In December 2001 I had my first annual checkup in about a decade...High sugar levels were found
in my urine, so I had to go the lab for a fasting blood glucose
measurement (this means no eating for at least 12 hours prior to the
test.) The result was in the mid-300's, about 3 times what it should be. Since
then, I’ve learned a few tidbits about diabetes, and this is where I’m
putting them, so I can get at them all easily.
If you (or someone you love) is always thirsty, has to pee way more than most folks, eats more food than most (but doesn't gain weight), has experienced an unusual weight loss recently, has noticeable increase in fatigue levels and/or irritability, please visit a doctor right away! Visit the American Diabetes Association for more info from people who really know what's going on.
Things I’ve learned:
With my brother on insulin since he was about 25, my father on insulin for the past few years, a Type 1-diabetic cousin, one uncle who went blind and then died from diebetes complications, and a handful of other relatives on my father's side who had diabetes over the years, I was pretty well predisposed to it, and probably should have been paying better attention.
Even if there are only two TYPES of diabetes officially recognized, there are lots of different flavors of diabetes. All of them have one common thread: improper insulin/glucose levels.
Carbs are the biggest BG influence, then fats, then proteins. This is so pronounced that many dieticians only have their clients count carbs.
Despite what one of the books we have says, protein rarely gets converted to glucose. This only happens when our bodies are calorie-deficient, and desperate for glucose.
Fat boosts BG as a result of inhibiting the uptake of glucose by the muscles...and may have an effect for
6 or 10 hours. This effect is really noticeable for me when I eat regular potato chips, or french fries, or that sort of fatty snack.
Fiber is not digestible, so even though it is listed in the carb totals on lables, it doesn't count for
BG - so I can subtract them from my totals.
We should get 25 g of fiber each day - 3 whole grains, and 3 fruits should do the trick.
After a month or so, the dietician worried that I'm spending too much effort on watching things (calories, carbs, fats, protein, etc). I need to relax, and remember that I'm not going to make it go away, I'm not going to fix it, I am going to have diabetes for the rest of my life, and I need to think long-term. Relax.....I have lightened up some since then, and now just watch BG, and think about food, but don't count every calorie.
The dietician says anything with less than 20 calories is "free"....I maintain that
nothing is "free."...She says this is one of the places I need to relax.
My 2400 calories per day is probably OK, as long as my weight doesn't go up, and my BG stays good. (I'm
still 183 or so...it never changes these days)
Before the diagnosis, I was eating closer to 4000 calories a day, but not gaining any weight because I was just peeing the calories out - I wasn't getting any nutritional value from them. I miss eating that much food.
The liver converts food into glucose (which makes sense, I'd never thought of that, though).
The pancreas makes insulin to allow the glucose to be used. (That one I knew).
Alcohol is its own little food group - It is converted into formaldehyde in the blood, which must
then be filtered out by the liver, which is solely occupied by this task when
it needs doing. Being so occupied with that, the liver neglects its other function, namely that of converting
food into glucose. So, alcohol consumption reduces the amount of sugar produced by the liver and thus reduces blood sugar levels. This is the self-medicating alcoholic thing my Mom mentioned to me many years ago.
One beer at night does not seem to affect my BG much, but if I have two beers or a White Russian at night (with one shot vodka and one shot kahlua) my BG is 15-20 points lower than normal the next morning.
Since I had a small BG-reaction to glucophage (liver-depressant, reducing glucose) and a fairly
notable BG-reduction from only a couple mg of amaryl (pancreas stimulant, boosting insulin production) my liver is
probably doing its job reasonably well - its my pancrease that's not making enough insulin.
I have experimented with the glucophage dosage between 0 and 1000 mg at night. If I take none, my BG drifts up slowly, so I'm back to taking 1000 mg each night. Unfortunately, this dose is not available in one tablet, so I get two little horse pills each night.
I take 1mg amaryl with each meal, and find that controls things more smoothly than taking 3mg with the big meal (as my prescription advises). This also allows me to modify my dosing to match my activity/food intake levels as the day goes on. I skip one amaryl about every other day or so.
One Doctor has advised my brother that the thing that kills most diabetics is STRESS. So if having a beer or two reduces his stress levels (even if it causes a slight BG-increase) then go ahead and enjoy alcohol in moderation.
Exercise drains glucose from the muscles, and causes them to use more of what's in the blood stream - this
effect may not be seen for 10 hours after working out.
Oddly enough, working out may cause a slight BG increase immediately afterwards.
Being bathed in sugar can make one's muscles do all sorts of odd things. I got a twitch in a facial muscle that was only noticeable at bedtime...turns out to be a high BG time of day for me, after eating dinner and all...It only returned a few times after my medication started, when I had eaten something that really drove my BG extra high. With my BG close to normal now, the twitch is all gone. I like that!
People like me are called by some "Type 1.5’s"...echoing my brother’s doctor’s comments of a few years ago - We’re not Type 1, clearly, but not normal Type 2’s, either, with no significant obesity, and a moderately good diet, fairly regular exercise, and diagnosis well before 40 years of age. I have recently received email from someone who seemed fairly offended by my statement that there's such as thing as a type 1.5 - they were a solid TYPE1, and didn't like being associated in any way with us TYPE2s who "can control their diabetes through lifestyle choices"....I was fairly offended, reading their mail to me as saying that everyone who needs medication (except for TYPE1s) is that way by choice, and is fat and lazy (which I don't consider myself to be) - but my wife says I read too much into it. Maybe. Anyway, The writer advised that according to their research, and contrary to what doctors have told me and info the Diabetes Association puts out, it has been determined that TYPE1 is caused by a viral infection, perhaps related to the Epstein-Barr virus, which kills the pancreas and has NO genetic component. *shrug* whatever. So there it is. I stand corrected. I suppose.
I made it into the 70's before lunch a few times. This is too low, I'm told. I have actually seen the mid-60's once, too. My brother said he saw 29 once after taking his insulin, then forgetting to eat food. He's lucky he woke up that time - that sort of level can be lethal.
By the time I get below 80, I'm generally starting to get twitchy hands and starting to feel muscles in my chest going into mild spasms. Sometimes I even get twichy under 100. Odd that it's not always noticeable.
High caffeine intake can drive your BG up, but moderate (4 cups coffee a day) use seems to be OK, though not everyone seems to agree on this, either. Click here to visit a site with more info on that.
Hemoglobin 1Ac (or H1Ac) percentage (or count) is a measure of blood sugar levels over the past 3 months or so. According to Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, an H1Ac optimal target is 7% or lower.
H1Ac of 6% equates to BG=120mg/dl, with each percentage point higher being equivalent to 30 points.
When I was diagnosed, my H1Ac count was about 11.0, which was way high.
In February, my H1Ac count was down to 7.8, and the doctor was pretty happy with that. Getting the BG under control has brought my cholesterol down. My lack of family history of cholesterol problems gives me little worry about this issue. Perhaps too cavalierly.
May 2002 bloodwork showed H1Ac count of 5.8, which is fabulous for a diabetic, so I'm doing alright.
August 2002 H1Ac count up a smidge to 6.2...dropping the glucophage isn't working out so well, I'm going back on it.
A lingering sinus infection may be responsible for the generally elevated BG I've been fighting for a while. That and a lack of exercise. I like blaming the infection better, though. %^)
As a side effect of taking sudafed (pseudoephedrine) regularly, my appetite was suppressed such that I missed enough snacks to drop 4 pounds for a while, and hover near 180 for days on end. As of early Dec02, though, I'm back up to the steady 184lb, dangit.
Probably unrelated to the diabetes, but in the UNUSUAL file: I get physically cold, as if the room chilled by 6 or 8 degrees, when I eat food. The doctor says that YES, it is in fact all the blood going to my stomach to help it digest. Go figure. Over turkey day '02, I met the first other person I've ever known who said they experience the same thing. At least I'm not the ONLY freak of nature on that count.
Blood-work in Mid-December 2002:
H1Ac=6.4, chol=181, LDL=96, HDL=54, triglycerides=156...The doctor's very happy. I wish some were a little lower, but that means I have something to work on, still, right? Weight's down to 178-180...a few more pounds to go, still.
Blood-work August 2003:
H1Ac=5.8, Chol=177, LDL=103, HDL=61, tri=163...Doctor's happy, so I guess I should be, too. I'm still around 182 lb at home, but at the doctors office I'm closer to 188 due to the clothes. Dangit and so what, in that order.
Blood-work Nov. 2003:
H1Ac=6.4, Chol=177 (<200 good), LDL=98 (<100 good), HDL=63 (>40 good), tri=80 (<100 good), Lead=7 (0-19=normal), my weight at home runs 180-184, depending on the day.
June 2004: A "whiff" of lipitor has pushed my cholesterol numbers deep into the black: Total=149, LDL=76, HDL=58, tri=75...how cool is that?
A fella sent me this email recently:
"You should look into taking Chromium Picolinate. I've been taking it and find it to be very effective in reducing my glucose levels. Foods that have helped lower my blood glucose levels have been cabbage cooked with smoked turkey legs/wings,
raw tomatoes, and onions. These are foods that have high contents of chromium. I take 1000mcg of chromium picolinate each day. You should visit these sites for more information:
http://www.nutrition21.com/Science/RESUMM_chromiumsupplements.aspx
http://diabetes.about.com/library/blnews/blnchromium403.htm
http://www.bodybuilding-supplement-guide.com/chromium-picolinate-side-effects.html
http://www.chromiumpicolinate.org/SAFETY_safechromium_safety.htm
I asked the doctor about it - he says if it makes you feel better, go ahead, as there's no indications that it's BAD for you, but there's also no indication that it's good for you. I've got enough pills. I'll skip this one.
Pictures of my glucose readings
The first 5 months after diagnosis A little scary looking, no?
