I’d be willing to bet there are thousands and thousands of mailmen who’ve learned to balance diabetes with their job. You will too. It will get easier. Right now the dust is nowhere near settled, but it will setttle down and you’ll find your stride. If you’re so overwhelmed right now that you feel that you cannot do your job then there is no shame in utilizing FMLA and there would be no hesitation if it were me.
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I hear ya. The doctor only stressed that I take the anti depressent…not look up the side affects…and see him in two weeks.
If he says anything other than he’s right…I’d be surprised. I did call the office and stressed I also wanted the anti bodies test done. Had to leave a message. I’m sure they won’t.
Ever feel like you could use a happy meal, coke and snickers bar? I do. Not in the cards though.
Hi John: Unfortunately, c-peptide can’t be used to determine type, it only might give a clue. Autoantibody testing can be used to assess if a person has Type 1 diabetes–did you ask your doctor for those tests? Sadly, all too often, doctors will vehemently insist that a person has Type 2 diabetes, when all clues point to Type 1. Nonetheless, if I were in your shoes, I would be absolutely adamant and demand treatment with exogenous insulin. As so many people will tell you, the only thing about insulin that they would have changed is that they would have gone on it sooner. We do need to be our own best advocates in the medical system!
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Seconding what Melitta said . . . you need those antibody tests; that is not negotiable. Think of it this way: who is the one with skin in the game? Your doctor? Or you?
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He just said ‘tests’ …and c-peptide. I stressed I wanted a definitive answer. Also called back and left the message I wanted the anti-body tests done.
I’m actively trying to avoid drugs that could cause me hypos. My current blood sugar’s aren’t outrageous. But it’s not like I’m eating toast and cookies. On insulin…I do not believe I could exert myself as I currently do at work. To many unexpected variables. I do understand what you’re saying.
I don’t think I’m ready for the complexity of insulin. Not yet. Maybe someday. Probably unfortunately. I don’t know even what I truly am. I don’t know where I go from here exactly. My wife even asked me…if the Dr. says I’m still type 2…will I accept his answer. Good question.
Take it day by day. Maybe find something I can do at work that will work for me…down the line.
That’s me being optomistic…my employer isn’t known as a supportive group to work for.
I appreciate all the advice and support I’m getting here. Even if I’m hearing things I don’t want to. Even being able to express things is helping me.
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There are plenty of people with strenuous jobs on insulin. There are insulin dependent iron-man triathletes. There are insulin dependand professional fighters, Olympic wrestlers, professional rodeo cowboys and NFL quarterbacks. More than one or two members of this forum have run marathons on insulin. The English channel has been swam by a guy with an insulin pump and I’m pretty sure Mt. Everest climbed. In no way shape or form does using insulin reduce your physical abilities. It is an additional thing people have to manage in their lives, and it can be time consuming and demanding-- but it doesn’t need to be limiting.
A lot of the fears associated with insulin are leftover from the old days with vastly inferior and less predictable insulin and before people could check their blood sugar whenever, wherever they wanted to or even have continuous monitors. These days things are different. I agree that based on your current blood sugars you probably don’t need it yet… but it’s not something to go to great lengths to avoid either.
I wouldn’t get too caught up in the diagnosis, contrary to what seems to be the consensus here. What matters is that you’re getting whatever treatment is necessary to live a full and satisfying life with your blood sugars under control.
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Are you are having enough fats? full fat everything, real butter on veg, olive oil . it’s very important to replace the lost carb calories for energy.
The hardest part is overcoming the low fat dogma for the last 40 years.
you can then increase your protein to 25%.125g to put some weight on
Maybe. Also though…it could worsen my insulin resistance of I am type 2. There’s always something. 
you should be having 20% protein now, This is an example of a very low carb keto diet
sugar and starch carbs cause the most insulin resistance. As I see it, you are either T1 and/or you aren’t eating enough. the tests will show if it’s T1, but either way you still need to eat enough.
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Insulin at work. Shoot up 30 minutes before eating. Test in the bathroom then what if you go to lunch late. Yeah I’ll stick with the pills.
Hi John,
I’d also dare say that you should have your thryoid checked. Low thryoid is classic for causing depression and fatigue. It is very common for people with diabetes to also have thyroid problems. I have read that anyone being prescribed antidepresants shouldd first have their thryoid tested. Full pannel of Ft3, Ft4 and TSH.
You need to know that you have come to the right place. Where now you can’t talk to your wife (she iis also probably going through grieving) you can talk to us. As much as you want and need.
For the diet, I’d be making sure you are getting enough calories and eating heaps of healthy fats. Not eating enough fat is one of the maiin mistakes people can make when eating low carb. You need the fats for energy. Fats will have minimal if any impact on blood sugar. Fats can be from fatty nuts such as macaddamia, cream, butter, the fat on meat, cream-cheese… etc.
I just wanted to share a bit of my story. I was diagnosed a little more than 11 years ago during an annual physical, I’d probably had diabetes for a long-time. But in the scope of things it got caught reasonable “early” because of my regular doctors appointments. My A1c was 8.5%. I was told I had T2 and given the standard treatment. Lose weight and metformin. But I wasn’t really overweight and losing additional weight didn’t help. And being told to eat more carbs by the educators I really didn’t get control of things. Within 6 months I had discovered low carb and I was able to bring my diabetes under better control. But while I kept my blood sugar reasonable after meals eating very few carbs, my fasting blood sugars just would not be tamed. They were always like 140-160 mg/dl. I went through nearly every diabetes drug known to man, none helped. Six years ago I moved to insulin and since then have achieved really good control. These days I’m pretty much treated the same way as someone with T1 but I still identify as T2.
All of us have a different journey with diabetes. You may find that you are T2 and that you can do a great job with diet, exercise and minimal medication. Or you may find you need insulin. No matter what, it is important that you know that you can do this. That even something daunting such as insulin is something you can do. Just keep reminding yourself that you can do this.
ps. I know that insulin seems complex, but many people with T2 start of with just a basal insulin like Tresiba. You take it once a day and serious hypoglycemia is very rare with just Tresiba.
I hear ya. It’s just even at my peak when I wasn’t feeling fatigue…my job could be physically challenging, and I’ll be by myself - in the extreme heat or cold…pushing through snow or shoving my vehicle through feet of snow. Nobody will be there if I get sick. Nobody will allow me to sit there to wait for low blood sugar to normalize. I know the law will say they must. They won’t.
But reality is what it is. I’m not there yet…but I will be. This is why I fear the future with where I work and who I work for.
I know this is wrong for me to say…but part of me fears the whole insulin resistance thing. Someday it’s just going to make it progressively harder to control. It’s wrong because I wouldn’t envy being a type 1. Or LADA…etc.
You’re not kidding about everybody’s journey being different. My A1C …13.7. Yet I had a fasting this morning of 83? What gives? Right now I’m rail thin though. I need to gain weight I think. An acquaintance just came by to pick something up from me…the look on his face said everything.
I got the ‘you’re dying’ look. Even on my day off…I feel beat. Lol.
I understand your fears. I can assure you I’ve been through all those thoughts. And I can assure you I’ve lived through this reality and it’s manageable and not as bad as your fears. I was certain my career as a ships pilot was over the day I took my first insulin injection-- not so though.
Your fears are normal and understandable, but not accurate reflections of living with diabetes on or off of insulin.
I was a collegiate wrestler. At one point my entire identity, both public and personal, was how physically fit and strong I was. Ten years later, after the onset of diabetes but before it was recognized and treated , I was so physically weak that I had to hire high school kids to shovel the snow off my deck while I was only in my late 20s, because I just didn’t have the strength, motivation, or resolve to do it myself.
Now that the blood sugar situation is under control I’m physically fit again-- not like I was 15 years ago, but enough that I ran my first half marathon last summer and am planning to do a full one next summer. point being, you are sick and unhealthy right now, but you’re recovering— and you will feel more healthy and physically fit as this situation gets ironed out. You’re going to be fine.
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That’s an easy one.
First: A1c reflects average blood sugar over the past 90 days or so. That 83 is a point-in-time measurement. The relationship is obvious: the reading at any given moment may be high, low, or in between but it only tells you what your BG is at that moment. One reason many doctors worry about diabetics keeping their A1cs too low is that they fear the patient may be achieving that low average number by balancing off serious highs against serious lows (the fear is more often than not unfounded, but it’s something we have to deal with).
Second: If it’s been more than a few days since that A1c measurement was done, the measures you have taken to lower your blood sugar may well be working effectively, but you won’t see that reflected until the next time your A1c is checked.
One passing note about insulin: as was said earlier, you may well be able to manage your diabetes successfully without it. However, if you really are Type 1 or LADA, you absolutely, positively will need it; the question just becomes, when? That’s one reason why a correct diagnosis is so very important. You need to know what you are dealing with, rather than just relying on an opinion (however well informed).
I understand that part about the A1C. I’m just saying how different people are. My fasting seems ideal.
I’d love to have complete confidence in what my GP tells me when the results come back. To know wothout a doubt. One way or another I’m going to want a physical copy to take to my endocrinologist in December (9th). Also curios what the a1c will be then.
Is it sad that I’m looking at insulin videos on YouTube? Type 1 people talking about balancing a dose with a heavy carb meal. I miss so many foods at this point. I was fantasizing this morning about having a big bowl of my favorite cereal (healthy…lol…craklin’ oat bran). 45grams of carbs…a cup. I think. If I ever get on insulin…and can dose properly… I’d love to eat that on occasion.
Also…if I do to many typos
…Sorry. my phone has a mind of its own.
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As a T1/LADA, I consider myself lucky to have been put on bolus insulin immediately after diagnosis. I didn’t need basal for the first 18 months. For me, insulin = freedom…and good health. It can be challenging to balance it with carbs, physical activity, etc., but it’s what my body needs, so I’m usually okay just figuring out how to deal with it. Good luck with your continuing journey!
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I don’t mean to sound alarmist but you need to put yourself first. Your doctor not ordering the antibody test is a bad sign. Your doctor may be a great person but mistakes are made by all of us. My sons diagnosis was missed and he was deep in Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA - you should read about it) with blood sugar of 960, brain swelling, near death before they caught it. You don’t sound that high. Point is, we kept his prdoatrician because he was still a great GP. We got an endo for the Diabetes. As a postal worker I assume you have good coverage. If you don’t like your GP or he won’t order a test, ask for an endocrinologist. I doubt they will fool around. You being rail thin sounds like reason enough to be tested for antibodies. My son was skeletal at diagnosis.
The others here are right about insulin. If you are type 2 there are new studies that show early insulin therapy can reverse or halt progression of the condition. If you are resistant to multiple daily injections, there is now an inhalable insulin option, Afrezza. You can find that topic elsewhere on this website with lots of helpful advice. Main thing is, keep an eye on your blood sugars. I hope the Dr already sent you home with a glucometer and test strips(?). Take care
That is a very normal BG. Insulin resistance gives a high BG reading of a morning. so does T1. I think you have lost weight from not eating. lost the liver and pancreas fat that can reduce insulin production.
go and make a 4 egg omelet with fried mushrooms and tomato, with a tablespoon of butter. or anything low carb and have a read of this. although they talk weight loss, this is because low carb self regulates and people are normally overweight when they start. just make sure you are getting healthy fats and protein with low carb veg/salad