Re: Could someone educate me?

[Guest guest]

Hi kwmel,

It sounds like you may be new to the list, or maybe this is your

introductory post. Anyway, welcome! Sorry for the reason you're here, but glad

you are.

I'll intersperse my comments in your text.

You didn't give much in the way of specifics, so I'll be asking a lot of

questions to help us (list members) to be able to make constructive comments on

your situation.

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about seven yrs ago and I have

never taken it seriously, sometimes I didn't even take me medication

(glucophage)500mgs twice daily. I never really watched my weight or

the food that I ate and I was still drinking alcohol regularly and I

never had any health problems...

First, know that your behavior is typical of a " lot " of diabetics. Since

this is an essentially symptomless disease, it's easy to ignore until things

start going wrong.

Are you now taking your meds, the glucophage 2x day?

Has your weight increased in those 7 years?

Do you test your blood glucose (bg) level? How often what are some typical

values?

At any time since diagnosis have you had a " Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test?

If so, could you give us numbers, perhaps at diagnosis & now?

Have you been to a DR about the symptoms you mention below?

Have you, or are you now getting regular checkups for your diabetes (each 3

or 6 months)?

....but now I have given up alcohol and I

try to watch what I eat.

When you say " watch what I eat, " what does that really mean?

Are you on any particular eating plan, ADA/Exchange, low-carb or something

else? I'll comment on alcohol consumption later.

I have began to notice things going on with

my body,I do not have sexual desires anymore and sometimes if i get

an erection I can barely keep it up and I have also noticed that I

have developed a few boils on my skin.

Your present symptoms " could " be diabetes-related complications caused by an

extended period of time with " above normal " bg levels. That's not to say they

are, but " could be. " You really need to get assessment of your specific

problems by a DR, preferably an endocrinologist specializing in Diabetes.

Please tell me have I damaged

my body by years of doing my own thing,and Is it too late to turn

things around. I need help!!!!!!

Yes, " it's possible " that your behavior regarding your diabetes has caused

your symptoms. Only a DR can tell for sure.

Is it too late to " turn things around. " Maybe! If you remain " uncontrolled, "

then " yes " !

That said, there is one thing that " can, " in some cases, reverse

diabetes-related complications. That is to achieve and maintain " normal

non-diabetic " bg

levels (Fasting average 70-110mg/dl, and HbA1c less than 6.0%).

It is very likely that achieving these " normal non-diabetic " bg's will halt

the progression of the complications. Reversing them is " iffy, " but normal

bg's is the only possibility for reversing them. There are medical treatments

given for complications, but they are more to make the patient comfortable

(stopping pain, laser surgery for retinopathy, etc.). As far as I have been

able

to find there is no medical treatment for reversing the underlying

complications.

Now, Alcohol. Generally, as far as bg's & diabetes, alcohol actually helps!

Alcohol suppresses the action of the liver to dump glucose into the blood,

and will generally result in lower bg levels. It works for some of us who have

a glass of red wine (I prefer Pinot Noir) before bed to suppress the liver's

action during the night.

Beers/ales, sweet wines & drinks mixed with " sugary " mixes have a lot of

carbohydrates & may have the opposite effect from what's mentioned above.

Of course alcohol consumption has many other problems if excessively

consumed, but that's the action regarding bg's.

Sorry for all the questions, but if we get more information, we can be much

more helpful to you. There are many here on the list that have been living

with diabetes for years and are successfully controlling it.

Diabetes can be controlled, but it mostly involves lifestyle choices. The

medical community can provide testing & meds, but it's up to the individual

diabetic to control their actions (diet/exercise) on a daily basis to achieve

any kind of " excellent control. "

You can do it, if you're ready to take control & do what's necessary.

, T2, diag 4/98, control with LC, average bg 100mg/dl, last HbA1c 6.0%

[Guest guest]

It is ENTIRELY possible that you have done yourself damage.

While you were diagnosed 2 years ago, your diabetes likely

started at least a year or more before that. While boils aren't

specific to diabetes, wounds that will not heal, or that heal slowly

are, and are aggrivated by high bloodsugars. Loss of sex drive

and the inability to maintain erection or to achieve orgasm are

also complications, caused by damage to nerves and small

blood vessels.

If you have medical insurance you should look into attending a

diabetes education class. Most hospitals have group sessions.

They will teach you about glucose testing, target numbers, signs

of high/low bloodsugar, how to manage high/low bloodsugar,

reading food labels, and help you design a meal plan.

In the meantime, if you do not have a glucose monitor - GET

ONE. TODAY. A monitor 'starter kit' with a monitor and a handful

of test strips will run you about $40-$80, depending on the

model. Many (such as the new Freestyle) have rebates that

make them about $40 after mail-in rebate.

As you start out, you will probably want to test more often, even

up to 8 times a day as you find out what eating plan works FOR

YOU. That is perhaps the most aggrivating thing about this

disease -- what works food-wise for one person will send the

next person's blood sugar through the floor or through the roof!

Starting out, I recommend testing:

Fasting (Before breakfast). Your morning target is below 100.

One hour after meals. Target is below 140

Two hours after meals. Your target is below 120 (Tho, newer

studies are recommending under 110, I believe)

If your numbers are high, you can vary what you eat. Remember

that /all carbs are sugar/. Just because something is 'sugar free'

doesn't make it diabetic-friendly. Often as not they've merely

replaced one kind of carb with another. That said, however,

'refined' carbs (White sugar, white bread) tend to cause a more

dramatic BS response in many people than non-refined carbs

such as whole grains. This is partly due to the fiber content of

un-refined foods, as high fiber seems to slow the absorbtion of

glucose.

As a whole, Americans tend to eat FAR too many carbs

(especially unrefined carbs!) and fat (especially saturated fat). In

the beginning, my dietician recommended 2-3 " carb servings " (a

carb serving being 15 grams of carbs) per meal, and two or

three 1-2 carb serving snacks a day. Personally, I found that this

was far too many carbs!

Fat, though, is also something to watch. As we cut our carbs, we

tend to replace those calories with protein. If we are doing so

with meat, we are also adding fat. Like carbs, however, not all fat

is created equal! " Good " fats, such as those in oily fishes

(salmon, for example), olive oils, nuts, etc. are VERY important to

diabetics. These good poly/monounsaturated fats help lower our

bad cholesterol and raise our good cholesterol. The reason this

is important is because that a diabetic is also considered to be

at high risk for a heart attack -- some say even as high a risk as

someone who has /already/ had one heart attack! One very good

source of lean protein and good fat is soy products.

Hope this helps.

SulaBlue

> I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about seven yrs ago and

I have

> never taken it seriously,sometimes I didn't even take me

medication

> (glucophage)500mgs twice daily.I never really watched my

weight or

> the food that I ate and I was still drinking alcohol regularly and I

> never had any health problems,but now I have given up alcohol

and I

> try to watch what I eat.I have began to notice things going on

with

> my body,I do not have sexual desires anymore and sometimes

if i get

> an erection I can barely keep it up and I have also noticed that I

> have developed a few boils on my skin. Please tell me have I

damaged

> my body by years of doing my own thing,and Is it too late to turn

> things around. I need help!!!!!!

[Guest guest]

HI

For 7 years you have been very foolish in not managing what is a managable

infliction.You now need to go to your doctor and have blood tests particularly a

hba 1c to see just where you are in relation to proper bg levels.From this

result your doctor will be able to get you back on theroad to proper control and

on what if any medication you will need .It is imperative that you take this

course of action immediately and you may yet be able to improve the damage you

have done to your sexual functions.Good luck with all this and keep posting.

regards Willthered

type 2, lantus and novorapid and metformin

kwmel65 wrote:

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about seven yrs ago and I have

never taken it seriously,sometimes I didn't even take me medication

(glucophage)500mgs twice daily.I never really watched my weight or

the food that I ate and I was still drinking alcohol regularly and I

never had any health problems,but now I have given up alcohol and I

try to watch what I eat.I have began to notice things going on with

my body,I do not have sexual desires anymore and sometimes if i get

an erection I can barely keep it up and I have also noticed that I

have developed a few boils on my skin. Please tell me have I damaged

my body by years of doing my own thing,and Is it too late to turn

things around. I need help!!!!!!

willthered@...

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