questions

September 4, 2001

What is euthyroid? I've seen it mentioned in several posts.

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on books or pamphlets that I

can read? I subscribe to Shomen's newsletter and have gotten

some valuable information from there. I also have a very good friend

in England who is a research endocrinologist who has been so

supportive.

What kinds of questions should I be asking my endo. and internist?

Jani

September 4, 2001

Hi Jani,

Euthyroid is when your thyroid is functioning normally, your lab tests all

fall within the normal range and where you and everyone of us wants to be.

The ATD's will get you back there, and with regular labs being run your endo

hopefully will not let you go into hypo hell.

Dr. Arems book Thyroid Solution is a very good book, also Elaine from

this list just had " Graves Disease, A Practical Guide " published. You can

get that from Amazon.com and I believe and Noble. It is an excellent

book!

Once suggestion for you is right from the get go, let your endo know that

you will be on the team to help you feel as well as you can. That you want

copies of every lab test they do right from the get go. You can also sign a

release with the hospital/lab that draws your bloods so you can pick up a

copy direct from the lab.

If your endo starts telling you how sick you were, lets get the RAI done,

tell him you want to take your time in finding the right treatment that YOU

are comfortable with and for now the ATD's will buy you that time. In the

end you may decide on RAI, but don't make any permanent treatment decisions

until you are thinking clearly and can really digest what you are learning

and make an informed decision.

Remember that Graves Disease is NOT a disease of the thyroid, but of the

immune system that is attacking the thyroid. With the ATDs your thyroid

will have some rest from the antibodies attacking it.

You may want to go to www.suite101.com and type in Graves Disease and

Elaine and read some of Elaine's articles that are related to specific

topics also.

When I first started here there were only a little over a 1000 posts so I

was able to read the archives completely, with pen in hand so when I had a

questions I would write it down, if an answer that I understood wasn't found

nearby I would throw the question out to group and someone would always

help. That worked for me and you may want to try it, well the question part

at least.

I get 's newsletters too, I think they are great. I found my current

endo from her Top Docs find page after finally getting up enough courage to

fire the first two. This one was recommended on s site and I love her,

she is great. I will be really interested when things settle down for you,

on what research is being done on thyroid disease from your Endo researcher

friend. It gives me some hope that we weren't forgotten!

Take care,

Jody

_________________________________________________________________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp

February 18, 2008

does anyone have a recommendation for a good quality stationary Bike not to

exceed $500 that has a seat that won't give one a pain in the Bum.

regards,

Claude Everett

American by chance, Californian by choice.

Everyone has a disability, some are more aware of it than others.

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of LaFrance-Wolf

Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 10:18 AM

To: blind-diabetics

Subject: RE: K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E.,

F.A.C.N., FCCWS, Shares His Ideas on Why There Was an Increase in CV

Incidents and How the Intensive Treatment Regimen

Mark,I

Got confused with e-mails and sent a reply to Nefertiti instead of you!

But, you are doing the right thing!

Re: K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E.,

F.A.C.N., FCCWS, Shares His Ideas on Why There Was an Increase in CV

Incidents and How the Intensive Treatment Regimen

What I would like to know, is how do you know how many carbs to eat

before you exercise? I have been riding my exercise bike for 90 minutes

a day and losing about 3 pounds a week. I'm eating about 60 carbs per

day. Some days a few more and some less. Ever since I started riding my

bike for 90 minutes a day, my 2 hour sugar readings has been under 120.

One day after I finished riding my bike I checked my sugar and it was

88. But I didn't feel bad in any way. How do you know how many carbs you

are using when you exercise? Or is there even a way to know? My last A1C

was 7.2 about one month ago. I'm hoping it is less then 6 when I go back

in May to have it checked again. I will have to admit riding my bike for

90 minutes a day makes me feel better and I now watch closer what I eat

as well as how much. My heart doctor told me by exercising every day for

as long as I am doing, will help to keep my new arteries open going to

my heart. Plus he said the exercising would lower my blood pressure over

time. My LDL is higher then they like, but my HDL is to low they say,

but my total cholesterol was 186. It's all pretty confusing if you ask

me. You can have one group of folks over here telling us one thing and

then a different group over there telling you another thing. I guess we

just do it our way and listen to our bodies tell us if we are doing it

right or not? Another thing I need to know, is should I exercise right

after eating a meal, or should I wait thirty minutes before riding my

bike? It seems like to me if you ate to me carbs at one time, then you

are only burning off that many carbs and not any extra. If your fat like

me, then why can't your body burn off the stored up carbs and not have

to use what you just ate?

Well it is a cold hard fact that for the first fifty years of my life I

ate what I felt like eating and ate as much of it as I desired. So doing

it this way and not thinking about what folks were telling me, I now am

type 2 diabetic, high blood pressure and had open heart last August. I

would say my way caused most of this. Now I care what I eat and how much

I eat. Plus I exercise more in one day now then I ever did in 3 months.

No one knows how long by passes last before they clog up again, but

eating right, counting carbs and exercising daily certainly has to help

and not hurt.

I don't post much at all here on the list, but I read everything you

guys talk about. I take it all in and learn from you all even when you

disagree. I started my changing of eating habits and exercising daily

about six weeks ago. I started at 328 and have lost down to 299 so far.

I believe lower amount of carbs per meal and more exercise is doing the

trick for me right now. I'm not on insulin right now, but take 2

different types of pills. I hope to get down to under 200 before a year

has passed. I'm doing good so far and will let the list know how I'm

doing as I go. It certainly took a long time and a boat load of money to

get this pile of fat, so I guess it will take just as long and more hard

work to take it off.

RE: K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E.,

F.A.C.N., FCCWS, Shares His Ideas on Why There Was an Increase in CV

Incidents and How the Intensive Treatment Regimen

I think Bernstein's arguments are flawed (no less because he's

speculating

on something he has *no data* on!).

I read somewhere that the idea that high insulin levels causes

hypertension

was inconclusive. You can find studies supporting the idea and studies

not

supporting it. In either case, those with type 2 generally have high

insulin

levels whether they are using endogenous or exogenous insulin so unless

they

suddenly began eating many more carbohydrates during the study then they

had

been before (which I doubt), this can't really be an argument. Besides,

the

more someone exercises the more carbohydrates they need--this is true of

those with and without diabetes.

Even if they were on a high carbohydrate diet in the study, they were

probably on a high carbohydrate *before* the study as well, and with

higher

blood sugars. So how can a high carbohydrate diet and " high " blood

sugars of

140 be the culprit if this is something that did not change from before

to

during the study? And as for the rollercoaster effect, nothing can be

said

there because there is nothing to suggest that someone with a 6% A1c

would

experience more of a rollercoaster effect than someone with a 7% A1c ...

in

fact evidence suggests the opposite (as A1c lowers, after-meal readings

become more important in its value than fasting readings).

Also, just to be the devil's advocate: There was that article out a few

days

ago proposing that lack of C-peptide increases cardiovascular risk. What

if

I suggested that by taking insulin you are suppressing much endogenous

insulin production and thus losing C-peptide, thus increasing the risk.

Of

course I am not suggesting this because I am no doctor or scientist, but

there are many, many other factors beyond carbohydrates that could cause

the

higher death rate (indeed, this is true of diabetes control in general

but

Bernstein ignores all except carbohydrates).

The DCCT was conducted with type 1 diabetics, with old insulins that for

the

most part are no longer used, and so making comparisons of hypoglycemia

in

that group to speculate what the ACCORD groups might experience is

completely invalid.

Again, you can pick and choose and twist scales to support whatever you

want. I say no conclusions can be made about ACCORD until there is more

information, and Bernstein here is just using it as yet another

opportunity

to push his ideas (which, let's face it, he *is* earning his personal

income

through). I ask why he never gets out there, gets some grants, and

conducts

empirical studies? Does a low carbohydrate diet truly provide better

control

than is achievable with a normal amount of carbohydrates and exercise

and

pump therapy, for example? Does an A1c of 5% truly make a difference

compared to 6%, in anywhere other than anecdotal stories? The

low-carbohydrate question has become such a controversy that trying to

argue

that " no one would support him 30 years ago " is again not a valid

reasons to

not do them.

Also, can someone enlighten me as to what the " ADA " diet is? I ask

because

here although the CDA puts out guidelines, they are guidelines as to

control

and not as to diet. (And the CDA does encourage an A1c below 6.0%, in

the

normal range, for people who can aim for this safely.) Dietary

guidelines

are made by another organization and they apply to everyone, not just

people

with diabetes (i.e., the food rainbow). Also, what is a standard

carbohydrate amount eaten by Americans? I am beginning to think that it

is

extraordinarily high when I see things like 130g of carbohydrates a day

being called a low carbohydrate diet ... I eat on average 150-200 a day,

sometimes a bit more if I eat out or something, and this is fairly

standard

here in Canada. Do Americans eat significantly more carbohydrates or

something?

It is not that I disagree with low carbohydrate diets, although I do

believe

type 1 diabetics can have higher carbohydrate foods without consequences

if

they understand how to bolus for it properly. I just don't agree with

such a

regimented, extreme diet as Bernstein pushes as the only way to go.

You've

got to find what works for you with diabetes management. If you want to

shape your life around the disease I suppose that is your choice, but I

don't like Bernstein's implications that everyone else is wrong.

I hereby end my ramblings. *smile*

Jen

No virus found in this outgoing message.

Checked by AVG Free Edition.

Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.7/1283 - Release Date:

2/16/2008

2:16 PM

February 18, 2008

I also like the recumbent bikes much better than the upright bikes. Yesterday at

the gym all the recumbent bikes were taken so I was stuck with an upright one,

and even just going on that thing for 15 minutes made my butt sore!! I think the

recumbent bikes provide for a softer workout for people who have problems with

their knees, etc., as well.

Jen

Re: questions

To: blind-diabetics

> I know I'm going to spell this wrong, but I

> got a recomdic exercise bike from sears for $500. It is a heavy

> duty swin. It has the computer screen to tell you any thing you

> wish to know about what you just done, but mostly I have it for

> increasing the tension from level to level when peddling. It has

> a real big seat on it with a back and I spend 90 minutes to 2

> hours a day riding mine. I have no problem with the seat hurting

> my butt. they have some other kinds of bikes at sears that don't

> cost as much. But I like the kind I got the best because your

> legs are out in front of you and not right under you like the

> older exercise bikes are. I've had both kinds and I like this

> one the best and I have rode it every day since the first of

> January when I got it. At least go look at what they have and

> sit on them and see what you think.

February 19, 2008

Mark

I've often thought about looking into getting one of those incumbent bikes.

I have a very inexpensive bike with probably the most uncomfortable seat

ever made.

I wanted to ask you about the amount of time you ride. You mentioned

previously riding for 90 minutes a day. Do you ride for 90 minutes straight

or break your exercise sessions up? I've heard that doing shorter periods

of exercise several times a day can be just as good for you.

Becky

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Mark Ruth

Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 4:40 PM

To: blind-diabetics

Subject: Re: questions

I know I'm going to spell this wrong, but I got a recomdic exercise bike

from sears for $500. It is a heavy duty swin. It has the computer screen to

tell you any thing you wish to know about what you just done, but mostly I

have it for increasing the tension from level to level when peddling. It has

a real big seat on it with a back and I spend 90 minutes to 2 hours a day

riding mine. I have no problem with the seat hurting my butt. they have some

other kinds of bikes at sears that don't cost as much. But I like the kind I

got the best because your legs are out in front of you and not right under

you like the older exercise bikes are. I've had both kinds and I like this

one the best and I have rode it every day since the first of January when I

got it. At least go look at what they have and sit on them and see what you

think.

RE: K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E.,

F.A.C.N., FCCWS, Shares His Ideas on Why There Was an Increase in CV

Incidents and How the Intensive Treatment Regimen

I think Bernstein's arguments are flawed (no less because he's

speculating

on something he has *no data* on!).

I read somewhere that the idea that high insulin levels causes

hypertension

was inconclusive. You can find studies supporting the idea and studies

not

supporting it. In either case, those with type 2 generally have high

insulin

levels whether they are using endogenous or exogenous insulin so unless

they

suddenly began eating many more carbohydrates during the study then they

had

been before (which I doubt), this can't really be an argument. Besides,

the

more someone exercises the more carbohydrates they need--this is true of

those with and without diabetes.

Even if they were on a high carbohydrate diet in the study, they were

probably on a high carbohydrate *before* the study as well, and with

higher

blood sugars. So how can a high carbohydrate diet and " high " blood

sugars of

140 be the culprit if this is something that did not change from before

to

during the study? And as for the rollercoaster effect, nothing can be

said

there because there is nothing to suggest that someone with a 6% A1c

would

experience more of a rollercoaster effect than someone with a 7% A1c ...

in

fact evidence suggests the opposite (as A1c lowers, after-meal readings

become more important in its value than fasting readings).

Also, just to be the devil's advocate: There was that article out a few

days

ago proposing that lack of C-peptide increases cardiovascular risk. What

if

I suggested that by taking insulin you are suppressing much endogenous

insulin production and thus losing C-peptide, thus increasing the risk.

Of

course I am not suggesting this because I am no doctor or scientist, but

there are many, many other factors beyond carbohydrates that could cause

the

higher death rate (indeed, this is true of diabetes control in general

but

Bernstein ignores all except carbohydrates).

The DCCT was conducted with type 1 diabetics, with old insulins that for

the

most part are no longer used, and so making comparisons of hypoglycemia

in

that group to speculate what the ACCORD groups might experience is

completely invalid.

Again, you can pick and choose and twist scales to support whatever you

want. I say no conclusions can be made about ACCORD until there is more

information, and Bernstein here is just using it as yet another

opportunity

to push his ideas (which, let's face it, he *is* earning his personal

income

through). I ask why he never gets out there, gets some grants, and

conducts

empirical studies? Does a low carbohydrate diet truly provide better

control

than is achievable with a normal amount of carbohydrates and exercise

and

pump therapy, for example? Does an A1c of 5% truly make a difference

compared to 6%, in anywhere other than anecdotal stories? The

low-carbohydrate question has become such a controversy that trying to

argue

that " no one would support him 30 years ago " is again not a valid

reasons to

not do them.

Also, can someone enlighten me as to what the " ADA " diet is? I ask

because

here although the CDA puts out guidelines, they are guidelines as to

control

and not as to diet. (And the CDA does encourage an A1c below 6.0%, in

the

normal range, for people who can aim for this safely.) Dietary

guidelines

are made by another organization and they apply to everyone, not just

people

with diabetes (i.e., the food rainbow). Also, what is a standard

carbohydrate amount eaten by Americans? I am beginning to think that it

is

extraordinarily high when I see things like 130g of carbohydrates a day

being called a low carbohydrate diet ... I eat on average 150-200 a day,

sometimes a bit more if I eat out or something, and this is fairly

standard

here in Canada. Do Americans eat significantly more carbohydrates or

something?

It is not that I disagree with low carbohydrate diets, although I do

believe

type 1 diabetics can have higher carbohydrate foods without consequences

if

they understand how to bolus for it properly. I just don't agree with

such a

regimented, extreme diet as Bernstein pushes as the only way to go.

You've

got to find what works for you with diabetes management. If you want to

shape your life around the disease I suppose that is your choice, but I

don't like Bernstein's implications that everyone else is wrong.

I hereby end my ramblings. *smile*

Jen

No virus found in this outgoing message.

Checked by AVG Free Edition.

Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.7/1283 - Release Date:

2/16/2008

2:16 PM

February 19, 2008

No I don't do it all at one time. I start out first thing in the morning and

try for at least thiry minutes. If I feel good and my body isn't begging me to

stop, then I go for longer. If I find that I have done 45, then I shoot for the

same at lunch or after dinner if it couldn't happen for what ever reason at

lunch. Some times I will do thirty 3 times. then other times to times of 45

each. One day I felt so good I went for 2 hours total for the day and could have

went longer. but then other days it is a struggle to get to 90 minutes total. I

have rode for one hour straight but it isn't easy. I do like braking it up the

best in 3 rides. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. this week I increased the riding

time and increased the amount of carbs to make up for the added time on the bike

and only lost one stupid pound. this was enough to make me want to throw the

whole crazy idea of losing weight out the window, but I know better then that. I

just have to back off on the carbs and I will be fine. It is just a fine line

you have to find so you will keep your sugar where you want it to be and still

have energy to ride your bike for 90 minutes a day.

Now I'm going to be really honest here with this statement. the first 15 to

20 minutes on my bike is the hardest to get pass. This first 20 minutes is where

most folks give up the thought of exercise and never get pass this point. I'm

certainly no expert, but I figure this is the time your muscles are just warming

up and getting loose. they really protest a lot when I first start each time I

ride my bike. I have to really talk to my self and reach way down in side my fat

butt to make my self keep going. Once I get pass that first 20 minutes it

actually gets easier, even though I have increased the tension on the peddles

and it is harder to move them round and round. I would say between 20 and 50

minutes is pretty easy to finish. Some times I listen to my radio, but actually

I find my riding time a good time to get one on one with God and talk about

everything on my mind. Most of us never get alone with God one on one like we

should. But I have found that 90 minutes a day riding my bike is a grate time to

visit with he who knows me in and out and everything on my mind.

well I say go get you one of these recumbent bikes. I had one of those old

faction bikes where you sit up high and your peddles are under you and the seat

feels like a rock. I even went a got a bigger seat for mine, but it never helped

much. Plus my legs and others parts would get num after a while of riding and I

hated that feeling when I was finished exercising. This bike may have set me

back $550, but it is some of the best money I have ever spent. It is going to

make me drop over 100 pounds, control my sugar better, make me feel better, open

my arteries and make my heart stronger as well. That is all hard to put a price

tag on in the first place. I never listened to any one when I was told all my

life to loose weight, stop eating so much, exercise is good for you and on and

on the good advice went, but I wasn't listening. I was doing it my way and I

figured the day would come when I got old that I would stop and then do some

thing about my health. Well as you all know I ran out of time and my way was for

sure the wrong way. No one to blame but my self for all the yesterdays. But I'm

as well in control of how I do things to day and to morrow. I will loose this

extra 100 pounds I'm carrying around and I will drop my A1C down to under 6. So

what if I worked my back side off and clocked over ten hours in seven days on my

exercise bike. I rode the bike good enough to loose, but I took in to many carbs

and didn't burn them all off. I will mess around with it until I get it right

every week.

I certainly don't wish to have another heart attack. I may not live to try

again. I have to get it right this round, because there may not be another

round. for fifty years of my life I had to do it my way and look where that

attitude has got me. I've been listening to this fine group of folks on this

diabetic list for about 4 years and I have learned some grate information, but

still I never took a lot of it serious enough. The bottom line is my recumbent

exercise bike is my best friend and she and I are going to cover some long miles

from now on. I even gave her a name, Gertrude. I have no clue how fast or how

far I ride each day in miles because I can't read the display. But I know I'm

tired and I sweat a lot. My heart rate is up there where it needs to be and I

take medicine that makes my heart rate stay down. I may still kill over of

another heart attack that will do me in, but one thing is for certain, I am

going to weigh less then I did on my first attack on August one of 2007, 328.

I'm setting at 299 right now. This fat boy isn't going to remain fat. I plan on

giving my body the best chance I can to be as healthy as I can control my self.

It may not still be good enough, but at least I will have gave it the best I

could and that is all any of us can really do anyway.

sorry I got off on another ramble, but I just can't help my self most of

the time. I belong to a school list that is a lot of my school mates that I grew

up with and I post my weight every Monday morning on the list. I have them to

hold me accountable and this is a good thing for me. If some one doesn't hold my

feet to the fire I will give up. I say find some one or a list you belong to and

post your progress every week that you weigh. report to them and let them see

you are still on top of it. The scales will usually tell the truth of what is

going on. Write down what you eat every day if you can't remember. Keep track of

how long you exercise each day. Look for reasons why the weight isn't coming

off. The answers are usually there if you look at all of it honestly. Everything

you put in your mouth and chew up counts as calories eaten. I have to continue

to remind my self of this fact all the time. It's not easy and I will never tell

you it is. Some one once told me to only exercise every other day, well I tried

this and sooner then later I gave up the exercise totally. I have to do it each

and every day or I won't keep it up.

If you wish you can e-mail me off list and I will help as I can. Or you can

talk to me on the list and that is as well just fine. We all need some one to

help us get there. no one needs to go it alone. we can help each other if we

will only take the time to listen and try to understand. I say God bless each of

you for never giving up and saying the hell with it all. Getting old is just the

pits. Losing weight when you get older is for sure harder then it is when your

younger. Life just isn't fair, but no one ever promised us it would be.

RE: K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E.,

F.A.C.N., FCCWS, Shares His Ideas on Why There Was an Increase in CV

Incidents and How the Intensive Treatment Regimen

I think Bernstein's arguments are flawed (no less because he's

speculating

on something he has *no data* on!).

I read somewhere that the idea that high insulin levels causes

hypertension

was inconclusive. You can find studies supporting the idea and studies

not

supporting it. In either case, those with type 2 generally have high

insulin

levels whether they are using endogenous or exogenous insulin so unless

they

suddenly began eating many more carbohydrates during the study then they

had

been before (which I doubt), this can't really be an argument. Besides,

the

more someone exercises the more carbohydrates they need--this is true of

those with and without diabetes.

Even if they were on a high carbohydrate diet in the study, they were

probably on a high carbohydrate *before* the study as well, and with

higher

blood sugars. So how can a high carbohydrate diet and " high " blood

sugars of

140 be the culprit if this is something that did not change from before

to

during the study? And as for the rollercoaster effect, nothing can be

said

there because there is nothing to suggest that someone with a 6% A1c

would

experience more of a rollercoaster effect than someone with a 7% A1c ...

in

fact evidence suggests the opposite (as A1c lowers, after-meal readings

become more important in its value than fasting readings).

Also, just to be the devil's advocate: There was that article out a few

days

ago proposing that lack of C-peptide increases cardiovascular risk. What

if

I suggested that by taking insulin you are suppressing much endogenous

insulin production and thus losing C-peptide, thus increasing the risk.

Of

course I am not suggesting this because I am no doctor or scientist, but

there are many, many other factors beyond carbohydrates that could cause

the

higher death rate (indeed, this is true of diabetes control in general

but

Bernstein ignores all except carbohydrates).

The DCCT was conducted with type 1 diabetics, with old insulins that for

the

most part are no longer used, and so making comparisons of hypoglycemia

in

that group to speculate what the ACCORD groups might experience is

completely invalid.

Again, you can pick and choose and twist scales to support whatever you

want. I say no conclusions can be made about ACCORD until there is more

information, and Bernstein here is just using it as yet another

opportunity

to push his ideas (which, let's face it, he *is* earning his personal

income

through). I ask why he never gets out there, gets some grants, and

conducts

empirical studies? Does a low carbohydrate diet truly provide better

control

than is achievable with a normal amount of carbohydrates and exercise

and

pump therapy, for example? Does an A1c of 5% truly make a difference

compared to 6%, in anywhere other than anecdotal stories? The

low-carbohydrate question has become such a controversy that trying to

argue

that " no one would support him 30 years ago " is again not a valid

reasons to

not do them.

Also, can someone enlighten me as to what the " ADA " diet is? I ask

because

here although the CDA puts out guidelines, they are guidelines as to

control

and not as to diet. (And the CDA does encourage an A1c below 6.0%, in

the

normal range, for people who can aim for this safely.) Dietary

guidelines

are made by another organization and they apply to everyone, not just

people

with diabetes (i.e., the food rainbow). Also, what is a standard

carbohydrate amount eaten by Americans? I am beginning to think that it

is

extraordinarily high when I see things like 130g of carbohydrates a day

being called a low carbohydrate diet ... I eat on average 150-200 a day,

sometimes a bit more if I eat out or something, and this is fairly

standard

here in Canada. Do Americans eat significantly more carbohydrates or

something?

It is not that I disagree with low carbohydrate diets, although I do

believe

type 1 diabetics can have higher carbohydrate foods without consequences

if

they understand how to bolus for it properly. I just don't agree with

such a

regimented, extreme diet as Bernstein pushes as the only way to go.

You've

got to find what works for you with diabetes management. If you want to

shape your life around the disease I suppose that is your choice, but I

don't like Bernstein's implications that everyone else is wrong.

I hereby end my ramblings. *smile*

Jen

No virus found in this outgoing message.

Checked by AVG Free Edition.

Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.7/1283 - Release Date:

2/16/2008

2:16 PM

February 19, 2008

All I can say is that you are amazing. Keep it up, and don't let a week

where you only lose one pound get you down. Everyone hits plateaus in their

weight loss efforts, but as long as you don't gain you're doing great.

Becky

_____

From: blind-diabetics

[mailto:blind-diabetics ] On Behalf Of Mark Ruth

Sent: Monday, February 18, 2008 10:17 PM

To: blind-diabetics

Subject: Re: questions

No I don't do it all at one time. I start out first thing in the morning and

try for at least thiry minutes. If I feel good and my body isn't begging me

to stop, then I go for longer. If I find that I have done 45, then I shoot

for the same at lunch or after dinner if it couldn't happen for what ever

reason at lunch. Some times I will do thirty 3 times. then other times to

times of 45 each. One day I felt so good I went for 2 hours total for the

day and could have went longer. but then other days it is a struggle to get

to 90 minutes total. I have rode for one hour straight but it isn't easy. I

do like braking it up the best in 3 rides. Breakfast, lunch and dinner. this

week I increased the riding time and increased the amount of carbs to make

up for the added time on the bike and only lost one stupid pound. this was

enough to make me want to throw the whole crazy idea of losing weight out

the window, but I know better then that. I just have to back off on the

carbs and I will be fine. It is just a fine line you have to find so you

will keep your sugar where you want it to be and still have energy to ride

your bike for 90 minutes a day.

Now I'm going to be really honest here with this statement. the first 15 to

20 minutes on my bike is the hardest to get pass. This first 20 minutes is

where most folks give up the thought of exercise and never get pass this

point. I'm certainly no expert, but I figure this is the time your muscles

are just warming up and getting loose. they really protest a lot when I

first start each time I ride my bike. I have to really talk to my self and

reach way down in side my fat butt to make my self keep going. Once I get

pass that first 20 minutes it actually gets easier, even though I have

increased the tension on the peddles and it is harder to move them round and

round. I would say between 20 and 50 minutes is pretty easy to finish. Some

times I listen to my radio, but actually I find my riding time a good time

to get one on one with God and talk about everything on my mind. Most of us

never get alone with God one on one like we should. But I have found that 90

minutes a day riding my bike is a grate time to visit with he who knows me

in and out and everything on my mind.

well I say go get you one of these recumbent bikes. I had one of those old

faction bikes where you sit up high and your peddles are under you and the

seat feels like a rock. I even went a got a bigger seat for mine, but it

never helped much. Plus my legs and others parts would get num after a while

of riding and I hated that feeling when I was finished exercising. This bike

may have set me back $550, but it is some of the best money I have ever

spent. It is going to make me drop over 100 pounds, control my sugar better,

make me feel better, open my arteries and make my heart stronger as well.

That is all hard to put a price tag on in the first place. I never listened

to any one when I was told all my life to loose weight, stop eating so much,

exercise is good for you and on and on the good advice went, but I wasn't

listening. I was doing it my way and I figured the day would come when I got

old that I would stop and then do some thing about my health. Well as you

all know I ran out of time and my way was for sure the wrong way. No one to

blame but my self for all the yesterdays. But I'm as well in control of how

I do things to day and to morrow. I will loose this extra 100 pounds I'm

carrying around and I will drop my A1C down to under 6. So what if I worked

my back side off and clocked over ten hours in seven days on my exercise

bike. I rode the bike good enough to loose, but I took in to many carbs and

didn't burn them all off. I will mess around with it until I get it right

every week.

I certainly don't wish to have another heart attack. I may not live to try

again. I have to get it right this round, because there may not be another

round. for fifty years of my life I had to do it my way and look where that

attitude has got me. I've been listening to this fine group of folks on this

diabetic list for about 4 years and I have learned some grate information,

but still I never took a lot of it serious enough. The bottom line is my

recumbent exercise bike is my best friend and she and I are going to cover

some long miles from now on. I even gave her a name, Gertrude. I have no

clue how fast or how far I ride each day in miles because I can't read the

display. But I know I'm tired and I sweat a lot. My heart rate is up there

where it needs to be and I take medicine that makes my heart rate stay down.

I may still kill over of another heart attack that will do me in, but one

thing is for certain, I am going to weigh less then I did on my first attack

on August one of 2007, 328. I'm setting at 299 right now. This fat boy isn't

going to remain fat. I plan on giving my body the best chance I can to be as

healthy as I can control my self. It may not still be good enough, but at

least I will have gave it the best I could and that is all any of us can

really do anyway.

sorry I got off on another ramble, but I just can't help my self most of the

time. I belong to a school list that is a lot of my school mates that I grew

up with and I post my weight every Monday morning on the list. I have them

to hold me accountable and this is a good thing for me. If some one doesn't

hold my feet to the fire I will give up. I say find some one or a list you

belong to and post your progress every week that you weigh. report to them

and let them see you are still on top of it. The scales will usually tell

the truth of what is going on. Write down what you eat every day if you

can't remember. Keep track of how long you exercise each day. Look for

reasons why the weight isn't coming off. The answers are usually there if

you look at all of it honestly. Everything you put in your mouth and chew up

counts as calories eaten. I have to continue to remind my self of this fact

all the time. It's not easy and I will never tell you it is. Some one once

told me to only exercise every other day, well I tried this and sooner then

later I gave up the exercise totally. I have to do it each and every day or

I won't keep it up.

If you wish you can e-mail me off list and I will help as I can. Or you can

talk to me on the list and that is as well just fine. We all need some one

to help us get there. no one needs to go it alone. we can help each other if

we will only take the time to listen and try to understand. I say God bless

each of you for never giving up and saying the hell with it all. Getting old

is just the pits. Losing weight when you get older is for sure harder then

it is when your younger. Life just isn't fair, but no one ever promised us

it would be.

RE: K. Bernstein, M.D., F.A.C.E.,

F.A.C.N., FCCWS, Shares His Ideas on Why There Was an Increase in CV

Incidents and How the Intensive Treatment Regimen

I think Bernstein's arguments are flawed (no less because he's

speculating

on something he has *no data* on!).

I read somewhere that the idea that high insulin levels causes

hypertension

was inconclusive. You can find studies supporting the idea and studies

not

supporting it. In either case, those with type 2 generally have high

insulin

levels whether they are using endogenous or exogenous insulin so unless

they

suddenly began eating many more carbohydrates during the study then they

had

been before (which I doubt), this can't really be an argument. Besides,

the

more someone exercises the more carbohydrates they need--this is true of

those with and without diabetes.

Even if they were on a high carbohydrate diet in the study, they were

probably on a high carbohydrate *before* the study as well, and with

higher

blood sugars. So how can a high carbohydrate diet and " high " blood

sugars of

140 be the culprit if this is something that did not change from before

to

during the study? And as for the rollercoaster effect, nothing can be

said

there because there is nothing to suggest that someone with a 6% A1c

would

experience more of a rollercoaster effect than someone with a 7% A1c ...

in

fact evidence suggests the opposite (as A1c lowers, after-meal readings

become more important in its value than fasting readings).

Also, just to be the devil's advocate: There was that article out a few

days

ago proposing that lack of C-peptide increases cardiovascular risk. What

if

I suggested that by taking insulin you are suppressing much endogenous

insulin production and thus losing C-peptide, thus increasing the risk.

Of

course I am not suggesting this because I am no doctor or scientist, but

there are many, many other factors beyond carbohydrates that could cause

the

higher death rate (indeed, this is true of diabetes control in general

but

Bernstein ignores all except carbohydrates).

The DCCT was conducted with type 1 diabetics, with old insulins that for

the

most part are no longer used, and so making comparisons of hypoglycemia

in

that group to speculate what the ACCORD groups might experience is

completely invalid.

Again, you can pick and choose and twist scales to support whatever you

want. I say no conclusions can be made about ACCORD until there is more

information, and Bernstein here is just using it as yet another

opportunity

to push his ideas (which, let's face it, he *is* earning his personal

income

through). I ask why he never gets out there, gets some grants, and

conducts

empirical studies? Does a low carbohydrate diet truly provide better

control

than is achievable with a normal amount of carbohydrates and exercise

and

pump therapy, for example? Does an A1c of 5% truly make a difference

compared to 6%, in anywhere other than anecdotal stories? The

low-carbohydrate question has become such a controversy that trying to

argue

that " no one would support him 30 years ago " is again not a valid

reasons to

not do them.

Also, can someone enlighten me as to what the " ADA " diet is? I ask

because

here although the CDA puts out guidelines, they are guidelines as to

control

and not as to diet. (And the CDA does encourage an A1c below 6.0%, in

the

normal range, for people who can aim for this safely.) Dietary

guidelines

are made by another organization and they apply to everyone, not just

people

with diabetes (i.e., the food rainbow). Also, what is a standard

carbohydrate amount eaten by Americans? I am beginning to think that it

is

extraordinarily high when I see things like 130g of carbohydrates a day

being called a low carbohydrate diet ... I eat on average 150-200 a day,

sometimes a bit more if I eat out or something, and this is fairly

standard

here in Canada. Do Americans eat significantly more carbohydrates or

something?

It is not that I disagree with low carbohydrate diets, although I do

believe

type 1 diabetics can have higher carbohydrate foods without consequences

if

they understand how to bolus for it properly. I just don't agree with

such a

regimented, extreme diet as Bernstein pushes as the only way to go.

You've

got to find what works for you with diabetes management. If you want to

shape your life around the disease I suppose that is your choice, but I

don't like Bernstein's implications that everyone else is wrong.

I hereby end my ramblings. *smile*

Jen

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2:16 PM

January 27, 2009

I have been in Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia far too often. None of my

hospitalizations has been for my diabetes. Jefferson is a large teaching

hospital and usually provides excellent care.

Jefferson uses a sliding scale in order to determine a diabetic patient's

insulin dosage. I use humilun R and NPH, which Jefferson has also changed.

I would have my blood sugar reading taken before each meal. The sliding

scale was based on that reading and did not provide anything for the coming

meal.

There is no point in arguing with your nurses. They have to follow the

orders on file. You have to find out who is placing your insulin orders.

That is the doctor that you want to talk to. You have to convince this

doctor that you know what you are doing in regulating your insulin. In my

case, this doctor is the gastro-intestinal resident. If the resident won't

listen, go over his head. Your doctor is ultimately responsible for your

care. If they give you the leeway to request additional insulin, be careful

and conservative. If you crash, you will lose your ability to set your own

insulin dosage. The previous email correctly identified the hospital's main

concern - you don't go too high (over 250) and you don't crash.

Most diabetics just go along with whatever the hospital does. We can't be

one of them

Marvin

Questions

>

> Hi all, I have some questions about diabetes complications and was

> wondering if any one might know the answers?

>

> I just got off the phone with one of my half sisters and she was telling

> me about my brother in law who is diabetic and is on dialysis and who is

> going to now need a triple bypass. I was wondering how the diabetes played

> into this happening?

>

> She said that they can't get his numbers down and he is always in the

> 300's which totally shocked me.

>

> They are trying to get his hemoglobin up before doing the surgery so they

> are giving him iron, oxygen and some other drug during his dialysis

> visits.

>

> I feel so bad for him. She says he has a good doctor and the surggeon is

> one of the top in the tulsa OK area.

>

> Ricky Joe

>

January 27, 2009