Re: Intro & questions

[Guest guest]

First let me say, Hello Gwen, Welcome to the group!

1) How bad are levels in the 200's?

Well, it's not good but it could be a lot worse! When i was diagnosed a year

ago my average was about 275 or an A1c of 11.3, i'm now down to 5.3 or an

average of about 92! The longer his levels stay elevated the more of a chance

there are for him to have complications from his diabetes....anything from

blurry vision, tingly feet (which both can lead to greater problems of blindness

or

amputation), kidney trouble/failure and heart disease!

2) When levels are in the 200's even when following a diabetic diet, is

it possible to bring them down? Or will he end up having to take

medicine or insulin?

Usualy with levels so high and seen higher (you did say a level of 400 with

initial blood work) they will put you on some form of medication right away.

As they did, but you said you lost the script.....call the same doctor

immediately in the AM for a new script!!! Besides medications, possibly insulin

and

diet the best way to bring them down is with exercise! Not only does it help

your numbers but as you lose weight your numbers get better from the weight

loss as well! I lost 50 pounds in a year, and if i wasn't now 8 months pregnant

it would have been more!

3) What is this pill his dad is taking? Is this common to take a pill

and not have to really watch your food intake or do finger pricks?

There are many different medications for diabetes. One of the more common is

called Glucophage or Metformin! Thats the pill i was taking before i became

pregnant and was switched to insulin. After i give birth i go right back on

it. Is it common to not have to check your sugar, eat whatever you want and

taking no medication? Simple answer is NO, if you aren't doing anything to help

your diabetes with diet, exercise and possible medication and your not

checking it's probably out of control. If i stopped doing what i am doing it

would

rage out of control!

It can be that some do whats necessary and control it well with diet and

exercise alone and not need medications. And it's possible to be under such

good

control that you can only need to test once a day, but i don't think his

father is doing the healthy & smart thing.

You need to tell your husband that this is serious and he needs to take it

seriously! He needs to test his levels and do what his doctor says for

treatment. If he is having trouble with the lancet pen in getting enough blood,

he

may need to turn the dial to a higher setting, mens fingers tend to be thicker

and callused compared to most womens!

No matter how scary or frustrating it is, it's a wake up call for him. Tell

him that you had GD and know what he's going through and that making these

positive lifestyle changes together will ensure you are both around for a long

time, for your children and your new baby! They deserve a healthy Father that

can watch them and help them grow! Your new baby girl deserves to have her

father be well enough to walk her down the aisle one day! Just tell him he

needs

to look at the grand picture! And tell him you will help him and do it with

him. Check the library for books (as buying them all can be very expensive)

on diabetes and diabetic eating, check your local paper and hospitals for

diabetes education classes! He needs to get tough and fight it back!

I was lazy, ate horribly, weighed about 225 pounds (on my petite 5'2½ " frame)

and had a miscarriage due to out of control diabetes! I'm now healthier,

happier and pregnant with my first a mere year later. I long for the time when

i

give birth to my son in two months and get to hold and love my baby and can

start doing my longer workouts again. A year ago i wouldn't have dreamed i'd

be where i am today, i thought my life was over. But i sucked it up and took

control of my health and life! Tell him he needs to do the same! In fact let

him read my post, perhaps seeing a complete stranger tell him this will help!

I know that if i can accomplish what i have, anyone can! Good Luck!

[Guest guest]

Gee Gwen,

Sounds like he is lucky to have someone around that understands so

much. I have no idea on the 200 levels. I take two different kinds

of insulin and glucophage. My Dr. is trying to get me to be around

100. From that figure I would think the 200 range is not good. He

needs to see a Dr. and the sooner the better and go to a class (both

of you can go) to learn the importance of checking his BS, proper

foods, etc. My personal opinion is people don't have to cut out

everything they like to eat, just cut way back on the portions of the

bad things. I have a friend that insists on having a regular coca

cola every day. She knows just how much insulin to give and what to

eat that will allow her to do that. She has had mmany years to get

it all worked out that closely.

His anger and lashing out is normal at this stage. Not fun for you

that's for sure but he has to go through the adjustment in his own

way. Until we accept that we have diabetes and want to control it no

one else is going to be able to help. You mentioned trying to

control with diet alone. Everyone is different. Maybehe can do this

with Dr. supervision and maybe he can't. Just glad to know you have

a more than the usual understanding of the disease. That will make

his situation easier once he accepts it.

Love and blessings,

Millie

> My husband was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He

went

> into the doctor (at a walk-in clinic) for a painful boil in the

groin

> area that required surgery and two weeks off work. Routine blood

tests

> came back with a glucose level of well over 400. The doctor

immediately

> called him back in and put him on a diabetic diet. He also gave

him a

> prescription for a pill but we lost that so I don't know what it

was for,

> exactly. (Obviously, we never filled it -- I honestly thought we

could

> control his levels via diet.)

>

> I had GD (gestational diabetes) while pregnant with our third

daughter

> (she was born five months ago). So my diabetes education is still

pretty

> fresh. I taught how to use the glucometer and I'm trying to

help

> him with his diet. His blood glucose levels have not been good,

despite

> our best efforts. They fluctuate between 215-274. He should be

below

> 140 according to my records. had a bad day Friday, learning

to

> prick his finger and take his readings. He got very discouraged

because

> each time he had to prick 2-3 times to get enough blood for a

reading.

> Then none of his readings were good :-( When he got home, I made

him a

> well-balanced dinner and that was his lowest reading of 215. Even

his

> fasting level was 245.

>

> Well, today (Saturday) I could not make him take his levels. He

would

> not prick his finger. He's very discouraged. I don't know how to

help

> him. He yelled at me when I tried to get him to take a level two

hours

> after breakfast, telling me that I don't have diabetes and don't

have to

> prick my finger all the time. I reminded him that I did this

during my

> pregnancy, so I do understand. And he shot back that I don't have

to do

> this for the rest of my life; he does.

>

> So it's not been an easy time here.

>

> He called and talked to his dad this afternoon. His dad has

diabetes and

> controls it by talking a pill and going to the doctor every six

months.

> No finger pricks. And he eats whatever he wants.

>

> So now for my questions:

>

> 1) How bad are levels in the 200's? We need to find a doctor to

manage

> 's care, and I have a feeling it will take us several weeks to

get

> in somewhere as a new patient -- so how are these levels?

>

> 2) When levels are in the 200's even when following a diabetic

diet, is

> it possible to bring them down? Or will he end up having to take

> medicine or insulin?

>

> 3) What is this pill his dad is taking? Is this common to take a

pill

> and not have to really watch your food intake or do finger pricks?

>

> I really need some input and appreciate any help you can give!

>

> Gwen

> married seven years to

> SAHM/Homeschooling mom

> to my beautiful blue-eyed girls

> 6yo , 2yo & 5mo Audrey Rose

[Guest guest]

Welcome to the group, Gwen. My name is Ken GreyEagle. I am 52 years old and

when diagnosed 6 or 7 years ago with type 2 was in the 400's. At that level

I was drinking liquids and running to the bathroom 24 hours a day non-stop.

I have very poor eyesight but my eyesight became perfect until I was under

control and my numbers were well under the 200's (more like around 130 or so

with variations on that of course). What happened with my eyesight was the

lense expands or conracts when blood sugar is high. In my case it made my

eyesight near perfect until my numbers were good.

In my experience and from what I remember my doctor telling me you don't

want numbers in the 200's if possible. Well under 200 is what I've always

been told. This is my recollection and experience, I am not a doctor. In my

case I had to take pills. I take metformin (Glucophage) 850 mgs twice a day

as well as try to watch diet. Its a lifetime struggle and takes time to

accept when first diagnosed.

I hope the best for , you and your little girls. It will take time I'm

sure for him to accept his disease and adjust to it. My kids are 24 and 27

years old and we have one grandcchild almost 10 months old.

Ken GreyEagle

-- Intro & questions

My husband was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He went

into the doctor (at a walk-in clinic) for a painful boil in the groin

area that required surgery and two weeks off work. Routine blood tests

came back with a glucose level of well over 400.

[Guest guest]

Your husband is going through a difficult time; adjusting emotionally to

diabetes is difficult. Adjusting to a major lifestyle change like that

is hard enough, but high and low blood sugars can effect the moods.

That being said, he has no business yelling at you that way, and you

shouldn't have to put up with it. You know him and how to deal with

him, so I won't advise you on the particulars; you know what strategies

and tools you have, up to and including the judicious use of a 'husband

tamer'.

Two hundreds are not good, but it will take some time of following the

diet to bring them down; he needs to get more exercise, too. He may

have to end up taking the medicine and/or insulin after all. Diabetes

is a highly individual disease.

Your FIL's regimen sounds very unusual. I've never heard of anyone

doing that. How old was your FIL when he was diagnosed? Perhaps his

doctor thought he was too old and set in his ways to radically change

his lifestyle.

If your husband doesn't like to prick his fingers, look into getting one

of the meters that allow pricking on the arm. Because I work on

computers all day and also play the piano, I don't want to prick my

fingers.

Two books you should get right away: DIABETES FOR DUMMIES and DR.

BERNSTEIN'S DIABETES SOLUTION. See if your local hospital or department

of health has a Diabetes Education program. Get to the public library

and start doing some research, but don't trust anything published before

1990, and very little published before 1995, as there has been a

revolution in medical science's understanding of diabetes since then.

Intro & questions

So now for my questions:

1) How bad are levels in the 200's? We need to find a doctor to

manage

's care, and I have a feeling it will take us several weeks to get

in somewhere as a new patient -- so how are these levels?

2) When levels are in the 200's even when following a diabetic diet, is

it possible to bring them down? Or will he end up having to take

medicine or insulin?

3) What is this pill his dad is taking? Is this common to take a pill

and not have to really watch your food intake or do finger pricks?

I really need some input and appreciate any help you can give!

Gwen

married seven years to

SAHM/Homeschooling mom

to my beautiful blue-eyed girls

6yo , 2yo & 5mo Audrey Rose