Diabetic anyone?

[Hollylane]

A month or so ago, during pre-op, I received the third degree about my blood sugar being around 270, and my refusal to take any meds. I told the nurse, Grace, that I had not been behaving myself, but that I know how to fix it, and that I would. Grace gave me her email address, and said that if I was so sure I could fix it without medication, I could email her my morning blood sugar average weekly. She was just certain that I couldn't accomplish this and lowering my blood pressure, without the long list of meds recommended by the association.

I got back on track with my diet and exercise after that conversation, and as of this morning, it is down to 158. With just a little more effort, I am certain that I can get it down to 100 by the the end of April. Additionally, my blood pressure has returned to a normal average.

I just sent off an email, with a smirk on my face. I ended the email, thanking her for her concern, but what I really wanted to end it with was..."In your face, Grace!"

[VeganDebbie]

First time stumbling across this thread. I am a Type one Diabetic, been one for 35 years..........

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by VeganDebbie

First time stumbling across this thread. I am a Type one Diabetic, been one for 35 years..........

I am a Vegan/no oil eater...just found out I am severely Vitamin D lacking and have been put on a once a week pill for 8 weeks. I mention this because vitamin D can also affect Diabetes and other health issues like heart disease and bone/muscle/memory problems.

[JustBeingMe]

I"m diabetic and having been put on metformin, I've been able to control my bloodsugar level better. I also have high blood pressure that I was recently put on meds for.
I was put on abilify for my mood because of my depression several months ago and it's caused me to gain 15 pounds since Oct. I am now changing my eating habits more and more to be more of the lowcarb meals. Because a diet high in carbs can be a huge no no for me.
I would suggest that you pick up a Diabetic Living Low Carb magazine or check out the website. They have some very delicious high protein low carb recipes for you that you may like. It's also a good idea to even try weight watchers meetings is what my doctor said, they can help you learn more about nutrition wise what foods you can intake and help you with portion control. I don't have an issue with portion control so much as what I can afford to purchase to eat and get bored eating the same foods all the time. So my dad, bein an insulin dependent diabetic, helped me learn some things as well, like stayin off bread and potatoes which starches that your body turns to sugar and other carbs that aren't good for me. He also bought me the diabetic living low carb cookbook magazine for me to try some new recipes.

I have trouble exercising because of my discs being ruptured in my back, but now that it's warmer outdoors, I tend to walk as much as I am able during the day for exercise that I can tolerate, outdoors. I also have a low vit. D level for which I take 5000 IU"s a day to keep my level up, doctor ordered over the counter vitamin. I also drink milk more than I used to.
There is also a high protein low carb thread too, here's the link that you can get some information from as well for diet change : LINKYLOO

[Loren_Q]

Yup, that would be me too.

When my doctor told me she said I was in an uncommon category. I wasn't overweight, I exercised regularly, ate well (lots of veg, not so much meat) and, other than fruit, didn't often eat sweets. My dad was also type II, he was thin but muscular and pretty much a vegetarian, so it looks like genetics played the biggest role for me.

The doc wanted to start me on medication because I was already doing most of the lifestyle changes recommended. But I didn't want to go that route.

So I changed my exercise to more weight training and started keeping a closer eye on what I eat and when I eat it.

The hardest part was not eating fruit on an empty stomach. Fruit is my favorite snack, but now I eat some healthy fat/protein before I chomp on whatever fruit is in season. Usually some type of nut butter that will go well.

When I changed the exercise and what/when I eat, my fasting blood sugar dropped to a consistent 110 (from 120). BTW I do fasting blood sugar because I had a few years of existing records.

The the end of last year I made 3 changes and now my fasting blood sugar is consistently 101.

Those 3 changes were:
-Increasing my vitamin D
-Adding a niacinamide supplement
-started using e-cigs for smoking cessation.

I have no idea if any (or all or some combination) is what really made me turn the corner, but whatever it is, I'm just going to stay the course.

[VeganDebbie]

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

I am a Vegan/no oil eater...just found out I am severely Vitamin D lacking and have been put on a once a week pill for 8 weeks. I mention this because vitamin D can also affect Diabetes and other health issues like heart disease and bone/muscle/memory problems.

Ironically my vitamin intake is normal; according to my Dr. I do take a multi-vitamin, and 2 cinnamon pills daily.

[Hollylane]

Here it is, the end of April. I did not make my goal, but I have brought down my average fasting blood sugar a bit more, to 135. I suspect that the reason that I did not reach my goal, was because for nearly 2 weeks this month, I was not able to exercise, due to pain/medication related to my gastroparesis. I haven't given up yet, not by a long shot. I'm feeling much better now, and am back on the warpath.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by Hollylane

Here it is, the end of April. I did not make my goal, but I have brought down my average fasting blood sugar a bit more, to 135. I suspect that the reason that I did not reach my goal, was because for nearly 2 weeks this month, I was not able to exercise, due to pain/medication related to my gastroparesis. I haven't given up yet, not by a long shot. I'm feeling much better now, and am back on the warpath.

I'm not a doctor...far from it.

That being said, even small elevations of blood sugar long-term can do serious harm to your blood vessels, kidneys and nervous system. I wish i had practiced better monitoring, because having a heart attack at 40, and a triple bypass at 46, i learned the hard way that there are far worse things than taking a mild pill to keep the sugar under 100, which is more like the recommended number.

Good luck to you whichever way you choose to go, as it will probably be something you have to work hard at your whole life.

Blessings, Cindy

[Hollylane]

Thank you for you input Cindy, and I do appreciate your concern. I'm sorry that you have experienced those major health issues. You're right, monitoring is extremely important, and something I am diligent about.

Forgive me, but I am passionate about this topic, because it is something I have to think about on a daily basis. So, I tend to go on about it, because I have spent so much time, effort, sweat, blood, and tears on the ongoing project that is my health.

I'm assuming that the mild pill you're talking about is Metformin. Metformin generally does not cause side effects for most users, and works well to reduce blood sugar in most type 2 diabetics. For me, it did nothing to reduce my blood sugar, and was responsible for an immediate acute case of pancreatitis, which resulted in pancreatic lesions, and a lovely extended hospital stay. I also had severe adverse reactions to the general regimen prescribed by most primary care doctors (commonly prescribed by physicians under group health care programs) for Type 2 diabetics (statin drugs when there was no evidence of high cholesterol, and blood pressure meds prescribed with no history of high blood pressure).

At one point, my blood sugars averaged somewhere around 370, but through very hard work, better management (through extensive self advocacy, research into my condition, and finally locating a rare specialist) of my gastroparesis, I was averaging a 95 blood sugar for more than 3 years. The diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes was even removed from my health records until just recently.

I have had recent issues with the progression of my gastroparesis, surgical recovery, and the associated small amount of weight gain from inactivity following those surgeries. Then I had issues with my body adjusting while I attempted vegetarianism (due to how I feel about the horror that is the meat industry), and then realizing a better option for my health, would be pescatarianism.

Since putting my nose back to the exercise grindstone (as often as possible, with as much effort as possible), and adjusting my diet to suit my health needs, I have, once again, made very significant progress in bringing my blood sugar down without medication, and the extra weight has begun to drop off again.

As long as I am able to do this, my doctor agrees wholeheartedly with me, about staying away from any and all diabetic medications. He tells me that he admires my accountability, and celebrates my efforts and successes. He told me recently that when he tells other patients and doctors about my progress, that it generally falls on deaf ears.

My doctor and I also agree with the fact, that The ADA is an "association", and not a non-profit organization. They receive BIG $$ from major pharmaceutical companies (along with federal funding, and private donations). The ADA is not all bad, but big funding, from big pharma, notoriously leads to skewed information.

I'm not saying that what I am doing works for everyone, or will even always work for me. But, for some people, it is possible to stave off, or even avoid entirely, the progression along the path to the requirement for diabetic medication. Frankly, though it can be frustrating at times, I work hard at it, and will continue to do so for as long as I am able, because I am worth it.

My 86 year old grandmother is living proof, of what is possible for some people. She has been considered pre-diabetic (100-125 fasting glucose) for more than 50 years, and has steadfastly refused diabetic medication, as well as the diabetic dietary recommendations. She has no indications of diabetic associated health conditions (eye problems, circulation, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidneys/heart problems, stroke, etc...). She is still thriving, active, living alone (with her goats, cats, and dog), and just as sharp as ever.