Total Surprise: I have Diabetes Type 2
Ron Knights
Posts: 1,742
Recently I have been feeling ill. I struggled to stay awake, etc. Finally I called "911," and was totally shocked. My sugar level (is that the right description?) was 610! Apparently I could have slipped into a coma. Maybe I was too dumb to know that?! In the past, I was told I was "pre-diabetic?!" My doctor suggested I take diabetes classes, but my insurance wouldn't cover the cost. (Not severe enough?!) I saw my doctor in August of 2021. The doctor gave no indication that I had actually developed diabetes.
Last week I spent 3 days in the hospital's "Observation Ward" where they evaluated how much insulin I needed. I'm still very shaken by the experience.
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Comments
Half the battle is knowing and what to do for it. Take care, Ron.
Yes, it was a shock to me also. Sorry to hear. My Blood sugar was 500 and my A1C was 10. This was back in 2019 with I found out. The good thing is, now we are discussing taking me off the last med. That was just Monday the 9th. Lost 40 pounds and started eating right and now I may have beaten it. The last six A1C tests have been below 6. So it can be beaten. It's hard too.
Thanks for your insights and support, friends. I've had a difficult time getting the lancet device to work right. I finally decided to just "stab" myself, manually control the sticking process. That way I get it right the first time, every time.
The diabetes experience is one of a chain of events. In December, I moved in order to be closer to my parents. I was totally empty and exhausted during the move. We hired a moving company, but they totally bungled the job. Then, in February (I think) I got COVID (Omicron?!) Ain't life grand?!
Yea if you have hands that worked for years. Those jabs don't get through the thick skin. I could never get them to work on the sides like they want you to do. straight into the tips, it went. You can get blood from any part of your body for sugar. Oh, if you drink Soda or Pop even diet can mess with your sugar.
Little work on the diet and some moving around out in the big blue room with all the realistic grass and trees. You'll do fine. As far as Covid I haven't had it doubt that I will. Too much of a hermit I am. Just go to the doctor's office, and everything else comes to me.
I'm a long term Type 1 - on agressive insulin therapy - 4 -5 injections per day.
Best advice is follow your health provders guidance, and if you do need insulin eventually, its not as bad as one would think. as far as 610 goes, yeah,that's not good. I was in hospital in full blown ketoacidosis that nearly killed me - I was (as far as I can translate into US units - 800+) Type II can be managed well, diet exercise, and meds.. Good luck with it..
I'm assuming Canada covers the expense of the insulin. The US, not so much. Gotta keep those drug company executives in jets & mansions.
As a senior, I get coverage through Alberta Blue Cross at no cost - there is a $25 deductable for prescriptions, but as I am inuslin dependant, I get $2300 coverage for diabetic supples. There was no charge for the ambulance, or my hospital stay - under our Medicare scheme.
Have D-2 and had high blood pressure as well. Metformine here, rearranged my lifestyle, a lot of workouts, weight loss(still in progress :)) now feeling better than when I was 40 yrs old. (born 1967)
A walk for about 5 to 7 km everyday has fully changed my life :)
All the best and take care Ron!
what is eat right? I have it too ... but my last A1C was 6.7. It never was very high..7.4 ...
I have a prescription for Lantus (like anEpi Pen?!) and Metformin. Humana covered the cost. Next week I will find a new doctor. My last residence was in a small town, and it would cost too much to pay for a 70-mile round trip.
Besides I am still mad that my previous doctor didn't give me any indication that I was in danger of actually getting Diabetis. I had seen her in August of 2021.
You may not have been that close to full-blown diabetes when your doctor last saw you. One of the things they're discovering about COVID is that it makes type 2 diabetes worse, and makes it more likely that you'll develop it if you have pre-existing factors.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-00912-y
It's weirdly likely that you have diabetes because you had Covid.
Ron, whatever you do, keep in touch with your medical professionals, write down questions, ask them, write the answers down, study the disease, take it seriously.
I have known many people who took care and lived, others who did not and... did not survive.
I am considered borderline and at one point was diagnosed hypoglycemic, radical change of diet on the spot. Beat it. Still scared silly I might go diabetic like my three grandparents.
Best of luck to you on this journey.
Mary
I stop eating out and started cooking my own meals. I steam veggies. Eat more protein and lots of veggies and hold up on the carbs.
Exercise is good. It doesn't matter what you do, get a fitness tracker that tracks steps at least, and get a routine. Just add steps and motivate yourself to do a bit more. It isn't a complete answer, but it is part of the answer. This is a life thing, so just get into a routine. I use a Fitbit, but it doesn't matter what, because steps are simple. Wear it for a week, see what you do, and aim to do a bit more. Build. Where you feel safe, aim to move more quickly, even if it is from one side of the room to the other. Build.
Exercise is good.
There are countless downloadable printable habit trackers offered at etsy. They have been a great and motivating help to me for developing new routines, although i am not fighting Diabetes like you unfortunately have to now.
I must confess I went hog-wild over the past few months. I spent $250+ on junk food every month for the past 3 months. I'm already paying another $250 a month to eat a good lunch every day.
My cupboards are overflowing for good food that I had already bought. Fortunately the food is non-perishable (Hormel Compleats, etc.) I plan to get myself a doctors note so I don't need to eat lunch with the other residents. That way I can use food stamps to buy healthy foods, rather than pay cash for lunches.
Hopefully you can get this under control and feel better, Ron. At least it's diagnosed, and that's a step in the right direction.
I lost my oldest friend last year from it, and another long time friend just had a partial leg amputation from it. Shouldn't take it lightly that's for certain.
I hope the thread title is sarcastic, because with all due respect, I'm not at all surprised you're diabetic. Those Compleats aren't doing you any favors, either, but that's part of the problem: eating well is difficult and expensive, especially if you're not accustomed to it. When I was first diagnosed, I completely changed my diet, lost 50 pounds in about six months, and got my blood sugar under control. Of course, I've largely relapsed into the habits that gave me diabetes in the first place, but my blood sugar rarely breaks 150. Bottom line: take care of yourself.
managing your food intake is a key thing.. I count carbs for every meal and adjust my fast acting insulin as needed... and a lot of finger stick testing...
I don't actually post much but I lurk and read many posts. Felt compelled to say hi on this.
Health scares are challenging and I wish you the best. Meditate and take time for yourself. People care about you and that helps.
Hope it works out.
This, and take care. If you're overweight, work on that. Being overweight impacts your health markers for things like diabetes the most, far and away more than exercise or anything else. Exercise does help too, if you don't exercise, now is a good time to start. Even starting small with something like walking.
Gordig, of course I made some bad decisions concerning food and my health. That fact hit me like a sledge hammer. What I needed here was some understanding and support. I am totally struggling with this issue. My experience is made all the more difficult because I am unable to go grocery shopping in person. Maybe it's because of hormone imbalances or chronic panic attacks. I also have incredible anxiety attacks or panic attacks when trying to make decisions of any consequence.
I've already made one good move toward health. I got rid of my sweets. That includes 3 pounds of jelly beans. Yes, I am about ready to get rid of all the processed foods including Hormel Compleats. My cupboards are overflowng. Fortunately I can get lunch every day with my neighbors at a reasonable price. Usually lunch is enough to fill me up for the remainder of the day. I can use my EBT card to buy fruits & veggies etc to supplement my diet.
refined sugar is pretty much poison, high fructose corn syrup is even worse
one only needs to eliminate those 2 substances from their diets to solve a plethora of modern health issues from teeth to rectum and all the rest as well.
its the hidden sugars in processed foods that add up too, don't walk down the aisles stick to the fruit and vegetables and meat department's and you will be right!
I didn't mean to sound condescending or critical, though reading my post back I can understand if you took it that way, so I'm sorry.
Thats actually not a great move. You should work on limiting your food intake, not necessarily by eating less (although that can be important if you're an overeater), but by spreading your intake out over the course of the day. Instead of a big lunch and then nothing for the rest of the day, try eating several small meals or sensible snacks spread out. Peanut butter is your friend, be it on celery, Ritz or something else. Buy some cans of tuna, fruits that are lower in sugar or vegetables like carrots that you can snack on. Watch your sugar intake definitely, but also carbs. Try to cut out bread, potatoes and other starchy foods. Get in the habit of drinking lots of water. Exercise if you can; my legs don't work, but I still do push-ups and whatnot.
I break my meals up also. Mornings Protein mainly, some fruit, Veggies. When you get to the free food, which means you can eat almost as much as you want. I am sure your Doc will send you to someone to help tell you things to stay away from and what counts as free food. Free food eg Salsa, lot of veggies stay away from peas they have sugar in them, corn also. It's tough at first. Around lunch, I have Max Protein Ensure. or a Glucerna shake, and some more free food. Supper Protein veggies hold up on the carbs. Fire my lawn service and started taking care of it myself, there I exercised. Winter, at first was walking up and down the stairs. Then started walking around outside in my neighborhood.
Basically rearranged my life choices.
Glucerna chocolate shakes are a modern miracle, because they taste almost exactly like the milk at the end of a bowl of Cocoa Krispies.
Gordig, thanks for understanding. Yes, I plan on having several meals spread out. During my hospital stay I notced I can't eat a lot at one sitting. I feel full very quickly. This is a new experience for me. I remember eating a massive amount of food because I really couldn't tell if I felt hungry or not. Back in the early 1980s I was taking care of myself. I weighed 165 pounds and had a 32" waist. I was exercising on a regular basis. I got myself all messed emotionally for some silly reasons. Within a year my weight ballooned up, and I hit a downward spiral, physically and emotionally.
It's time to get back into shape!
Only one good thing to be said for corn syrup. IF you find yourself in a situation where you;re having a severe blood sugar low - (NOT FUN!) a couple of tables sppons of corn syrup wil pretty quickly get out of a low. Tne you can get something to eat. Been there done thatr, learned that trick decades ago.
I had to carry glucagon for a while. When first find out your sugar can have a lot of lows and highs when first starting on insulin Your eyesight may go wonky for a bit also due to the insulin. So if your eyesight gets a little worst even with glasses don't freak out. You may want to see an ophthalmologist, to see if there is any damage to the blood vessel in the eyes.
How about your feet how do they feel?