Diabetes Roll-call (Help, Talk, Support)

I was diagnosed with type II diabetes on my 39th birthday two months ago. It was quite a shock but I'm just starting to accept the illness. I will be healthier for it in the long run but it turned my world upside down and inside out. I felt so lost and alone, it just ruined me. A different illness over the last few years took it's toll on me physically but I'm reversing that now. My diet has completely changed and I walk 5-8 miles every morning. In two months I dropped my blood glucose level from a fasting 265 to a fasting 100. My blood pressure is now 110 over 75 and in that time I have lost almost 40 pounds.

If you have diabetes lets support and encourage each other in this thread. I foud guidance and support in a diabetes forum but thought there are probably several people here that could benefit from this thread.

I find exercise to be extremely important to controlling diabetes so strap on those shoes and hit the sidewalk!

Great Idea. I lost my uncle to this disease last october when he slipped into a diabetic coma in his sleep. It was very unexpected and devastating.

I've spent the better part of 4 years now researching/studying diabetes and obesity--as well as the other diseases of civilization--and their causes and effects, focusing primarily on nutrition. Up until recently, I was an independent personal trainer and consulted individuals on diet and exercise, so I've had some experience with overweight diabetics.

Because Type 2 diabetes is a problem of Hyperinsulinemia/Insulin resistance, most individuals inflicted with it are overweight/obese, as you pointed out. This can often inhibit any intense physical exercise that would increase the heart rate, which tends to be the best at controlling blood sugar.

Walking can help, if you can control your cravings. Any increase in physical activity will increase hunger and, subsequently, cravings. Because diabetics almost always burn blood glucose for energy, easily digestible carbohydrates tend to be the food most craved (sugar, chocolate, potatoes, bread).

Kinglizard, would you mind if I participate in this thread by providing resources, support and my well researched opinion on the subject?


Edit to add: Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but it seems you've done a great job tackling this scary, misunderstood disease. Many times, all it takes is a great support group and people to talk to. Keep up the good work.

-Dev

[edit on 13-12-2009 by DevolutionEvolvd]

I'd be very pleased if you continued to participate in this thread. Sounds like you have a lot of good information to share.

I just got through with my diabetes classes last week. They took me from completely clueless and lost to confident and knowledgeable. This is a progressive disease so I may become insulin dependent in the future but right now my pancreas is still kicking out insulin...I'm just insulin resistant. I have become hypoglycemic on several a couple of my walks and it's scary as anything. Now I always have glucose tabs and a 15 carb snack on me when exercising.

Originally posted by DevolutionEvolvd
I lost my uncle to this disease last october when he slipped into a diabetic coma in his sleep. It was very unexpected and devastating.

Oh jeez, I'm so sorry for the loss.

Forbidden Endocrinology

.....one of the first threads I wrote. I've learned much more since then but it still applies and is a good read.

Type 2 diabetes is indeed progressive if the dietary habits which led to the disease are continued. However, it can be reversed and, often times, cured if corrective dietary choices are made, and it seems you're off to a great start.

If you can become more insulin sensitive you can decrease the need for insulin and reduce your chances of becoming insulin depedent significantly. In fact, it's through this very process that diabetes is reversed.

The question is, however, what improves improves insulin sensitivity/decreases insulin resistance?

Here's a great analogy: Think of the last time you cooked a food with a very strong smell (salmon, cabage, etc). At first, the smell is very powerful. However, eventually, you "get used" to the smell. Your body becomes resistant to the smell. The odor didn't go away, you just have "adapted" to the overwhelming smell.

There are two ways to increase the sense of smell so that the odor (salmon) is "smellable" again:

1) You can increase the amount of salmon being cooked and thereby increasing the odor. But eventually the body becomes "resistant" again and even more odor would be needed...and more...and more...a vicious

2) You can remove the odor, or yourself from the odor. Step outside for 5 minutes and you will restore your sensitivity to the odor, effectively increasing the smell once you step back in the kitchen.

Think of insulin as the smell. As children and young adults we are insuilin sensitive, relatively. As we age, the body becomes resistant to insulin if it is chronically elevated after every meal. As our cells become resistant, it takes even more insulin to get the job done.....so insulin is then increased, subsequently causing more resistance. It's a vicious cycle.

Much like the odor in the kitchen, the only way to improve sensitivity is to remove the insulin, or consume foods that do not elevate insulin levels. And those foods that do just that are carbohydrates, specifically those easily digestible (sugar, potatoes, bread, pasta, flour, etc.).

As insulin sensitivity improves....so does blood sugar. And then the disease becomes easily controllable and curable.

Dr. Bernstein has a ton of information on his website. Also, lots of informaiton on Dr. Michael Eades' blog.

-Dev

There is no cure for Diabetes. It's a progressive disease but we can slow the progression by watching carbohydrate consumption and exercise.

There are many internet claims from people that say diabetes can be cured if we only follow their instructions and buy their program....but don't be fooled, diabetes is incurable as of this moment.

An insulin resistant Diabetic isn't able to use insulin like someone without the disease. Insulin is like a key that cells use to allow sugar to enter them and be burned as energy. If you are insulin resistant the sugars cannot be used so they build in the blood which gives us high blood glucose levels. There is no reversing this unfortunately. When you get diabetes it's for life.

reply to post by kinglizard


I live with diabetes, not personally but my GF has juvenile and test her BS at least 10 times a day and usually takes between 5 & 10 injections a day to keep her BS levels in check.

She is also a great proponent of exercise and she looks "mavvalous" at 50+, even though her diet isn't as restricted as it should be to maintain good control. Life is to short not to enjoy food. Guilty pleasures I suppose.


Good luck KL!

Originally posted by whaaa
She is also a great proponent of exercise and she looks "mavvalous" at 50+, even though her diet isn't as restricted as it should be to maintain good control. Life is to short not to enjoy food. Guilty pleasures I suppose.
Good luck KL!

Hey thanks bud.

I agree, sometimes you just have a craving you need to satisfy. Last weekend I really wanted a maple bar doughnut. I had been craving it for some time. So Saturday morning I decided to get one but there is a trade off. I ate the doughnut but I needed to walk afterwords to burn off the sugar in my blood. 1 hour after eating my blood glucose level was at 153, I walked 2 miles and it was back down to 110. You can have those little snacks if you work it into a meal/exercise plan that works with the numbers you want to maintain.

reply to post by kinglizard


Improving insulin sensitivity is not a gimmick. Type 2 diabetes is a disease of high blood glucose that is caused, in the vast majority of cases, by insulin resistance. If insulin resistance is reversed, by improving sensitivity, then blood sugars decrease and insulin receptors are able to operate properly.

The Case for Low-Carb Diets in Diabetes Management

Boden et al. demonstrated significant improvement in insulin sensitivity, up to 75%, with a low carbohydrate diet as measure by euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp method.

Originally posted by kinglizard
An insulin resistant Diabetic isn't able to use insulin like someone without the disease. Insulin is like a key that cells use to allow sugar to enter them and be burned as energy. If you are insulin resistant the sugars cannot be used so they build in the blood which gives us high blood glucose levels. There is no reversing this unfortunately. When you get diabetes it's for life.

Insulin reistance starts with, typically, liver cells. Insulin then is produced in higher amounts to get the job done in the liver and, in conjunction with dietary influences on insulin, other cells throughout the body become progressively resistant. Meanwhile, bloodsugar levels are kept in check by converting it to fat and storing it in the fat cells, which is why obesity is a risk factor for diabetes. But once the fat cells become resistant......diabetes sets in. Most of this can be reversed by managing insulin through dietary effects on blood glucose.

Insulin's main job is NOT controlling blood sugar. It does many things, including regulating metabolism and fat storage/moblization. But when insulin is constantly present, cells have to shut down receptor sites to compensate; otherwise, fat storage and metabolism would be very seriously affected and death would quickly ensue. Problem is, at this point, when insulin needs to do a job OTHER than lower blood sugar it requires much, much more than before. Which adds to the resistance.....and the vicious cycle continues. Make sense?

So....reducing carbs and, therefore, subsequent insulin secretions, will effectively improve sensitivity and reverse ALL problems associated with hyperinsulinemia--Diabetes, obesity and insulin resistance, among others.

-Dev

[edit on 13-12-2009 by DevolutionEvolvd]

Today I'm scheduled to receive my new Bayer Contour USB meter. I'm excited because it's going to make managing this disease much easier. Right now I'm manually logging all my BS results and meals into an excel sheet. With the new USB meter you just plug it into your computer and it downloads everything into a software package created by bayer.

It has a color readout, lighted test strip port, alarm reminders, before and after meal test records, rechargible battery...I could go on and on but I won't.

Bayer Contour USB Meter

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/3abd68450052.jpg[/atsimg]

I have been diabetic for 30 years.

Unfortunately the disease is for the most part a silent killer. I felt good so I didn't take care of myself as I should have.

Now, I have kidney failure and it is no fun.

I am taking Procrit injections weekly to build up my red blood cell count.

In 2 weeks I'll have a second surgery on my arm in preparation for dialysis.

I will need a kidney transplant.

PLEASE take care of yourself and don't let this happen to you. I was young and thought I was 10 feet tall and bullet proof.

Diabetes is a serious condition. It took me down slowly. My only regret in life is that I did not take diabetes seriously.

I pray there will be a cure found one day soon.

reply to post by dizziedame


Hang in there.

Are you type 1 or type 2?

-Dev

Both my mam and dad have type 2, and they never looked after themselves at all when they first found out, they do now, well me mam does, me dad still has a sweet tooth and can't control himself sometimes, they each take tablets morning dinner and night, not sure what they are all for though?

I know now if I ever got it, to take it seriously, horrible thing it is!

reply to post by dizziedame


I hope too, dizziedame. I had a friend who developed Diabetes type II secondary to obesity. She developed high blood pressure, had a mild stroke, but recovered. She continued to think she was "ten feet tall and bullet proof", and didn't take care of the diabetes. Her kidneys all but shut down. She then had gastric by-pass surgery and lost 100 lbs in a year.

The high blood pressure left, and so did the diabetes. But renal functioning remained inadequate. She was on dialysis about six months before her transplant. And now?.......She's cured! She fine. No hypertension, no diabetes. She just has to take all the anti-rejection drugs, but that's a small price to pay. She's fine. Her sister gave her a kidney. That was about seven years ago. No problems!!!!

Dialysis was inconvenient, but not that big a thing. Sometimes I had to pop into the clinic while she was in there, and find her in her little recliner watching tv and bossing the nurses around.

Anyway. I HATE this disease, and so badly want them to find a cure for it.
But you all know, the trick is taking care of it. And for crying out loud,
NO ALCOHOL. Sorry. Alcohol and diabetes is a fatal mix. Seen it.

I may be intruding a little here, sorry. Just wanted to comment, hope it's okay.

KL, you'll be fine. Just take it seriously and do what they say. You can live as long as everybody else. Don't forget about your kidneys and your eyes. Take care of the diabetes and you take care of them.

Originally posted by dizziedame
In 2 weeks I'll have a second surgery on my arm in preparation for dialysis.

I will need a kidney transplant.

PLEASE take care of yourself and don't let this happen to you. I was young and thought I was 10 feet tall and bullet proof.

Oh my gosh I'm so sorry D. It's difficult because you don't feel any different if you eat a bunch of carbs and your BG goes way up....but the long term consequences of prolonged highs can really take toll on us.

My carb limit for the day set my my endocrinologist is 180 per day or 60 per meal. I have been eating about 25 per meal. My calorie limit is 2000 per day but I've been eating only about 1500. With burning 800 calories in exercise (walking) every day puts my calorie count to about 700 per day. Now I've lost a total of 40 pounds in 3 months so I'm making real progress though some would argue I need to eat more....and I probable will when I get down to my ideal weight.

I know I'm very early in my diagnosis and I know how time can change a persons enthusiasm but I am determined to maintain this attitude for the rest of my life. My biggest fear is not to lose limbs but to live in a dark and lonely world with the loss of my eyesight. That is my motivator.

Blessings to you D, keep positive.

Originally posted by ladyinwaiting
KL, you'll be fine. Just take it seriously and do what they say. You can live as long as everybody else. Don't forget about your kidneys and your eyes. Take care of the diabetes and you take care of them.

Thanks for the encouragement Lady.

Originally posted by valiant
I know now if I ever got it, to take it seriously, horrible thing it is!

It does suck but I know I will live a healthier life because of it...I'm convinced it will be a blessings.

Funny thing is that my endocrinologist tells me my diabetes wasn't a recent development. It started 15-20 years ago when I was fit and strong as a ox at the age of 20. In the last few years I gained a bunch of weight and maybe that quickened the development but it wasn't the cause.

[edit on 12/28/2009 by kinglizard]

I have had Diabetes for a number of years now, Type 1 as I damaged my Pancreas years before.

The best thing I have ever done to get it under control, besides my time in the gym, is an altered Atkins Diet.

I severely limit my carb intake and keep my count in the 100 to 130 range fasting.

I wish I could find more time to walk, it sounds like that is the magic pill, but I just can't find time to walk in the mornings and in the evenings I'm just too tired.

But that is my New Years Resolution.

Wish me luck

Semper

Originally posted by semperfortis
The best thing I have ever done to get it under control, besides my time in the gym, is an altered Atkins Diet.

Yeah man without doubt exercise a great tool. My endo told me when we exercise it continues to lower BG for the next 12-24 hours. On Thanksgiving I had two tumblers of Baileys Irish Cream, I took my BG and it was at 185! Immediately I went for a 2 mile walk and returned to a BG level of 89.

Originally posted by semperfortisI severely limit my carb intake and keep my count in the 100 to 130 range fasting.

That's a great fasting number. I'd love to be at 100 but I'm close with a fasting blood glucose of 115...on average. Sometimies I get a weird number but mostly I'm at 115-120.

Before I went to diabetes education class I thought that my 30 carb dinners were too much for me because my fasting number was still high. I reduced carbs to hardly any and my fasting level kept rising. I was so confused and frustrated. Then I learned that just before bed if our BG level is below say 120 we need to eat 15 carbs and some protein. This way during the night our liver won't kick out a bunch of sugar when we sleep and our BG gets lower than normal. When I started doing that my fasting numbers came way down.

Anyway I'm wishing you the best bro.

reply to post by kinglizard

Then I learned that just before bed if our BG level is below say 120 we need to eat 15 carbs and some protein. This way during the night our liver won't kick out a bunch of sugar when we sleep and our BG gets lower than normal. When I started doing that my fasting numbers came way down.

That I did not know

THANK YOU

Semper