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Hi! Since this is the place for introductions, let me introduce myself. My name is Pam and I am a 45 year old registered nurse.
My journey with diabetes has been, I am sure very common with a lot of people. I had been monitored from a fairly young age since it runs very strongly in the female section of my family (grandmother, mother and sister). By 16 was having swings in blood sugar, mostly hypoglycemic. By the time I was 20 I was started on Glyburide for increasing blood sugar levels. Life was good on glyburide for several years. I was fairly well controlled until about the age of 30. I started having more problems with control and was apparently having resistance issues as well so I was started on metformin as well. Again, life was good for a while and I had gained control again. Over the course of the next few years my islet function declined but increasing the dosages of medication made it very manageable. By the time I hit 40 trouble began. I was increasingly having problems maintaining control and eventually was maxed out on dosages of my drugs. But again, life was good and control was mine again!
Last year I was having problems again, sugars going into the mid 200's ... doctor wanted me to start insulin but I begged for the chance to try adding Januvia before I started that. Worked great...I felt good and was once again in control. Here is where I failed myself miserably. I have to admit I grew very complacent about testing. I alwys had been able to tell when my sugar was high, so I grew lazy and only tested when I thought I was high. Finally a few months ago I was feeling really sick, tired, and started having visual problems. I finally checked my sugar and it was 430
. The inevitable day had come...my pancreas was telling me that I had kicked it around long enough and it was done.
My A1C was 12.6...no wonder I felt like I was dying. So, I now have a new endocrinologist and am desperately trying to regain control. It isnt coming easy this time and I am looking for all the help and encouragement I can get at this point!
If you are still reading after this long winded introduction, then I thank you and look forward to meeting everyone. Hopefully I can find some help here and maybe even help someone else out along the way!
My journey with diabetes has been, I am sure very common with a lot of people. I had been monitored from a fairly young age since it runs very strongly in the female section of my family (grandmother, mother and sister). By 16 was having swings in blood sugar, mostly hypoglycemic. By the time I was 20 I was started on Glyburide for increasing blood sugar levels. Life was good on glyburide for several years. I was fairly well controlled until about the age of 30. I started having more problems with control and was apparently having resistance issues as well so I was started on metformin as well. Again, life was good for a while and I had gained control again. Over the course of the next few years my islet function declined but increasing the dosages of medication made it very manageable. By the time I hit 40 trouble began. I was increasingly having problems maintaining control and eventually was maxed out on dosages of my drugs. But again, life was good and control was mine again!
Last year I was having problems again, sugars going into the mid 200's ... doctor wanted me to start insulin but I begged for the chance to try adding Januvia before I started that. Worked great...I felt good and was once again in control. Here is where I failed myself miserably. I have to admit I grew very complacent about testing. I alwys had been able to tell when my sugar was high, so I grew lazy and only tested when I thought I was high. Finally a few months ago I was feeling really sick, tired, and started having visual problems. I finally checked my sugar and it was 430
. The inevitable day had come...my pancreas was telling me that I had kicked it around long enough and it was done.My A1C was 12.6...no wonder I felt like I was dying. So, I now have a new endocrinologist and am desperately trying to regain control. It isnt coming easy this time and I am looking for all the help and encouragement I can get at this point!
If you are still reading after this long winded introduction, then I thank you and look forward to meeting everyone. Hopefully I can find some help here and maybe even help someone else out along the way!
