newly diagnosed

[nikita101]

my husband has been told he is type 2 diabetic
he is mid 50's a little over weight and had managed to control this for the past 3 yrs with diet and exercise.
He had a check up today and the Dr told him he needs to go on meds now
he is very depressed, his HbA1C was 6.9 and is now around 10.3
the Dr said the pancreas will not function again, he will be on meds all his life
I am hoping for diet and exercise and a pos. attitude to help!!
Any hope??
thanks!
Niki


This discussion is related to Introducing the Diabetes Tracker.

[joycekatherine]

glad to see that you are walking and cutting out the bad foods...your bs of 108 is good!!!
it would be good for you to have blood work done, even if it was only to ease your mind...also tell your hubby to drink plenty of water and it wouldn't hurt you either...diabetics can become dehydrated and that can lead to all kinds of misery...at least 48 ounces a day...he doesn't have to go overboard with it, because then he will be spending a lot of time in the bathroom, day & nite!! LOL  Keep up the good work!!  ;)

[nikita101]

I had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy and hope it won't come back, I was testing just to see how my numbers were ( I wanted to see how my #'s were compared to my husband) and I know that the itching is also a symptom of diabetes) and when I was unable to sleep for 2 nights I did the worst thing and google it.... 100's or 1,000's of women with the same symptoms and unable to get a diagnosis....their dr or ob/gyn could not find the cause.....
so yesterday I walked 2 times, cut out all carbs I would normally eat.... cookies bread cereal etc and ate eggs, beans, steak and salad, lo carb crispbreads etc and walked 4 miles at 5am this morning and last night, noooo itch! wonder if it related?? it will not do me any harm to cut all the junk out. My fasting this am was 108, was hoping it would be under 100.
Am going to have a physical this month and will get everything checked out, maybe it was just a wake up call.....
my mother thought she might have had gestational diabetes but they never tested her (it was almost 50 yrs ago!) and she has never had any concerns with it and at 74 is in great health apart from high bp sometimes!
hope you are having a wonderful Monday.

[joycekatherine]

110 is normal!  Have you been diagnosed with diabetes?  I'm just trying to understand why you are testing, did your Mom have it??  The itching sounds like a yeast infection down there...women with diabetes are prone to yeast infections when their sugar is running high or/and  when they are on an antibiotic.  Have you had a fasting glucose blood test done on yourself?  If you haven't, perhaps you should.  Thank goodness, we women can buy yeast infection medicine over the counter and don't have to have a prescription for it anymore!  If you haven't ever had one before tho, I would suggest that you call your gynecologist just to make sure that, that's what it is...for your feet, get yourself a pumice stone and use it in the shower or bath to smooth away all the dead/dry skin and then use some good moisturizer...do this a few times a week and your feet will be as soft as a baby's bottom!!  Let me know how everything goes for you... ;) joyce

[nikita101]

I just tested my glucose this am 110, not good also the worse itching in an area
where the sun don't shine....
and a few cracks on my feet which I do get, my mother got and never thought it could be anything other than dry skin.
I have a bad diet, am trying to help my husband with his diet so I eatthe bread now!!
Is this bad??
Niki

[joycekatherine]

Hi, glad to hear that your hubby is doing better!  Please don't forget to take time for yourself!!  As Moms, and just being a woman in general, we tend to take care of everyone else and put ourselves last on the list...you MUST take care of yourself first, because if you don't, who will be there to do all the things that you usually do???  What do they tell you to do on an airplane, in regards to the oxygen mask???  Place yours on first and then place it on your child...it's the same principle at home...even if you only have 20 minutes a day, don't think of what you could be doing, sit down, put your feet up and let your body recoup, trust me, it will make all the difference in the world!!

[nikita101]

Hi
I did post here but it vanished!
We are fine, my husband has got his #'s to 150 and lower especially when he works out!
He feels much better!!
I on the other hand am exhausted!! The 3 kids are on summer vacation from school....
cooking, laundry, taxi driver....
my glucose # is 100-108 in the morning, I tested it a few times but hope I don't get diabetic too!
how are you?
I read your page and hope you are ok??
Niki

[joycekatherine]

How is everything going????

[hava]

These pranayam exercises will help control the diabetes and the side effects.Build up the timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume later(after about a minute).The benefits will be noticed in weeks as the sugar level is checked daily.Over the long term the diabetes will be in full control and the medicine can be reduced in consultation with the doctor.

Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril
then -keeping the left nostril closed deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years -  do 5 to 10 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

Also everyday, press the centre point of the palm of both your  hands 40 times with the thumb and press the tips of all fingers 40 times each.
Also do this: kneel down, breathe out, pull in stomach, keep both your  hands on stomach, bend forward as much as possible keeping the head straight. Do this 3 times to stimulate the kidney and pancreas.
Continue the exercises once a day, after the diabetes is in full control.

[Zoelula]

Sounds like you are headed in the right direction, nikita! I was so glad when I stopped seeing numbers over 200! No playing kitchen police can't be fun. I'm not your marriage counselor but I don't think it's positive for you to have to play the "bad guy". Your husband is a mature man who should care about his own health. Yep, I know it's hard for kids. I live alone so can cook how I want. I don't know how old your kids are, but perhaps they can be taken for their baskin robbins treats separately. But since diabetes is genetic, they can only benefit by learning to eat healthy.

If his pancreas were entirely "dead", that is not producing any insulin at all, your husband would not be able to survive without injections. I'm not sure why your doctor keeps saying that. The c-peptide is a simple test that can see exactly how much insulin is being produced.

Keep up the good work!

[nikita101]

well, we have kept the nimbers down below 200 consistently
usually 140 or 170.
have had to play kitchen police and it is not fun !
am just not buying anything bad, but it is hard with 3 kids who do well at sports and school and they need to EAT!! but they understand this is a 'for life' change!
and what is Baskin robbins for?
I am confused if the Dr said my husbands pancreas has stopped working ie is dead, yet he is mangaging to keep the numbers down with food and exercise and januvia? is this a good sign that maybe there is life in that ol' pancreas yet??
thanks
Nik

[nikita101]

thanks Joyce Katherine!
am moving some mags by the loo!! good idea!!

[joycekatherine]

It is normal for a person who has been told that they have a chronic life long illness to be a bit depressed!  It is a very scary thing to be told.  Also, high blood sugars will make a person cranky, irritable, and depressed...as his sugars come into the normal range, he will feel much better and be less depressed.  I have type 2 for 27 yrs and have had depression for many of those years...since he is just beginning his journey with diabetes his Dr will be adjusting his medications for awhile to see exactly what dose is the right one for him...it will take some time, but, he will start feeling better and eventually he will be able to eat some of the NO NO foods in moderation...moderation being the key word.
After 27 yrs, I finally had to go on Insulin last July...and like most people, I fought it for a long time...now, my blood sugars are within normal range just about every day...this morning it was 89!!  I probably should have been on insulin at least 10 yrs ago...but, it has such a stigma attached to it that people are fearful of it...I now give myself 2 shots a day with an insulin pen and there is nothing to it...it actually hurts less than testing does!!  The natural progression of the disease is about 10 yrs on oral meds and then oral meds and insulin after that...of course that is not written in stone, every person is different...also, your emotions, illnesses, and stress play a big part in your blood sugar counts...I can tell that I'm getting sick before the first symptom because my BS spikes up and the same happens when I have a stressful day, up it goes!!  Your husband is very lucky to have an understanding and caring wife to help him thru this transition, but, eventually he does need to take the reigns from you and be responsible for his illness, the sooner the better, by him doing that he will feel more in control of the illness, rather than the illness controlling him...if he is a bathroom reader like a lot of us, put literature on diabetes in the bathroom where it is readily available to him, when he has nothing else to do for the moment!!! LOL
Good Luck and let us know how it goes...

[Zoelula]

Hooray! Little by little! By the way, sugar and carbohydrates in general are addictive, so those cravings will go away as your husband gets used to eating differently.

[nikita101]

levels tonight 184 2 hours after dinner, 1 hour of karate and careful food intake at dinner... low fat home made hamburgers, lettuce etc no buns, sugar free jello (yuck) but it seems to be helping!!!

[WaveRider]

I for one cannot eat cherries nor apples. Both are high in fructose [fruit sugar] raising my glucose levels very high. On the other hand, I can eat white breads and white rice without them affecting my glucose levels. Go figure. That's where testing after meals comes in to see what foods are OK to eat and those to avoid.

[nikita101]

The Dr wants to get the numbers down to 100 fasting and 140 after food,
he only got the dignosis last week, the dr told him to stick to the south beach diet part 1
we have a pretty healthy diet am veering towards vegetarian diet, cook from scratch, lentils etc etc
but it was not enough as my husband craves the white junk, rice, bread, pots etc!

[Zoelula]

I totally understand how your husband feels, nikita. I have prided myself on eating healthy for many years, and perhaps feeling a bit superior to all the people around me who survive on junk food. I'm also a vegetarian so eating low carb is complicated. I just had to accept that controlling my diabetes was going to be a steep uphill battle if I didn't reduce my carbs. Testing two times a day isn't enough. In order to find the reactions to various foods it is necessary to test two hours after the meal. I have some concerns too about your doctor's lack of aggressive treatment. 250 is not ok, and if 250 is the goal, then occasionally it will be 300. Both numbers lead to longterm complications.

Personally I would see an endo, not a regular doctor and have him do a c-peptide test to see how much insulin your husband is producing. If his insulin production is low then he will need to start insulin. He needs to get those numbers down.

[nikita101]

I don't think the dr meant 250 is ok. but better than 350 and def better than 400!
Am waiting for a calltoday, my husband has had a huge wake up call and is taking this very seriously now. Over 300 consistently the dr wants him back in the office to re evaluate the meds and over 400 in the emergency room to get insulin
he has only been on Januvia for less than 1 week.
He ate cherries and an apple yesterday so his reading was 270 this morning, he is a but dense when it comes to realising because it is 'healthy' it is still carbs!!

[WaveRider]

I don't feel your husby's doc is correct to say 250 mg/dl is OK when normal fasting is 70-99 mg/dl. And 2-3 hours after a meal is <180 mg/dl, others say even less of <140 mg/dl. As you can see the 250 mg/dl is way of target. This link defines glucose levels http://diabetes.webmd.com/blood-glucose?page=3

I do commend you for trying to get your husbands level lower but he's the one who has to watch his nutrition [what he eats]. Its not going to be an easy road for it took a long time for him to get where he's at but he will get there if he practices self control.

Good luck.

[nikita101]

have managed to keep the numbers down to 250- 270  fairly consistently,
this is through diet and exercise... hope we keep it up, have got my husband reading up about it and he realises how serious it is!

[nikita101]

thanks!
this is all very scary!! I am getting him to test alot, a message back from his dr said a good reading would be 80-250 over 250 not good
over 400 and not feeling good go to urgent care for insulin
his readings today were 340 this am (after his birthday, lots of rice etc) then dropped to 270 and then up to 400 now after lunch
very concerned as is a holiday weekend!
about to cook him baked fish and salad and send him off for a walk round the block!!
thanks
Nikita

[WaveRider]

You're welcome. Thanks for posting back. The three main ingredients for diabetes T2 control and management are:

1. Proper nutrition
2. Normal weight
3. Moderate exercise

A fasting [prandial] reading of 240 mg/dl is very high. Is he having late night desert type snacks laden with sugar? Or eating a large carb laden meal before bedtime? If yes to either one, he needs to stop immediately. If not, discuss this with his doctor for his liver may be producing too much glucose while he's sleeping.

Until he gets his glucose levels under control your husby needs to test before meals and 2-3 hours after each meal [postprandial]. Why? Before meals provides a base measurement, a foundation to see if the foods consumed are increasing his glucose levels. You will know this with the postprandial test results. This is the method for learning proper nutrition; what one can and cannot eat. Doesn't matter if you could eat "that" when you had GD, it may be the opposite for your husband. The only way to know is test, test, test.

[nikita101]

Thanks for your replies
My husband just started on Januvia and got his blood glucose kit he is testing 2 times a day, this is all new to him, I had gest, diabetes with my last pregnancy and was testing 2 times a day so was able to get him familiar with it.
He was out of work as  of last Jan with the dredit crunch affecting him and has to put in much longer hours and had no inome coming in....am sure the stress contributed also to the T2 return!
He is so exhausted when he gets home he does not have the time to research but I am copying articles for him to read and educate himself as there is so much info out there but not all clear and consise and he really knows nothing about his condition.
his fasting reading today was 240, am hoping the readings will get better as he takes more meds!
Thanks for yuor help
Nikita

[WaveRider]

I would like to add to Zoelula's post by commenting on "his HbA1C was 6.9 and is now around 10.3." To have an elevated A1c indicates his nutrition/diet was NOT being well controlled. There are many web sites with recommended foods & meals by Googling "diabetes nutrition." Three important avenues helping to control T2 diabetes are proper nutrition, normal weight, and moderate exercise. Walking briskly, not pleasure walking,  for 30 minutes after meals or at least 4 times weekly brings about good results.

"the Dr said the pancreas will not function again, he will be on meds all his life "
You kept from us how the doctor determined this. But taking meds for life should be looked at as taking vitamins for life. One should not get depressed for getting healthier.

At 52 yo your husband needs to take control of his own health and read and understand what he needs to do about his T2. You can help but the responsibility rests on his shoulders. Controlling and managing diabetes is a simple task. Its not life threatening unless its ignored.

Good places to start getting diabetes educated are:
http://www.diabetes.org/
http://www.emedtv.com/video.html
http://www.glycemicindex.com/