Anyone else a diabetic?

[Shayna]

Hi, anyone else have an interest in discussing diabetes?  I'm a newly diagnosed type 2.

[Shayna]

Thanks, Harley. Years ago I had hypoglycemia, and it sucked eggs! Now my sugar is too high, and I am struggling to get it down.

I have made some progress, but it's not enough yet. Also, I am limited to what diabetes drugs I can use, because many of the newer ones cross-react to those with a sulfa allergy, like me. My husband also has these struggles, but he is not limited by a sulfa allergy like I am.

I have started keeping a food diary, and I am sometimes finding that I modify what I eat because I don't want it recorded, lol.

What has worked for people trying to lower their blood sugar? What has worked to help stabilize and avoid the highs and lows? I am open to any and all reasonable suggestions, lol.

[Shayna]

Hi Kona,

No it wasn't a complete surprise, as I had been borderline for years. I think repeated steroid treatments this past year might have helped tip me over the edge.

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I have been really trying hard, and I hate being hungry!  So I am trying to still eat what I want, portion-wise, but make different choices.  Like baby carrots and dip instead of potato chips, etc.

I am due for a repeat A1C in December, and I hope to show some improvemen since I was in the 9's, and I need to be 6.5-7.

My husband who is also diabetic is very discouraged.  I think he is competitive with me in regards to our blood sugar numbers.  But I think he also underestimatesaid what he eats, maybe causing his blood sugar levels to increase?

I don't know, I just don't want this to come between us.  Like this morning, my fasting glucose was 128 -- not great but about 50% less than 2 months ago.  His was 154, which is pretty good for him these days.

He wouldn't eat any breakfast at all and got very grumpy.  I had coffee, some Belvita breakfast biscuits, 2 eggs and some Canadian bacon.  Later I had peanuts as a snack.  I am trying to substitute protein and some fat for carbs, and I look up stuff now to get nutrition counts etc.

Today, my gastroparesis is acting up, so I am quite nauseated despite my meds.  I also feel like I have a splinter in my heel going on 3 days now, so I can't walk.  I just had my husband put a drawing salve on it to see if that will help.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[Shayna]

Thank you Kona!

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Oh I forgot to mention, I got my husband and I appointments in January with an endocrinologist at the first earliest, in Jan. 2016. This is an endo and diabetes certified specialist.

Between me with my multiple drug allergies and my husband's high levels, I think we need more care than a family Dr practice can provide.

[Shayna]

So I have been taking my blood sugar at least twice a day, in the morning (fasting) and either before or after dinner.

Today, I saw my first reading below 100 - it was 99. I had a heavy breakfast and skipped lunch, I was so busy with work that I forgot to eat. Yay, 99!!

[Shayna]

Hi FirePlaces, thank you for the good advice!

I had high sugar this morning when I woke up (I think it was 142), but even that is not too terrible considering that my sugar was in the high 300s!!

I appreciate any and all tips you can share.  I adore bread, but I am not allowing myself to have it every day like I used to, and if I do, just 2 pieces or one roll, etc.  But when I do eat my bread, I love slathering it with real Irish butter, mmmmmm!!!

Tomorrow I am going off the wagon (is that the right expression?!), but I have to be honest that now counting carbs is becoming a habit.  My husband is learning to scale down my portions, because I just can't eat that much and really shouldn't.  Last night, I was craving pasta, so my husband made me about 2 oz of spaghetti with butter and shredded Parm/Reggiano cheese and garlic.  Yum Yum Yum!!  But I am (slightly) paying for it today.

Oh almost forgot to add, appreciate the advice on the A1C -- it will be slow to show progress.  However, my testing meter shows me my current numbers as well as a 7 day, 30 day and 90 day averages.  I can see the progress I am making, and even as of last night, it looks like my A1C has come down more than a full percentage point.  I know I have a way to go, but I consider that solid progress, right?!?!

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I just took my blood sugar now, after sipping coffee with milk and Equal all morning. It's a struggle to eat breakfast unless my husband makes something and plunks it in front of me.

Blood sugar - drum roll .......... 100

I just took a picture and texted him my results!!!

[Shayna]

I went off the wagon a little early and had McDonald's around 4pm.  I had a double quarter pounder but a half order of fries.

Afterwards, I was walking around in the market, picking out things for tomorrow.  I had a few cheese and cracker samples as well as a few samples of cranberry apple juice.  I thought for sure my blood sugar would be awful, so before dinner I took it just now .... 108!!!

So now I am going to have a real dinner:   carrots and salad dressing, fish sticks which are amazingly low fat, and a little spaghetti with butter, garlic and cheese.

[Linville]

Shayna, and Others may find this of interest.

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End of daily injections for diabetes as scientists restore insulin production - Telegraph

The end of daily injections for diabetes sufferers could be in sight after scientists showed it is possible to restore insulin production for up to a year by boosting the immune system.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Britain suffer from Type 1 diabetes and need to inject themselves daily to keep blood sugar levels under control.

The disease attacks insulin-secreting cells in the pancreas. Healthy people have billions of ‘peacekeeping’ cells called ‘T-regs’ which protect insulin-making cells from the immune system but people suffering Type 1 diabetes do not have enough.

"The T-reg intervention frees people like me from the daily grind of insulin therapy and lifelong fear of complication"
Mary Rooney, Type 1 diabetes patient
Now researchers at the University of California and Yale have shown that the ‘T-regs’ can be removed from the body, increased by 1,500x in the laboratory and infused back into the bloodstream to restore normal function.

An initial trial of 14 people has shown that the therapy is safe, and can last up to a year.

"This could be a game-changer," said Dr Jeffrey Bluestone, Professor in Metabolism and Endocrinology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF).

“By using T-regs to 're-educate' the immune system, we may be able to really change the course of this disease.

"We expect T-regs to be an important part of diabetes therapy in the future."

Sufferes of type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have to inject insulin dailySufferes of type 1 and type 2 diabetes may have to inject insulin daily  Photo: Alamy

Not only does the treatment stop the need for regular insulin injections, but it prevents the disease progressing which could save sufferers from blindness and amputation in later life.

Diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The immune system usually defends against infections, but in Type 1 diabetes the process goes awry and as well as fighting foreign invaders, it also targets the body’s own cells.

In the new procedure, doctors removed around two cups of blood containing around two to four million ‘T-reg’ cells from 14 patients aged between 18 and 43 who had been recently diagnosed with diabetes. Their ‘T-reg’ cells were separated from other cells and replicated in a growth medium, before being infused back into the blood.

Child psychologist Mary Rooney, 39, who was diagnosed with type diabetes in 2011, was the first trial participant, and said the therapy had ‘freed her from the daily grind’ of injections.

Speaking of her diagnosis she said: “After weeks of losing weight, always being thirsty, having blurry vision that would come and go, and generally feeling run-down, I knew something wasn't right. Type 1 diabetes was the furthest from my mind, though.

“Initially, I was in a state of shock. I didn't realize that you could be diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes as an adult

“My first thoughts were "This sucks" and "This can't possibly be happening," but I knew I couldn't just stay in a state of denial and disappointment forever.”

Miss Rooney, who worked as a researcher at the University of California soon learned that the institution was looking for patients for the T-reg trial, and asked to be enrolled.

“By being that first patient, I knew I was taking a chance. And I have to be honest: I was scared,” she added.

“But I liked the fact that this experimental treatment involved using my own regulatory T-cells, which would be expanded in a lab and then re-infused. The theory behind this study really made sense to me.

"The T-reg intervention frees people like me from the daily grind of insulin therapy and lifelong fear of complication.”

The team say that T-Reg treatments also hold promise as treatments for other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, and even as therapies for cardiovascular disease, neurological diseases and obesity.

The research was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.

[Shayna]

Thanks Linville for your knowledgeable post!

I so wanted a late-night snack of pie last night, but I resisted the craving and just had diet ginger ale.

My fasting blood sugar was 97 this morning. Yay!!!

[Shayna]

Yes, FP, I have to prick with a lancet for every test. In fact, I can often tell if I am high based on how the blood flows from the finger prick. Weird, huh?

I just found this neat link tonight, to convert blood glucose averages to their corresponding A1C number (which is a 3 month average):

https://www.accu-chek.com/us/glucose-mon...lator.html#

My testing meter keeps a 7, 14, 30 and 90 day average, so I plugged in my current 90 day average. I have brought down my A1C from 9.3 to 7.5 so far!!

It's not where I need to be, but my numbers keep sliding down in the right direction, so I am very encouraged.

Also, my husband and I joined a gym tonight. They have recumbent bikes, and I was able to get on and get off the bike without any assistance. My husband was standing there, looking like he was ready to catch me if I fell, but I did not fall!! The treadmill is kind of scary since my balance is still off, but I don't have to do that yet.

Lots of progress!!!