Hi, my name is

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... and I'm an xxxxxx - oh wait a minute, that's that other group. Damn.

Okay, let's try that again...

Hi, my name is Sheri and I don't really want to be here.

We could go around the table or the room or the whole site and agree on that, yes?

This diagnosis was a not a big surprise for me. I had a fasting blood glucose done a year ago because I was feeling really tired after meals. Sometimes stuporous. Often stumble-to-the-couch for a nap sort of tired. If I remember correctly, my fasting glucose was 129, and high normal (according to my lab result paper) was 126. My doctor sent me a letter saying I should re-test in a few months, and meanwhile, perhaps I should lose a few pounds.

I laughed out loud. I am 5' 0" and weighed 135 pounds. Gosh, exactly how many pounds did he reccomend?

All right, cutting carbs was not a big deal. I did the whole ■■■■ and shebang diabetes thing while I was pregnant with my daughter, six and a half years ago. I ate carefully, tested, and shot insulin over and over and over for months. I managed it then, and I can manage it now.

I started cutting carbs and started feeling better and chose not to re-test. It was summer and I was busy, and I had a daydream that I would find private health insurance for myself and my family. Book contracts were coming my way, and writers' conferences, and ditching the day job would surely be a beautiful thing. Being diagnosed with diabetes was contrary to any goal of being insured privately.

I lost 15 pounds between May and August of 2009. All I did was cut my carb intake, and walk the dog when the weather was fine.

But here I am, 1 year later, down 19 pounds with an A1c of 6.7.

Damn it.

So my doctor's office sent me a letter asking me to make an appt with a Nurse Practitioner. Which I did. I just got home from that waste of time and feel aggravated and irritible. And HUNGRY.

When I made the appt, I was given the impression that it was about diabetes education. It was more about lab education, quitting smoking education, get an eye exam education, make an appointment with the diabetes nurse education. "We want to get your A1c down to 6." Yeah? Well I want to get it down to 5.something. While drinking coffee all day every day.

If I had not bought my own meter and started testing, I still would have no clue what my blood sugars were doing. "I am always hungry," I complained at today's appointment. "And can I get more tattoos, or do I have to quit that?"but she didn't have answers to those questions. She said "Let's repeat the A1c in 3 months. And see me again in 6 months. And start you on metformin."

Whoa. No thanks. I am planning to visit every drinking establishment in New Orleans, LA over a period of 6 days in May. The metformin option is going to have to wait.

"Have you thought about quitting smoking?" she asked.

"Um, yeah, who hasn't? But that's not happening right now." I feel like I am starving all the time, so it's hard enough not to stuff my face with foods that sound yummy. If I quit smoking it will be impossible to stop eating. I feel like I am wasting away. I am shrinking out of my size 6 jeans. A size that, a year ago, I said OUT LOUD that I would probalby never be again. I know - there are worse problems. And I'm not complaining about losing weight, I'm complaining about feeling like I am starving. And it's pretty obvious that losing weight was not the answer to my blood sugar issues.

I learned a lot more from my meter and from bloodsugar101.com than I learned at today's appointment. which cost me an hour and a half of my time, a $20 copay, and $2 for parking.

I don't want to be diabetic. But I can bite it and cope. I certainly don't want to lose limbs and vision. I am lucky that I can have a huge impact on what this disease does to me. (Is it a disease, or just a physical malfunction?) I can control my blood sugars, and probably by diet and exercise alone for (hopefully) a good long time. Fine. Maybe it's better to get the diagnosis now, while I'm so busy that it's just one more thing to do without having a lot of time to obsess about it. And let me note also, that I am lucky that my Dr. is wise enough to diagnose me now, while my numbers are not terrible.

But can somebody PLEASE help me fix my coffee?

Coffee with milk and 6 tsp of sugar (per 16 oz travel mug) is one of the greatest pleasures of my life. In one year I have cut the sugar from 6 tsp down to 2, and it has been fine and wonderful and good. But I have to do something more, because I carry my coffee with me all day long. I drink at least four of those 16 oz. travel mugs per day, so I want to figure out how to make that have the least effect possible on my blood sugar.

But I still want it to taste rich and good and wonderful.

Yesterday I tried sugar free coffee mate. And today. But it's just not the same. When I find the right combination to make my coffee carmel colored and smooth and rich and oh, so, yummy, I will post the secret here.

In the meantime... happy testing. (And... how can I feel starving and test 132?)

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Diabetes s*cks. It is not fair. When I was diagnosed I was convinced it was caused by some medication, and then I thought I could just fix it, lose some pounds. But it didn’t work. I was angry. I was depressed. That was years ago. Over time, I feel better. Yes, I have to take care of stuff, I have to worry about my diet and exercise and all the medication stuff. But you know, when I was young, I was also naive. I was never going to live forever. Diabetes or not, I could never expect live a long healthy life if I continued to eat bad foods, smoke or do those things.

It will be ok. And just so you feel better about the coffee, here my secret to a diabetic coffee to die for, **** spoiler alert ***

Full cream. I like my coffee with splenda and full cream, rich and sweet. So you march into Starbucks, order your latte with FULL CREAM. If they tell you they don’t have it remind them, they keep it in the fridge.

ps. My doctor measured my fasting blood sugar for years at levels like yours, telling me I was fine. Well I was NOT FINE, I WAS DIABETIC! Sorry, I still have some anger issues.

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hi there Sheri, welcome. yes, bsc is right about the heavy cream. It has less carbs. oh, and we have a Group here for those with tats
http://www.tudiabetes.org/group/inkeddiabetics

we also have a Group for Smokers.

from marie, type1 for 42 years

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Oh yay! Heavy cream! My daughter and her friend ate my whole package of strawberries yesterday so it’s back to the store for more healthy snacks. And cream. Mmmmm. I can’t complain that she wants to eat strawberries instead of potato chips. Thanks, guys!

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welcome to the flip side. I used to love high calorie coffee before I was diagnosed and a good pint of beer in many occations. I used to drink 4 tall mochas from star bucks a day. Now I drink a tall skim vanilla late every once in a while if I excercise and my coffee consists of one creamer and splenda. The transition really sucked for me because it was not gradual but then maybe cold turkey works better for others. For me the transition to quit drinking high sugary coffee and eat bad meals and stop drinking came because of a trip to the ICU with a blood sugar of 1000. I was on IV for 3 days with nothing to eat until my bg’s could be controlled. So type 2 could be gradual but it could come like a bat out of hell very quickly. I was at the doctors 6 months ealier and nothing was mentioned.

Take care and remember all things in moderation make things easier to adjust.

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I don’t mind chanigng my coffee to low cal - I just want it to still taste good and not significantly effect my blood sugar. Drinking coffee keeps me from munching!

Another annoying thing at my Dr. appt today was when she said, “Well, you only need to test 2 times a day.” Seriously? I mean, maybe yeah, once I know how different foods affect my blood sugar and I can consistently get good blood sugars because I’ll have done the research. But for the moment… I’m with Jenny Reuhl - my goal is to have NORMAL blood sugars. Period. Testing isn’t that big a deal, it’s like a research project. So on goes the research. I’ll have lots of numbers to show the diabetes educator.

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hi welcome to the site (and the Big D)
look at using artifical sugars - like equal or splenda or maybe that stevia stuff and see if they work for you. I’ve given up on cream unless it’s one of the fancy sugarlesscarnation coffeemates they are awesome.

think you can still get tattoos but only if you post pics here :wink:
lots of diabetics tattoo medical info on their bodies - I haven’t done it yet but they can look very cool

I am on metformin and a couple other meds and had a blast in new orleans for our tenth wedding anniversary and had no issues except for the stupid “jester” drink it was all sugar and very little alcohol. there is a risk of lactic acidous (spell?) but it is a remote possibility (at least my nightly red wine and occasional binge hasn’t killed me yet) but just check your sugars and have carbs w/ you alcohol can lower your BS’s

FWIW look at another doc if you don’t how you’re being treated and for the love of pete quit smoking

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HI there,
I just want to say I love your post. You have so much spunk! I just found out I have diabetes too. Not drinking coffee doesn’t bother me though - but I used to be a huge coffee fiend so I know where you are coming from. What is the point of all this if we can’t enjoy our food and not starve to death? I am going through the “I feel like I am starving to death” phase too. The diet part of this is so hard to figure out. I guess we will figure it out someday (although I wish that someday was today). I notice you are in Wisconsin too. I am also until tomorrow when I move but I will definately miss it! Hang in there! Kimberly