Re: just re the Vt D New here and needing support

[Guest guest]



Hi Debbie

I know little about most of what you are going through, BUT my best friend was also found to be extremely low on Vit D, and he also was put on huge doses to take. Fortunately he had no side effects. He is doing much much better now with his level going closer to normal.

My level is also low, but not THAT low, so I am taking 'just' 3000 iu daily.

Scientists have found that the doses previously seen as normal were way too low and that not enough was being added, especially for the chronically ill, and with those who can't get 'proper' sun Vit D safely any more.

I don't have any of the references to the value of Vit D, but you should be able to find it online I suspect.

Best of fortune with so many concerns!!

Jean

Re: New here and needing support

Hello Debbie

They make glucometers where you lance the forearm instead of the finger tips. There's fewer nerves in the forearm so there's less of a chance of getting one of those stings. You can usually arrange to be reimbursed for the price of a new glucometer as they make their money off the test strips. As to stings from the actual injections, you could pull out and try another site when you feel the sting, I usually just go ahead and inject and just live with the bruise as it would be just my luck for the next site to be worse. The insulin pens are supposed to go in easier as the needles on them haven't been inserted through the vial's seal so they still have all of their lubrication on them, those needles tend to be smaller and shorter as well, I've had mixed results with the pens, sometimes I think it was less painful with the syringes. What was the most painful is when they take arterial blood for the oxidation readings while in the hospital.

Doctors in Brazil told me that it's pretty difficult to tell the difference between pneumonia, bronchitis and pulmonary edema from Congestive Heart Failure ( I was hospitalized in Brazil while on a business trip back in 2004, seems that the Brazilians are well versed in CHF as they have a very high salt content in their diet, the Brazilian office covered the expense but I've been religiously purchasing travel medical insurance ever since ). What did they do to diagnose the water retention in your lungs? With me, it was listening for the pop and crackles in the lungs while I breathe (sounds like rice krispies), the third heartbeat sound, a chest x-ray which showed enlargement of the heart and a echocardiogram to estimate the ejection fraction ( it was 15% when I was first diagnosed with CHF , fortunately it's gotten much better since then ).

Have you contacted the pharmaceutical that makes Lexapro to tell them you had to discontinue using it due to expenses? Usually they will arrange to provide you with the medication for free rather than have you stop using it. They do this to defuse any criticisms of the high prices that they charge for the medications in the States by claiming that those who can't afford the meds will still be treated. Medications are a lot less expensive in Canada and Brazil, having grown up in Canada, I refuse to believe the statements that the FDA makes about the meds there being potentially substandard, if anything it's more likely to be vice versa.

What type of insulin did they put you on, was it something high tech like Lantus (gLargine) for a nice steady basal dose or something faster that needs to be timed to meals? I think that anti-depressants are a good idea since maintaining a positive attitude is important to recovery. I actually specifically asked for anti-depressants and a therapist when I was diagnosed with CHF, don't know if there was any actual depression, I just knew that becoming depressed when faced with serious illnesses was a sure way to die. I did find Prozac a bit deadening in that it just numbed everything so I switched to Welbutrin, the transition was a little rough as your emotions go all over the place the first few days ( they really should warn people about that so arrangements can be made to not leave them alone and unmonitored ), but it seems to be better. The diabetes followed the CHF by about a year so it could've been triggered by the stress of the heart medications which essentially kept the load on the heart down despite the need for bloodflow by the rest of the organs. They first had me on Amaryl which just had the glucose levels all over the place, incredibly low after the meds were taken etc. Once we switched to Lantus for a basal level and Metformin to try and control the fasting levels, it all evened out to a HgA1c of 5.5% with fasting levels between 90 and 100 mg/dl. When you think about it, the absorption rates of oral medications vary a lot so it doesn't make sense to try and control something like blood glucose by oral methods alone.

That helicopter ride must've been quite the experience, was it covered by insurance?

Regards,

On Dec 16, 2007, at 12:47 AM, Debstar wrote:

Hi I am Debbie and have been diabetic for 7 years this Feb 14. I just started insulin, I am type 2, and have a diabetic educator I and my husband am seeing this Wednesday. My sugars just won't stay under control.

I don't know if I have the energy or heart to tell my bit of my story, but my Dr put me on Prozac yesterday, I went off the Lexapro because of expenses. But I was flown by helicopter Sept 23, from Nevada back to salt lake. I have had multiple health issues. But mainly they found water retention and in my lungs, the cardiologist suggested going off the Avandia, so I did, then I got pneumonia, and still the chest pains, multiple ER visits (btw I am 45 and have 3 adopted children, age 15, 14, and 11, and a wonderful husband of 23 years). Well then the oxygen started when my stats were staying in the 80's. Then they found the pain was the gall bladder so it was taken out Thanksgiving week, the next week a new diabetic Dr and I went on insulin with a HgA1c of 9.8 (I am really getting so tired of being the only one that seemed concerned my sugars ranged from 229 to 289 fasting and before meals).

So now, I need a sleep study to see if I have sleep apena, I went without the oxygen, and woke up hoarse and stuffed up. Also my oldest 2 kids are special needs so a lot of stress around here. So that is me right now in a nutshell. And for my excitement, I am an Avon lady (no worries, no sales here from me). But if you do bear with me occasionally, it does give me something to do than sit around and feel sorry for myself for being chronically sick.

BTW, just a question. I usually do the pokes okay with the insulin, but sometimes get a lasting sting it bugs me. Is there anything that takes care of the sting??? Also, now that I am poking fingers 4 times a day, I am getting hardened on the sides of my fingers, I am thinking of using some of the cuticle remover or something from Avon, but does anyone have any secrets for helping that callused thing being a woman I do like to have soft hands. Well thanks for listening. I have been mostly quiet and depressed lately, or sarcastic humor kinda like Hawkeye Pierce I think to survive all the depressing health issues.

Debbie Bullock

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info, I am just upset the Dr didn't answer my concerns, and when I was alarmed and wanted information, the med assistant didn't offer, So we will see what my Dr (family) says, or I will just take it. I am getting sick yet again, another cold, over and over, I did read about it online and I am sure because of low Vit D.

 

Debbie Bullock

AVON Independent Sales Representative

AVON Beauty Advisor

Unit Leader

harleydiva.debbie@...

www.youravon.com/dbullock

-- Re: just re the Vt D New here and needing support

Hi Debbie

I know little about most of what you are going through, BUT my best friend was also found to be extremely low on Vit D, and he also was put on huge doses to take. Fortunately he had no side effects. He is doing much much better now with his level going closer to normal.

My level is also low, but not THAT low, so I am taking 'just' 3000 iu daily.

Scientists have found that the doses previously seen as normal were way too low and that not enough was being added, especially for the chronically ill, and with those who can't get 'proper' sun Vit D safely any more.

I don't have any of the references to the value of Vit D, but you should be able to find it online I suspect.

Best of fortune with so many concerns!!

Jean

Re: New here and needing support

Hello Debbie

They make glucometers where you lance the forearm instead of the finger tips. There's fewer nerves in the forearm so there's less of a chance of getting one of those stings. You can usually arrange to be reimbursed for the price of a new glucometer as they make their money off the test strips. As to stings from the actual injections, you could pull out and try another site when you feel the sting, I usually just go ahead and inject and just live with the bruise as it would be just my luck for the next site to be worse. The insulin pens are supposed to go in easier as the needles on them haven't been inserted through the vial's seal so they still have all of their lubrication on them, those needles tend to be smaller and shorter as well, I've had mixed results with the pens, sometimes I think it was less painful with the syringes. What was the most painful is when they take arterial blood for the oxidation readings while in the hospital.

Doctors in Brazil told me that it's pretty difficult to tell the difference between pneumonia, bronchitis and pulmonary edema from Congestive Heart Failure ( I was hospitalized in Brazil while on a business trip back in 2004, seems that the Brazilians are well versed in CHF as they have a very high salt content in their diet, the Brazilian office covered the expense but I've been religiously purchasing travel medical insurance ever since ). What did they do to diagnose the water retention in your lungs? With me, it was listening for the pop and crackles in the lungs while I breathe (sounds like rice krispies), the third heartbeat sound, a chest x-ray which showed enlargement of the heart and a echocardiogram to estimate the ejection fraction ( it was 15% when I was first diagnosed with CHF , fortunately it's gotten much better since then ).

Have you contacted the pharmaceutical that makes Lexapro to tell them you had to discontinue using it due to expenses? Usually they will arrange to provide you with the medication for free rather than have you stop using it. They do this to defuse any criticisms of the high prices that they charge for the medications in the States by claiming that those who can't afford the meds will still be treated. Medications are a lot less expensive in Canada and Brazil, having grown up in Canada, I refuse to believe the statements that the FDA makes about the meds there being potentially substandard, if anything it's more likely to be vice versa.

What type of insulin did they put you on, was it something high tech like Lantus (gLargine) for a nice steady basal dose or something faster that needs to be timed to meals? I think that anti-depressants are a good idea since maintaining a positive attitude is important to recovery. I actually specifically asked for anti-depressants and a therapist when I was diagnosed with CHF, don't know if there was any actual depression, I just knew that becoming depressed when faced with serious illnesses was a sure way to die. I did find Prozac a bit deadening in that it just numbed everything so I switched to Welbutrin, the transition was a little rough as your emotions go all over the place the first few days ( they really should warn people about that so arrangements can be made to not leave them alone and unmonitored ), but it seems to be better. The diabetes followed the CHF by about a year so it could've been triggered by the stress of the heart medications which essentially kept the load on the heart down despite the need for bloodflow by the rest of the organs. They first had me on Amaryl which just had the glucose levels all over the place, incredibly low after the meds were taken etc. Once we switched to Lantus for a basal level and Metformin to try and control the fasting levels, it all evened out to a HgA1c of 5.5% with fasting levels between 90 and 100 mg/dl. When you think about it, the absorption rates of oral medications vary a lot so it doesn't make sense to try and control something like blood glucose by oral methods alone.

That helicopter ride must've been quite the experience, was it covered by insurance?

Regards,

On Dec 16, 2007, at 12:47 AM, Debstar wrote:

Hi I am Debbie and have been diabetic for 7 years this Feb 14. I just started insulin, I am type 2, and have a diabetic educator I and my husband am seeing this Wednesday. My sugars just won't stay under control.

I don't know if I have the energy or heart to tell my bit of my story, but my Dr put me on Prozac yesterday, I went off the Lexapro because of expenses. But I was flown by helicopter Sept 23, from Nevada back to salt lake. I have had multiple health issues. But mainly they found water retention and in my lungs, the cardiologist suggested going off the Avandia, so I did, then I got pneumonia, and still the chest pains, multiple ER visits (btw I am 45 and have 3 adopted children, age 15, 14, and 11, and a wonderful husband of 23 years). Well then the oxygen started when my stats were staying in the 80's. Then they found the pain was the gall bladder so it was taken out Thanksgiving week, the next week a new diabetic Dr and I went on insulin with a HgA1c of 9.8 (I am really getting so tired of being the only one that seemed concerned my sugars ranged from 229 to 289 fasting and before meals).

So now, I need a sleep study to see if I have sleep apena, I went without the oxygen, and woke up hoarse and stuffed up. Also my oldest 2 kids are special needs so a lot of stress around here. So that is me right now in a nutshell. And for my excitement, I am an Avon lady (no worries, no sales here from me). But if you do bear with me occasionally, it does give me something to do than sit around and feel sorry for myself for being chronically sick.

BTW, just a question. I usually do the pokes okay with the insulin, but sometimes get a lasting sting it bugs me. Is there anything that takes care of the sting??? Also, now that I am poking fingers 4 times a day, I am getting hardened on the sides of my fingers, I am thinking of using some of the cuticle remover or something from Avon, but does anyone have any secrets for helping that callused thing being a woman I do like to have soft hands. Well thanks for listening. I have been mostly quiet and depressed lately, or sarcastic humor kinda like Hawkeye Pierce I think to survive all the depressing health issues.

Debbie Bullock