[Alancarl]

Hello -
I was diagnosed Type II in June 2003. I had been sooo thirsty for months before that I would consume a liter of orange juice once or twice a day. I was making myself sicker and sicker. Well, I no longer drink orange juice. But I do sneak a thimble-full now and again.
I'm a 65-year-old ex New Yorker living in Connecticut with my BW. It's nice to be here, among friends.

 

[Shanny]

We're glad to have you here too! Tell us more about how you manage your diabetes, besides restricting your OJ to an occasional thimbleful!

Hello -
I was diagnosed Type II in June 2003. I had been sooo thirsty for months before that I would consume a liter of orange juice once or twice a day. I was making myself sicker and sicker. Well, I no longer drink orange juice. But I do sneak a thimble-full now and again.
I'm a 65-year-old ex New Yorker living in Connecticut with my BW. It's nice to be here, among friends.

 

[Alancarl]

Thanks, Shanny - I, too, limit carbs. But since I love bread and pasta, it's hard to be a good boy all the time. Only whole grains, of course.
I also take 5 mg Glipizide x2. My last A1c was 6.3, and that's my usual number. I lost both my brother and my mother to side effects of diabetes, and I think this more than anything else drives my compliance.

 

[breezeonby]

Hello -
I was diagnosed Type II in June 2003. I had been sooo thirsty for months before that I would consume a liter of orange juice once or twice a day. I was making myself sicker and sicker. Well, I no longer drink orange juice. But I do sneak a thimble-full now and again.
I'm a 65-year-old ex New Yorker living in Connecticut with my BW. It's nice to be here, among friends.

Hello Alancarl and :welcome:. Come on in and get comfortable :couch2:
I like orange juice too but I don't get a spike right away from drinking it. It is not good for me to drink that for low blood sugar. Tell us more about your diabetes and how you manage it. Are you on any medications? I hope you will visit often and take care.

 

[RobertIA]

None of us want to be members of this club, but welcome. You have had yours a few months longer than me. I am a type 2 on insulin, but this was my choice because I would not accept oral medications because of the side-effects. \

Ask questions and participate where you are comfortable. Keep your positive attitude.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Welcome Alan!

 

[onlymep]

Welcome Alan I'm type 2 on insulin... that's because I have to be (not a choice thing). Not fun sometimes having diabetes, but having a positive attitude makes a difference.

 

[jwags]

Welcome to DF Alan. I grew up in NY and went to grad school in Connecticut. Many moves later we now live in Ohio. I am also a Type 2 on medication. I was a former carbaholic and I guess still a carbaholic. I now know I have to stay away from most grains, pastas, breads, etc. It is a pain but I know through testing my bg that is the best way to stay close to 100 most of the day. Glad you found us.

 

[Alancarl]

Thanks for the greeting. I look forward to learning more about living with diabetes and sharing my experiences with the group.

 

[Alancarl]

Hi!

Thanks for the greeting. I too love carbs - NYC kaiser rolls, yummy! And the bagels! And of course my beloved orange juice! But that was the past, and today I'm looking for good health, fewer carbs, and delicious foods that fit my lifestyle. As far as the numbers go, I really don't feel well at 100 - I think my natural is more like 120 - or at least that's when I feel best. Doc says that's okay, everyone's different. Anyway, what I need to do is exercise, but hat's for another post. Good luck, and see you around the boads jwags!

Welcome to DF Alan. I grew up in NY and went to grad school in Connecticut. Many moves later we now live in Ohio. I am also a Type 2 on medication. I was a former carbaholic and I guess still a carbaholic. I now know I have to stay away from most grains, pastas, breads, etc. It is a pain but I know through testing my bg that is the best way to stay close to 100 most of the day. Glad you found us.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Hi!
As far as the numbers go, I really don't feel well at 100 - I think my natural is more like 120 - or at least that's when I feel best. Doc says that's okay, everyone's different.

the reason you dont feel well at 100 is most likely because your body is used to being over 200 all the time

while 120 isnt bad, in my opinion it really is in your best interest to have it under 100 most of the time.

aim lower, it's for the best

 

[Alancarl]

Thanks TBP - Good point, and you're probably correct. It's interesting that with all the research, studies, money spent, etc., no one can say for sure what the scientific answer is. No testing is available to target one's individual ideal number. Nothing's available that tracks damage to the body at various levels for variable lengths of time, based on sex, age, length of disease, etc. No doctor can tell me for sure whether damage is being done at 120. And if I'm wrong I would love to see the data. These are the very questions I put to my doctor within a month of diagnosis in 2003, and I have not yet seen scientific data that address my concerns. Since there is no data, I really appreciate the input you provided, and I certainly would welcome more.

the reason you dont feel well at 100 is most likely because your body is used to being over 200 all the time

while 120 isnt bad, in my opinion it really is in your best interest to have it under 100 most of the time.

aim lower, it's for the best

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Alan,

Stick around, there are some really good people here, from all over the world no less!

its a nice little community we have here and its nice to have a place to come and learn/vent/rant/etc because lets be honest, people WITHOUT diabetes cannot understand what people WITH diabetes are going through on a day to day basis. that goes for the medical profession, friends, family and loved ones as well.

 

[Alancarl]

Wow, I just noticed you reduced your weight dramatically. Congratulations! I did the same, but I just needed to lose 20 pounds - 170 to 150. Piece of cake - er, celery. See you around the boards.

Alan,

Stick around, there are some really good people here, from all over the world no less!

its a nice little community we have here and its nice to have a place to come and learn/vent/rant/etc because lets be honest, people WITHOUT diabetes cannot understand what people WITH diabetes are going through on a day to day basis. that goes for the medical profession, friends, family and loved ones as well.

 

[beefy]

Wow, I just noticed you reduced your weight dramatically. Congratulations! I did the same, but I just needed to lose 20 pounds - 170 to 150. Piece of cake - er, celery. See you around the boards.

[email protected] piece of celery

Welcome also! And I agree with TBP ... when I first started cutting my carbs my normal daytime sugars were hovering in the 180-300 range ... I felt like CRAP for around 10 days, mostly because I wasn't getting enough carbs from healthy sources. I wasn't getting enough carbs at all (I originally made the mistake of cutting virtually all carbs, the first few days was less than 15-20 a day)

Once I increased my non-starchy veggies and lower-GI/GL fruits to compensate for some of the lost starchy/grainy carbs, things got much better. I now eat about 60-80g of carb a day, mostly from fruits and veggies, but very occasionally from a low-carb/high-fiber bread or tortilla...

 

[Shanny]

As you say, many studies have been done, and apparently subsequently ignored. I'm sure the docs don't read BloodSugar101, but the research is out there if they cared to look. Janet Ruhl has cited several of them on her website: Research Connecting Organ Damage with Blood Sugar Level. Most of us have found much better information on BS101 than anything offered by the ADA, USDA or the AMA.

Thanks TBP - Good point, and you're probably correct. It's interesting that with all the research, studies, money spent, etc., no one can say for sure what the scientific answer is. No testing is available to target one's individual ideal number. Nothing's available that tracks damage to the body at various levels for variable lengths of time, based on sex, age, length of disease, etc. No doctor can tell me for sure whether damage is being done at 120. And if I'm wrong I would love to see the data. These are the very questions I put to my doctor within a month of diagnosis in 2003, and I have not yet seen scientific data that address my concerns. Since there is no data, I really appreciate the input you provided, and I certainly would welcome more.

 

[Alancarl]

Hi Beefy, thanks for writing! Would you stop with those Alberta Clippers already? - they're killing us in the Northeast USA Actually, I think most of our snow is forming to the south, but see what you can do for us up there in the great land of Canada (where I once worked and liked, and learned much about, the people. You do love your beer and hockey up there!).

Thanks for your input - the more I read and write, the more I learn. I've been taking glipizide for several years, seems to work for me, but recently I had to go over to insulin to combat increased BG readings as a result of a series of spinal epidurals for back pain. That's shots in the back, of course. These shots are steroids, and they wreak havoc with BG levels, and I can only control it with insulin. It's an example of how we must be vigilant all the time for changes in our body's ability to handle new lifestyle choices, medications, etc. Thanks for writing - be healthy!

[email protected] piece of celery

Welcome also! And I agree with TBP ... when I first started cutting my carbs my normal daytime sugars were hovering in the 180-300 range ... I felt like CRAP for around 10 days, mostly because I wasn't getting enough carbs from healthy sources. I wasn't getting enough carbs at all (I originally made the mistake of cutting virtually all carbs, the first few days was less than 15-20 a day)

Once I increased my non-starchy veggies and lower-GI/GL fruits to compensate for some of the lost starchy/grainy carbs, things got much better. I now eat about 60-80g of carb a day, mostly from fruits and veggies, but very occasionally from a low-carb/high-fiber bread or tortilla...

 

[Alancarl]

Thanks for your note and the links, Shanny! I admit I've been very weak at searching for data and information about diabetes. So after seven years it's time I started asking some questions. The links look very promising, and it was kind of you to post them.

As you say, many studies have been done, and apparently subsequently ignored. I'm sure the docs don't read BloodSugar101, but the research is out there if they cared to look. Janet Ruhl has cited several of them on her website: Research Connecting Organ Damage with Blood Sugar Level. Most of us have found much better information on BS101 than anything offered by the ADA, USDA or the AMA.

 

[Alancarl]

Well, Shanny, I've had a chance to at least peruse these studies and based on what I'm reading, I'm afraid I'll only be a short-term member of this forum because I will be dead within the month. Fasting 100 and post meal 140 mg/dl? No, I don't think so. My wake-up BG is usually 160. And this for seven years. BTW, my A1c is pretty consistent at 6.2-6.4. But if these studies are correct and not flawed, my outlook is grim.

 

[Shanny]

Your future isn't as grim as you think, and it is possible to get our BG to lower levels. The thing that IS going to kill us by the inch is running high all the time, and before we finally die of high blood sugar, we'll go blind, lose our kidney function and prob'ly a few toes if not our feet/legs.

Of course doctors would keep us running high, because an instant death from LOW blood sugar looks very bad on THEIR records. But what do they care that it takes us twenty or thirty years to die from HIGH blood sugars? No jury in the world could blame that on the docs, and by then they'll have a shiny Mercedes in their spacious heated garages anyhow.

(okay - rant over - sarcasm font off )