Diabetes

[KG]

I know there are a few people here with diabetes, so I thought I would come here for some advice. I have been sick for about a month with something unrelated, but one of my doctors hit me with a bombshell that he wants me to come in to be tested for diabetes as soon as I'm off my meds. Last week my eye doctor also hinted around at the possibility of diabetes.

I know it is a manageable disease, but I'm still a little freaked out at the thought of going in for the test(s). Can anyone tell me what I should expect? I would talk to my mom about it (who is diabetic) but I'm worried she'll just sit and try to blame herself for passing it on to me and I don't want to worry her.

I've been reading around on line but it's never the same as a personal explanation.

 

[wickedwritah]

My dad has been diagnosed as a diabetic for more than 20 years.

They have come so far in treating it. When he first got out of the hospital, in early 1986, he had to take several shots a day. Now, he's able to keep it under control with meds.

One thing he says he's having an issue with at the moment is his balance. He says he has issues with it when he's getting over an illness, and he's battling a cold/the flu. (He claims it's linked to the diabetes, but he has some other health issues, too, so who knows.)

Wish I could be a better source of info for you.

 

[Rosie]

I'm not diabetic, but I'm married to one.

Don't get freaked out by the test (or tests). It's better to find out now that your blood sugar is 500 and get it under control than further down the road when organ damage has gone too far.

Take a deep breath, and take another. Until you know what type and how you will need to manage it, there's no sense in working yourself into a panic. You should talk to your mom, she can give you some pointers and she knows you better than anyone else. Of course she'll blame herself, it's what we mothers do. You can't change that, no way, no how. But if she's anything like me, if she finds out later (and she will), you'll be in more trouble than if you told her in the first place.

Those who spend a lot of time with you, such as co-workers, will need to be told you are diabetic and what to look for with a low blood sugar. Not trying to scare you here, but low blood sugars can be fatal under extreme circumstances.

You will be eating a lot different now. You will learn to count carbs whether you like it or not.

Depending on the state you live in, you may have to have a doctor's note sent into the DMV every year or six months stating that you are ok to drive.

If you live with someone, they need to learn as much as they can about diabetes. They need to know there can be some horrible mood swings that will test their sanity to the max.

If you are insulin-dependent, the pump is a godsend. I don't know how we lived without it.

Best of luck to ya.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

Solid advice from rosie. As for me, my dad just found out he's diabetic, my grandma has been for a few years, my aunt was diagnosed about a year ago and i work with someone who is diabetic. I've seen the guy i work with when his sugar was very low and when it was too high. It was a scary night when it was low for him because he almost passed out and we were the only ones in the newsroom. Good luck, KG, and i hope everything goes well. PM me if you need anything.

 

[jakewriter82]

I've had type-1 diabetes for about 9 years, now. The lows are much, much worse than the highs.
I've blacked out a few times and have been on a few ambulance rides, also.
The most important part I think is understanding what you eat and how it affects your body. That and accepting the fact it's a constant condition. You can't not be diabetic for an hour while you're at a party or a game or something else.
The times I've gone super low I haven't tested my blood sugar in a long while.
Also had a friend die in college from the her type-1 diabetes. It's an ugly disease. Hope they find a cure for it soon.

 

[Rex Harrison]

Unfortunately, I'm a cynic who believes that a cure won't come along any time soon. There's too much money to be made in sales of insulin, needles, testing kits, etc.

My wife was diagnosed about four years ago, and we're only in our early 30s. It was a big lifestyle change. She keeps needles and an insulin pen in her purse at all times. She just can't go with the pump. When she says it's time to eat, then it's time to eat. You'll have to watch what you eat. Insulin isn't a free ticket to keep living a gluttonous lifestyle if that was part of the problem that led to diabetes.

It's not easy, but it's not the end of the world.

And take care of your feet.

 

[Moderator1]

The Queen is a diabetic. She faceplants more cake than I do.

 

[KG]

I've seen some bad lows with my mom. The first clue is when she goes off into la la land. Then she usually becomes more difficult to reason with than a two-year old. Strangely, I'm not that worried about a positive result and the actual lifestyle change (which is probably just denial), I'm more nervous about the actual testing day.

I will take Rosie's advice though and talk to my mom about it. I didn't want to worry her, but being up front about it is probably a much wiser decision.

 

[Bill Horton]

Diagnosed with type 2 about 18 months ago.
I lost weight, changed my lifestyle and made a commitment to healthy living.
I keep it under control through diet and exercise. My blood sugar and A1C are at the levels of a normal person.
I haven't felt this good in 20 years.

 

[D-3 Fan]

I'll jump in as well. I'm a Type 2 insulin-dependent for most of my young adult life (14 years in August). I treading off the main issue, but it's worth noting that you have a valuable ally if you are diagnosed as a diabetic: your mom.

It wasn't that easy for me when I was diagnosed two weeks before heading to college in '94. I didn't even know that my maternal grandmother and paternal grandfather had diabetes. In our family, it was a dirty liitle secret that no one dared disclose. To this day, I don't get much support from friends and family, except for my mom, sister, my brother-in-law and his family, and the volunteers I work with at my local ADA chapter. I'm also the youngest board member and the lone diabetic serving.

It was easy to learn what diabetes is all about and how it affected me, but it was a hard to understand how it affected me emotionally and mentally. There is always this strive to be the perfect diabetic: glucose under control, H1c under 7%, keeping on a stringent diet, no candy, no bread, yada yada yada.

I learned one lesson out of that: there is no such thing as a perfect diabetic. We handle diabetes in different ways that is workable into our lives.

Rosie is spot on with the following and I'll echo it: don't be afraid. It'll scare you at first, it'll be a consternation adjusting to it, but in time, it's daily ritual like waking up and making coffee each morning.

One of our young ambassadors for our local chapter had one of the best quotes I've heard this year. When asked which type of diabetes was the worst, he replied "The worst type of diabetes is the one you don't take care of."

Don't be afraid to ask us anytime.

 

[Frank_Ridgeway]

In high school I ran varsity cross country, wasn't great, but I could run 5-8 miles a day at a good clip. My mom's friend was visiting from out of state and said she wanted to join me on my run. You can imagine how thrilled I was by that, not very much. Well, she finished about a hundred yards ahead of me. And then she went into some kind of diabetic blood-sugar thing and it was scary to watch. But 32 years later she's not only still alive but still a tennis teacher, and probably still kicking some 16-year-old's ass.

 

[deskslave]

As far as the testing goes, from everything I gather, it's really quite simple. They'll do a fasting blood glucose test, after you've not eaten for at least 8 hours. Then they'll give you some sugar, wait 2 hours and do another test.

I'm not even sure I needed to be tested when I was diagnosed some 21 1/2 years ago (with type 1, not type 2). From what little I know, KG, I'd guess you're in your 20s? So it really could be either. Either way, you're far better off now than even I was 20 years ago. Leaps and bounds. Leaps and bounds.

In a way, though, I'm glad I was diagnosed so young. I can't imagine having to make the adjustment as even a teenager, let alone an adult. As it is, I know nothing else, which is fine by me.

 

[HC]

I have a question regarding glucose monitors. I need to start monitoring and am looking for suggestions on which monitors are recommended.

 

[cougargirl]

Cougardad is diabetic, and I get blood tests twice a year to check if I'm developing diabetes. He stays away from sweets, fruit juices and sodas and checks his blood sugar level daily. For him it was basically a lot of dietary modification and keeping on top of his health.