop the tenths point. We don't say 110.2, we round down, so it's just 110. Or you can round up, so that 110.6 becomes 111.

What in heck are you eating? Or not eating? You don't eat! The first day, I see fried chicken and french fries (the idea makes me drool, but this is really junk food, sorry)and that's all you had all day?

And the next day, you had oatmeal and an egg, chicken curry, naan bread and papdom, neither of which I know what they are (sorry again) and rice, and later a dinner of peanuts and raisins? Okaaaaay....

And the next day, peanuts and raisins again mid-morning, after no breakfast, a lunch of pasta salad (did you put any protein in there?) and more noodles and green stuff for supper.

With your irregular eating habits, I don't know how you're ever going to make sense of what's really happening with your glucose. Whenever you go more than 5-6 hours without eating something "real", your liver is just going to kick in and supply some glucose anyway, and up will go your glucose levels. I dunno, but it sounds way confusing to me, what you're doing.

One thing you can't do is try something different, some different way of eating, every day or two. It'd probably take a week or two to see if a particular way of eating is doing what you want, and you'd need to test around different foods as you go, because some people can eat pasta and some can't, etc. Plus portion sizes are important. Most of us can eat two bites of mashed potatoes or three french fries, but not a whole serving of either.

I don't have any advice for you, I guess, if you're going to skip meals and make what you do eat so carby. ???? This just looks chaotic to me, but hopefully it doesn't so much to you.

Keep letting us know how you're doing, okay?

Judy D.

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7c.

I used to get hypos (not anymore) with 80mg Gliclazide - Judy D :)

Posted by: "Wee K Chew" wee@weekhiong.plus.com   wee_khiong

Fri Jan 8, 2010 3:23 pm (PST)



"What an interesting post, Wee. You keep good records! <G> Just FYI, when
you convert your Brit glucose numbers to American, drop the tenths point. We
don't say 110.2, we round down, so it's just 110. Or you can round up, so
that 110.6 becomes 111."
OK, will do :)

"What in heck are you eating? Or not eating? You don't eat! The first day, I
see fried chicken and french fries (the idea makes me drool, but this is
really junk food, sorry)and that's all you had all day?"
I agree! but needed something quick, was late for work and people keep
bugging, to attend meets & was so hungry then :(

"And the next day, you had oatmeal and an egg,"
That was breakfast & what's wrong with oatmeal for breakfast?
Oatmeal has a low Glycaemic Index(GI) & poached eggs has protein <g>

"chicken curry,"
Chicken Curry is sort of "spicy chicken stew".
OK, I agree it is a little bit oily but it taste lovely, can't resist this
time :)

"naan bread"
This is just leaven flat bread.

"papadoms,"
This is a spicy, flat, crispy, cracker deep-fried in vegetable oil but once
in a blue moon I delved :)
It is just one piece I had and I likely not to have it for a long time, lol
:)))

"neither of which I know what they are (sorry again) and rice, and later a
dinner of peanuts and raisins? Okaaaaay....
I can't eat a chicken curry on its own and I opted for Basmati Rice(which is
low GI).
OK, I agree, it was fried in oil but can't do much harm to "celebrate coming
off Gliclazide" :)))
Gosh! I am running out of excuses here.
Too funny, lol :)))

"And the next day, peanuts and raisins again mid-morning, after no
breakfast,"
Ah! Didn't feel hungry but "Snacked on peanut/raisins", with intention to
kill the increasing BG caused by Dawn Phenomenon/Symogi Effect.
I didn't eat a lot as I was not hungry(i.e. I was just simply "picking")
I have no idea why I was not hungry that morning but I truly had no
appetite.
I often eat a lot when I am really, really hungry, otherwise I simply
"pick".

"a lunch of pasta salad (did you put any protein in there?)"
Yes, there was eggs and king prawns with a good sprinkling of virgin olive
oil.

"and more noodles and green stuff for supper."
This is healthy pescatarian stuff, it has a variety of leafy vegetables,
beans sprouts and tuna.

"With your irregular eating habits, I don't know how you're ever going to
make sense of what's really happening with your glucose.
Whenever you go more than 5-6 hours without eating something "real", your
liver is just going to kick in and supply some glucose anyway, and up will
go your glucose levels. I dunno, but it sounds way confusing to me, what
you're doing."
I mislead you as I missed out the daily fruits which consists of a fruit(
changes daily and can be a small apple, pear or orange).
I never go without my 5-a-day mixed fruit and veg'.

"One thing you can't do is try something different, some different way of
eating, every day or two."
Great Idea and I will seriously experiment using my body and the BG meter
and post the results here for all to see.

"It'd probably take a week or two to see if a particular way of eating is
doing what you want, and you'd need to test around different foods as you
go, because some people can eat pasta and some can't, etc.
Plus portion sizes are important.
Most of us can eat two bites of mashed potatoes or three french fries, but
not a whole serving of either."
I completely agree and it will take time for me to organise myself to do
this experiment here.

"I don't have any advice for you, I guess, if you're going to skip meals and
make what you do eat so carby. ???? This just looks chaotic to me, but
hopefully it doesn't so much to you."
I need to sort myself out and then I can be eating properly again.

"Keep letting us know how you're doing, okay?"
I will, I promise :)

Wee :)
Middx UK

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Messages in this topic (3)
8a.

Am a new diabetic and depressed/hard time

Posted by: "Katherine Walker" KWALKER5@nc.rr.com   sighnsmile

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:17 pm (PST)



Loved reading the "you know you're diabetic when...."

I really needed to read these and laugh. So keep em coming

I have been so depressed lately. I was diagnosed in October with diabetes type 2. First few months I was so enthusiastic....changing to healthier foods, joined the gym, took up yoga, and reading all I could about diabetes. Am losing weight slowly...1 lb. a week. Have ten lbs to go. Yes, this should be encouraging.....but I am feeling tired and depressed.

Yes, it is after the holidays, yes, I have had a bad cold for three weeks, yes, my doctor has increased my metformin to 2 x day.

But I am sick and tired of eating veggies and fruit. I have cut out all white flour, white rice, white potatoes and sugary deserts and candy. I am feeling so weak/no energy, sad and irritated. I am just not enjoying this at all.

I thought I would feel better. At first I did. Is what I am going through normal greiving for loss of non diabetic health?

Wa, wa, wa.

Katherine
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8b.

Re: Am a new diabetic and depressed/hard time

Posted by: "Holly Shaltz" holly@shaltzfarm.com   hollyshaltz

Fri Jan 8, 2010 2:00 pm (PST)



Katherine writes:

<<Loved reading the "you know you're diabetic
when....">>

Wasn't Diane's about not wanting to waste the
blood of a paper cut great? LOL! I have
sometimes felt the same way about small wounds,
like the time I cut my thumb - a sort of gallows
humor. I know I'd love to see what others can
come up with. Keeping a sense of humor about all
this helps me stay more-or-less sane :)

<<I thought I would feel better. At first I did.
Is what I am going through normal grieving for
loss of non diabetic health?>>

Maybe - if you were enthused at the start, then
hit the holidays (which were very soon after your
diagnosis) *and* got sick to boot, then
grieving/depression is a real possibility (for
that matter, grieving and depression are a real
possibility even if you *hadn't* run into those
roadblocks!). Or maybe you're still sick, and
that's what's dragging you down. I haven't been
"really" sick since my diagnosis <knocking on
wood>, but there have been days when I felt I
might be coming down with something, and just the
*thought* of being sick is a downer, let alone the
reality!

<<I am feeling so weak/no energy, sad and
irritated. >>

Have you talked to your doctor about how you're
feeling - both being sick and being depressed,
sad, weak, etc? Maybe you're not getting enough
protein - are you often hungry between meals? Are
your BGs usually in a range you are pleased with?

I know when my BGs inexplicably go up and I can't
get them down with my usual food and exercise, I
feel angry, resentful, and depressed, which is
likely to push me toward eating something I
shouldn't, and whether I give in or not, that in
turn makes me feel worse still .... a very vicious
cycle to be caught in!

<<joined the gym, took up yoga>>

Are you still doing those, or did they slip away
due to holidays and your cold? I don't know about
you, but if I miss even 2 sessions of exercise, I
start to get grumpy and depressed and cravings
start to kick in. Also, my T'ai Chi is superb for
centering me, calming me, making me feel serene -
something I've groped toward for years and never
managed to achieve even briefly. I would imagine
yoga would potentially have a similar effect.

It's real hard to get back on the exercise if it's
slipped away for whatever reason, but if that's
happened, maybe you can do just a little bit more
each day - don't expect to be right where you left
off; instead, start small again, as if you're
brand new to it. It might help your mood and
coping ability. Can you just go for a walk?
Sometimes the simplest activity can be the best,
and being in the fresh air is really good for the
mood. Not to mention sunshine, if there's any
where you are :)

<<But I am sick and tired of eating veggies and
fruit. >>

What!? You get fruit?!!! <VBG> Seriously,
though, your body may still be adjusting to this
new WOE. If you used to eat a lot of starches and
sugars, and now you're not, that might explain the
lack of energy.

Do you feel in a rut with the veggies? If you
want to share what you like and don't like, maybe
we can come up with alternatives that will jazz
things up for you a bit. I mean, when I first
heard of cauliflower soup, I was appalled - but
now I love it, with the addition of cheese and
bacon :)

<<I am just not enjoying this at all. >>

In spite of all my positive talk, I do think we'd
be nutso to *enjoy* having to turn our lifestyles
and eating habits totally upsidedown :) Once you
get used to the new WOE/L, OK, then the
improvements you see in your health can make it
all worth while, especially using that wonderful
BG meter to see the numbers improve dramatically!
But in the beginning it's tough, really, truly
tough to face life without those wonderful carbs.

Something that's helped me many times has been to
tell myself "Someday I may be able to eat that
again". I well know that "someday" probably will
never arrive, but it really does help me get
through *this* particularly difficult moment.

<<Wa, wa, wa.>>

Been there, done that, and had people on this list
help me through it :) And will undoubtedly be
there and do that many times to come. Sometime DD
gives me a hug when she knows I'm missing a
particular food. Sometimes DH lends his ear to my
problem-solving difficulties. Sometimes it's my
sister, or internet friends like Judy, who also
have diabetes, who help me through via email.
Sometimes it's remembering those who choose to not
take the D-bull by the horns and wrestle it to the
ground that helps. And sometimes it just takes
sitting down and by golly CRYING for a while!

What have you done in the past that helped you
cope with bad times? Have you tried journaling?
I've found that can help a lot. Can you go out
for lunch (low-carb, of course, but it's nice to
have someone *else* fix it for a change :) with a
friend? Take a bath with candles and bath salts -
better yet, bubble bath! Take a "me" day where
you indulge yourself in all the non-carby ways you
can think of? Buy a book you've been wanting?
Play some music you love? We can't realistically
use food to lift our spirits anymore, and
sometimes it's hard to find other ways to do it,
but there are lots of ideas out there.

I'm glad you posted. At least know that we've all
felt like you do sometimes, and we do all get
through it. I would definitely recommend you talk
to your doctor, though, if your mood doesn't
improve soon. You don't need chronic depression
on top of diabetes!

Hugs,

Holly in MI

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8c.

Re: Am a new diabetic and depressed/hard time

Posted by: "Jude" peridotjude@yahoo.com   peridotjude

Fri Jan 8, 2010 2:03 pm (PST)



--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, "Katherine Walker" <KWALKER5@...> wrote: <snip>I have been so depressed lately. I was diagnosed in October with diabetes type 2.First few months I was so enthusiastic....changing to healthier foods, joined the gym, took up yoga, and reading all I could about diabetes.Am losing weight slowly...1 lb. a week. Have ten lbs to go.Yes, this should be encouraging.....but I am feeling tired and depressed. Yes, it is after the holidays, yes, I have had a bad cold for three weeks, yes, my doctor has increased my metformin to 2 x day. But I am sick and tired of eating veggies and fruit. <snip> I am feeling so weak/no energy, sad and irritated. I am just not enjoying this at all. I thought I would feel better. At first I did. Is what I am going through normal grieving for loss of non diabetic health? Wa, wa, wa. Katherine>

Wa, wa, wa. Boy, have we all been there or what? Yep, we have.

But that's not to belittle what you're going through.

There is a common component of diabetes with depression. But as the glucose normalizes, IMO I see no reason why an in-control diabetic should be any more prone to depression than anyone else.

You're sick with a draggy flu virus, I assume you've stopped working out and doing your yoga, it's #^&!* winter (hey! it's almost May! Keep saying that to yourself.... it's working for me), maybe you're dying of boredom with the foods you're eating, and you feel like crap. So maybe what you're going through is just a situational depression, and when you get to feeling better, it will lift.

If you've been diagnosed with clinical depression in the past, maybe it's just reared its ugly head again. After all, getting your diabetes under control is not going to guarantee that every aspect of your health is then going to be hunky dory.

Do you need to see someone to be evaluated for depression? Maybe a little talk therapy might help. Or finding a diabetes support group. You can come here to vent anytime, 'cause as I say, we have all been there. And meanwhile, May's coming. *is glad*

Judy D.

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8d.

Re: Am a new diabetic and depressed/hard time

Posted by: "Holly Shaltz" holly@shaltzfarm.com   hollyshaltz

Fri Jan 8, 2010 2:42 pm (PST)



Oh, yeah, Judy's pretense that it's nearly May
(not unlike mine that I might be able to eat carbs
"someday" :) reminds me - long before I started
reading that Americans tend to be chronically
short Vit D and need it for cardiac health, I read
that people who tend to be afflicted with SAD can
sometimes be relieved by taking Vit D. Do you
have any idea, Katherine, what your Vit D levels are?

Holly in MI

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8e.

Re: Am a new diabetic and depressed/hard time

Posted by: "Jude" peridotjude@yahoo.com   peridotjude

Fri Jan 8, 2010 2:48 pm (PST)



-- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, Holly Shaltz <holly@...> wrote:
<snip>I read that people who tend to be afflicted with SAD can sometimes be relieved by taking Vit D. Do you have any idea, Katherine, what your Vit D levels are?>

Just a quick note to remind people to check with their insurance before they hustle off to the lab to have this blood test done. Some places in my area charge up to $700 to do that one test, and I've heard tell of more than one person I know suddenly finding they're stuck for the bill, with no coverage. Just a word to the wise.
Judy D.

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8f.

Re: Am a new diabetic and depressed/hard time

Posted by: "Terry Shimmins" xquid79@yahoo.com   xquid79

Fri Jan 8, 2010 2:57 pm (PST)



Early in my diagnosis, some kids were curious about my glucose meter as I was administering a test.   I tried to tell them it was a new hand-held video game and the ideal score I was trying to get was 100-120.

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9a.

free medication info

Posted by: "Dr geffner" drgeff@yahoo.com   drgeff

Fri Jan 8, 2010 1:17 pm (PST)



Can I have any links for medication financial assistance info, I have a friend with psych problems that needs medication and can not afford it, thanks

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10a.

Re: bernstein question

Posted by: "bairdkelly11" bairdkelly11@yahoo.com   bairdkelly11

Fri Jan 8, 2010 3:23 pm (PST)



I have dealt with high cholesterol all my life. Sometime in my late 20's, my number was 280ish. Holly's mentioned before that our Dad died of a heart attack at 47. When our mom died, at 62, her number was over 300.

I've been on statins for at least 10 years, with moderate improvement, but my numbers have still been in the danger zone.

I don't follow Bernstein as tightly as Holly does, but I have reduced my carb intake significantly since last April. At a guess I would say I eat 50-75 g a day.

My labs from this week, have for the first time in my life, shown a real improvement in my cholesterol.

I have lost weight on low-carb, 50 lbs, so far. My last labs, in October, showed no improvement in my cholesterol, and at the time, I had lost maybe 40lbs. Nothing else has changed.

Certainly my results are anecdotal, but I'm happy with it :)

Kelly in Texas

--- In Type-2-Diabetes@yahoogroups.com, Holly Shaltz <holly@...> wrote:
>
> Judy writes:
>
> <<Do you know how he handles those who have heart
> disease and high cholesterol and triglycerides? >>
>
> His reasoning is that, as BGs are *normalized* to
> non-diabetic levels, that cholesterol trends
> toward normal as well. He gives the example of
> his own situation - having had high cholesterol
> until he got his BGs down to normal, and then
> doing much better. I've certainly seen my own
> numbers improve dramatically in just a year,
> without any cholesterol meds.
>
> I'm not sure what "heart disease" is beyond high
> cholesterol - if it refers to someone who's
> actually had a heart attack, all I can say is,
> getting the BGs down to normal levels couldn't
> hurt; beyond that, see a cardiologist :)
>
> I've read in many places that just reducing carb
> intake very low - not even quite as low as
> Bernstein - reduces cholesterol even in
> non-diabetics. I have no idea what the mechanism
> is for that change.
>
> <<And for those with kidney disease, who are
> supposed to eat low-protein, what does he recommend?>>
>
> Low carb doesn't mean *high* protein, it just
> means a little higher than usual in a higher-carb
> diet.
>
> Not surprisingly, he argues that kidney disease
> isn't related to protein consumption, but instead
> is the result of high BGs. He has a whole
> subsection of a chapter (pgs 450-455) devoted to
> the description of how kidney disease develops,
> how it got the reputation for being worsened by
> "too much" protein in the diet, and references to
> studies in which people were followed for 2 years
> and more, with protein amounts and kidney damage
> tracked, with the result that "too much" protein
> didn't do the damage, high BGs do. He summarizes
> near the end of this section:
>
> "Diabetic nephropathy does not appear if blood
> sugar is kept normal. Dietary protein does not
> cause diabetic nephropathy, but can possible
> (still uncertain) *slightly* accelerate the
> process once there has been major irreversible
> kidney damage. Dietary protein has no substantial
> effect upon the GFR of healthy kidneys, certainly
> not in comparison to the GFR increase caused by
> elevated blood sugar levels."
>
> He doesn't make recommendations regarding how much
> protein to eat where there's been irreversible
> kidney damage - that would be irresponsible in a
> book intended for a general audience.
>
> <<having options is a good thing, in my book,as I
> said earlier, as long as we each get to our goals,
> whatever they are, in a reasonable time frame and
> can stay reasonably healthy.>>
>
> For sure we agree on that :)
>
> Holly in MI
>

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