Little bad news today

[GrizzlyTaco]

A few weeks ago i went to see my doctor because i haven't been feeling to good lately. He took some blood and ran some test, well, today i got the results, he told me i have diabetes. Type 2, i dont have to take shots, but he put me on Glucophage 500MG. About 6 weeks ago i joined Weight Watchers and i managed to lose 20 lbs., the doctor told me that the weight has some to do with it. He's sending me and my wife also to a Nutrition Class and they will help me figure out the right diet for me and also how to control my diabetes and moniter my blood sugars. I ask the doctor if i would need to shoot insulin and he said he doesn't think i'll ever need to do that, just to continue taking the pills. I also asked that if i lost the weight if i would be able to get off the medication and he said that my numbers would probably drop but that would only be temporary and i'll probably be on the meds for the rest of my life. I'm not looking for sympathy, i'm just looking for anyone that is or that has gone through what i'm going through. Any tips, books, or anything else that will help and give me more info on this would really be appreciated. I Thank You all for listening to my story!!!...........Ed C.

[wavery]

A few weeks ago i went to see my doctor because i haven't been feeling to good lately. He took some blood and ran some test, well, today i got the results, he told me i have diabetes. Type 2, i dont have to take shots, but he put me on Glucophage 500MG. About 6 weeks ago i joined Weight Watchers and i managed to lose 20 lbs., the doctor told me that the weight has some to do with it. He's sending me and my wife also to a Nutrition Class and they will help me figure out the right diet for me and also how to control my diabetes and moniter my blood sugars. I ask the doctor if i would need to shoot insulin and he said he doesn't think i'll ever need to do that, just to continue taking the pills. I also asked that if i lost the weight if i would be able to get off the medication and he said that my numbers would probably drop but that would only be temporary and i'll probably be on the meds for the rest of my life. I'm not looking for sympathy, i'm just looking for anyone that is or that has gone through what i'm going through. Any tips, books, or anything else that will help and give me more info on this would really be appreciated. I Thank You all for listening to my story!!!...........Ed C.

Ed,

Sorry to hear about this but it is quite common in todays society.

What is not common is for Dr's to tell you that this disease can be completely reversed by diet and exercise. The reason that they don't put a lot of effort in emphasizing the "exercise" part of the equation is that they know that permanent lifestyle changes are very difficult for the great majority of people.

People have a tendency to promise to commit to the exercise portion of the equation but they rarely follow through. However, once they make the commitment, they generally stop taking the medication. Therefore, Dr's are reluctant to push the ultimate remedy on patients (Dr's don't like patients that die on them or have to cut off their toes and legs).

Do some research and make some life choices. The best life choice for you may be to stay on medication for the rest of your life. However, just be aware that there are alternatives out there.

[tlhdoc]

My DH is in the same spot you are.  It really is manageable if you take care of yourself.

[ForestCreature]

Ed, if you are a vietnam Veteran, type 2 diabetics are eligable for some minor form of disability. Call your local VA hospital for further info.

http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/herbicide/#bm02

[TheViking]

My Dad has the same thing, right down to the same medication you mentioned.
He was diagnosed with it years ago.  They put him on an 1800 calorie a day diet, and he lost quite a bit of weight.  He looked like he did when he was younger, so it's not all bad news for you Ed.  You may be healthier in other aspects. My dad has since broadened his menu to include low fat burgers, steak, etc, which at first he couldn't eat.  Hang in there.

[Ron]

Join the American Diabetes Association  //www.diabetes.org/  and read every thing. And remember this is your problem not your Doctors and they sometime miss things.  As for never having to use insulin I wouldn't bet on it as the drugs may become ineffective as you and your body age. As for the VA if you were in Nam and exposed to agent orange you may be eligible for compensation.

Ron type 2 for 15 years.

[Calstate361]

Ed, I'll tell you my story....

I was overweight and have been all my life.  2 years ago I was diagnosed with Diabetes and high Coleserol which added to my high blood pressure, stomach and sinus problems.   I was disgnosed with Diabetes about 6 months before I started the program for my Gastric By-pass Surgery offered by Kaiser.  The dorcors thought it was weight related because it doesn't run in my family.   Because I was more than 100 lbs overweight and had the diabetes and high blood pressure my doctor told me I was a candidate for the surgery.  Well, to make a long story short.  I had the surgery (see "Joan's Surgery" in the Nick-Neff-Cough site) on 2/2/06 and I have now lost 125 lbs!!!   Of course this is great but I still have another 100 lbs to loose.  Anyway before the surgery  I was on 2 different kinds of Diabetes pills, 2 different blood pressure pills, a stomach pill, a colesterol pill, plus my sinus stuff.  After the surgery I am now down to 1 Glucophage only if my surgars in the morning are over 90 so I seldom have to take the pill; down to 1/2 tablet of the blood pressure pill, no colesterol pills, no stomach pills, but I still have to take my sinus stuff, but even that has eased up a lot.  Kaiser also made us/me start some sort of exercise program; I joined Curves.   I am pround to say that I am one of the lucy ones to not have had any problems after my surgery because you always hear the horror stories, but as Kaiser has beat into our heads, every one is different.

The bottom line to all of this is, like others have said, it is managible as long as you follow what the people tell you in the diabetes class.  You will always be "labeled" as a diabetic, but it can be under control with just diet and exercise.  Also, you should purchase a Med Alert bracelet or necklace in case anything happens to you so emergency personnel and/or the hospital know to watch for that because diabetes will be one of the first things that shows up when you are ill or injured.

I'm sure why the doctor doesn't push the issue is becaue most diabetics do not do what they are supposed to do and they end up loosing toes, legs, etc, plus their eyesight.  You will now need to have a "diabetic screening" when you have your eyes checked.

There are many of us out there so if you ever have questions, just post it and people will come running to help.  Also read everything you can about diabetes on the web.   There are also many Dibetic Cooking cookbooks out there because it is so common.


IT CAN BE DONE and GOOD LUCK!

Joan

[Gutpile]

Last fall some routine bloodworks scores came back very high in sugar for me.  My doctor warned me that I needed to something quickly or I was looking at the possibility of insulin shots.  He advised me to eliminate all sweets and all white flour - only breads with wheat flour were accepatable.  I did this and also started walking.  I lost almost 50 lbs and have lowered my scores to where they are very much out of the red zone.  I had never really thought too much about diabetes before but when you start to learn about what it can do, cutting out sweets and white bread and taking a walk everyday seemed like a no-brainer to me.  I feel great and I get compliments regularly.  Good luck - I'll say a prayer for you

[jpurdy1942]

A few weeks ago i went to see my doctor because i haven't been feeling to good lately. He took some blood and ran some test, well, today i got the results, he told me i have diabetes. Type 2, i dont have to take shots, but he put me on Glucophage 500MG. About 6 weeks ago i joined Weight Watchers and i managed to lose 20 lbs., the doctor told me that the weight has some to do with it. He's sending me and my wife also to a Nutrition Class and they will help me figure out the right diet for me and also how to control my diabetes and moniter my blood sugars. I ask the doctor if i would need to shoot insulin and he said he doesn't think i'll ever need to do that, just to continue taking the pills. I also asked that if i lost the weight if i would be able to get off the medication and he said that my numbers would probably drop but that would only be temporary and i'll probably be on the meds for the rest of my life. I'm not looking for sympathy, i'm just looking for anyone that is or that has gone through what i'm going through. Any tips, books, or anything else that will help and give me more info on this would really be appreciated. I Thank You all for listening to my story!!!...........Ed C.

I take my dosage twice daily and I do not worry about it.
Keep your weight where it should be and if you have more to lose do it slowly.
My doc said I could lose a pound a week. This was to keep it from becoming I have to lose it all now. If you loose slowly you will keep it off. This way you are more likely to be successful for the long haul.
remember this is just a change in the way you live, not the end of the world.
make your life changes and walk a few miles every day.
this way you do this for the rest of your life and it is a very long time.
I'll pray for you.

[GrizzlyTaco]

Thanks Everybody for all the stories and tips. I'm not feeling as nervous as before about this. Ron thanks for the ADA site, i am going to spend alot of time there. I know i'll probably be on the meds for life, which is OK, as for the diet part that shouldn't be that bad, because i've been on Weght Watchers and i'm use to watching what I eat. I know the Nutrition class will teach me pretty much everything I need to know about my special diet. I will be asking question in the near future. Thank You Everyone...........Ed

[kimrb266]

My 5 year old son has had Type 1 diabetes for 1 1/2 years now.  We give him insilin 1+x daily.  The nice thing (if there's such a thing in this case) is that you can manage your diabetes with diet and medication and you can still live your life as before.   Join the ADA and learn as much as you can about Diabetes and how to manage it.  There are many test studies going on to help prevent and find a cure.

[fallsrider]

My wife found out in college that she was Type 2. She took medication for years, but last fall when we decided to try and have a baby, she went on insulin because one of the meds she was on (Actose?) is not good for pregnancy. She was able to stay on glucophage.

Her blood sugars have been controlled very well by the insulin, and she had a very healthy boy. After pregnancy, she now has the possible option of going back off insulin, but it is such a more sure control of blood sugars that she doesn't really want to go back to the meds.

The one change you will have to make to your diet is to pay more attention to carbs, not just calories. Carbs are the direct contributor to high blood sugars. But you still need to pay attention to calories too for weight control.

It becomes pretty intuitive after a while as to what you should and shouldn't eat. My wife has adjusted well (she's now 31) and doesn't really think that much about it each day.

I wish you well.

[GrizzlyTaco]

My wife found out in college that she was Type 2. She took medication for years, but last fall when we decided to try and have a baby, she went on insulin because one of the meds she was on (Actose?) is not good for pregnancy. She was able to stay on glucophage.

Her blood sugars have been controlled very well by the insulin, and she had a very healthy boy. After pregnancy, she now has the possible option of going back off insulin, but it is such a more sure control of blood sugars that she doesn't really want to go back to the meds.

The one change you will have to make to your diet is to pay more attention to carbs, not just calories. Carbs are the direct contributor to high blood sugars. But you still need to pay attention to calories too for weight control.

It becomes pretty intuitive after a while as to what you should and shouldn't eat. My wife has adjusted well (she's now 31) and doesn't really think that much about it each day.

I wish you well.

Thank You for the info, i will remember this...........Ed

[GeneF]

If you are concerned, see if your doctor will prescribe a blood glucose tester.  the tester is generally free but the test strips are pricey.  Health insurance may cover part of the cost of them.

I have had type 2 for a few years and use the meter less now than when I was first diagnosed.  I used the meter to help me figure out what I could eat and what I couldn't eat to keep my test results in a normal range.

Although being told that you have diabetes can be scary, it can be conrolled and lived with.

My doctor put me on Avandia but with the recent test results, he took me off and I am taking a different med.

If anyone has Type 2 and is on Avandia, you may want to contact your doctor.  I believe that the tests pointed out that there is a possibility that Avandia can increase the chances of heart problems by 45%.

[TheViking]

Not to sound harsh Ed, but you need to figure out how to deal with this thing, get it together, so you can be ready to camp with us again. It's been awhile.