Newly diagnosed and confused...
Find a Conversation
Newly diagnosed and confused...
| Tue, 08-24-2004 - 9:01pm |
I am recently diagnosed with diabetes. My questions is when you are testing your blood, what is the normal range for a person?? When is it too high?? Plus what's a good diet to follow??
Thanks in advance for the help/info!
Kat

Pages
Hi Kathi;
I can understand your complaints. Boy is this hot weather miserable! I guess I am too use to the sea breezes and now any wind that we get is coming from the hot Sacramento Valley.
To answer your question. All type 1 diabetics have to be on insulin for the rest of their lives because they don't make insulin anymore. There is much research going on in this part of diabetes care and we may soon have a break through in this area. This is why we need stem cell research for diabetes.
Some type 2's have worn out their beta cells in their pancreas and they must be on insulin. Sometimes they are called type 1A's. Because of the issue of insulin resistance they must take larger doses of insulin, so they are really just a type 2 on insulin.
Some are like me, having been a diabetic for a long time and their beta cells are getting tired but still make some insulin. We need to be on a long acting or basal insulin.
Some type 2 diabetics are like you and need to be on medication. First one and then two and possibly three or a combination of two or three drugs. Research right now is trying to figure out if Actos and/or Avandia will preserve the diabetics ability to produce insulin as well as breakdown insulin resistance and lower the blood sugar.
Ideally all diabetics are on medical nutritional therapy and exercise. For 90 percent of us the problem is too much weight and not enough exercise.
When you feel "funny" test your blood sugar. You already know that you can't read your blood sugar by how you feel. For example you get very sleepy when your blood sugar is too low and too high. Because dehydration is an issue for you, when you feel like you are going to hit the deck unless you have something to drink, have some water or a diet drink.
I'm getting really frustrated with these "periods". Had another one at Walmat tonight. It's embarrassing and kind of scary. Asked my internal medicine doc yeterday about it thinking maybe my heart was going crazy. He said to start carrying my meter with me whenever I go out. Still think it my the dehyration. I've been sleeping a lot during the day. My sleep cycle is messed up again.
Well, anyway...hope your birthday was really good.
Kath
Pages