[njoy]

Hi. Thirteen years ago, I was visiting my sister (a Type 2 diabetic) who checked my blood sugar on her meter. It was 22 mmol/l (396 mg/dl) just after lunch. I remember feeling fantastic that day, very healthy. A few days later, I had the lab test. The result was exactly the same after fasting for 12 hours! So I had probably been diabetic for some years, at that point. I weighed 200 pounds, down from an all time high of 220.

My doctor put me on glyburide and metformin and I started walking daily and being careful with my diet. I have always had problems with food cravings and can go on any diet for a few weeks or months but, sooner or later, I put the weight back on. What it feels like is that I am too strict for too long and my brain decides I am starving myself to death. Anyway, something snaps and I don't even think about my diet until the weight is back on and more. I've tried to interrupt this process many times and nothing has ever worked except moderation.

The diet the nurse educator gave me was very high in carb (up to 225 g a day!) which was far more than I would eat normally. It was low in fat, too, because I also have a fairly rare lipid disorder caused by recessive genes from both parents (I think it is called Type 4 Hyperchylomicronemia) for which I was taking gemfibrozil (60 mg x 2 daily).

Fast forward five years. I had developed my own diet, one I could live with, and now weighed 160 lbs. I exercised 1/2 hour daily, 5 x a week. The downside was my bgs were high with daily extreme swings between 3 (54) and 15 (270) . I also felt sick -- like I was dying of some dreadful disease.

My doctor was concerned about the highs and insisted that I quickly lose another 10 lbs, exercise 1 hour a day, and she upped my metformin. I tried to tell her that deprivation diets don't work for me but she wouldn't listen so I finally agreed.

It was very hot out and (being menopausal at the time) I had terrible hot flashes when I tried to walk in the heat (now I know I shouldn't have tried - lol) so I started walking in flip flops. Within 2 weeks, here's what happened: I had plantar fasciitis in both feet (could barely walk for two years after this), sick as a dog (it was the metformin, turned out) and my head went snap (don't know how else to describe it) and I put back all the weight I'd lost within a matter of months. Very, very depressing.

At this point, I dumped my old doctor. I told my new doctor "I can't take metformin", stopped taking most of my meds (they were for complications of the metformin, by and large), and started insulin instead.

For the following five years, I felt much better, gradually losing some of the weight and got my diet under control (still thinking I needed high carb/low fat). But controlling my blood sugars continued to be impossible. I had hypoglycemia (bad attacks) at least once a day and daily highs from 15 and up (270 to over 300). At one point I was taking 200 units of insulin daily. This shocked a nurse educator I went to see, so I managed to get this down to 120 units.

By this time, I was feeling very sick again and began searching for answers online. My doctor was useless and so were the diabetic educators. What they insisted on was not working for me, simple as that. They thought I was non-compliant because I wouldn't (couldn't) stuff myself with every pill they suggested.

Then, I came across the Mercola site and lurked there for nearly a year until I decided to give the Mercola Advanced Diet a try. I stopped taking insulin altogether (yes, I did!) The first month was tough (low carb veggies, small amounts of protein, nuts, flax seed, no fruit, no grains) but I gradually found a balance of foods I could live with and even enjoy. I have NEVER felt so good, in my life, and was exercising strenuously for 45 minutes daily. This was great until my lower back went out so I had to cut back on exercising to get the pain under control.

By this time, I had been on a strict low carb diet for 3 months. I wasn't eating much and kept expecting my brain to snap me into a binge but it didn't. There was just one problem: my bg levels were very high (I tested a lot, day and night), never below 12 (216) and sometimes over 20 (360) if I ate a bit of carb. The average was around 16 (288) range when I was being very, very strict.

Basically, Dr. Mercola says that "almost" 100% of people can normalize their bgs on his diet.I tried to contact him but (except for making an appointment at his clinic in Illinois) there doesn't seem to be a way. I tried posting questions on his site, asking "Why is this not working for me? I need some advice." My posts were deleted.

Still searching for answers, I emailed Dr. Rosedale, author of The Rosedale Diet (it's fairly similar to the Mercola Advanced Diet) and he kindly responded and told me to get back on insulin, stat! So, I did.

My doctor sent me to a (new) nurse educator who switched me to 24 units Lantus daily with a bit of NovoRapid as needed. I now take about 30 units of insulin daily and my bgs are around 6 (108) and 7 (124), on average. This is not ideal, I guess, but it took quite awhile for my body to get used to not being at 16 (288).

I now weigh 170 lbs (down from 200 a few months ago) and am confident I can lose another 20 or 30 lbs eating low carb, organic (mostly) foods and exercising. I guess I will always have to take some insulin but, with Lantus, this seems doable. So I am feeling very positive at the moment.

I still have questions and maybe someone here can help. It is possible my situation is complicated by my rare lipid disorder (I think it gives me false HbA1c readings, for example). Unfortunately, my doctors know nothing about this and are not interested in finding out.

Many years ago, the top lipid specialist in our area put a letter in my file saying I was non-compliant with his low-fat diet which is not true. I was very strict on it for 3 months but my lipids didn't go down. He flat out told me I was lying. That was 20 years ago. I expect there must be people with my disease who are also diabetic so perhaps I should try contacting him again. He'll hate the high (good) fat Mercola/Rosedale diets, though.

It sucks being "rare" - lol. It also sucks having a mind of your own and not being willing to continue doing things that make you feel so sick you'd rather be dead.

Anyway, I'm glad to be here and have already learned a lot.

 

[Shanny]

You'll fit right in here, njoy . . . so many of us have been through that drill! Barring the rare lipids condition, we've discovered the same trick you have . . . low-carb/high-fat. But the docs who believe their patients are literally lying have to be some of the most irksome displays of arrogance in the entire medical community. They deserve to be strangled with their own stethoscopes!

So welcome to DF & I hope you'll be able to visit often!

 

[jwags]

Welcome to the forum. It sounds like you have been through a lot. I am a tennis player and have chronic plantar fachitis. I understand your pain. I wear Berkenstock sandals all year because they are the only shoes that don't hurt. When I play tennis I wear a plantar facihitis arch support but by the end of the first hour I feel the burning start. But I love tennis and won't give it up. I don't know anything about your specific lipid disorder but it sounds like you are extremely insulin resistant. That means even though you are on insulin you may need metformin or a similar drug that addresses your insulin resistance. I do a diet similar to Dr Mercola but allows a little more food. It is called
The Diet Solution Program by Isabel de los Rios. That is where I found out about Eziekel Sprouted Grain Bread. I have been doing the diet since last summer and really lowered my bgs and took the last 10 pounds off. It really improved my immune system too. She is a big proponent of Coconut Oil and real fats like organic butter and free range beef. Since getting the chemicals out of my diet I feel so much better and rarely spike. I am only on metformin and now most of my bgs are under 100 which is a huge improvement of the 200's they were last summer. Her diet gives you tons of food to eat and she has lots of menus. She also talks about how people have different metabolic types and you may have to structure your diet differently. Some of us need more fat, some need more carbs, some need a balance. I think I paid $45 for the diet and you can down load everything. My husband does it too and has lost 18 pounds and his lipid numbers have really improved. Again welcome to the forum.

 

[onlymep]

welcome njoy it sounds like you've been through a fair bit there. Obviously you've found something that works for you. I don't know about the condition you have... but I agree that other conditions certainly can make your diabetes management harder. This forum is a great place for support and info. Keep us posted on how you're doing.

 

[njoy]

Thanks to all. Shanny, I agree that "docs who believe their patients are literally lying have to be some of the most irksome displays of arrogance in the entire medical community". In fact, I recently read a Master's thesis by someone who studied the "non compliant patient" and discovered they have almost all carefully thought through their decisions, know exactly what they are doing and have compelling reasons for doing it. Still, it is so much easier to write off those who don't follow orders.

Jwaggs, I wear Crocs which obviously wouldn't work for everyone but they saved my life. The only problem is that I'm sometimes called upon to explain my peculiar taste in footwear. Most folks just look at me funny which is much less troublesome

Onlymep, thanks for your kind welcome. It's good to be here.

 

[Shanny]

Crocs are my choice too, njoy . . . and people can think whatever they darn well please about my choice of footwear! I did find a comfortable pair of lace-up walking shoes last year, and they are Asics brand. Nice wide toe-box, and I think I got about half-a-size bigger too, so they're really roomy.

 

[onlymep]

Crocs are my choice too, njoy . . . and people can think whatever they darn well please about my choice of footwear! I did find a comfortable pair of lace-up walking shoes last year, and they are Asics brand. Nice wide toe-box, and I think I got about half-a-size bigger too, so they're really roomy.

I haven't tried crocs... but love my Asics... I agree Shanny they are generally a wider fit. I have slightly wider feet so I need a bit more room. Over here they don't seem to cater very well for width of feet in general. When I visited Arizona years back I remember that they seemed to cater better for width for shoes... in fact you seemed to have more variety of everything and very cheap. Clothes and shoes here are quite expensive. I picked up a Ralph Lauren shirt for my bro for $20 there... whereas here at the time the same shirt would've cost $80 minimum.

 

[jwags]

When it comes to my feet, I don't care what people think. My only problem is when once in a blue moon we go out for dinner and I wear a dress and have to wear heels. I usually kick them off under the table. My husband wears Crocs all the time, even to the office ( he is self employed)

 

[njoy]

I don't know if this is the place to update but here goes: I was taking 24 units of Lantus at night but had to drop the regular insulin as I was having an allergic reaction to it. Now, I am starting to react to the Lantus, as well. I wake up a couple of hours after injecting it at midnight with appalling itching and basically in hysterics. I'm not the kind of person who has hysterics so this is very new to me and extremely unpleasant.

My doctor says, airily, that "it's not an allergy, it's only a sensitivity". Well, lucky me. Whatever it is, I can't live with it. Looking on the internet, there doesn't seem to be much that can be done for a reaction to insulin. Can't find any solutions, so far. I'll discuss changing to taking the Lantus in the morning with my nurse educator and perhaps that will help.

Maybe I should post this in the main forum.

 

[mammamoo]

Still trying to start a thread on this site I had werids thing happen last night around 12am i woke up to a feeling like a wave crashing over me and then i felt like a shakey feeling i should have checked my BS leveal and i didnt i also didnt have my 8pm snack because i fell a sleep

 

[mammamoo]

funny feeling

Last night i woke up 12am with strange feeling felt like a wave rushing over me after that pasted i felt shakey I didnt check my BS should have but was so tired and plus i didnt have 8pm snack I fell a sleep at 8pm i never had that happen while sleeping before kinda woried me happened

 

[onlymep]

Last night i woke up 12am with strange feeling felt like a wave rushing over me after that pasted i felt shakey I didnt check my BS should have but was so tired and plus i didnt have 8pm snack I fell a sleep at 8pm i never had that happen while sleeping before kinda woried me happened

hi Mammamoo..... it was probably a hypo you had. It's important to get into the habit of testing your BGLs... even when half asleep. I do this myself, sometimes I may actually sleep through a hypo though and I know about it as I get the liver dump happen and I usually can feel I've had a hypo too. Having a hypo at night is weird I know... it gives you that horrible spinning out/wave feeling and sometimes you're wondering if it's sleepiness or what.... but usually when I feel that way and test I'm too low. We are supposed to avoid getting hypos as they can be dangerous if left untreated. Keep your glucometer and a quick acting carb near your bed. My endo advised me to eat a quick acting carb first and then if you are not near a meal within the next 15 minutes, you then need to eat a low acting carb to keep you BGLs stable until your next meal. Yes, that sometimes means you're having to eat at some ridiculous hour... but better safe than sorry.