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Archive through July 29, 2007

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan. 2008 ~ Mar. 2008: Health Center: Living with Diabetes: ARCHIVES: Archive through July 29, 2007 users admin

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Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 6:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landi a private message Print Post    
since i was recently diagnosed, and now am taking insulin, i thought this would be a great place to talk, vent, advise, etc.

Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 7:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Goddessatlaw a private message Print Post    
Landi, the graphic designer who works for Colossus is diabetic. He has adult diabetes, not juvenile and he is not yet insulin dependent. But he is massively overweight and drinks bourbon. I have seen his lunches, they are not diabetes-friendly.

The only orbit around which Colossus' sign shop rotates is the graphic designer. Yes, we could find another graphic designer but when you have a talented, experienced and loyal designer like Jim, well. You've hit the jackpot. I would really like to learn more about the disease and how to control it so I can persuade Jim to take better control of his circumstances and to feel much bedders on a day-to-day basis.

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 8:15 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landi a private message Print Post    
i have been eating smaller meals 5 times a day with a 6 times a day blood sugar testing.

MY ROUTINE:
BS testing: 6am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm, 10pm (bedtime)
meals: 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm

in my 7am, 10am, 4pm i have nothing to eat over 25 carbs

in my 1pm and 7pm, i have nothing to eat over 45 carbs.



Per everything i have read: ONE drink should be allowed WITH a meal PER day, and even then only if it fits within your carbs


Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 8:34 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
My fil was diagnosed with adult onset diabetes 18 years ago. He didn't need to take insulin, just monitor, watch his diet and follow the rules. His attitude from day one was terrible. He was determined it wasn't going to change his life. Which can be admirable, but he was not going to change ANYTHING. So he drank, ate what he shouldn't ect. He ended up on insulin..still determined not to change a thing. Well he is now in a wheel chair, in the beginnings of kidney failure and dying a very slow and horrible death..STILL believing his choices had no impact on the disease.
I tell you this not to scare you. This disease CAN be managed. Heck children do it! Just follow the rules. Don't look at this as some horrible burden to resent. Yes, it's not great to be diabetic but there are worse things to have.

do you 10, 1, 4, and 7 meals affect your levels?

Mak1
Member

08-12-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 10:18 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mak1 a private message Print Post    
DH has just been told he is pre-diabetic. He exercises plenty but eats the wrong things. I think if he can make the right changes to his diet, thus losing weight in the process, this could put his sugar back in the normal range. Is this just wishful thinking on my part? He has a family history of diabetes on both sides of his family. :-(

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 10:42 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
I was heading in the same direction are your husband. It was one of the main reasons I stopped drinking. I increased my exercise, started watching my starchy carbs and quit drinking. My blood sugars are completely normal now.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 11:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
When my hubby was diagosed with Diabetes 2 he started Metformin 1 pill at breakfast 1 at supper and saw a nutritionist. His diet was supposed to be 50 - 75 carbs each meal, then 3 snacks of 15 - 20 carbs. My husband is overweight. Knowing a little about metabolism, and my husband, for the first 3months we just watched portion sizes, cut back a little. He cut way back on sweets, but not totally. We were no way near what we needed to get at but I figured the best for my husband was to get used to less food THEN restrict carbs even more. First 3 months he lost 25lbs, that one number [the test they run that checks your sugar over a period of time] had dropped big time, and the doc said not to change anything drasticlly because what I had done was working, and she figured if he lost even 10 more lbs he might be off the Metformin. Still would have been more than 50 pounds too heavy. My mom died, he went back to his old habits, gained part of the weight back, is on metformin all 3 meals glyburide breakfast and supper. That number is doing great so he's fine with it as long as doctor is fine with it. I've given up. He just doesn't seem to understand that it would be better to get off the medicine now so if things get worse as he gets older its not right into insulin. But oh well.

So I guess what I was trying to say Mak is just make minor changes. It might be enough. And even if it isn't, it's hard to change life long eating habits and if you do it slowly it's easier to adjust, and it's better for your metabolism - this being said by somebody who has NO medical training at all. Just an exercise physiology class in college but it sure seems to make sense.

ETA I have to add also that with my husband we're also dealing with PTSD and with that comes certain issues/beliefs about the VA system which is even a greater obstacle to hurdle.

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 11:17 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landi a private message Print Post    
that test they run that checks your sugar over a period of time is called the Hemoglobin A1C.

mak, you are correct, making those changes in his diet will help considerably!

the reason i am on insulin is: since last february i was discovered to be in kidney failure. i can't take metformin (which would be the perfect drug for me) or any of the other drugs because i have to have certain kidney levels and they aren't there.

i also only take insulin at night (a long lasting one) which helps with something called the dawn phenomenon.


Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 11:19 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landi a private message Print Post    
DAWN PHENOMENON: “the early-morning (4 a.m. to 8 a.m.) rise in blood glucose level.” The best way to see if you have it is to test your blood at bedtime and then when you get up, and if it’s higher then you probably have the dawn phenomenon.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 11:20 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Thanks Landi I knew it started with A but just didn't remember.

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 11:49 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kristylovesbb a private message Print Post    
My doctor put me on Metformin to start off. Yes GAL it is weight related however I have discovered that many family members on my grandmother and grandfathers side had diabetes. Never knew this. My husband insisted that I change doctors because for over a year now I have been extremely tired especially after eating. I mean I can not function I have to go to sleep. Been days where I woke up long enough to pee and when right back to sleep all day long. All this time I thought it was due to severe allergies.

eta It is almost 3o'clock here in NC. I got up at 12 ate some oatmeal and went back to sleep at 12:30 woke up at 2:30. Whats up with that???? I am one that almost never takes a nap. This is driving me up the wall.
I could go right back to sleep now but am fight it as hard as I can.

Goddessatlaw
Member

07-19-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 12:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Goddessatlaw a private message Print Post    
Isn't oatmeal high carbohydrate? Does that factor into diabetic diet restrictions?

Seriously, I'm a near-nincompoop with regard to this subject. I'm more than happy to learn along with everyone else.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 12:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Oatmeal is one of the better carbs. When you eat oatmeal [unsweetened] your surgars rise alot slower than if you were to eat a candy bar. And for my husband, he was told NOT to go on a low carb diet. His - if and when he does it - is more of a controlled carb diet. keeping the sugars on a more of a level than having it spike high then plunge low.

AS far as how many carbs a person is supposed to eat, that's up to individual doctors. Hubby's doctor in KY and now here say no low carb. If he follows the plan, he's to get 250 - 300 carbs a day but those carbs are spread out through the whole day, not just one meal. I have a hard time getting him to believe that he can't go w/o eating all day then put all his carbs and calories in one meal. Many people here will tell you that's too high. We both lost weight eating even more than that. For me it's not dropping calories and carbs TOO fast because my body gets used to it and then it's even harder to get weight off.

Konamouse posted alot of good information on nutrition when hubby first found out he had diabetes2.

Serate
Member

08-21-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 1:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Serate a private message Print Post    
Diabetes Food Pyramid



Konamouse
Member

07-16-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 1:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Konamouse a private message Print Post    
www.diabetes.org (American Diabetes Association).

Lots of great information and handouts.

Landi
Member

07-29-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 3:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Landi a private message Print Post    
i'm a member of ADA! best source of information!

Kstme
Member

08-14-2000

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 3:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kstme a private message Print Post    
My dh was diagnosed almost 10 yrs ago. He followed all the orders, or so I thought. He never had to take meds for the diabetes, but he had to change his carb intake. When he switched from reg. pop to sugar free, he lost 25lbs! He took his blood sugar test three times a day and it was always higher in the morning.

A funny story. When Thekid and I went to Mandalay Bay to pick up his personal belongings, he had 7 or 8 candy bars in his locker! Tommy was a trip and we all had to laugh at him! He knew if he'd had them at home, I would have found them and destroyed them. We still laugh about this.

Mak1
Member

08-12-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 3:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mak1 a private message Print Post    
landi, thank you for starting this thread. With so many millions in the US living with diabetes, it will be of interest to many. Thank you also, and Texannie and Serate, for answering my question.

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 4:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kristylovesbb a private message Print Post    
Yes Landi, thank you for the thread.

Twinkie
Member

09-24-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 5:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twinkie a private message Print Post    
I've been diagnosed diabetic for about 2 years and on insulin now for close to a year. I do 2 shots a day and I also take metformin and glyberide. The best thing I did was to take everything white out of my diet except for the rare occasion. Very rarely, I will have a baked potato when we go out to eat and very rarely I will eat the white bread. But at home, no potatoes and no bread but 100% whole wheat. And of course, no sugar. That alone really leveled me out. I'm sure that if I lost about 40 lbs I could probably go off the insulin and I'm working on that, but it really is true that the older you are the harder it is to lose weight. I wish I didn't love food so much.

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 6:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
I'm pre-diabetic but I also take Metaformin twice a day. I've been bad the last couple of weeks though. I did real good in the beginning with cutting out sugar but I've slipped. I can't give up white flour.

Twinkie
Member

09-24-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 7:04 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twinkie a private message Print Post    
Mocha, honestly, I can't tell the difference between white flour and wheat flour. I use it all the time and love it. And I haven't had any bread but wheat in 2 years and don't miss it. Of course, I do cheat occasionally like the garlic biscuits at Red Lobster. YUM! I also have dessert occasionally but nothing like I did pre-diabetes.

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 7:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
Oh I eat wheat bread but I love rolls and bagels. Oh and french fries and pasta.

Twinkie
Member

09-24-2002

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 7:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Twinkie a private message Print Post    
Try the whole wheat pasta. Its just as good. And please don't mention french fries. I love those things and now I get them about once every couple of months. I could eat McDonalds fries everyday. YUM.

Kristylovesbb
Member

09-14-2000

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - 8:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kristylovesbb a private message Print Post    
Mocha can you help me to understand what pre-diabetic means and what your glucose numbers where when you were diagnosed. The doctor told me I am diabetic but according to what I have read 104 is pre. I'm confused.