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18K views 111 replies 25 participants last post by  Shanny 
#1 ·
I am an endocrinologist who has practiced for 31 years and have helped many patients overcome diabetes by living their lives to the fullest. While I do not have diabetes myself, I feel I can add value to the community because of my medical knowledge and the experiences I have had by knowing and watching and learning from my patients. I realized, I cannot teach people everything they need in the setting of a doctor's office and have established a website which provides free information about the latest research, information about diabetes and nutrition, and cooking videos. I invite you to visit my website, comment, ask questions, and let me know how I may better serve you.
 
#2 ·
I'm afraid many of us are a bit cynical about the position of the medical community and the ADA on diabetes. As an endo, maybe you have a viewpoint that is more attuned to our needs, as well as the REALITY of diabetes. Plus, I don't see a link to your website.

As an individual who was diagnosed 18 mo. ago, I learned more from the members here than from the doctors who dx me or the dietician/diabetes "specialist" they sent me to.
 
#5 ·
I meet people with diabetes every day who feel the ADA and the medical community have let them down. I do everything I can to respect my patients as human beings who have to deal with diabetes in addition to all the other responsibility of daily life. In my 31 years of practice, I have learned from them and while helping them overcome their challenges, I grown, and continue to grow as a doctor as well as a human being. I have learned quite a bit from these forums as well. I would appreciate more dialog to enable us to better understand each other, and how physicians and health care providers may better serve their patients. I cannot provide my website directly because of the rules on this forum. I would appreciate your comments as to how I and my website may better serve you.
 
#3 ·
I'm curious what you mean by "overcoming diabetes". Many of us manage our Diabetes very well with the least amount of medical intervention but we know we are still Diabetic. I've been able to get an HbA1c in the low 5's and pretty much maintain it but I have not overcome my diabetes. I live with it every day and will for many years. I welcome your input into our forum and would love to hear what you feel about the right diet for diabetics. Many of us through trial and error have found a Lower carb/ higher fat diet works very well for us but many in the medical community don't agree.
 
#10 ·
Sorry if you think the term overcoming diabetes is rhetoric. There is no cure for this disease and no matter how good the A1c is, people still have diabetes. As treatment and understanding of diabetes has improved, people have had more options than they had before. I have had patients run marathons, become teachers, policemen, doctors, and have traveled all over the world. My goal is to each person with diabetes as many options to choose from as possible. When people have dreams or goals for their lives and go for it in spite of having diabetes, in my mind they have overcome the diabetes. What do you think would be a better word to express this sentiment?
 
#16 ·
Welcome, Sybil!

Thank you for your question. It's a great one! And your goal is Right On. Thank you for that, too.

I suggest the phrase, "Life with Diabetes." Emphasis on Life.

I totally agree ... "overcome" should be an innocent and uplifting word. Sadly, scammers have hijacked it to promote false "cures" (the #1 Bad Word, because for diabetics, it lies).

"Reversal" is yet another troublesome word. It is true that, with good control, many symptoms/complications can improve or, seemingly, reverse themselves. But, once again, scammers have twisted it to mean their snake oil makes diabetes go bye-bye.

We have a chronic disease. There is no cure at this time. New diabetics, and diabetics new to control, need to face this fact before they can enjoy a healthy life. At best, scams cloud the issue. Worst case, they can kill.

The blessing is, good control can bring on positive changes real quick!
 
#20 ·
Welcome, Sybil!

Thank you for your question. It's a great one! And your goal is Right On. Thank you for that, too.

I suggest the phrase, "Life with Diabetes." Emphasis on Life.

I totally agree ... "overcome" should be an innocent and uplifting word. Sadly, scammers have hijacked it to promote false "cures" (the #1 Bad Word, because for diabetics, it lies).

"Reversal" is yet another troublesome word. It is true that, with good control, many symptoms/complications can improve or, seemingly, reverse themselves. But, once again, scammers have twisted it to mean their snake oil makes diabetes go bye-bye.

We have a chronic disease. There is no cure at this time. New diabetics, and diabetics new to control, need to face this fact before they can enjoy a healthy life. At best, scams cloud the issue. Worst case, they can kill.

The blessing is, good control can bring on positive changes real quick!
Thanks for your suggestion. I would have loved to edit my post to get rid of the word overcome, but the site does not allow me to do that. I had no idea the word was hijacked to mean something totally different than I intended. Thanks for letting me know and I will try not to use the word again. Glad you agree with my concept. As a physician my goal is to better serve my patients and your insight will help me do just that. Thank you.
 
#12 ·
The ADA and physicians have believed in a low fat diet for a long time. Unfortunately, when you cut down on fat, you will increase either protein or carbohydrates. Most people increase carbohydrates because they are cheaper and taste better. The high carbohydrate diets that people believed were good for them probably contributed to the obesity problem we have in America and throughout the world. I encourage low carbs. Polyunsaturated fats and monunsaturated fats are healthy for you. I use scientific data to make decisions and to maintain or lose weight, and to control diabetes, low carbs seem better. I encourage more of the healthy fats as well.
 
#6 ·
I have been type 1 for 66 years, and I was very fortunate to survive my first 62 years with only minor complications (minor nerve damage). I was never told about site rotation and scar tissue, needing to count my carbs and use carb counting, and many other things that would have helpd me so much. I found out about these things when I started joining online diabetes support groups in 2006. My doctor even refused to approve a pump and CGM for me because my A1c was good. I had to find an endo and get a second opinion before I was approved. I have not been impressed by the lack of knowledge about diabetes by some doctors. The endo felt that after 62 years of injections I deserved the opportunity to experience the conveniences offered by pumping. I have far fewer highs and lows with pumping.
 
#11 ·
Glad the pump is working out for you. The things you mentioned should be part of any teaching regimen. A good diabetes educator or physician should have made sure you had appropriate skills. The doctor and patient should work together to be part of a team and set the goals jointly. When the goals are not met, they should try to work together to see what can be done better. The doctor does not treat diabetes directly, he teaches the patient how to treat it and this takes time and effort on both their parts.
 
#7 ·
I think doctors should listen to their patients and work with them to get the best bg control possible. This is often not the case. Many of us are told that an HbA1c of 7% is great and as diabetics we can never hope for normal bgs. My doctor told me fastings of 130 were fine and I shouldn't get them lower. Like Richard , I got most of my information on online forums from other diabetics who live with this disease everyday. I also found out about Dr. Bernstein's approach to achieving normal bgs for every diabetic. His WOE ( way of eating) has helped me so much. I do think the problem with the ADA recomendations is that it assumes we really should still eat a lot of carbs and take more medication to deal with it.
 
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#8 ·
Lets not put ALL the failure of the medical community onto Sybil he/she has offered to help with knowledge from an MD standpoint (this is the internet). Insted of acusations on the failing of past MDs not necessarily those of Sybil.

I have a question for Sybil
which is better for my hart?
an A1c of 8.2 and a cholesterol of 200
or
an A1c of 6.0 and a cholesterol of 281

I have found listings of essential nutrients for the human body to live a healthy life. I have yet to find a list that includes carbohydrates as an essential nutrient, so why does the AMA, ADA require us to eat carbs as a source of nutrients?
 
#14 ·
I am a vegetarian, yet I find plenty to enjoy in low-carbing. I am not sure I agree with your stance on dietary fat and controlling lipids (but let's wait till my lipid profile comes back in Feb, LOL).

Other than that, ANY professional who supports low-carbing, even moderate low-carbing, has won my support!

I do not think overcoming is the right word choice, it raised my hackles and suspicions, sorry. I think something more like controlling, or living with would be a better choice.
 
#17 ·
I was a vegetarian before diabetes and led a very active life. Since diabetes I have had to cut most of the carbs out of my diet, especially grains. I think the one thing we find confusing with most of the medical community is the reliance on whole grains. For many of us whole grains are devastating. Once I realised that my bg control got a lot better. I also believe like you, not to compromise on your dreams. I am a hiker and still hike all over the world with diabetes. I've hiked in the Rockies in Alberta, the Andes in South America, the Adirondacks in NY. This Spring we are going to Spain to visit my youngest daughter and will try to hike in the Pyranees. In August we are going to New Hampshire to do a 4 day Backpacking trip in the Applacian mountains. Although I was fit before diabetes, I am extremely fit now. I am back to my college weight and feel fantastic. The only set back I have had is when my doctor insisted all diabetics need to be on statins. Although my total cholesterol was a touch over the recomended- 202, my HDL was almost 100 from a low carb diet. Well after a year the statins started to destroy my muscles and pushed me into a Fibromyalgia type disease. So I stopped the statins and feel 100% better, now. As diabetics we need to question our doctors more.
 
#19 ·
With all due respect, I'm going to just cut to the chase here, Sybil. My question regards your acceptance of our intelligence, knowledge & hard-won experience about what works for us, and the test results we have to prove it. We are all totally aware of the achievers in the diabetic world who run marathons, gain professional accolades, and fulfill all their goals in life; actually our members are exactly those people, controlling their diabetes, living long happy healthy lives, raising families & growing/learning every day. So confidence & support is in good supply here. Many of us subscribe to LC/HF, but each of us tweaks it to our own needs . . . we eat to our meters. By this method, some go lower carb than others, just as some can go higher fat.

We expect to be treated with the same courtesy and respect as you would your colleagues, or anyone else who has great stores of wisdom, knowledge and experience in their area of expertise, which in our collective cases is diabetes.

You may feel like we give you a hard time, but we are in a position of having to believe you are what you say you are, or you are not. Since we have no way to verify your stated credentials, you may have to win our trust, and if you are willing to listen to us and take off your doctor hat, we may be able to work together. As one of the previous posters said, we are always happy to find members of the medical community who accept low-carbing as valid treatment.

The only other thing I should probably mention, is that as soon as you gain active membership here (and perhaps you already have!), you are allowed a single link in your signature block to post your website. Using the link or references in the body of your posts is not allowed, but as long as the website is your own and not somebody else's, the link in your signature is permitted.

Good wishes to you.
 
#21 ·
Thanks Shanny, I appreciate your honesty and acceptance to your forum. I have great respect for all the collective and individual knowledge on this forum. I joined this site to learn more and better ways to help my patients live successfully with diabetes. In general, I find patients with chronic diseases have amazing amounts of knowledge of their conditions and are often the impetus of change. With diabetes, many patients do know more about their condition than their physicians which leads to frustration on both sides. I am here to learn from all of you, and share my perspective with the desire to decrease the frustration by improving communication and understanding. I suspect eating to the meter and each individual tweaking his or her own diet will become eventually become more commonplace among health care providers. Thanks, sybil
 
#23 ·
Diabetes is tricky stuff, I like to think it as trying to stop a bucket of water from over flowing.

I can influence the speed it empties by getting fitter and excercising, but the biggest thing I can do, is control the amount of "water" that is going in, by watching what I eat.

Psycologically I did not cope at well in the early days, but now I'm actually enjoying my new life :)
 
#24 ·
I think what you will find on different online forums is a unique type of diabetic. We are not the usual diabetic who accepts everything they are told. Most of us like to do our own research and want some type of verification that something works. Most of us have been burned by doctors who want to overmedicate us. We have had to defend our Low Carb Way of Eating to doctors, nurses, insurance companies, etc. So please forgive us if we seem too critical. We have been told by the medical community that without carbs our brains will shrivel up and die and we won't have energy for anything. Well if that was true I wouldn't be able to hike 10 miles or play 3 sets of tennis without a break. How do you feel about Ketogenic Diets. So many doctors and dieticians assume Ketosis is bad, but we think otherwise.
 
G
#28 · (Edited)
We are not the usual diabetic who accepts everything they are told. Most of us like to do our own research and want some type of verification that something works. Most of us have been burned by doctors who want to overmedicate us.
True. My eye doctor prescribed me Omnacortil 40mg (5 days) for checking on the random bumps that i used to get on my right eye lid (these bumps happen at a location for a period of time -- maybe for 2-3 months -- before changing over to other location primarily between two temples ... they just come an then disappear in 24 hours). Though i did buy the meds but after researching about Omnacortil i just threw the med in dustbin. Problem with most of these docs is that they don't listen to what pateint is telling and they just behave like "Detail Man" (or "Medical Representatives" as we call then here) of Pharma Lords. Whatever their knowledge cannot "ascertain" is clubbed into one word -- "ALLERGY" as that makes more pills and procedures sell. They have never been taught importance of diet and what gut flora is all about.

As for my D, my doctor still thinks i am taking some Rx pills through some other doctor (which i am not). By and large they are all same ... Prescribing Pills like a robot.

[EDIT]
BTW i am an engineer by profession so refuse to accept "blindly" whatever docs say and do lot of reading before pushing any Allopathic pill down my throat
[/EDIT]
 
#26 ·
It sounds like you spend lots of time with your patients. Many of us are lucky to get a 10-15 minute visit with our doctors. My elderly parents just had to pay $3,000 to get better access to their doctor's VIP medical practice where he will spend the time they need and even do home visits.
 
#27 ·
I used to do both primary care and endocrinology in private practice and for the last 3 years have been doing endocrinology by itself. If somebody comes in with diabetes, the whole visit is about that. We have recently had to spend more time with the computer and that is taking away from patients. When I see patients I often get behind, but want people to feel I was worth waiting for.
 
#38 ·
I work with many physicians and have never come across one with enough time to peruse support groups. Do you also have time to keep up with the current literature or are do you use pharma reps for that purpose? Also, I like the patient-partner philosophy you've described as your clinical approach, I'd be interested in your perspective on whether this is more likely to be the case for newly trained MD's or somebody in the clinic for 20+ years. On the same topic, while I realize that all docs are not created equal, I would also be grateful for your thoughts on a the relative efficacy of a newly trained doc vs someone trained decades ago, but has experience treating diabetics spanning most of their career? Thanks for taking the time to consider our questions.
 
#47 ·
Hi. Thanks for your questions. As an old time doctor, I have seen many changes that I like and that I don't like. while technology is good, the personal relationship which comes through spending time seems to be dwindling. The art of history taking and physical exam is also declining. The younger docs are so much better than I am with the computer and doing the techy stuff. It is a trade off. I do not rely on pharm reps for medical information at all but will meet with them to get samples to give to patients who cannot afford them. The older docs are much more efficient at getting a history, understanding the patient and working out a therapeutic alliance with them.
 
#39 ·
What do you think of screening all hypoglycemics for antibodies and insulin activity? Or even selecting a few ... perhaps by other than BMI alone ....

I was barely into the obese BMI range, before diagnosis, and I know quite a few others also who were (I also was in DKA, and had pre-existing autoimmune thyroiditis) and was therefore shuffled into the T2 room.

I did more research and demanded antibody testing. My C-peptide was s till in normal range, but I was grateful to find an endo 2 yrs ago, who was willing to prescribe insulin in addition to the max dose of metformin. It has made life much, much easier and less discouraging for me. I do think I have mild IR at this point, but my insulin needs are increasing gradually so I think I am on the right path. 11 U Levemir + 3 - 8U Novolog per day.

Thing is, I was low-carbing from early on, and slid under the radar for LADA. I felt like nobody would listen to me!
 
#48 ·
In general I find that listening and getting it right takes time in the short run but saves more time overall. About 10% of adults diagnosed at T2 have latent autoimmune and many of them have this combined with insulin resistance. I have seen this combination called T1.5. I am not sure what value the antibody test has in terms of treatment but it can clarify the type. I tend to be practical and if somebody needs insulin on clinical grounds they get it. I find some physicians are slow to use insulin because they think the patient will not accept it. Many patients are reluctant to get started but once persuaded and start to feel better are grateful for their improved control and health.
 
#41 ·
I've not looked at those recipes for a while - this is a doozy - includes actual sugar (I thought even the ADA knew that wasn't a good idea) - Arborio Rice and Fig Pudding | Diabetes Forecast Magazine

Lessee - if I left out what I can't/don't eat from that recipe, I'd be left with vanilla extract and cinnamon.
 
#42 ·
Exactly! I think they just leave it to people who don't have a clue about what diabetes is! You would think that maybe the editor might have some input or at least some common sense to check these out, but I guess it's more about if the recipe and photo fit on this or that page, so what does it matter what's actually IN the recipe? GRRRRRR.... makes me sick!
 
#44 ·
I think it is mainly do to T2 is a newcomer and the ADA, AMA and MD's (good god are we in the military) are schooled in T1 and just transfer over the diet. T1 use insulin so we got pills to make the pancreas over produce insulin. Is that not what a T1 does, insulin up to eat the food. Does not work for a T2.

JMO
 
#46 ·
When I was a D newbie I went out and subscribed to all those Diabetes magazines. I even went out and bought some Diabetic Cookbooks. I really didn't know any better and when I saw those luscious desserts on the cover I thought WOW, I can eat this as a diabetic. Then I started to look at the ingredients- real flour, real sugar, honey, rice, white potatoes, etc. Needless to say I never reviewed those magazines. It would be so much better if Dieticians and the ADA would recomend low carb blogsites instead. I have found Gluten Free Sites to be a great place to find recipes. All you have to swap out is the honey or agave they use. Most everything else is safe. I do think the problem with the medical community is they still see Type 2 diabetes as a disease of poor eating and being a couch potato. So those of us who are not overweight have to fight to get tested. The other thing that bothers me is doctors really don't get concerned with numbers in the prediabetic range. In many cases they don't even use the word pre diabetes. I really wished someone had intervened when my bg was 101. All they said is watch your sugar. Since I never ate sugar I didn't even think about it. Since I was a healthy vegetarian and worked out like crazy I never thought diabetes was an issue. But when I was dx'd HbA1c was almost 11. When I think of all the damage to my body I could have prevented. Doctors need to screen everyone not just people who are overweight or with a family history of D.
 
#57 ·
Sybil, first off your name kind of scares me...

Secondly, as a T2 for many years now, and having gone the gambit with the AMA, ADA, and diabetic nutritionists, educators, etc. I have finally discovered what will work for me. I have happened upon some wonderful doctors in my area that, like you, don't necessarily agree with what is being taught to diabetics and that a diet high in carbs is just a death sentence for the diabetic. My endo, or Diabitologist, is so opposite other endo's I had been to in the past I was actually shocked when she hugged me when my numbers improved. She actually takes the time to talk to me and discuss what I should and shouldn't eat. Because it is required of her, she did send me to an appointment with a CDE nurse. That was a HUGE waste of my time because she spouted the same stuff that the ADA recommends. And you get paid to do that? She told me to eat brown rice instead of white rice. I told her I couldn't eat either and when she questioned why I said because both of them spike my blood sugar. She looked at me like I was crazy! I don't need that kind of person helping me out. Just because this is what you were taught doesn't make it reality! Diabetics are not a "one size fits all". Each and every one of us are unique in what affects us and what doesn't. That is why we are all so supportive of each other on this forum. I have great difficulty keeping my bg's low because aside from my LC/HF diet that I adhere to very religiously, I deal with a great deal of stress in my life, and I'm menopausal so you can tell me hormones don't play a role in higher bg's, but I am living proof and beg to differ with you. Of course then you get the snicker and the upturned nose because for gosh sakes, I just COULDN'T know more about my body then an educated college degreed individual does! They studied this stuff and got A's in their classes! Nobody knows my body but me. I do need a partner to help me through all this. It can be a great mystery case to solve since I have to find what works and doesn't work for ME. I don't know what is going to work for one of my fellow diabetics...I can only make suggestions. Our meters are our best friends, and it would be refreshing if the doctors, or endo's, would go to bat for diabetics to the insurance companies and demand a higher supply of test strips so we can PROPERLY test our blood glucose to our meters. Pharmaceutical and Insurance companies are making it impossible unless you are rich to afford the medications and equipment we truly need to keep tight control of our blood sugar. This is what I need in a doctor/patient relationship. My endo actually went to the dieticians, or CDE's she sent me to after I told her what they suggested I eat in carbs alone in a day and told them we are killing people with the amount that is being told.
Also, there are those individuals who do not want to be proactive in their own health issues. They want the doctor to give them a pill or insulin to control their issues rather than take responsibility for their own health and make it better. This is such backwards thinking, and I believe the doctor should send these people to a mental health provider so they WAKE UP, or don't treat them. I know that is harsh, but lets face it...I am responsible for what I put in my mouth and what type of exercise I choose to do, and my lifestyle choices. Right?
Sybil I appreciate you being a doctor and wanting to learn from us here on the DF as to what we look for in a doctor/patient relationship. Me myself, I just want to be treated like a human being and not accused of doing this to myself. I would like a doctor to actually look me in the eyes when speaking with me, and I would like them to understand that I want to control my diabetes...don't be a fatalist with me. I know this disease will kill. My Mom died from it. I don't want to repeat that path. I'm not stupid, so please don't treat me as such. I may not have MD at the end of my name, but I do have a brain and believe it or not, I do exercise it quite regularly.

I hope this helps.
 
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#59 ·
Thank you for your long honest description. One of the best aspects of our health care system occurs when patients choose their doctor. It can be like a marriage and you have to go to a number of physicians until you find what you are looking for. I find that people vary quite a bit in terms of how they want to be treated--education, pills, diet, etc. and I have to learn to read them and get them to do the best they can do to control their disease. some patients want to know a lot and then take charge themselves and call me when they have trouble, others want more hand holding, and some may want to get their meds and get out the door. The art of medicine occurs when you take people with different needs and skill sets and get them to learn to take responsibility for their disease. I find the patients who ask the most questions, tend to get on track the fastest. When people are not proactive, I try to do the best I can to get them to do the best they can. Mental health providers are not the answer to that. Some of them will come around with time and because I don't always know which ones will, I feel obligated to never give up on anybody. Even if I cannot get their numbers to goal, if I can help them make them better, I feel I am helping them.
 
#60 ·
I appreciate your thoughts, Sybil. And, I also appreciate your attitude and willingness to ask what we want to be of help. I was/am the type of patient to grab hold and do my best to control my own condition. My late husband was also a physician and always told me to be partner in my own care...that doctors didn't have all the answers.
 
#62 ·
Twenty years ago, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. During and after my pregnancy, I never received any type if counseling. Over the years I woukd constantly complain that I had symptoms similar to my pregnancy., I was akways told that there was nothing wrong with me. Finally, I went to s Dr. who had brains to test my h1c1 to see that things were not okay. That was january 2011. Since that time I have dropped 2 1/2 dress sizes, lost almost twenty pounds. I no longer let others dictate my future. I now feel healthy, but more importantly, I feel empowered. I exercise regularly and continue to educate myself with as much diabetes information as possible. I am very happy to have found this forum.
 
#64 ·
Sybil, I was type 1 for 50 years and then began gaining weight when I started modern day insulins. In 1998 I was diagnosed with insulin resistance, and have taken a type 2 med along with my insulin for 17 years. Do you have any type 1 patients with IR? If so, how did you diagnose them with IR, and what treatment did you prescribe? I have read that more and more IR is being found in T1D's.
 
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#65 ·
I have a number of people with type I who develop what appears to be insulin resistance ie insulin requirements go up and weight gain. Type 2 diabetes is very common and I don't think getting type I diabetes can protect you from getting type 2 diabetes. Some people call this combination type 3. They often respond to medications like metformin or januvia. The key is to keep the weight down.
Sybil
 
#67 ·
Sybil:

Unfortunately my responses tend to be quite long...sorry if it was too long! I have to agree with many here that I believe that more doctors need to give more education, direction, and instruction when diagnosing a person with diabetes for the first time. Receiving that information is rather foreboding to that individual, and I really don't think many of the doctors understand that, unless they've been on the receiving end of it being diagnosed as a diabetic. To some degree I think it might be the same type of reaction one might have if receiving news that they have cancer. Without proper education, direction, or instruction we are left on our own to discover what is right and wrong; and that can take quite a bit of time before it is discovered what to do. We have so many here who first introduced themselves with the words "recently diagnosed and scared out of my mind." It is a feeling we all can relate to. I hope you find here what you are looking for, and I hope you will be the type of endo doc who truly wants to make their patients better. Good Luck and God Bless!
 
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#69 ·
Over my long career as an endo, I have dealt with many people who were "scared out of their mind" and parents who were scared out of their mind. I don't have diabetes but have been scared out of my mind in other circumstances. I try to provide adequate information in the office but there is not sufficient time or resources to do it as effectively as I would like. I found myself explaining diet to single people who never cooked before, were unable to read nutrition labels, or who were so scared they were too overwhelmed to listen. About half of my patients are elderly and have never used a computer. I do the best I can because that is all I can do. For those with a computer, I have recently established a website to provide information. We provide cooking lessons, cook books to review and other information. I planned on this supplementing information provided by health care providers not replacing it. It is currently a work in progress. I hope to build the site into something helpful for everybody. Thanks so much. Sybil
 
#68 ·
Naynay what you said is so true, when I was first DX just over 1 year ago I felt like I had been given a death sentance & was very upset until I did some research & realized that I did not have to accept the doom & gloom that the docs & diabetic educators were predicting for me, I had the power & the knowledge to at least try to get D under control & with the help & support of this forum am doing just that.
It's no excuse but I guess GP's see so many patients with so many different illnesses that they don't have the time to be an expert in each disease & rely on the ADA to have more up to date info regarding drugs etc
I know when I see my GP I have at most 10 minutes of his time & most of that is spent with him updating my latest results onto computer & me trying to get as much info as possible in that time.
Don't get me wrong my Doc is lovely but one of the few docs in our rural area & time restricted.

Sent from my iPhone using Diabetes
 
#71 ·
When I run across recipes or foods labeled "diabetic," I run away ... real fast!

The labels I look for are "low-carb" or "paleo." (Even here, I look for the carb measurements.)

I'm on insulin, but even when I bolus correctly for starchy/sugary foods, at best I'm in for 3 days to 1 week of higher numbers overall. At worst, I get to yo-yo high and low for a day or 2, then deal with the higher numbers for 3 days to 1 week.
 
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