Jen, "eat to your meter" is related to the fact that we are all different in what foods and in what amounts have what influence on our blood sugar! So the more we test two hours after eating, and then keep careful records, the more we see what foods and what servings sizes work to keep our blood sugar in range most of the time. Rather than look to a "one sized fits all" type diets as doctors and even dieticians suggest, eating to your meter lets you figure out what works for you. Another little saying is "testing with a purpose". Since few of us have unlimited test strips it's important to look at what a test tells us, more in terms of patterns than single numbers. Then, seeing that pattern we can make changes in our dosing: I:C ratios, basal rates, ISF as well as our timing of bolus and the food we eat to help fine tune our numbers.
It also helps to remove the onus of "good numbers" vs "bad numbers" when you look at it all as data or information that can inform choices and changes in management.
Interesting - I'm going to have to mess with this some. Makes a lot of sence though, guess I just needed to see it in writing. I'm so use to just counting a carb and doing the carb to insulin ratio thing. But not thinking about the difference in carbs like say a sandwhich compared to a candy bar or to a liquid carb. Guess it's always good to revisit how we do things after having the disease for so long.
Jen - Zoe explains it pretty well, although I must admit I didn't keep careful records. My approach was to immediately eliminate the foods that spiked high after a meal - cereal, breads, pasta, potatoes, 'white carbs'. Then gradually add some back in with smaller portion sizes, or substitutes. One discovery was making mashed potatoes with 60-70% cauliflower. Other changes included reducing total carbs and including more vegetables(salads)/proteins/fats with meals, and pre-bolusing.
Many times users here post questions looking for 'the' formula that works for others, maybe in hopes that it will be the right solution for them too. How many carbs, how/when to exercise, how much insulin/TDD, etc. And that can be helpful for ideas.
Eat to your meter, to me means that I need my own individual plan, and the meter is my guide to show me what works FOR ME, and what doesn't. (ok, I also have CGMS, and that helps a lot too !)
Jen, As you know, you most definitely are NOT alone.
You can get to see your children married...
I recommend you read an extraordinary book by Dr. Bill Polonsky, titled "Diabetes Burnout." I am reading it for like the third time... You can never read it too many times.
In case you missed it, here he is in a live interview we did with him a few weeks ago:
and also, here is the video of the Live Interview we did with a retina specialist recently:
I think it’s the rare person who embraces a diabetes diagnosis and makes it their own from the very start. Most people have to make their way through the 7 stages of grief before they finally come to acceptance. The denial phase lasts the longest, years in many cases. We do the best we can with the cards we have been dealt. No use looking back now. Just look forward to doing what you need to do in order to stay healthy in ever way.
Hi, Jen and welcome. It is a great community and I hope you get involved.
I had Type 1 for 28 years when my retinopathy began. I was VERY lucky to find a doctor who made a huge difference. (And amazingly--I called 800-DOCTOR and found an amazing doctor. Still see him.) I thought the world had ended and I would be blind any day. Reading is my passion, and the idea I would not be able to read anymore devastated me. I was afraid to eat; I KNEW it was all my fault because I had not taken care of myself perfectly; etc, etc, etc. I pretty much starved for over a year due to my fear of food (BUT I lost 75 pounds.) I was a wreck--literally and physically. Lots and lots of treatments..
22 years later, I see fine, read my brains out since retirement, worked a full career, got a masters degree. I think the retinopathy changed my world for the better. Odd, but very true. I take good care of myself now and have been maintaining an A1C in the 5 range. It was 13 at the R diagnosis.
Oh, and in my 50 years as a Type 1, I have only met 2 other T1s in person. That is why this site can be really important. Be brave. You can message me, if you want a knowing shoulder. Good luck.
Wow Jen, I read so much of myself in your post. I was dxed in 1975 at 14 years old, and really for the first 37 years I just coasted. When I stumbled on this site last year I had no clue the difference between basal and bolus insulins. I basically took whatever dose of lantus or Humalog the endo said to take. I had never heard of a dexcom and if I could avoid checking my blood sugar I did. For many of us it takes a life changing occurrence - in your case retinopathy, in mine a severe hypo which required a glucagon injection from hubby - to finally face the facts D can kill you or at the very least really mess up your life. Here there is a collective D experience of well over 25,000 years. If you have a question post a discussion or just ask the question, and someone most likely has an answer. And a shared problem gets so much easier to deal with. This is a great place to come and vent, or celebrate, you will always find someone to commiserate or congratulate. Welcome to TuD.
Jen, I actually wrote this reply three times and deleted it each time. I hope my response is helpful and I do not merely want to pile on what others are saying. First, you should know you are not alone and you are not a 'bad' diabetic. This from a guy who decided not to see a doctor for over 20 years, because he got frustrated. I mean no one is worse than not seeing the doctor like that. I think I am the king of non compliant.
But that is not what I want to talk about. I want you to know that I am a child of retinopathy. In the early 70's my mom was diagnosed with retinopathy and she was given some of the first laser treatment offered. It did not work out well. I want you to know however that things have improved a great deal since that time. If you are like me I suspect you are somewhat scared in large part because of the older procedures.
I have looked into modern treatment methods and as I said things have improved greatly. Today we can expect that retinopathy can be treated. Laser methods are better today, doctors more experienced and outcomes 10 times better. I think you will be shocked at the difference in outcomes. I have been.
I see a doctor who uses the laser to correct these issues. She and I have talked many times about the differences between the laser procedure today and those that my mom had done. Jen I used to lay awake at night being afraid of having this side effect of diabetes, luckily now 37 years after diagnosis I do not have it. But if I did, the first thing I would do is try to put my moms experience out of my mind.
I wish you the very best, I cannot say this will be ok, but I can say things are better today and if I had to have it, I would take comfort in the time frame we are in. As I say, I am a child of retinopathy: I remember the day I first heard about it, I remember the outcomes of that diagnosis. I want you to know you are supported here, be sure and keep us updated and again remember these are not the olden days we both likely remember. Things are much better today.
I have been diabetic for 46 years and this past November got my first bad eye exam. MD was not too concerned, he said it was a small dot (whatever that means).
Past three weeks I developed floaters in the same eye, out of my mind with fear as my job consists of being on the computer all day. Went to eye MD this Saturday and he said nice to see you Karen but you are here too soon and what name did you give this. I said floaters, he said boring name (I thought how about WTF, floaters.)
He dilated my eyes and said nothing had changed, then he laid me down and really examined my retina, putting this crochet type hook in my lower lid to look even better. He said no retinal detachment, and he could not see my floaters (not always possible). Once again he seemed not worried and said see ya in a year.
So here I sit with my diabetic retinopathy diagnosis and floaters, but now my goal is to avoid any long lasting highs, hence really lowering my carb intake and to avoid carbs that I know will spike me. We all know what to do, it is the doing that is hard. So I guess now we are in this together, crossing fingers and lowering carbs.
I have only good things to say about Dr. Randy Wong. One of my biggest fears has always been losing my eyesight. I would rather lose a leg than lose my eyesight. Dr. Wong came to talk to my support group a few years ago and he was just so encouraging. He told us the things have really changed over the last decade or two and we no longer have to just suffer from retinopathy. There are effective treatments and when we couple that with good blood sugar control, very few of us need to worry about very serious vision loss.
I would encourage anyone worried about emerging retinopathy to visit Dr. Wong's website, RetinaEyeDoctor. He has great information on diabetic retinopathy. He discusses the condition, the treatment and really gives insight into the condition. And best of all, you can ask questions of Dr. Wong and he responds in a very understanding and detailed manner.
After meeting and learning from Dr. Wong, I no longer fear retinopathy. I feel like I have control over the emergence of retinopathy and should I be diagnosed with retinopathy it is not the end of the world. I can deal with it and I feel like I will still have every promise of maintaining my eyesight.
Karen - It's been a big wake-up call. We are in this together and we will stay strong!! I have been checking my sugars regularly and I did notice how the stress was affecting me after being first diagnosed with the retinopathy. After using some of the advice I got here from others I’m noticing a big difference. The information on Dr. Bill Polonsky was really life altering for me. (Thanks to all of you who mentioned him too me) After viewing some of his presentations I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders, because this Doctor really gets it. He has so many wonderful teachings. One that really stuck with me …He said to look at those diabetics who were successful and to learn for them, which gives you hope that you can live a longer life. Being threatened with the scare tactics that other doctors have tried on me …that my feet will be cut off or I’ll die young had a negative effect on me. That was never motivating, I thought why try. Reading about other diabetics and having them share their stories on this website about how they have overcome adversity is far more motivating. My BS are now better just having the stress in check.
Not feeling alone anymore!! Thanks to everyone!!
Jen, it has to be extremely hard to not only deal with diabetes, but with the complications of it. With compliance, you can overcome this retinopathy. I will keep you in my prayers, and just know that having diabetes makes you stronger than the average person. Don't worry about being the "perfect" diabetic. You are perfect just the way you are. The average person doesn't see how strong diabetics are, so pat your back! Hold your head up, and know you are not alone. You can get past this complication. XOXO
There is a HUGE difference between diabetic and death... they are very different creatures! As long as "dead" does not happen today, I'm quite content myself!
Look, you have ONE complication, the lion right in front of you. Most of us have some degree of retinopathy. However until it progresses significantly, nothing to be done about it. Its there...
Let me ask you a question... what are you going to do with the ghosts of your diabetes past? What can you do about something that cannot be changed? What good do those whispers, those ghosts serve you?
You are so right. I've been working on what i can control and what I can not control. I can not control that I have the disease. It is what it is. I need to stop trying to control what I can't change. You said it perfectly. "What good do those whispers, those ghosts serve you?" I'm looking at what I can control - I can take my blood sugar, I can make corrections, I can make better food choices.. and I'm starting to feel some of the pressure lifting off of me. This organization has been amazing at helping me to look at the disease with it's ups and downs and crazy turns and realize that you have to move on. Good or bad, you have to live your life. I do actually want to live a quality life, it's really draining to be depressed and burnt out. Stuart, Thanks for sharing!!
