how long does it take...

Avatar for bellevuemama
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2003
how long does it take...
4
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 2:19pm
Hi Everyone,

I don't know very much about this so I would appreciate your input. My husband is one of those denial type men. Recently he shared with me that he has been wondering if he has diabetes. He hadn't been to the dr in over 10 years and he had never been tested nor had his cholesteral checked etc. His mother and all her siblings are type 2 diabetic. He doesn't get any exercize and he has tended to be overweight. In the last couple years he has lost about 60 pounds without trying. He drinks a LOT of water and I don't know about the peeing, he doesn't announce it after all. Anyway, last week he told me that he has been having numbness and tingling in his toes and feet for about 6 months.

So finally he went to the doc on Friday. The doc didn't seem to think much of his symptoms but he ordered a bunch of tests that he had done on Monday morning. He had to fast for 10-12 hours before the blood draw. I don't know exactly which test were done as I have to keep my distance and let my husband deal with this. The doc said that the results would come in throughout this week and he would call if anything showed up, otherwise he would send him a letter saying everything was normal.

Here's the thing... obviously not everything is normal, why are his feet numb? But it's Thursday and we haven't heard ANYTHING. How long does it take to get the results from this kind of test for diabetes? Aren't there a few different types of test? Is there any way for me to know if he had the right kind of test?

I know I care more about my husband's health than he does. But I also know other women in the same situation.

I am looking forward to hearing from you people who have been dealing with this and learning for so long.

Thanks!

Sharon

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 03-18-2004 - 11:44pm

Hi Sharon,


Aren't men fun dealing with their health care! But first let me welcome you to the board and introduce myself. My name is Mary Frances and I am one of the community leaders for this board. I am a type 2 diabetic and a registered nurse. I am also the wife of a type 2 diabetic. Any advise I may give is not a sustitute for seeking medical advise from a health care practitioner of your choice.


Undoubtedly your husband had a battery of tests run which would include cholesterol, lipids, and fasting blood sugar. I say this because of your husband was instructed to fast for 10-12 hours. The results of these tests would all come back at the same time. Without knowing what other tests were ordered I can't give you a guess as to why you haven't gotten the results yet. This being Thursday your hubby should have gotten the results today at the latest.


Since your hubby is the denial type he may not have recognized the concern of his physician. Also if he didn't take it seriously it is possible the physician didn't either. Do you know the physician? If you do, you could call him and clue him in as to your hubby behavior. But with such a family history, being over weight and sedentary your husband has needed to be checked at least every five years for diabetes.


If he is drinking a lot of liquids, not just water, you can be assurred that he is going to the bathroom a lot. Does he need to get up several times during the night? Has his eating changed also? Is he hungry all the time? Has he had more resoiratory infections than normal? Does he experience more headaches or has he had visual changes? These are all symptoms of diabetes.


Hopefully the physician will send your husband a report in writing. If you can find out his results please come back and post them here. We will try to help you make sense of them.


In the mean time hang in and I hope all turns out well,

Mary Frances


cl-maryfrances40


Co-Cl Diabetes Board


Avatar for bellevuemama
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2003
Fri, 03-19-2004 - 12:28am
HI Mary Frances!

Thanks for answering me so informatively. I will ask him to call the office tomorrow and see if they can tell him the results. I don't think he gets up a lot at night, maybe once a night... but that's probably about it. He does have a lot of congestion in his head... I don't know if it's respiratory infections... he never went to the Dr. for it.

He eats a lot, but I wouldn't say he is hungrier than he used to be. He has a lot of head aches and his vision has gotten worse... but that could be the usual presbyopia. He's 42 so it's about that time for a lot of people.

So anyway, it seems like we should have heard by now unless he isn't diabetic. But it's hard to believe he isn't, wouldn't you?

Sharon

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-20-2004
Sat, 03-20-2004 - 9:36am
If the results are fax'd, it shouldn't take more than 2 days to get the results. Have your husband call the lab and make sure they fax the results ASAP the ordering doctor.

If he is diabetic, he could be having diabetic neuropathy (numbness, tingling, strange temperature sensations, etc.). I think he needs to see an endocrinologist.

Avatar for bellevuemama
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-01-2003
Sat, 03-20-2004 - 11:13am
Kathi,

Thank you! Well... they still haven't called and my husband didn't want to call them. So it's Saturday and we still don't have any results. My husband is sure that means that he isn't diabetic.

I'll let you all know when we get something in the mail...

Sharon