Some good news....and a new problem

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-31-2004
Some good news....and a new problem
7
Tue, 08-24-2004 - 1:24pm
Hi All,

Sitting last night, trying to recover from a very hectic two week visit to my daughter and grandkids and a day spent running around restocking meds and foods. I couldn't read the TV menu with the magnifying glasses I've been using...so I took them off in frustration. Then I realized...for the first time in months...I could see!!!! Yelled for my husband...sat there reading the TV menu to him. Hehehe...he had no idea what was going on...probably thought I'd lost it.

The improvement isn't constant yet...but it's there and I'm less scared. No matter how many times my dr reassured me I'd get my vision back...it hadn't helped...because I knew I'd been sick for about a year before I was diagnosed...and I was terrified that, like my sister, there was damage to my eyes. I have a disabled husband to support...need to find a new job before my COBRA runs out...and a hobby cattery to run. None of that would be possible if my eyes didn't improve.

I am so relieved that I could happy dance around the house but...hehehe....my husband would definitely call the men with white coats to take me away. :-)

And now the problem...

I double my Avandamet dosage today. My dr expects this will bring me down into normal range. This creates a new concern...the possiblity that I will drop too low. I already know how sick I feel when I drop down to near normal...and that, by the time I know there's something wrong, I can't verbalize it. My husband's disablities are related to a car accident...and some of them are cognitive...I can't rely on him to realize if I'm in trouble.

I know this isn't one of the average problems when dealing with this disease...but if anyone has any suggestions on how to make someone very aware that I'm in trouble when I can't communicate it verbally, I'd appreciate hearing them. Right now, the best I can think of is sitting down on the floor...which he should notice.

Thanks,

Pat





Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Tue, 08-24-2004 - 7:43pm

Hi Pat,


Congratulations on your vision stablizing and getting back to normal. I am sure this is a huge relief.


While your system is getting used to the increased doseage try testing more often if you can. You already need to test the first thing in the morning as a fasting blood sugar, now try testing 2 hours after you eat and see where you are. The goal is to have your 2 hr blood sugar no higher than 40 points above your fassting blood sugar and hopefully under 140. Tune into your body and you can tell when your blood sugar is dropping before it gets so low that you need assistance. For example if you are unusually sleepy and a strange time, it is usually related to your blood sugar. Unfortunately it can be high or low but you need to test to find out what is going on. One other thing you will notice is that your vision will become hazy which happens either with a high or a low.


But I really don't expect you to have many problems with this medication as neither one really causes hypoglycemia episodes.


Good luck and let us know how you are doing,


Avatar for cl_d_minnick
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 2:28am

I can only suggest that you tell your husband if you cannot respond to him verbally to get you something right away to bring up your blood sugar until you can speak once again when asked a question this way he is aware that there could be a problem. Also you could try carrying a piece of paper that has in big bold print low blood sugar in need of some juice. My husband has learned that when I cannot respond to him to get something in me right away and when I have had a care provider in the house to help me when I was on bed rest while pregnant with my kids I had a piece of paper always in my pocket that would tell them I had low blood sugar so that they would get me some half a glass of juice to raise it up right away. .


Really I think if you check more often you will not have any problems with hypoglycemic reactions since I have had lots of them before, but now that I check before meals and 2 hours after meals or even when I begin to feel funny I just automatically check my blood sugar. This has helped me so much so that I catch a low before it gets serious to the point I am unable to help myself. So do try giving it a try to see if it helps you to not have any low episodes at all.


I really do hope that you find a way to get your husbands attention to get you something right away, but more that you do not have any really sever low blood sugars if at all possible. Wishing you tons of good luck with not having any lows at all. Take care and do have a terrific day!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-31-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 2:55pm
Hi Mary Frances,

I'm currently testing prior to each meal...would I compare the two hour after meal readings to just my morning fasting level or against the applicable pre-meal reading?

Hope that question made sense...I'm not down to normal range yet but I am lower than I'm used to and my brain is decidedly fuzzy.

Thanks,

Pat

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-31-2004
Wed, 08-25-2004 - 9:17pm
Hi Denise,

Thank you for some great suggestions. :-) Until I learn to be more in tune with the signs, so I can avoid problems myself, he does need a trigger item....and I have a perfect one. My ID necklace.

I'm hoping also that I won't any severe reactions...but with the situation with my husband, it's always safer to prepare for worst case scenarios and not need it than vice versa.

I already test at least three times a day...before meals...and started the two hour later check that both you and Mary Frances suggested. Very nice surprise to see how little some foods affect me.

Pat

Avatar for cl_d_minnick
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Thu, 08-26-2004 - 1:26am

I am so glad to hear that your checking 2 hours after since I did find this to help me to learn what food raise me more than other and which ones do not do much at all for me. I call this the learning process so that we know what will help us to learn some good important things about foods since we are all so different in how some foods effect one person, but not another. So make sure to write down what you find that way you have your own reference to go by this way you are always prepared ahead of time especially when eating out or going to somebody elses house to eat.


I am sure wishing you much luck with no severe low blood sugars at all. Good for you in having your identification to help anybody know that you are diabetic since I have found these to be of a big life saver for me and never leave home with out mine on just in case since I never know when I might have a low blood sugar hit me out of the blue. Do let me know how your doing especially if you experience any lows. Just remember if you do a little more activity you might need to eat a little more especially in the protein foods to help keep your blood sugar up while your doing some extra activities. Hope you do not have any problems at all. Take care and have a great day!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 1:53pm
I know this doesn't really answer your question but I have an idea. You could try wearing a cheap cell phone carrier (dollar store $1) with an orange juice juice pack in it for awhile. They have all sorts of clip on things now and I've seen some that would fit a juice box.

I'm not at all suggesting this as an answer to your problem. I was thinking of myself and sometimes when I'm trying to figure out a problem I do something like this to take some of the worry or stress away.

Just an idea.

Freckles

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Sun, 08-29-2004 - 11:14pm

Hi Pat,


You would compare it to the applicable pre-meal reading. So you would test, for example before lunch and then two hours after you finish eating. You don't want this reading to be more than 40 points higher than the pre-meal reading and hopefully the whole thing is below 140.


I hope that answers your question and please post how you are doing.


Cheers,