Bad Monkey, NO banana

You know, I didn't really intend to stop paying attention to my blood sugar.

But there was this doctor appointment where I was told, "Well, you really only need to check it once or twice a day. Maybe 3 mornings in a row, then the next few days check after lunch, and then maybe 3 bedtimes in a row. That'll give you a good idea."

Well, that's definitely more convenient, isn't it?

Trouble is if I stop checking obsessively, then I don't check at all.

And while I wouldn't say I've been eating badly, I know I haven't been as careful.

There are many reasons for my apathy. The doctor telling me that I can't cut carbs as severely as I have been doing, and refuting a lot of what I thought I had learned. I'm left sitting there thinking, "yeah, but if I eat 60 grams of carbs in a meal my BS will be high and I'll feel like ■■■■." Only to be told that any BS lower than 180 is acceptable. That's not what I got from Blood Sugar 101 - which was that averaging anywhere near 180 leads to complications. "Our goal is to keep your A1C in the 6% range."

I said I want it to be less than 6%. She said that's too hard on the rest of my body. She said, "You're now considered to have already had a heart attack or stroke." (Meaning that the diagnosis of diabetes raises the risk of heart attack and stroke as much as already having had one or the other). And I think, "Really? Really?"

I wonder why the hard ■■■ approach? Is it because their standard "lose weight" lecture doesn't apply to me, so they don't know what else to say? (I weight 114 lbs. If I lose any more I won't be safe standing outside in a breeze, for gods's sake).

Over a month wait to see a dietician. The push to go to a class, which is not a bad idea, but unfortunately it meets two wednesdays in a row, and the only session I was free for both days, the class was full. No, they couldn't squeeze me in, even though it will be July before I can go to that class.

I need this education before July, thank you very much, so I have to go at it 1 on 1 with the dietician and the educator, and they're basically going to tell me to keep my blood sugar at levels that I believe are too high, and they're going to confuse me with ■■■■■■■■ research.

My best friend is battling a severe depression and sometimes I give all of my emotional resourses to her and just hold on tight, because that's all I can do.

My husband's business has outgrown his building, so we're buying a new building and the move will be expensive and will wipe out our savings. It's a good move, a proactive move, but I am not accustomed to "watching my spending" and the grocery store is killing me. I feel guilty for buying the more expensive foods that I should be eating, the fresh fruits and vegetables, and buying salad stuff that I hate and don't eat and end up throwing away.

I hear a constant barage of threats about diabetes from the media, and I can't help but feel pissed off that those references refer to me. Don't I have enough going on without all of this?

I want to go on my vacation next month and have a blast. It's been a year in the planning and so far all systems are go. Plane tickets are purchased, hotel is reserved, the kennel is ready for the dog, and the neighbor is ready for the kid. I want to live a little, damn it.

I'm still keeping my carbs pretty low, my fasting sugars are right around 100, I'm trying to eat more frequently because I know I don't eat often enough, and I can see from the numbers that my body is pulling glucose from elsewhere if I don't supply it by eating. I can't remember why that's bad, but the RN told me it's bad. What I thought I knew isn't making sense with the new information that the medical professionals are giving me, and suddenly my brain is too full to keep track of it all.

I guess you could say that the novelty has worn off.

yeah there’s a LOT of information out there. read up on it all you can check diabetes.org and i’ve heard good stuff about blood sugar 101 but havent’ been there yet. AND see what applies to you. we’re all little experiements of one what works for me may not necessarily work for you. AND try to take it one day at a time while not driving yourself insane each blood sugar reading at a time. 9if youc an do this please tell me how) good luck and take care

“I hear a constant barage of threats about diabetes from the media, and I can’t help but feel pissed off that those references refer to me. Don’t I have enough going on without all of this?”

I understand this more than you know! I was watching The View the other day, and one of the ladies said “Not everyone who is fat had diabetes” This comment, in my mind, means that she understands the concept that only fat people get Diabetes, and being a big girl, and a T1 since I was 9, I know this to not be true. And that little comment really managed to ■■■■ me off.

In my opinion you need a new Dr. one who has a clue. You actually do not need to take in any carbs at all, you body will make glucose from protein on an as needed basis. Most if not all of what you have learned in the past about diet is outdated. Now this gentleman has diabetes down to a science a type 1 for over 60 years. http://www.diabetes-book.com/

@Dave - hell, who said anything about a DOCTOR? My primary MD sent me a diagnosis letter, and after that it was a visit with a NP ($20 copay) and an excited, “BS of 180 an hour after eating is fine, you’re doing great. How about some metformin? And how come you’re testing so often, anyway?” At the end of this month I get a visit with a CDE ($20 copay), and a visit with a dietician ($20 copay). But I feel like my educators (Health Care Team)are making me more complacent than I would be without their input.

And don’t get me wrong, I’ll try metformin, but I’m not dealing with new meds until after my vacation.

And how about this… I had a fasting reading of 103 this morning. I don’t usually eat breakfast, but I was awake really early, so I had a bowl of cereal (generic honey smacks, 24 g per 3/4 cup + 3 g milk)… an hour and a half later I was shaky, dizzy, and feeling just plain weird, and tested 60 and had to eat AGAIN. I’m just not that into food.

I feel ya. I am a toothpick too. Don’t need to lose weight. I had the same experience with my doctor - like they didn’t knw what to do with me because I wasn’t fat (because as we all know only fat people have diabetes - yeah right! Than why do I have it?). The doctor called me “fresh produce” - haha, meaning they never get anyone like me in there. Another assumption that people seem to apply to me is because I have been a vegetarian for 20 years - why would I get diabetes? Meaning, being a veg means I am safe from it - sorry to say I thought that too for a while but it runs in my family and now here i am.

They told me 180 too. On here, everyone is saying 140 and some say 120 or even 100. Well, I am feeling that 180 is probably too high esp if it makes you feel crappy. 60 carbs per meal sounds like alot to me esp if you know your numbers go to high afterwards. Doctors don’t know everything if they did - we would have a cure by now. Do what works for you.

I feel like I don’t get to enjoy anything much anymore either. How could I go on vacation (even if I had the money too) and know what I could eat or not at all those places I would go and eat out at? Go and have fun on your vacation. If you eat something you know is high in carbs or eat too big a portion, than I would test myself. But don’t let it totally ruin your fun.

Look around to see if any places have any free diabetes class. I was lucky to find one which is good because I have no insurance to even pay for a dietician. ALthough, this site helped me a lot I must admit. The best thing I learned was: “Ignore sugar grams. They are part of the total carb count.”

What some of these nutjob doctors don’t understand is that 60 grams of carb is an AVERAGE, and that we are ALL different. Some Diabetics can handle 60 carbs, and some cannot. If he’s going to spout 180 mg/dL is wonderful, than show him how the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists don’t want ANYONE above 140 mg/dL after 2 hours, and they sure as heck are not changing their standards based on ONE flawed study, like the ACCORD. Lots of things have to go into considering the risks of a Diabetic patient, and one of those is family history of heart disease, as well as a history of being uncontrolled for a long time with a lot of already established complications, and THAT is hella more important than the whole stereotype of ‘considered as having already had 1 heart attack.’ This is ■■■■■■■■. Tell him he’s full of ■■■■■■■■, and get a different doctor. Do NOT eat more carbs, and then just get on metmorfin just so you can eat more carbs. This is asinine. The ADA knows nothing! My dad died at 63 following ADA guidelines… Ignore them! Eat by what your meter tells you. If your meter says you can have 60 g of CHO and not exceed 140 after 2 hours, beautiful… If not, don’t eat that much CHO. It’s YOUR legs, and your life, and NOT his.

By the way, I also follow Blood Sugar 101’s guidelines… :slight_smile:

My doc gets concerned, but says nothing more – and I just ignore her for the most part. lol

Thanks, Lizmari!

Unfortunately, The advice you heard is routine for many type two’s . Yesterday, My lovely next-door neighbor helped me after a low of 36 ( from not realizing that I needed a bit less insulin after the previous days exercise went hypo, but I am O.K. Now). We began to talk about diabetes care. she is a type 2 on oral meds. She said she gets the low feeling I had at 36 ( shaky, sweaty, weak) when she is at 120;so her GP tood her that a fasting of 150-260 was FINE!! She keeps it fasting there at all times., does not do post-prandial testing because she was told she did not have to… I did not know what to say… Do I tell her that i do not fast at 150 ( too high for me)and I have been diabetic and relatively healthy for 42 years…Or let her rely on her GP’s outdated information?/ I do not want to be seen as a “know it all”. I am not. She says: My dotor says it is ok as long as I am not over 200."

God BLess,
Brunetta

I meant 150- to 160 as a fasting blood glucose.

Sounds to me like you might do well to see an endocrinologist. You know… someone who actually knows something about diabetes. Your primary sure doesn’t.

@Brunetta - Wow, scary. Maybe you could suggest to your neighbor that she check out the Diabetes 101 website.

I’ll reiterate - so far I’ve not seen an actual doctor, primary or otherwise, just NP’s and RN’s. I’ll see how my education sessions go at the end of the month, but then I might have to figure out how to get better care. What’s really interesting is that when I was pregnant, I got GREAT diabetes care, so this flim-flam stuff is a surprise to me.

I agree with Elizabeth–the input from an endocrinologist along with the appropriate tests would be very helpful.