Diabetics, come on in

[Casper]

Last July I was diagnosed with type 2. I was 34, 6'3", and 170lbs. It was bit of a shock. My A1C was 12.1, well within the suicidal range, and my fasting level was in the mid 300s. Obviously I'd had it for a while and never knew it. After nearly a year on metformin and cutting almost all refined sugar, my A1C is down to 5.1. The only time of day I haven't been able to get my numbers into non-diabetic range is my morning fasting. It's consistently 115-150. Driving me crazy.

Anyways, when I was first diagnosed it was difficult, mentally and physically. I had wished there was someone I could talk to about it, someone in the same boat. Someone to bounce ideas and questions off. I figured most of you are like family at this point, and if anyone was in the same situation I was a year ago I'd want to help. So, if you're recently diagnosed, have had it for years, whatever, let's chat. We can chat here publicly in this thread, via PMs, whatever. 

That said, I'll get the conversation started. Glucometers suck. Anyone using the Bluetooth one from iHealth? I want to sync with my phone. Right now I test and enter the results manually. I forget all the time. Today I entered numbers since October. 

[zx3vfr]

@CrazySkullCrusher

[Helmutt]

I've got the opposite issue.  My blood sugar naturally runs on the low side, and when I don't eat often, it ends up crashing into the low 70s or high 60s.   Heart rate spikes, feel very jittery, shakes, headache sets in, then comes the tunnel vision.  I'd passed out a time or 2 from it years ago.   Makes dieting problematic sometimes since I need glucose regularly, making it difficult to keep things balanced without a ton of repetition in my diet....which is an absolute bore for a food lover.   Sadly, I can pound tons of bad foods and sweets yet my sugar would rarely peak over 150.   Most days, I simply use how I feel as a gauge to diet by, but that's definitely not a good idea.   I should monitor my sugar much closer than just a feeling everyday.   Good luck man, seems you've done right in getting your A1C way down.

[Casper]

19 minutes ago, Hellmutt said:

I've got the opposite issue.  My blood sugar naturally runs on the low side, and when I don't eat often, it ends up crashing into the low 70s or high 60s.   Heart rate spikes, feel very jittery, shakes, headache sets in, then comes the tunnel vision.  I'd passed out a time or 2 from it years ago.   Makes dieting problematic sometimes since I need glucose regularly, making it difficult to keep things balanced without a ton of repetition in my diet....which is an absolute bore for a food lover.   Sadly, I can pound tons of bad foods and sweets yet my sugar would rarely peak over 150.   Most days, I simply use how I feel as a gauge to diet by, but that's definitely not a good idea.   I should monitor my sugar much closer than just a feeling everyday.   Good luck man, seems you've done right in getting your A1C way down.

Hypoglycemia is a sign of prediabetes. I was hypoglycemic for a long time, regularly in the 60-70 range during routine physicals and such. I didn't know that was a bad thing until I was diagnosed with diabetes. FYI. 

[whaler]

I too have mild hypoglycemia and it can be very hard to control.  My weight and eating habits are certainly a factor and I need to work on that.

[Helmutt]

1 hour ago, Casper said:

Hypoglycemia is a sign of prediabetes. I was hypoglycemic for a long time, regularly in the 60-70 range during routine physicals and such. I didn't know that was a bad thing until I was diagnosed with diabetes. FYI.

Thanks!  I feel much better knowing what I have to look forward to

Did your Doc ever advise you of what could've been done prior to your stage 2 that may have made a big difference?   Or, is it just a complete and healthy diet regiment?

[2talltim]

I was Hypo for years as well. Sugar would bottom out (daily)I'd space out couldn't concentrate on anything, get the shakes(all the time) and bad migraine headaches at least once a week. Then I went on this healthy kick the last few months. I haven't had my sugar drop or even a headache or shake in 2 months now. I've lost 35 lbs to date and feel so much better. I'll admit the first few weeks were rough till my body got detox(ed) and had to adjust to not having all the carbs and sugar all the time and had to keep my physical activity to a minimum. But worth it in every way.

It was just Saturday I had a couple donuts someone brought onto work. I felt like treating myself to them as a reward. For about 4 hours I was on a sugar rush like I had never been on before and later that afternoon I had a bit of a crash. Not really a total sugar crash but I just had zero energy and all I wanted to do was sleep. So that's was enough for me to stay away from mass amounts of sugar and carbs now.

[M_Quick]

Type II

Glimepiride in am metformin in pm

[Casper]

3 hours ago, Hellmutt said:

Thanks!  I feel much better knowing what I have to look forward to

Did your Doc ever advise you of what could've been done prior to your stage 2 that may have made a big difference?   Or, is it just a complete and healthy diet regiment?

My biggest problem isn't really what I ate but when. For as long as I can remember I ate one meal a day, dinner. And I'd eat a lot for one meal. That basically fucked my entire system apparently. The doctor is probably going to take me off Metformin if my next A1C is the same or lower. Just by forcing myself to eat more regularly (and cut out sugar almost entirely, although I sneak a fun size candy bar here and there) I'm able to control the numbers. I've gone a week without taking Metformin (forgot it when I went out of town) and my numbers didn't change. There is no going back, but controlling it with diet is a hell of a lot better than drugs and possibly insulin. Salad sucks. Not drinking beer sucks (tried, fucks me up way too much now). I never want to see a carrot again. Etc... I eat more food now than I ever did, but it's spaced out throughout the day instead of at one sitting. If I were you (and anyone else in the same shoes), I'd go on a diabetic diet. It's basically the same as any other diet. Measure your servings, don't over eat, eat regularly (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack). It's amazing when you start looking at labels how much sugar our foods have. You pretty much have to go fresh food to avoid it, which really isn't all that bad if you think about it. The food tastes way better, and you know it's healthier. I was told that had I started eating healthier earlier I probably wouldn't have gotten diagnosed until much later in life. I don't think you can stop it, but I definitely think you can delay it by just eating better. Of course I'm not a doctor, so ya know... Take whatever I say with a grain of salt. 

[Helmutt]

22 minutes ago, Casper said:

My biggest problem isn't really what I ate but when. For as long as I can remember I ate one meal a day, dinner. And I'd eat a lot for one meal. That basically fucked my entire system apparently. The doctor is probably going to take me off Metformin if my next A1C is the same or lower. Just by forcing myself to eat more regularly (and cut out sugar almost entirely, although I sneak a fun size candy bar here and there) I'm able to control the numbers. I've gone a week without taking Metformin (forgot it when I went out of town) and my numbers didn't change. There is no going back, but controlling it with diet is a hell of a lot better than drugs and possibly insulin. Salad sucks. Not drinking beer sucks (tried, fucks me up way too much now). I never want to see a carrot again. Etc... I eat more food now than I ever did, but it's spaced out throughout the day instead of at one sitting. If I were you (and anyone else in the same shoes), I'd go on a diabetic diet. It's basically the same as any other diet. Measure your servings, don't over eat, eat regularly (breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack). It's amazing when you start looking at labels how much sugar our foods have. You pretty much have to go fresh food to avoid it, which really isn't all that bad if you think about it. The food tastes way better, and you know it's healthier. I was told that had I started eating healthier earlier I probably wouldn't have gotten diagnosed until much later in life. I don't think you can stop it, but I definitely think you can delay it by just eating better. Of course I'm not a doctor, so ya know... Take whatever I say with a grain of salt. 

Answered as I expected.   And in our defense, the wife and I have been eating fairly healthy the last few months again.  Raw vegs and salad, fresh fruit ( 1 apple, or banana, or orange - I need some sort of glucose ), most always fish or turkey for dinner ( very occasional lean beef ), typically a vitality trailmix as a snack between breakfast/lunch/dinner.  All virtually daily.  We do cheat on occasion at a restaurant or family gigs, but those can usually be counted on 1 hand each month.   I portion my intake within reason when I do eat.  I eat every few hours throughout the day from the short list above, followed by a dinner that is most generally healthy.

My biggest hurdle is extra curricular physical activities in the winter months.  I loathe the cold, but I tolerate it at work since I'm paid to do so, and my job can be considerably physical - leaving the cold evenings as my warm, relaxed, shutdown time.  Hence, why my hibernation fat stores ALWAYS come back.  Common for me to gain 30-40 pounds while it snows.  I can shed it, but it takes a lot.  Cant even rent a metabolism anymore at my age.  The extra weight is surely a big contributor.  I've carried at 300 pounds for about 20 of the last 25 years ( made a huge loss in my later 20s happen during a life change, but 4 years later it was all back ) and the better control I can get of my diet and exercise, surely the more my body's natural balance will take over again.  

I really just need to get motivated, and in a butt fierce hurry.

13 minutes ago, Isaac's Papa said:

Eating out is terrible. Even "healthy" alternatives are full of sugar. It's cheaper and better for you to cook your own food. It's a drag, but only because we've trained ourselves to think cramming our lives with every single minute consumed with a time/energy sink is a good thing. 

Till yourself a small corner garden and grow some vegetables. Make it something you do to get outside and away from work and chores. Turn it into something you look forward to, instead of "yet another time sink".

If anything deserves to be a priority, it should be your food consumption. Would you put 87 octane in your Triumph? Why put that shit in your body? Make yourself important, because your family thinks you are and they need you to be healthy. 

Absolutely true.   The older I get, the more I understand why health nuts are the way they are.  When I was younger, I'd mock people eating salad at a steakhouse.  Anymore, I consider those same menu items vs the more delicous choices - sometimes I win, sometimes my love of food wins.  But, I'm seriously getting ever closer to what fatty's who've lost weight call "my time".   

[Anden]

Changed my eating habits at the begining of the year. Partialy fell off the wagon though. Some of the stuff I used to eat makes me feel horrible when I have it now.

And fuck me if reading this thread doesn't explain  some of the head aches and feeling like shit I have been having. Candy makes it go awaythough, thought it was withdrawls. Going to get a doctors appointment here soon I guess. 

[max power]

I wonder if that's what is happening occasionally when I space out in the afternoon. Feels like falling asleep but I always catch myself and sometimes its jolting. 

[M_Quick]

I wonder if that's what is happening occasionally when I space out in the afternoon. Feels like falling asleep but I always catch myself and sometimes its jolting. 

Naw that's your after lunch joint kicking in. But for real sounds like sleep aphnea

[Strictly Street]

I hear you on the issue. From what little I know about it diet seems to be a major factor. Also weight, which is also a byproduct of diet.

Firstly at least 3 if not 5 meals a day. Not big ones but at least something for the body to work with. Avoid "Starvation or Hibernate" modes.

Cut carbs and avoid white bread like a plague. Stop soda pop even if it claims to be diet or low calorie. Increase fiber in the diet.

Still on the fence over beer although alcohol does metabolize as a sugar.

Exercise alone will not help you loose weight. A pizza after a workout makes the workout pretty pointless. Being a little hungry all the time is the key.

Cuts in A1C can be done in just a couple of months doing this. Which is pretty cool since A1C is supposed to be a three month averaging kind of number.

Hope this helps.

More tips here: http://www.diabetes.org/

[blue03636]

For those looking to diet this seams like a pretty solid book.

 

http://www.pcrm.org/shop/byNealBarnard/dr-barnards-program-for-reversing-diabetes

[Bad324]

19 hours ago, Casper said:

Not drinking beer sucks 

My condolences. I had some tests done for my annual physical and my wife seems to think the elevated liver enzyme issue is worse than it is and keeps trying to get me to give up beer

[hiro]

People have been known to cure themselves of insulin resistance. Exercise is probably a key ingredient. Exercise also causes new capillaries to form, improving blood flow. Do research and be proactive. Don't accept the diagnosis as fate. 

[Gixxus Christ!]

Don't sweat your daily numbers, what's important is that a1c. Fuck your fasting, mine is usually 140-165 but my a1c is 5.9. Under 7 is good for a diabetic. Just keep doing what you're doing.

[Casper]

Anyone taking Januvia? 

[jbot]

I'm smoking crack. It's helping. 

[serpentracer]

not much help with anything unless you need advise about blood pressure lol  since you were sharing I'll go.   I went to an emergency clinic last christmas (2016) because my vision was getting worse for no apparent reason. my BP was 180/150!  tried about 6 different pills so far with no good results.  stays 150/95.  the kind of work but can't bring it into normal range.  there is 1 pill that works but for some reason they never let me keep taking it.  it's called Norvasc.  it brings it down in minutes and is what the hospital gave me.

anyway, I know a diabetic he went to the Dr for swelling in his foot.  the nurse cut it to relieve the swelling and he didn't stop her.   well that was 3 years ago and he is still in a wheelchair and gets a new bandage put on it every few days.    don't let your feet get cut up!!

Edited January 10, 2018 by serpentracer

[Casper]

It’s been a while, but wanted to share an update. I’m not type 2. I’m type 1, or 1.5 (LADA) to be specific. I have very high GAD antibodies, meaning it’s autoimmune. I started insulin a few weeks ago and feel like a freaking rockstar. Sure wish the docs would’ve got it right at the beginning.