Re: New with questions :)

[Guest guest]

At 06:55 PM 1/4/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>I guess my first question would be - if you were starting off again - what

>info have you gleaned that you found most helpful?

Well, I had this before I went to any classes, but most helpful is knowing

that what they teach in most of those classes, especially concerning what

you should eat, is wrong. I actually went on the Internet before the

classes I was to attend to see just what sorts of things were taught. The

moment I saw the ADA diet I knew it would be a waste of time to go to them.

So I didn't.

>I am not on any med as my GP wants me to do diet and exercise to control it.

>

>I can swing from high to low during a day. I have hit Lo on the monitor

>(lowest other recorded was 1.2 or 21.6) so I am guessing I was below 1. and

>I have swung as high as 11.3 all in the same day - tried to raise my BS and

>I went too high.

Did your doctor tell you HOW to control with diet? Did he give you a

prescription for enough test strips to allow you to do that? We're talking

FBG (fasting blood glucose) in the morning, testing before each meal and 1

and 2 hours after the meal, and at bedtime. This is the only way you'll

learn how different foods raise your BG's.

You'll get a lot of questions from others asking what your last HbA1c test

was, what your normal fasting BG is, how often you test, etc. I'll leave

that to them.

Glucose tabs are probably the best way to raise low blood glucose as each

tablet will raise BG's a fixed amount. Use other things and you're shooting

in the dark.

>I will also mention that I have been hypothyroid for 23 years now - since I

>was a teenager.

But you're taking meds for that, right?

>I am trying to find a good balance and I am going to start swimming 2-3

>times a week. I think just laps for now and not aquafit until I have figured

>out what works and what doesn't work.

I'm sure swimming is good. What do you eat, exactly? What's a good balance

for a non-diabetic isn't necessarily good for a diabetic.

sky

[Guest guest]

Hi Shauna - welcome to the list. First, listen to the diabetic clinic

teacher with a skeptical mind. If you are going to control by diet and

exercise you can't eat a whole lot of carbs, and I imagine your class

" diet " will be low-fat/hi-carb. This is usually a disaster, but you may

be different - time and your meter will tell.

Most of us recommend testing at the following times: upon waking up in

the a.m., before each meal, one and/or two hours after each meal, and at

bedtime.

In addition to the actual testing it is generally necessary to write

down the results, the time, the date - in fact, you'd do well to get a

notebook just for your daily journal - all test times and everything you

eat, and the time, and for D&E, time and duration of exercise.

One more thing - when Vicki posts her newbie letter, please read it and

follow the instructions - it really works, honest.

So, welcome to the club. It's ok to be overwhelmed. You will get way

more information that you ever thot would be available just by asking a

few questions here. Take what you can use and leave the rest. Then ask

again in a month after you've absorbed that first bit.

CarolR

Shauna Ryall wrote:

> Hello everyone,

> My first post to this group. I am a new T2 and I go next week for a 1.5 hour

> class at the diabetic clinic - then a month later for a 4 hour class.

[Guest guest]

Shauna,

When I was diagnosed, I went to Amazon.com and looked for books. I

picked the one I felt had the best reviews, which happened to be

Gretchen Becker's book, The First Year Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential

Guide for the Newly Diagnosed. I was so lucky to find it!

In my opinion, it is absolutely the best resource I have found, and I

highly recommend it to you.

[Guest guest]

Hi, Shauna, welcome to our list, sorry you had to join us but we're a

good group and pretty helpful, too.

I'm going to attach my standard newby letter but first, a questions ad a

comment: What was your A1C on diagnosis? (See newby letter, below, for

explanation of A1C).

And the comment...there's a strong corrleation between diabetes and

hypothyroidism - I'd say a fair number of us here have it. My own was

diagnosed a good 30 years before my diabetes diagnosis.

Okay, here's the newby letter:

First of all, let me refer you to two of the best books about diabetes.

Read 'em and you'll learn a lot:

The first one is called

" The First Year, Type Two Diabetes, An Essential Guide for the Newly

Diagnosed " by Gretchen Becker. Gretchen is a list member and her book

is an excellent guide. It's in paperback and available online from

Amazon if your local bookstore doesn't have it.

The second book is called

" Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solutions " by K. Bernstein, M.D. You

can get it from the library but it's such a good reference that you

really should have it in your home library. Dr. Bernstein is a longtime

type 1 who controls his diabetes using a lowcarb diet as well as

insulin.. Many of us - both type 1 and 2 -- on this list have found

great success using his plan or a modified version thereof.

.

And here's the URL to Dr. Bernstein's website, where there's lots of

good stuff:

http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/index.shtml

These two books will give you good basic information on the ins and

outs of diabetes management.

I would further refer you to an excellent informational website titled "

" What They Don't Tell You About Diabetes "

http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/

If it isn't there for some reason, let me know and I can email you the

contents -- I have it in my archives now.

I would also refer you to Mendosa's website, where

there's a wealth of diabetic information and good links. He also has

an online diabetes newsletter which is very good. It's also an

excellent source for information about the GI index (glycemic index).

www.mendosa.com

There's one thing that's sure to make BGs rise and that's carbohydrates.

Cutting out high GI carbs is an excellent way to control your BGs and

the more you cut, the better. Most of us find that the " whites " --

breads, cereals and pastas, in fact anything made with grain - will

raise our BGs. Also, rice and potatoes will do the same. And of course,

cakes and cookies and sweets of all kinds, including fruits and fruit

juices.

Watch out for " low calorie " foods; often they're higher in carbs. Learn

to read food labels.

Dr. Bernstein recommends about 40 carbs a day total. This is really only

for the dedictated low carber and IMHO hard to maintain over the long

run. However, I've read that the average American eats about 300 carbs a

day, so the truth is somewhere in between. The best thing you can do

for yourself (if you haven't already) is buy a meter and use it

FREQUENTLY. At the beginning you want to learn how different foods

affect your BG and to do this you need to eat one food at a time,

testing first...then test one and two hours afterwards. Weigh out the

amounts and keep good notes. You'll use up a lot of strips in the

beginning but the rewards are definitely worth the expense and bother

because in the end, you'll know what foods to avoid and which are okay.

Diabetes is a very individual disease and we often say YMMV - " your

mileage may vary " -- what works for one may not work for another.

You want to aim for postprandial (two hours after meal) BG of 120.

Keeping your BGs between 70 and 140 are your goals. If you can do this

longterm, you can probably avoid the dreaded consequences of longterm

poor BG control...and I'm sure I don't have to list those for you. (I

will if you want, though).

Here's my own list of pretty lowcarb veggies:

Spinach

Cauliflower

Broccoli

Summer squash (zucchini, crookneck)

Spaghetti squash

Mushrooms

Asparagus

Greenbeans

Cabbage

Sauerkraut

And of course lettuce and avocados which aren't a veggie but a

fruit .but they're definitely lowcarb. I have a large mixed lettuce

salad with avocado every night with dinner.

You can eat a reasonable portion (4-6 ounces) of meat, chicken, fish

without problem; it's all protein, no carbs.

Berries are the lowest carb fruit but even so, you should eat them very

sparingly. Here's the website of the USDA, which you'll find very

helpful. It has carbs, calories, protein, etc.

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl

It's helpful to have a food scale. A cup measure isn't nearly so

accurate. I use a Salter scale. It weighs in both grams and ounces and

cost me somewhere around $35. I got mine at a local gourmet shop but

they're available online too. Just do a Google search for " Salter food

scales " .

The A1C is a test that measures your average BG for a three-month period

with slightly more weight given to the latest month. All diabetics

should have this test every three months. And you should ask for, and

keep, copies of all your lab reports.

Oh, here's a link to a site that explains some definitions of

diabetic terminology:

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/P/Pancreas.html

Good luck. And keep those questions coming. There's a really steep

learning curve at the beginning of your diabetes education but hang in

there -- it will all make sense eventually. And remember -- the only

stupid question is the one you didn't ask.

Vicki, diabetic since 1997, A1Cs consistently under 6 for a long time,

no complications, planning on forever no complications,

smile.

New with questions

> Hello everyone,

>

>

>

> My first post to this group. I am a new T2 and I go next week for a

> 1.5 hour

> class at the diabetic clinic - then a month later for a 4 hour class.

> I guess my first question would be - if you were starting off again -

> what

> info have you gleaned that you found most helpful?

> I am not on any med as my GP wants me to do diet and exercise to

> control it.

> I can swing from high to low during a day. I have hit Lo on the

> monitor

> (lowest other recorded was 1.2 or 21.6) so I am guessing I was below

> 1. and

> I have swung as high as 11.3 all in the same day - tried to raise my

> BS and

> I went too high.

> On days when I swing from a low to a high I feel horrible for the

> day - like

> I have the flu or something. I am guessing that this is normal.

> I will also mention that I have been hypothyroid for 23 years now -

> since I

> was a teenager.

> I am trying to find a good balance and I am going to start swimming

> 2-3

> times a week. I think just laps for now and not aquafit until I have

> figured

> out what works and what doesn't work.

>

>

>

> How often should I test? My doc was fairly vague on this. he said 1

> hour

> before eating or 2 hours after.

>

>

>

> Ok - that is enough questions for now.

>

>

>

> Looking forward to the replies.

>

>

>

> Shauna :-)

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Sky - please see inline replies :-)

_____

From: diabetes_int [mailto:diabetes_int ] On

Behalf Of Sky

Sent: January 4, 2006 4:22 PM

To: diabetes_int

Subject: Re: New with questions

At 06:55 PM 1/4/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>I guess my first question would be - if you were starting off again - what

>info have you gleaned that you found most helpful?

Well, I had this before I went to any classes, but most helpful is knowing

that what they teach in most of those classes, especially concerning what

you should eat, is wrong. I actually went on the Internet before the

classes I was to attend to see just what sorts of things were taught. The

moment I saw the ADA diet I knew it would be a waste of time to go to them.

So I didn't.

I guess that time will tell - I have been told our clinic is supposed to be

good.

>I am not on any med as my GP wants me to do diet and exercise to control

it.

>

>I can swing from high to low during a day. I have hit Lo on the monitor

>(lowest other recorded was 1.2 or 21.6) so I am guessing I was below 1. and

>I have swung as high as 11.3 all in the same day - tried to raise my BS and

>I went too high.

Did your doctor tell you HOW to control with diet? Did he give you a

prescription for enough test strips to allow you to do that? We're talking

FBG (fasting blood glucose) in the morning, testing before each meal and 1

and 2 hours after the meal, and at bedtime. This is the only way you'll

learn how different foods raise your BG's.

Ahh - so test before and after - I have test strips I am using. and after I

go to the clinic my extended medical will help to pay for them - but not

before.

You'll get a lot of questions from others asking what your last HbA1c test

was, what your normal fasting BG is, how often you test, etc. I'll leave

that to them.

My A1c test was 6.3 when I was first DX'd. so I guess that isn't too bad.

Glucose tabs are probably the best way to raise low blood glucose as each

tablet will raise BG's a fixed amount. Use other things and you're shooting

in the dark.

I should get some - I am still trying to figure out what I feel when I am

low.

>I will also mention that I have been hypothyroid for 23 years now - since I

>was a teenager.

But you're taking meds for that, right?

Yes - I have since I was first DX'd with that...

>I am trying to find a good balance and I am going to start swimming 2-3

>times a week. I think just laps for now and not aquafit until I have

figured

>out what works and what doesn't work.

I'm sure swimming is good. What do you eat, exactly? What's a good balance

for a non-diabetic isn't necessarily good for a diabetic.

I am still trying to figure out what works and doesn't work as far as food -

and I will test more often to see what effects various foods have on me. I

did 20 laps tonight in the pool - so that will be my base and I will go from

there.

[Guest guest]

--- Shauna Ryall sryall@...> wrote:

> Hello everyone,

Hello yourself, Shauna.

> My first post to this group. I am a new T2 and I go next week for a 1.5 hour

> class at the diabetic clinic - then a month later for a 4 hour class.

Hope the classes are good, most aren't.

> I am not on any med as my GP wants me to do diet and exercise to control it.

That's reasonable, as long as it isn't extended too long when pills or insulin

would be called

for.

> I can swing from high to low during a day. I have hit Lo on the monitor

> (lowest other recorded was 1.2 or 21.6) so I am guessing I was below 1. and

> I have swung as high as 11.3 all in the same day - tried to raise my BS and I

went too high.

OK, you're using the mmol/l scale, where most here use the mg/dl scale (since

that's what is used

in the USA). Just so you understand, the larger numbers others talk about here

are in mg/dl units,

which are related to your mmol/liter by a factor of 18. 18 times yours = ours,

OK?

Back to your sta\tement above. WHEN do you go low? if it's bout 2 hours after

eating, especially a

high carb (bread, grain products or fruit) meal it's likely that you have

developed diabetes baed

on reactive hypoglycemia. If so, the best response to a low blood glucose (which

we abbreviate as

" BG " around here) would be to ea some protein unless you are really having bad

symptoms, such as

dizzinees or confusion, If you are that bad off a VERY small amount of sugar

containing food first

followed 5 or 10 minutes later by protein may be advisable. The small amount of

sugar will get you

workable again without starting the cycle over, then stabilize with protein to

hold you

afterwards.

Of course that may not apply if you don't go low after eating...

> On days when I swing from a low to a high I feel horrible for the day - like

> I have the flu or something. I am guessing that this is normal.

Yup.

> I am trying to find a good balance and I am going to start swimming 2-3

> times a week. I think just laps for now and not aquafit until I have figured

> out what works and what doesn't work.

Just be sure that you have enough to eat to support the activity. Will take some

trail and error,

but go carefully and adjust to fit.

> How often should I test? My doc was fairly vague on this. he said 1 hour

> before eating or 2 hours after.

Tests are best taken just before eating and 1 and/or 2 hours after eating. As

you get practice

you'll find what time after a meal suits your situation, but it's almost always

between 1 and 2

hours.

Ted Quick

[Guest guest]

Hi, Shauna...sounds like you caught the diabetes at an early stage An

A1C of 6.3 is, I think, is considered to be " prediabetes " so diet and

exercise should work nicely for you. One of our listmembers, Gretchen

Becker, has written another book specifically for people " at risk " for

full-blown diabetes and you may find some helpful suggestions there --

but you can probably get a lot of the same advice from us here. I think

you're heading in the right direction.

Vicki

Re: New with questions

>

>

>

> At 06:55 PM 1/4/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>

>>I guess my first question would be - if you were starting off again -

>>what

>>info have you gleaned that you found most helpful?

>

> Well, I had this before I went to any classes, but most helpful is

> knowing

> that what they teach in most of those classes, especially concerning

> what

> you should eat, is wrong. I actually went on the Internet before the

> classes I was to attend to see just what sorts of things were taught.

> The

> moment I saw the ADA diet I knew it would be a waste of time to go to

> them.

> So I didn't.

>

> I guess that time will tell - I have been told our clinic is supposed

> to be

> good.

>

>

>

>>I am not on any med as my GP wants me to do diet and exercise to

>>control

> it.

>>

>>I can swing from high to low during a day. I have hit Lo on the

>>monitor

>>(lowest other recorded was 1.2 or 21.6) so I am guessing I was below

>>1. and

>>I have swung as high as 11.3 all in the same day - tried to raise my

>>BS and

>>I went too high.

>

> Did your doctor tell you HOW to control with diet? Did he give you a

> prescription for enough test strips to allow you to do that? We're

> talking

> FBG (fasting blood glucose) in the morning, testing before each meal

> and 1

> and 2 hours after the meal, and at bedtime. This is the only way

> you'll

> learn how different foods raise your BG's.

>

> Ahh - so test before and after - I have test strips I am using. and

> after I

> go to the clinic my extended medical will help to pay for them - but

> not

> before.

>

>

>

> You'll get a lot of questions from others asking what your last HbA1c

> test

> was, what your normal fasting BG is, how often you test, etc. I'll

> leave

> that to them.

>

> My A1c test was 6.3 when I was first DX'd. so I guess that isn't too

> bad.

>

>

>

> Glucose tabs are probably the best way to raise low blood glucose as

> each

> tablet will raise BG's a fixed amount. Use other things and you're

> shooting

> in the dark.

>

> I should get some - I am still trying to figure out what I feel when I

> am

> low.

>

>

>

>>I will also mention that I have been hypothyroid for 23 years now -

>>since I

>>was a teenager.

>

> But you're taking meds for that, right?

>

> Yes - I have since I was first DX'd with that...

>

>

>

>>I am trying to find a good balance and I am going to start swimming

>>2-3

>>times a week. I think just laps for now and not aquafit until I have

> figured

>>out what works and what doesn't work.

>

> I'm sure swimming is good. What do you eat, exactly? What's a good

> balance

> for a non-diabetic isn't necessarily good for a diabetic.

>

> I am still trying to figure out what works and doesn't work as far as

> food -

> and I will test more often to see what effects various foods have on

> me. I

> did 20 laps tonight in the pool - so that will be my base and I will

> go from

> there.

[Guest guest]

At 10:50 PM 1/4/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>I guess that time will tell - I have been told our clinic is supposed to be

>good.

Well, good luck with that. What most doctors say is " good " is often based

on rather outdated ideas about diabetes.

>Ahh - so test before and after - I have test strips I am using. and after I

>go to the clinic my extended medical will help to pay for them - but not

>before.

Hopefully you can get the number of strips you need.

>I should get some - I am still trying to figure out what I feel when I am

>low.

What are you calling low, by the way? I've never been really low, either.

The most was a 68 when I first started using Humalog and over-estimated for

some carbs in a meal.

sky

[Guest guest]

Howdy . my low was Lo on the meter - less than 1.0 or 18 I guess. I have seen

1.2 or 21.6 on the meter before.

Either way, I need to go thru the clinic so that I can get my strips paid for.

so I will be good and attentive and get my form signed at the least.

Shauna :-)

_____

From: diabetes_int [mailto:diabetes_int ] On

Behalf Of Sky

Sent: January 5, 2006 7:04 AM

To: diabetes_int

Subject: RE: New with questions

At 10:50 PM 1/4/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>I guess that time will tell - I have been told our clinic is supposed to be

>good.

Well, good luck with that. What most doctors say is " good " is often based

on rather outdated ideas about diabetes.

>Ahh - so test before and after - I have test strips I am using. and after I

>go to the clinic my extended medical will help to pay for them - but not

>before.

Hopefully you can get the number of strips you need.

>I should get some - I am still trying to figure out what I feel when I am

>low.

What are you calling low, by the way? I've never been really low, either.

The most was a 68 when I first started using Humalog and over-estimated for

some carbs in a meal.

sky

[Guest guest]

That's why it's so important to test.

There are various signs of low BGs and they're not always the same. They

vary from person to person and from time to time. Sometimes they're

pretty subtle. And when you're first diagnosed, you may FEEL like

you're having a hypo when you actually aren't. Your body is just

getting used to lower numbers. If your body is used to BGs of 300, you

may feel like you're having a hypo when you're at 175, so taking a

glucose tab because you " feel " low is actually counterproductive here.

In that situation, best to tough it out.

An " official " hypo is anything under 65.

For me, signs of low BG can be lips tingling, a slight feeling of

disorientation, inability to multitask. If I'm REALLY low (like maybe

40) I could have spots before my eyes. I've only gotten there a few

times though. And since I'm type 1 on insulin with tight control, I'm

more likely to have these extreme low symptoms than a type 2 not on

insulin.

Vicki

[Glucose tabs are probably the best way to raise low blood glucose as

each

tablet will raise BG's a fixed amount. Use other things and you're

shooting

in the dark.

I should get some - I am still trying to figure out what I feel when I

am

low. ]

Re: New with questions

>

>

>

> At 06:55 PM 1/4/06, Shauna Ryall wrote:

>

>>I guess my first question would be - if you were starting off again -

>>what

>>info have you gleaned that you found most helpful?

>

> Well, I had this before I went to any classes, but most helpful is

> knowing

> that what they teach in most of those classes, especially concerning

> what

> you should eat, is wrong. I actually went on the Internet before the

> classes I was to attend to see just what sorts of things were taught.

> The

> moment I saw the ADA diet I knew it would be a waste of time to go to

> them.

> So I didn't.

>

> I guess that time will tell - I have been told our clinic is supposed

> to be

> good.

>

>

>

>>I am not on any med as my GP wants me to do diet and exercise to

>>control

> it.

[Guest guest]

Shauna,

Those kind of #'s are just plain dangerous.

I've heard EMT's on the radio quoting such #'s & the diabetic patient is

unconscious.

Do you have glucose tabs close at hand to correct lows. Or perhaps with

those #'s, you should have a " Glucagon Kit " which must be prescribed.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>..

>>> Howdy . my low was Lo on the meter - less than 1.0 or 18 I guess. I have

seen 1.2 or 21.6 on the meter before.

Either way, I need to go thru the clinic so that I can get my strips paid

for. so I will be good and attentive and get my form signed at the least.

Shauna :-) <<<

[Guest guest]

>>> Howdy . my low was Lo on the meter - less than 1.0 or 18 I guess. I have

seen 1.2 or 21.6 on the meter before.

Either way, I need to go thru the clinic so that I can get my strips paid

for. so I will be good and attentive and get my form signed at the least.

Shauna :-) <<<

------------------------------------

I had a few readings like this when the meter needed calibrating and/or I did

not have enough blood in the drop - always re-test if you get numbers that are

out of wack!!!

CJ