ok Im going on my third month of knowing i have diabetes. I still can’t get my sugars under control. My fingers feel like a pin cushion. My question is, is it normal to feel so spaced out all the time? I will be driving, and literally have to shake my head to pay attention to what is going on. Oh god, work is totally the same way. I am responsible for handling all the money at my work, and whew, don’t want to make a mistake handling all that cash. I don’t feel like I am a normal space cadet. But lately, thats how i feel. Is this a normal thing?
You are still adjusting to the shock of the diagnosis - probably a combination of grieving for what has been lost, and maybe a bit of fear over what is to come.
But, Kathleen, look at all of the people here in Tu Diabetes who are living well - you can do it too. The physical and emotional stress of dealing with all the details of db can derail the best of us, but you will develop coping skills and the dust will settle.
In the meantime, is there anyone you can talk to? Even just asking a trusted friend to meet for coffee might help.
Hang in there. Trust that the fog will clear. (I think it will!)
How are your bgs when you are feeling this way? I feel that way when my bgs spike and return to normal. It is sooooo important to minimize your carbs and make sure you are not eating carbs that are making your bgs spike. Try eating a meal that is very low carb and see if that makes a difference?
It happens to the best of us. You are just adjusting. It will get better. I promise. I feel that way when I hit my lows. I don’t know what your sugars are like when you feel this way but my guess is that you are somewhere around your your ideal range or below. I know when I first started getting better control, I felt that way when I was anywhere from 60-100 because I had been so much higher for so long, my body was not use to having normal levels. Your body will adjust and you will start feeling much better. Just hang in there.
unfortunately, my blood sugars aren’t low or too high at that time. my sugars seem to stay around 200. can’t get them any lower. quite discouraging seeing im giving up my dr peppers and chocolate for this! Maybe the truth is, im just a space cadet and never noticed it haha.
I would say you’re feeling spacy b/c of those high blood sugars. I get so so so tired when I hit 200 or above and basically fall asleep at my desk. 200 is way too high - I would call the doctor and discuss.
Don’t fret!
I just recently passed my 3 month mark. I often “feel” like I have low BG, but almost never tested low. I think this happens until your body gets used to the new “normal”. Non-diabetics are probably around the 70-80mg/dL and it takes a while to get from >100mg/dL down to that level (without quick acting insulin). However, when you do feel low, don’t chance it. Just eat a piece of candy until you can get to your meter. The candy wont hurt you, but will help rid the anxiety.
If your BG is up in the 200s, its possible that there are other foods which is raising your BG which you are not aware of. If you write down everything you eat in any particular day, I’m sure people here would give you some feedback as to what is going on.
i do write everything that i eat. I go see the Diabetic nurse tomorrow, so hopefully she will have something for me. My dr just seems to raise my insulin when i fax over weekly my sugars and food diary. Never wants to see me. Im trying to get into an Endo dr, but they have a 3 month wait. Im trying my best with all of this, but sometimes it just is a bit overwhelming. But with the friends I have made on here, i am getting through all of this one day at a time.
I have found that some diabetic nurses have not updated their knowledge about diets. For example, one of them told me I can eat fruits like oranges and bananas. By testing my BG after various foods, I have found that in order to stay below 200, I cannot eat most of the nurse’s recommended foods. Here are some foods I stay away from:
fruits (all except berries), rice, pasta, any grain (include all cereal, oatmeal), breads, potatoes, cooked carrots or tomatoes.
I know it’s awkward to post something as private as your eating habits, but I think our collective experience is a lot more helpful than a non-diabetic who learn it from a book.
its not awkward! But you have named everything that I used to eat. I am the worlds most picky eater, and I so wished I loved all kinds of food. I feel like if I eat one more piece of grilled chicken, I am going to have feathers growing out my butt! I do eat grilled chick salads for almost every meal. I do stay away from just about everything you mentioned, but the occasional slice of bread and baked potato. My nutrionist told me to eat about 120 carbs and 1200 calories a day. I only eat about 40 carbs aday, and less then 1000 calories aday. So to be honest, I have no idea why my sugar is so high. Stress maybe?
Stress is definitely a factor. The day before my final exam for my MBA class, I was at 190. The day after it went back down to 120s.
Are you losing weight? You might be converting fat to sugar.
This morning I was at 111, then i had a light yogurt drink( 12 grams of sugar )with 3 units of Novolog. Three hours later I’m 129.
I took 6 units and I’m waiting to dig into my chef’s salad. Since when did they start putting in croutons in Chef’s Salad? Now I have to pick it out.
Its still a guess for me of whether 6 units is enough to counter the food and bring me close to 100.
Just a thought, but you might be taking too much insulin. If you take too much and then go low, you could rebound (liver starts dumping glucose into your bloodstream) which would make you go high. And, eating too few carbs will definitely make you feel awful. I did the same thing my first couple of weeks (before I got my beloved crack-like insulin) - ate nothing but eggs and meat. Ugh. Once I got the insulin, I said screw it and ate my lovely fruits and grains again and had no problem. I think the key is getting your basal insulin set properly, which might not be happening for you. The endo should figure everything out. I don’t know why they make newly diagnosed folks wait 3 months to get a first appointment. I would call and bug them until you got a closer appt.
my mom just said those exact words. she said to call daily and hope they have a cancellation. luckily this dr is a customer of ours, so my friend is calling daily to get me in sooner. of course, none of this has happened yet. One day when i got home from work, i was so discouraged and hungry i ate 2 oreos. 30 mins later i took my before dinner sugar and it was actually 170. so i dont’ think eating oreos occasionally is a bad thing. i do assume though eating a whole bag wouldn’t be a great thing! I don’t deny myself things if i really want it, i just take smaller portions. But i don’t do it all the time either. It is hard adjusting to this life, but i know it will get easier one day. It does seem like everytime i call my dr, she just raises my insulin without knowing anything.
croutons are the best part of the salad! i endulge in one, in my salad. Yes I am losing a little weight. I have lost only 10 lbs since I started 3 mos ago, but i really don’t have that much to lose. it does seem though, i am retaining a ton of fluid. didn’t know if that was normal or not. I will be glad when I can see myself getting close to 100. I have dipped twice down to 150, but of course, that wasn’t long at all. Every morning I am around the 220 mark. No matter what I ate the night before.