MAYBE ONE DAY THE UPS AND DOWNS WILL BE WORTH AS MUCH AS THE A1C...but today the A1C takes priority. What I have learned is that Diabetes is as personal as a fingerprint. Not all things are true for the next person as to what causes rises and falls in blood glucose. Example- Potatoes and rice do not cause my glucose to spike badly...other things do. It is vital that we learn our condition and our bodies reaction and learn how to adjust to those changes.I am blessed to have an Endocrinologist who has faith that I have the intelligence to adjust my insulin doses to the changes of my body.
Seems like I do not get the same respect at work since I revealed that I do not always feel safe climbing a 15 foot ladder. I had to get a doctor's note and then I had to tell the manager as to why I did not tell him that the day I was hired. I told him, "It is not all the time but when my glucose falls.". I had to get a doctor's note.
Stress-- I have a great deal of personal stress due to financial and personal reasons. I am tired all the time and feel that I cannot handle much more stress. I have been having hypoglycemic incidents...sweating, shaking, heart flutters happens below 70 usually...yet, I try to keep Skittles in my pocket or close by to balance it all.
A1C is the lowest it has been since I became a diabetic though...a proud 5.8 at last evaluation. May be a little lower if taken today.
I am a Tyoe 2. It is not in my control that I am a diabetic. It is in my control to learn about my body and my diabetes and own it. I am not ashamed like I once was.
I WONDER HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE ARE LIKE ME IN FINDING THAT EVERYTHING THAT IS TAUGHT ABOUT CARBS IS NOT TRUE FOR THEM? HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE HAD TO DEFEND THEIR CONDITION TO OTHERS WHO MAY NOT UNDERSTAND AT ALL? HOW MANY HAVE FELT THEY WERE TO BLAME INITIALLY FOR THEIR TYPE 2 DIAGNOSIS?
IT IS NOT OUR FAULT. We did not ask for this but we all can try to make the best of our situation.
Hi Deb - Congrats on taking a winning attitude about your diabetes. While I am a T1D, I do share some of your experience. Your body seems to be more tolerant of carbs than mine. I take the position that diabetes, both T1 and T2, are carbohydrate intolerance diseases. The threshold where BG control is lost does vary. I have little to no pancreas function while you seem to get some help from yours. Neither of us, however, can eat unlimited amounts of carbs and still maintain good BG control.
It's unfortunate and frustrating that the non-D world suffers from varying degrees of D-ignorance. This is a reality that we all must accept. When that ignorance impacts your work status, it can become complicated. Try your best to educate your manager as much as possible. You do have certain protections (in the US) regarding diabetes in the workplace. Employers must make "reasonable accommodations" that allow PWDs to treat their diabetes. If scaling a ladder, however, is a principle component of your job, you may run into some trouble. Do some reading about the Americans with Disabilities Act and reasonable workplace accommodations to learn more.
Finally, what I've learned here and while reading studies about T2D, I've concluded that T2D, like T1D, is not a condition where the PWD is to blame.
You’re so right about the A1c taking priority and not the BG roller coaster some of us deal with. My A1c is good but of course it factors in my reactive hypos and good fastings. The ironic thing is they depend on it so much now to decide how to treat us, or to determine where we are with BG control, but it was only added to the diagnostic guidelines in 2010. Sorry to hear about your ups and downs with blood glucose and stress. I too find different carbs cause different reactions and some days the same carbs don’t cause as much of a spike so that makes things even more confusing. We are all predisposed to as Terry says, “carb intolerance” by our genes and it’s up to us to figure out what works diet and treatment wise so we can be as healthy as possible. I’m glad you have a good endo to support you, you are indeed blessed in the aspect of you diabetes journey!
Thank you Terry! I do need to read up on the Disabilities Act to know my rights. Unfortunately, there is another employee there that promotes her diabetic condition constantly to customers and to coworkers. When I first told some managers they playfully called me her name and said "So you are going to be in the back of an ambulance too?" I merely said "I don't understand." It is still a struggle. Seems my hours have been cut since I told them about the ladder issue as well as asking for time off to attend military functions, YET, I have never called in sick nor missed work that I was scheduled for.
CARBS- I believe my pancreas is still functioning but one carb will not elevate my levels and other will. What has thrown my levels out of bounds the quickest was heavy and aerobic exercise. Mild exercise like a brisk walk, will lower it.
Some PWDs do that and some do not. Our case is individual to us. It can be frustrating trying to learn our bodies but it is something we must master.
Yes Lilli, I do wonder if sometimes the ups and the downs are doing damage or if there have been any studies on that. Right now, my ups are not very high but my lows, are hitting making my heart flutter. As I experience these things I wonder about the strain on our hearts from any fluctuations. My A1C is the best it has been. I dropped from 6.2 to 5.8...probably due to my lows.
This is a never-ending learning experience with lots of questions as I learn that we are not to blame. Many do not understand nor will not make the effort to understand because they do not deal with it. I heard someone at a restaurant joking and making fun about having 'diadiadiabetes' from his dinner.I found that rather insensitive but know if he crosses that path, it will not be so funny and I would support his learning in spite of being a butt that day. :-)
