OK - I have diabetes. Now what?

After suffering for a couple of months with exhaustion, dry mouth, insatiable thirst, numbness of the toes, dramatic weight loss, and finally the loss of a toenail (and I have cute feet! Damn!), I was diagnosed on Monday with diabetes. I’m off to the lab again tomorrow morning for a C-peptide test (or that’s what the doc’s scribbles on my order appear to say, anyway). I was in a fair amount of distress when he first told me what I had, although I wasn’t surprised in the least, given my symtoms and strong family history. I’m ashamed to admit I really wasn’t paying much attention after I heard the “Congratulations! We have a winner!” so I have no idea what this test will determine. Can anyone help?

Also, I’m quite ignorant of what my diagnosis means as far as changes I’ll have to make to my lifestyle. All the relatives I’ve known who’ve had it are dead now (comforting, no?), and all I know is that I can’t have sugar. I seem to remember that my grandparents all had to monitor carbohydrate intake as well. I’m hearing different stories from other diabetics ranging from “Don’t change anything. Eat what you want - you can tell when your level is high, just eat less sugar then.”(!) to “You have to be really careful, and have an insulin pump installed before your next baked potato.” :rolleyes: If anyone could provide some links, particulary regarding diet, I’d be ever so grateful. My mom was a nutrition counselor when I was growing up, and I already eat fairly healthfully. I seem to remember that diabetics were able to use the Weight Watchers diet or similar “exchange” program successfully. Does anyone know anything about this?

I’ve started drinking diet sodas and unsweetened tea already, and to be on the safe side I’ve avoided all sugar and most carbs since Monday. I’m sure that when my test results come back I’ll have a lengthy discussion with my doctor about the cans and cannots, but I’d like some idea of how much this is going to affect my life and my family’s lives. Any help or information would be greatly appreciated.

The C-peptide test just tells the doctor how much insulin is being secreted by your pancreas. This will give an idea of how far along the disease is, and whether the problem is with your pancreas not secreting enough insulin or with your cells’ response to it or both. I assume you’re an adult, in which case you probably have type II diabetes, which happens when your cells don’t respond properly to the insulin your pancreas is secreting. It’s pretty common for people with type II diabetes to manage pretty well without insulin, by watching their diet and taking oral medications. I hope your doctor does a good job of teaching you how to manage it, because it’s kind of a complicated subject and the potential complications are pretty serious. Good luck.

Check out the American Diabetes Assoiciation homepage

Also, just a general comment on the advice you’re receiving: take it with a grain of salt. The fundamental principle of treating diabetes is that the closer your blood glucose values are to normal, the less likely you are to develop complications. In some individuals, attaining good control may be relatively easy. In others, big lifestyle changes in combination with intensive scrutiny of blood glucose levels are the only means to achieve control. Just remember, the better your control, the better your long-term prognosis.

I have type II diabetes. I take pills, I monitor my blood sugar levels and I function quite well as a human being. I run marathons, I play tennis, I get drunk occasionally, I eat well, and I even make love to my wife.

Really, diabetes has not diminished my life at all (other than my bank account for the stupid pills I take). And I imagine it won’t yours either. But it was scary as hell when my doctor told me. I went into immediate denial.

“Nope, must be a mistake in the tests. It can’t be me. I’m healthy.”

But it was true, I soon went overboard on every aspect of the disease. I went nutso on the diet, on exercise, on all aspects of taking care. But fortunately my doctor is a rational man (which can’t always be said for his patient). He said “Live your life. Yes, you have an illness, but the point is we want to treat you so you can have a good life, if you make yourself so miserable you get sick, you’re on the diseases’ side not ours.”

But it is sure scary when you first hear it, isn’t it? Still is a little, but it’s become like a challenge too. You’re sort of like John Wayne when he has been shot in the leg with an arrow or Rocky when the blood is getting into his eyes. You just have to figure out ways to get around it.

Anyway, you’re not alone. There are even support groups that can help you (probably within a stone’s throw of your house). As for websites, there are legions of them; Diabetes chat rooms, diabetes hot lines, diabetes diet sites, diabetes recipe sites, diabetes religious sites, etc. Just type in diabetes into google and feast your eyes. You will be amazed.

TV

I was diagnosed with Type 1 (insulin dependent) diabetes almost five years ago, at age 38. While diabetes management is a pain, it beats the alternative.

Bob Sceneis correct in that the subject is a little complicated. Sugar is a problem, but it doesn’t mean that you can’t eat sugar - in fact, I eat more candy now than I did before; mainly to counteract blood sugar drops caused by the insulin. Carbohydrates are a much more insidious problem. But some carbs are better than others. Your endocrinologist will be able to explain it, and there is tons of info on the net.

BTW, the Weight Watchers “exchange” diet is exactly the kind of program most doctors recommend nowadays. You can eat pretty much what you want to, within reason.

Good luck. Ask your doctor everything you can think of. Educate yourself. Above everything, take your pills or insulin. Diabetes is an eminently manageable condition with the right attitude.

Being diabetic is not the end of the world by any means. The only thing that you have to do is live a realitively healthly lifestyle for the rest of your life. Uncontrolled diabetes can be very nasty over very long periods of time. You can eat sugar, just not alot. Type diabetes or diabetic into Google.com and you will have at least half a lifetime or reading to do. Have you been to an endocronoligist yet? If not, see one. Have an opthamologist check out your eyes once a year and a podiatrist check your feet on the same schedule. Read as much as you can about the illness. I have been diagnosed since 2/01. I had a 400+ blood glucose. You really must check your blood glucose every day. Eat plenty of fresh veggies and fruit, and get some exercise everyday. From my understanding and experience, diabetes is one of the most if not the most controllable illness you can have. My advice is to read, read and read some more. I have recently cut my medication in half and still maintain an almost non-diabetic blood sugar. Do what works for you and keep doing it. If you ever need some advice, send me an email. I am by no means an expert, but I have found ways of coping with this illness that are working. I have learned a great deal over the past nine months about diabetes and I find myself constantly reading about it. As time goes by you will find more and more people who also have diabetes. Take care and let me know how you are making out with the Big D.

I’ve handled a number of personal injury cases that were complicated by diabetes. What you need to do is find the best endocrinologist in the area, someone on the youngish side so they are up on the latest. Then you need to do exactly what the doctor says. If you get into it, you may find your health actually improves from the point you are at now.

Sir William Osler, MD was one of the Founding Four Physicians of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He said it best when he declared “the way to live healthy is to get a chronic disease and take care of it”.

Qadgop, MD and diabetic

[sup]Notes from the mother of a diabetic cat:[/sup]

One thing I would recommend is to familiarize yourself with the symptoms & treatment of hypoglycemia. I don’t know how much of a risk this is with oral medications, but you should definitely be aware of it nonetheless. As far as carbs go, you might also want to search for info about the glycemic index.

There’s a ton of information out there. As choosybeggar said, take everything with a grain of salt. It’s a constantly evolving field.

Many thanks to all who replied. My anxiety, at finding out what I’m dealing with, has been somewhat reduced. I only found out after I called the office for a refill on another prescription. I was worried because his nurse told me a few days before that my test looked “fine”. When he came to the phone to discuss my refill he laid it on me. I was worried that my symptoms might be coming from something more sinister (or at least rarer). I’ll know the results of my test (I hope) by tomorrow PM. I’m hoping we’ll be able to control it with diet, or oral meds if necessary. I don’t mind shots or needle sticks, and I donate blood, but I’m not sure if I could handle a shot (or multiple ones) every day. Luckily, if it turns out to be necessary, my husband practiced on his grandmother for years, and he’s promised to do it for me.

BTW, will this affect my blood donation?

Thanks again, folks. Knowing I’m in good company is encouraging. :slight_smile:

DO go to a diabetes education class. The ones I’ve gone to last two or three days, and you will learn all sorts of ways to cope with this. Lots of people have it, and you do need to know things like how to cope when you’re sick and not feeling up to eating.

Thank god! I’m not the only one!!

Type I diabetic, here.

Regarding blood donation–if you’re Type II, you should be able to donate once you’ve got things under control. Until you know for sure how much glucuse, insulin, and insulin medication you’ve got running around in your bloodstream, however, your blood isn’t going to be too reliable. If you’re Type I, no more donating blood–your blood can’t even keep YOU alive by itself at that point. You might be able to donate plasma, however…

Qadgop, good point. I’m in the best shape of my life at 40 years old.

A clarification on the sugar thing–you will need to eat a specific amount of carbohydrate during the day (everybody needs to, really, but they don’t; this is why the gain weight). If you have a finite number of servings of carbs to eat, and you have a choice between three pieces of candy or lunch, eat lunch.

Well, I donate blood, and I’m a type 1 diabetic. I believe the only restriction the American Red Cross has against diabetics donating is that you cannot have used beef insulin (I guess this is out of concern for transmitting Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease). I would advise that you test both before and after donating, though.

First, your doctor should give you a prescription for a good glucometer so that you can measure your blood sugar every day.

Second, you need to go to a good dietician to get your weight and your diet under control for a diabetic.

Follow the instructions of both your doctor and your dietician carefully.

Once you are under control, it will be easy to live a normal life. Just never change your new diet habits. Keep yourself in control.

I suspect that you have Type II diabetes. Perhaps the doctor will prescribe a drug called Glucophage to help you control the glucose in your blood. It helps keep it at a manageable level.

Thanks again for all who have responded.

Unfortunately, my test results are not yet available. For some reason that particular test has to be sent away, and I won’t know until Monday exactly what to expect. I dropped by the doctor’s office this afternoon and they gave me a book about managing and living with diabetes. I’m finding it rather vague and disappointing.

robcaro, I’mm too afraid to not follow my doc’s advice! :slight_smile: He, too, suspects I’m Type II. There’s really no weight issue, as I wasn’t really overweight to begin with and have lost over 20 pounds in the last two months anyway due to the diabetes. As I mentioned before, my mom counseled folks on nutrition, so I have a pretty good grasp of “normal” good eating/lifestyle habits. I have small kids, so we don’t do much junk food. If I could find out how many carbs I should have, I think I’m set as far as knowing what to eat and what to avoid. I guess that’ll depend on my glucose readings and other personal factors (?).

Thanks again; you guys have been most helpful.

Just remember…“Check your blood sugar…check it often.”

I’m not a diabetic, but I do get hypoglycemic.

I recently read about this substance, stevioside. It’s a very sweet (200x sugar) naturally-occuring substance. I haven’t tried it, but it’s very interesting.

It’s said that it even promotes the production of insulin.

It sounds much better and safer than aspartame or saccarine. I read that it has a slightly licorice taste.

Here’s a link, but I put it here only because it has some basic info. I’ve had no dealings with the company. http://www.naturalfoodstuff.com/stevia1.htm

Try a search on google, they’re are many links about it.

Best of luck to you.

It’s composed chemically of glucose and another chemical, but it has no calories.