[mich]

I have been lurking since my diagnosis about a month ago. I suspected for a while that I had diabetes, but was in denial, and avoided getting tested. After getting to a doctor, diagnosis was confirmed, with a 136 FBG at A1c of 7.7. My doctor sent me home with a script for Metformin (1000 mg/2x day), and advice to avoid white food, and return in 3 months for a new A1c.
That wasn't enough for me, so I returned a week later to ask for a script for a meter. She gave me one, but only 100 strips. I have burned through more than 60 already. Levels are ranging from 105-135. I haven't gotten as low as some, but my carbs are drastically cut, down to about 50g/day. I have lost 12 pounds (230 down to 218), and am exercising about 5 days/week (45 minutes of walk/jog).
I work full-time, have a 2.5 year old, and am just trying to do the best I can to take care of me. Looking forward to getting to know everyone, and having a place to vent. I am really still angry, and have a lot of guilt and shame about bringing this on myslef. Hoping to work through that.

 

[Shanny]

Hello Mich . . . good to meet you!

One thing is for sure - you did NOT bring this on yourself. So you can deep-six the guilt/shame and concentrate your energy & anger on beating this beast at its own game. We're here to help with that! You've got a splendid head start - congratulations!

 

[Rosa]

I have been lurking since my diagnosis about a month ago. I suspected for a while that I had diabetes, but was in denial, and avoided getting tested. After getting to a doctor, diagnosis was confirmed, with a 136 FBG at A1c of 7.7. My doctor sent me home with a script for Metformin (1000 mg/2x day), and advice to avoid white food, and return in 3 months for a new A1c.
That wasn't enough for me, so I returned a week later to ask for a script for a meter. She gave me one, but only 100 strips. I have burned through more than 60 already. Levels are ranging from 105-135. I haven't gotten as low as some, but my carbs are drastically cut, down to about 50g/day. I have lost 12 pounds (230 down to 218), and am exercising about 5 days/week (45 minutes of walk/jog).
I work full-time, have a 2.5 year old, and am just trying to do the best I can to take care of me. Looking forward to getting to know everyone, and having a place to vent. I am really still angry, and have a lot of guilt and shame about bringing this on myslef. Hoping to work through that.

You sound like me! Nobody wants to face the fact that they can't eat what they want.

Rosa

 

[moon]

Welcome to the forum, Mitch. I admit to struggling with the guilt as well, though am working on it. This helped me a lot:

You Did NOT Eat Your Way to Diabetes!

You've done a great job coming out of denial! I mean - once you come out, you do emerge don't you? Wonderful progress.

Testing strips - it's shameful how stingy docs are with these - I'll never understand it. Saying you 'burned through' 100 in a month means you were responsibly taking care of yourself.

My doc gave me a script for 2/day after I harangued him into it. Then the next month, when I had made progress, I told him I wanted him to partner with me to manage this,and part of that was preventative via more strips. He relented and now I have a script for 4/day. Don't give up!

Welcome aboard.

 

[Shanny]

My doc gave me a script for 2/day after I harangued him into it. Then the next month, when I had made progress, I told him I wanted him to partner with me to manage this,and part of that was preventative via more strips. He relented and now I have a script for 4/day.

You're one slippery customer . . . er . . . patient . . . er . . . determined diabetic!

 

[Shalynne]

Welcome, Mich! :welcome:

You've got a great doc! Sound diet advice and immediate meds.

Better still, you've got great instincts. You caught it before much damage was done. And most of us are test-strip burners, given a chance!

You did not bring this on yourself. Uncontrollable hunger -- and any obesity that may result -- may well be early symptoms, not causes. Plus, for many of us, there's genetics.

Glad you found us! You'll find lots of info and support here.

 

[Patdart]

I gave up and bought WM's Relion meter and my strips myself and now can test as often as I want. Medicare be damned with their rules...this is my life...I saw the play in NYC some many years ago with MTM as lead...called Who's Life is This Anyway and it changed my perspective. So, I can burn thru as many as I see fit...and not have to answer to any one to provide for me.

I feel no guilt as I apparently have the genes for this condition and it helped me tremendously to read that I got fat because of diabetes (and, I admit, my own lack of care), but not because I caused this myself. A good friend has lung cancer but she's not smoked for 25 or more years, and she's blaming herself.

We did what we knew to do, with all the knowledge we had at the time, and some decisions were not good, but we can't go back, only forward.

You aren't to blame...

 

[mich]

Thank you all so much for the replies. I admit, I cried when I read that piece about genetics. My father is diabetic (and maybe 10 pounds overweight, if that), and my mother is prediabetic with high triglycerides at a bit underweight. I just have to balance, I guess, because I have definitely not taken care of myself very well, especially since having my baby. But, I just got back from my morning exercise, no excuses.
A few questions, maybe someone can help with. None of my numbers ever go below 100. The highest number I have seen on my meter is 150, after a cupcake So, no horrible spikes, but no normal readings, either. Do those numbers start to go down as the weight comes of? Is it possible that I have more going on than just insulin resistance, since my body seems to want to "set" around 115? What else can I do?
Thanks again, I have answered many questions by reading through old threads. You all are a wealth of knowledge (and inspiration). Time for me to end my pity party!

 

[onlymep]

welcome Mich yeah it's hard to take it all in and make changes when you are newly diagnosed. You're basically continue learning all the time just like everything in life. With your concern about high BGLs... focus on improving your diet to start with and see how you go. Many here advocate low carb/high fat diets. Try what works best for you. Personally I stick to low GI carbs and small portions rather than average servings. Learn about the Glycemic Index which will help you understand what carbs are better. But every one of us is different with what we can tolerate and some can eat more carbs than others. You need to experiment for yourself and try and find what works for you. I'm sure you will find this a great place for support and info. Keep us posted on how you're doing.

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Michael, welcome to DF

Yes, continued weight loss will Lowry your numbers. Just remember to throw away that cupcake next time. There's no longer a need for you to eat crap like that anymore.

Throw away everything white, and start to discontinue eating as much man made crap as you can.

 

[breezeonby]

I have been lurking since my diagnosis about a month ago. I suspected for a while that I had diabetes, but was in denial, and avoided getting tested. After getting to a doctor, diagnosis was confirmed, with a 136 FBG at A1c of 7.7. My doctor sent me home with a script for Metformin (1000 mg/2x day), and advice to avoid white food, and return in 3 months for a new A1c.
That wasn't enough for me, so I returned a week later to ask for a script for a meter. She gave me one, but only 100 strips. I have burned through more than 60 already. Levels are ranging from 105-135. I haven't gotten as low as some, but my carbs are drastically cut, down to about 50g/day. I have lost 12 pounds (230 down to 218), and am exercising about 5 days/week (45 minutes of walk/jog).
I work full-time, have a 2.5 year old, and am just trying to do the best I can to take care of me. Looking forward to getting to know everyone, and having a place to vent. I am really still angry, and have a lot of guilt and shame about bringing this on myslef. Hoping to work through that.

Hello and welcome to the forum! There is a wealth of information on here so read what interests you. If you can't find something, go to the forum page and type in the box what you are looking for. I hope you have time to visit often. If you need more than 2 strips a day to test, Walmart sells their brand for for cheap. Testing as much as you need to, will give you valuable information. Good luck!

 

[mich]

Thanks again for the welcomes. The cupcakes are definitely out of the plan, I am not proud of myself for that. I am trying to add some berries in, as I really miss my fruit. I had 1/2 cup with lunch today, and was at 122 two hours after my meal. I also did pretty well with the same amount of cherries, so I think I will stick with strawerries and cherries for my treats, and definitely avoid the cupcakes.
I hope that I can embrace this the way that most of you have, and try to stop feeling so sorry for myself. It is a huge wake call.

 

[SufeeGuy]

Michael, welcome to DF

Yes, continued weight loss will Lowry your numbers. Just remember to throw away that cupcake next time. There's no longer a need for you to eat crap like that anymore.

Throw away everything white, and start to discontinue eating as much man made crap as you can.

Yes, well I learnt that the hard way today. I tried to "test" myself. I ate three small cream puffs (the kind you get in Costco) - total carbs 8.5 grams. I went from 100 to 130 in an hour. And I felt sick. After all these weeks of low carb my body cannot handle crap like this anymore. I don't ever want to touch that stuff again - and I used to *love* having them.

Just goes to show that you can adapt your body to dislike crap, like it truly should!

 

[Rosa]

Yes, well I learnt that the hard way today. I tried to "test" myself. I ate three small cream puffs (the kind you get in Costco) - total carbs 8.5 grams. I went from 100 to 130 in an hour. And I felt sick. After all these weeks of low carb my body cannot handle crap like this anymore. I don't ever want to touch that stuff again - and I used to *love* having them.

Just goes to show that you can adapt your body to dislike crap, like it truly should!

If I'd done that, my sugar would have definitely registered at least 350, maybe even in the 400's. You say you felt sick. This is weird - my sugar has been in the 500's many times (not now - I'm taking much better care of myself yet I have to try even harder) and even topped 600 three times in a month and a half. The strange thing is I had ZERO symptoms - not even the thirst, and I know from past experience what that feels like. I don't want symptoms, believe me, but the only time I get them is when my sugar goes below about 75 and then I feel horrible!

Has anyone here had their sugar go that high? Some of you probably have, I'm guessing. Also, Novolog works very well for me; it will bring my sugar down in a short time. I also take glipizide, metformin and Lantus SoloStar.

I'm quite certain this won't happen, but if a cure for diabetes is found during my lifetime, my first words will be: Bring on the chocolate cake!

 

[SufeeGuy]

Hi Rosa,

Wow. Your BG would go up 300 points with 8 grams of fast acting carbs? That does sound very unusual! From what I remember from Dr. B's book, even if you make no insulin, 1 gram of carb should elevate your BGs by about 5 points.

I used to have BGs in the late 400s for a few days after diagnosis (and I am sure much higher all the while i went undiagnosed). But I quickly clamped down and went ultra low carb. That seemed to work well - so far at least.

How are you trying to control your BGs, besides the meds? What kind of diet, exercise?

 

[Rosa]

Hi Rosa,

Wow. Your BG would go up 300 points with 8 grams of fast acting carbs? That does sound very unusual! From what I remember from Dr. B's book, even if you make no insulin, 1 gram of carb should elevate your BGs by about 5 points.

I used to have BGs in the late 400s for a few days after diagnosis (and I am sure much higher all the while i went undiagnosed). But I quickly clamped down and went ultra low carb. That seemed to work well - so far at least.

How are you trying to control your BGs, besides the meds? What kind of diet, exercise?

I may not be correct about it going that high, but it wouldn't surprise me. The poster went from 100-130 if I remember accurately; I don't think that's bad at all. I'll have to chart my levels to know my readings better.

I can't exercise, and I used to love walking - walked 2 miles every single day no matter what the weather. I took off all excess weight and stuck to a rigid diet, only ate certain things. Then my gallbladder went. The doc I'd been going to misdiagnosed it for about a year, and the surgeon told me I'd been about a week to 10 days from going into a coma and dying. I was SIX hours in surgery due to the complications. Needless to say, the doc who misdiagnosed me is no longer my doctor!

I have polymyalgia rheumatic (PMR), a rare but non-threatening muscle disease. It will never go away, but it's not totally unheard of that it has in a few cases. It's extremely painful and I often can't walk without my walker. I have one of those Jazzy's and also a wheelchair. When I first developed this disease about 3 yrs ago, I was completely bedridden for 4 months. I have a hospital bed here at home and it's the only place I can truly get comfortable. I have some fairly good days though, but I can never do stairs. When I first saw my son's & his wife's home (4 floors!) they bought a few months ago, my husband had to help me with every single step. The pain was excruciating and I was still hurting badly the next day. I have fallen many times & that's a terrifying feeling. I'm in (almost) constant pain, but at least I can walk around the house now fairly well. Our home is one floor, thankfully. Gosh, I've rambled again! Thank you for posting to me and now you have some knowledge of what PMR is and how limiting it can be. Nevertheless, I'm a very happy person, in spite of the fact that I'm a Major Depressive. In between bouts of that, I get much joy out of life and find life itself to be quite fascinating. Take care and I look forward to getting to know you and all the others here better.

Rosa

 

[Rosa]

Oh, I meant to say that when my gallbladder went, I was given "real food" in the hospital, after having been on a strict diet for about a year. It was a diabetic diet, but they gave me things I'd simply stopped eating. It was so good that when I came home and slept on the couch for 2 weeks (my husband was on vacation at the time - poor guy had to spend it taking care of me) I got into enjoying food again and there went my diet!

Rosa

 

[onlymep]

Has anyone here had their sugar go that high? Some of you probably have, I'm guessing.

The highest I've seen on my meter is 19.8 (357) and that was over a year ago and I freaked out. I perhaps have been higher than that though years back as I wasn't testing constantly when I was first diagnosed as they used to advise to only test a couple of times a week back then. I don't like going high and I don't like going low either. It was just over a year ago that I heard that there was such a level as 54 (972) in children. It's sometimes difficult to get BGLs to balance out right.

 

[moon]

... and even topped 600 three times in a month and a half. The strange thing is I had ZERO symptoms - not even the thirst, and I know from past experience what that feels like.

Our body gets used to gradually-increasing blood sugar, which I'm guessing is why you felt no symptoms. You probably have run high a lot.

My blood sugar was over 600 at diagnosis and I was extremely ill. I kept no food down for over a week beforehand, was drinking apple cider, carrot juice, and fresh oj (feeding the beast like crazy!) and had many symptoms (holding onto walls to walk, vision issues, collapsed in the front yard one night, etc) I had had 2 bad viruses before dx, and I'm thinking my high levels came on much quicker over the couple of months prior. Maybe I was running in the 200's-300's for some time and didn't know it.

 

[Rosa]

The highest I've seen on my meter is 19.8 (357) and that was over a year ago and I freaked out. I perhaps have been higher than that though years back as I wasn't testing constantly when I was first diagnosed as they used to advise to only test a couple of times a week back then. I don't like going high and I don't like going low either. It was just over a year ago that I heard that there was such a level as 54 (972) in children. It's sometimes difficult to get BGLs to balance out right.

The highest mine was - 13 or 15, I forget. Doctor told me it was terrible and of course it was.

I'm so dumb with numbers - I prefer to use the regular number system, if I said that right. You know, 100, 250, whatever the case. I can't understand the other way of counting.

Hugs,
Rosa