I hate diabetes.
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I hate diabetes.
| Thu, 02-26-2009 - 3:28am |
Hello everyone. My name is Sandra, I am a Type 2 diabetic. I found out a few years ago, I am 39. I have been on many different pills, played with my diet, and tried a couple insulins. My blood sugar stays in the 300's and I am currently taking 50 units of Levemir at night, Actos in the morning, and Byetta before meals. I give up on my endocrinologist, as well as my primary care physician. I hate having diabetes and was wondering, if left untreated, how long before it kills me?

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I don't know 'how long before it kills you'.
It's not the dying that's so bad - it's the path to getting there...losing your eyesight, kidneys (dialysis is NOT a fun day), losing toes/parts of feet bit by bit, pain from neuropathy (like hot pins poking you constantly), potential digestive problems from neuropathy (if it hits the nerve responsible for the stomach muscles to work, nasty stuff happens), heart attack, stroke, depression, ...
Yeah, I know it's a PITA but exercising, watching carb intake, and monitoring blood glucose levels is a lot easier and *cheaper* to deal with than the complications.
Definitely get to a health care provider that KNOWS how to address diabetes. Most GPs don't. If a local hospital has diabetes support groups, that would be a good place to check for referrals to someone who can help you get things under control. Your diet is not something to "play" with - you need to be consistent with it for many months to get things back to a better range. In the process, stick close to your glucose meter - as the sugar level comes down, you'll feel like you're going too low when it's actually in a good range. Your body is just too used to the high sugar level.
--Deb
Thank you for your response. I was in a very bad mood when I came here and I apologize for my anger. I work in a hospital, that is how I found out I have diabetes. We do blood work annually for the employee health nurse. I sometimes wonder if I never worked there, if I never knew I had diabetes, what would have happened.
I have seen 3 doctors. I am not overweight. I go to the gym. I am sure my problem is I can't stay away from the foods I love which are sugar, sugar, and um...sugar.
This disease is a curse!
One of the complications of diabetes is depression - as it is with pretty much any chronic long term illness. But, for me (YMMV), being mad about it when I was diagnosed was a good thing - I was out to "prove something" to my doctor, and myself, that I would NOT give in to this thing. It's just over 2 years now and I've gotten my weight down (about 35 lbs in 2 years and still counting), my cholesterol is down (HDL still averaging around 70, LDL under 100 - no meds), and my A1C is under 6.5 - I'm "winning". I *refuse* to let diabetes turn me into an invalid when I've got a 10 1/2 yr old DS at home - I want to be a 'fun' grandma someday, not 'grandma that smells funny and has no toes'.
It is also helpful to have good support. This board is great, but sometimes having a live person around is better. My SIL's MIL was diagnosed last spring and, with all her other medical issues, diabetes really shook her up. It was helpful, I think, that I could let her know BTDT, here are things that helped me... If you can, find someone to partner with, whether it's a support group at your hospital or whatever. Definitely find a dr who is up to date on diabetes care and support. And if you've got family (partner, offspring, whatever), include them in - my husband and son are the ones that will pull me up short if they see me slacking on exercise or grabbing a brownie. They don't tell me what to do, but they are there to help me help myself. Oh, that's another thing - I don't ever let someone else tell me what to do, not even diabetes. But I can CHOOSE to do or not do something. I CAN have a brownie BUT then I have to consider the consequences (for the record, hubby hates it when I get my sugar too high - I fall asleep and no nookie)
--Deb
Some people don't see this as a 'curse'.
I was a sugar-holic too!
I can tell you from experience, once you have cut down on the sugar it does become easier to stay away from it!
Thank you everyone for you advice and support. I know that you all have been through similar things as I have, so I believe what you say to be true. I appreciate it very much.
I just wish I could give someone a food list of what I like to eat and they tell me what to eat off of it, and when to eat it. That would be so much simpler. lol
Sandra
That's why it's important to find a CDE or nutritionist with experience dealing with diabetes...they CAN sit down and discuss your favorite stuff and how to adjust portions, ingredients, etc so that you CAN have some. That's also why your meter is your best friend - there MAY be some things you can still have (in moderation) that you love - only your meter can tell for sure if a food is a "Go for it!", a "Go slowly", or a "Don't go there" thing. And that varies person to person. It might be helpful, if there are a few particular favorites, that you post here and we try to brainstorm alternate ideas. You can still have favorites, just not as much perhaps or in an alternate form (a South Beach snack bar instead of a Snickers bar; half a dozen All Bran multigrain crackers with a few slices of cheddar instead of a snack pack of Ritz bits with that fake cheese filling). Read labels - anything with HFCS is probably not a good choice; anything with 5 or more grams of fiber per serving may be a good choice (depending on the rest of the ingredients). As with everything in life, it's all about balance. Having a mini Snickers bar twice per year is not awful. Have half a dozen per day every day, not good. Really dark chocolate in small amounts is both satisfying and pretty low carb (the darker the chocolate, the less sugar is added generally speaking). When I wanted to stop having coffee or cocoa every day (coffee with cream and sugar), I needed a warm beverage that wouldn't have carbs. Many herbal teas contain licorice root - that'll raise your blood sugar for sure. But, I found something that is strong (like coffee and cocoa), has no licorice root or other sweetener, and provides a pick me up kick without caffeine (Bengal Spice tea for those who might be wondering). Yeah, on occasion I still have a cup of coffee (low fat milk or half & half, with a squirt of agave syrup rather than white sugar) or cocoa (sometimes regular, sometimes low carb with Splenda). But, I have alternate options now.
--Deb
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