Am I really Diabetic?

Hi. Newly diagnosed. New to the website. I will try to be brief yet at the same time want to give all the facts in order to get meaningful answers. Divorced and live alone and thus have lived a free lifestyle on food. Live in Michigan and the fruit season and corn season started a couple weeks ago. (we have the best fruit in the world!). Well…I binged for two weeks on sweet cherries, watermelon, corn on the cob, peaches etc. I might make an entire watermelon two meals with no other food. Oh yes was binging on Ice cream at the time as well. This resulted in a nasty yeast infection (still fighting with help of difutin (sp?)…so since the doctor had been after me for a blood test …I went in for a blood test and scheduled an appointment for a week later. My test from the physical showed a 126.(not sure what the initials are but it is the one that is supposed to be under 126) .he did some other quick blood test/lab work and told me I was diabetic. I just recently had a glucose test and will be seeing a doctor again in two weeks. Since being diagnosed I have checked my blood six times a day…other than when I ate for three days what they told me to eat in preparation for the glucose test…my readings are consistently around 100 or lower prior to meals and never over 130. There was one exception when I had mashed potatoes and lamb chops for dinner (75 carbs) where it went to just under 200 and then was normal in the morning. Okay…my question…am I really a diabetic or was the initial blood test inaccurate due to my binging on fruit and corn and having a nasty yeast infection? I am assuming that my new found eating habits which have resulted in low sugar readings means that I am a diabetic that happens to have low readings because I am eating like a “normal” person. I hope this is not a “stupid” question but these low blood sugar readings while eating right have me wondering about a false initial reading. Comments?

Normal folks do not have numbers like yours. here’s a link to a website that shows normal BG numbers. They are between 80 and 120 almost all the time. If a normal person spikes after a meal it is usually to 120 or 130 and only for a few minutes. My guess is that you were lucky enough to catch this early and if you are really diligent you can maybe maintain on diet and exercise for a long time (if you’re a Type 2).
http://www.diabetes-symposium.org/index.php?menu=view&chart=22&id=322

Thank you Libby. I did not realize that “normal” people do not spike to the higher levels. Thanks. Guess that says it all. Back to my spinach salad with veggies.

Hi Rob,
Welcome. First of all, there are no “stupid” questions. Never be afraid to ask anything. Without more to go on, it is hard to tell what is going on with you. I would assume your doctor ran more blood work on you than just a blood sugar in order to tell you that you are diabetic. You may be an early type 2. But you would need an A1C and other work done to know for sure. Ask your doctor what tests he ran to find out you are diabetic. If you cannot talk to him about his findings then you have the wrong person and need someone who will sit down with you and go over things. You may be one of the luckier ones who can control things with diet and exercise. If this is true then I am happy for you. If you are truly diabetic then I am sorry for the diagnosis. But you have almost 4000 of us on here to help you out. And we are a very caring family to have. So, chin up. Go back and talk to your doctor and find out all that you can and ask about all your blood work and what he wants you to do. And please come back and let us know how you are doing Good luck.

My experience is just like yours. I wouldn’t believe I was diabetic if I didn’t have itching and prickly feelings all over my body. I ate a bunch of cherries in the middle of the night. Can’t eat fruit alone or just eat something any time you want to as I have done all my life. I am still fighting with diet and exercise only but realize I may need to add the medication. My readings are pretty normal when I am eating properly, which I never did before. My diabetes educator said to try to eat properly for three months and keep the readings and then see what my doctor says.
Anyway, the fun is over. No more free for all eating. I have been exercising most every day and not eating sugar but after losing four pounds I haven’t lost any more which is so disappointing.

Thanks for the input. I was in abit of shock about the diagnosis so only asked if I lost weight and ate right could we reverse this. He told me half my beta cells were dead and we would run other tests and monitor sugar to see how it could be regulated. He has left for Africa on a year mission but his “replacement” is a female doctor with great academic credentials who happens to specialize in diabetes. I see her in two weeks so now that I have educated myself abit and am over the initial shock have questions. I have also been contacted by the hospitals diabetic educator to see if I “qualify” for classes. She needed my lab tests blah, blah, blah…in any event I am going to continue to monitor and eat “right” and should know more after Dr. appointment. If numbers continue to be where they are I am going to make a plea to try and regulate this by diet rather than getting on medication. In any event, thank you for your response.

Thanks Carol for the response. I know what you mean…“the fun is over”. I cannot believe my body did not cry out for help prior to this. After learning more about foods as they relate to blood sugar my body certainly was working overtime. As far as fun is over I use mind over matter (has worked on a VERY short time frame…laughing). A fellow worker brought in an apple pie from the local bakery and flashed it by my office and said “come get some”. Normally most of that pie would have a very short life span but I looked at it and for some reason I simply had no interest. Now granted, I did not stare at it…laughing but just said thanks and went on with my work. The thought of being on medication or having diabetic complications scares me big time. One of my best friends was a “brittle” juvenile diabetic and saw what the disease did to him. In any event, thanks for the input and keep up with your exercise, eating the right foods…the weight will come off…your body is adjusting. I know something about weight loss as I have lost hundreds and hundreds of pounds over my life span…somehow they would continue to sneak their way back on to my body…keep up the good work!

Rob. you have an excellent attitude about this and I think you will do very well. I realize this is a big shock for anyone to go through, but you seem to be really on target. You have determination and a very strong mind. And your goals and plans are right on. If anyone can do this, I am sure you can. It is easy however to get disheartened from time to time, so don’t feel like you have failed if you slip occasionally. From the rapid responses you have gotten I hope you can see that you can quickly get any support you need on here. My best to you.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

Hey Rob. You are what I call a “baby” Diabetic. If you will stop all soda with sugar, and white stuff like bread, rice, etc. you can probably control diabetes for decades without needing medications. If you are overwieght, it may be wise to add a low dose of metformin(Glucophage) . it will help curb appetite and reduce insulin resistance. By taking small measures now you can delay or eliminate major complications later in life when you have the time to be a kid again. so, be wise and take care.

peace
danny

Thanks Danny, I never eat white bread or have sugar sodas…never did. I will miss the rice as after seeing the carbs in chinese food…well, food of days gone by. I am pleased with the readings I am getting but damn, I am really eating by the book. I cannot even imagine what my readings used to be! In any event, thanks for the comments. Appreciate it.

Rob - the fun is NOT over! Its just that the rules have changed a bit. Your priorities will need to change, your focus will need to be a bit sharper. Those few extra pounds are now a serious issue, not something you can deal with as a 2009 New Years Resolution!

At first I had the same thoughts you did. How could I have missed this? Why weren’t there any signs? But when I look back, the signs were there, but they were very easy to miss. Just be glad that you found out now. Some people don’t get diagnosed until major problems are cropping up. Stay strong!

Welcome Rob. Those sugars are out of range but not too bad. So I understand your question. I think you can’t be kinda diabetic or sometimes diabetic. It’s like being kinda pregnant. You eaithe are or are not diabetic (inable to process insulin to keep blood sugars below 100). So welcome to the club! Now are you type 1, 1.5, or 2? Type 3 is the person who is often a spouse or partner or the person with diabetes.

I’m in a similar boat as you. I’m not getting high readings usually, and when I do they are going down quickly. But still we are not metabolizing our food like “normal people” – your lamb chops and potatoes should not have spiked you like that. So you and I are both really early-stage, I think. I hesitate to use the word “mild”… But I think that we have a good chance of being able to keep it under control with minimal effort, if we stay on top of it early!