new and some questions

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-10-2008
new and some questions
51
Mon, 05-05-2008 - 12:20pm

Hello everyone,


I am new to this board and have had diabetes for ten years now.


I take Metformin 1000 mg twice daily .  I am curious as to what other diabetics doctors recommend for  preventive care.


I have a CBC and a A1C test once yearly and that is all that my pcp thinks is needed.


I also have high blood pressure , kidney damage, am a heart attack survivor.


I have chronic uti's and was scheduled to take iv antibotics but that was cancelled this morning although I have no idea why.


I certainly don't want to sound like a hypochondraic but should I be having more than a blood test once a year with no other screening done?


Does the A1c eliminate the need for testing daily?


Why do they stop recommending mamagrams  and other screening tests when you have diabetes?


Does anyone have chronic uti's ?


Thanks for reading this,


Have a wonderful day !


 


 


 

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-06-2001
Mon, 05-12-2008 - 6:07pm

Are the generic meters accurate?

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-10-2008
Mon, 05-12-2008 - 7:58pm

Lynn,


Thanks for the information, that wal mart meter is what I have .

Avatar for cl_maryfrances40
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 05-12-2008 - 10:21pm

Dee,


Apples are fine. Usually now a days the ones that are sold in the grocery store are too large. So eat 1/2 and you should be fine.


There is no reason for you not to be eating broccoli and similar veggies. They have potassium in them. Don't forget that tomatoes also have potassium.


It is hard to

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-10-2008
Mon, 05-12-2008 - 11:51pm

Hi Cheryl,


I found your remark very interesting about the lap surgery and diabetes.


When I had diabetes during my pregnacy I was very very thin (and young 17)


It did go away after the birth of my son , althought my kidney disease was really touch and go for four years that time.


My weight goes up and down, I was anexoric for quite a few years my weight has been as low as 84 pounds, and I have been both skinny and fat since having diabetes.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-10-2008
Tue, 05-13-2008 - 12:05am

Hi Mary Frances


iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Tue, 05-13-2008 - 12:25pm

Losing weight can improve blood sugar control and reduce insulin resistance, even reduce or eliminate the need for some medications, BUT diabetes doesn't just go away (especially type 1). If you gain the weight back, there it is again. If you start eating lots of white carbs, there it is again. If it was truly *cured* and gone, then you could go back to eating whatever whenever and not have the same issues crop back up. If someone's in a pre-diabetes state, then watching what you eat, losing weight, etc. can postpone indefinitely moving into actual diabetes - and that's a good thing but it's not the same as a diabetes cure.

--Deb

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Tue, 05-13-2008 - 12:33pm

That's interesting that you get tired/sleepy when your bs goes low...I tend to get really sleepy when it's going up higher than it should.

Yeah, you can have just about anything but, as you note the portion is important. Plus, the way I figure it, if I can only have x amount of carbs in a meal, I want to get the max nutrients for that. Most bang for the buck so to speak. Plain old white potato (baked with the skin on) is okay BUT a baked sweet potato (properly portioned) includes a nice hefty helping of beta carotene as well. Both are good potassium sources so I'd opt for the one that has that extra kick of nutrients. (Oh and leave off the brown sugar but a nice splash of cinnamon is great - last year for a family holiday gathering, I brought both the standard candied sweet potatoes for most of the folks and I also brought some roasted baked potatoes with a sprinkle of cinnamon).

--Deb

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Tue, 05-13-2008 - 1:15pm

I know it sort of bothers me that some of the news articles are claiming that some of the gastric bypass, etc types of surgery will cure diabetes.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-03-2003
Tue, 05-13-2008 - 4:04pm

And way back before the blood glucose monitors, didn't diabetics have to use nasty urinalysis things to check glucose levels and by then it was hours later and not a really accurate way of measuring at that.

I know that my DS is way more cognizant of nutritional issues than I was at 10 yrs old. He reads labels, minimizes or avoids things like HFCS and watches out for high sodium content (DH has hypertension).

--Deb

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Tue, 05-13-2008 - 7:16pm

That is really good that your son is paying attention!!