Oh my... I am beside myself... I guess I am just seeking all the info I can get my hands on and a little support too.

I was diagnosed with Type2 Diabetes today. My sugar was 200 from a blood test taken last Friday morning. I am 43 years old and I suspect that I have had this condition for well over a year, if not 2 years and it went undiagnosed.

For background I am significantly overweight, I have hypothyroidism (treated with Synthroid), I have been treated for the past 5 years for "excess protein in my urine" resulting in edema (treated with furosemide), AND I was just diagnosed with high cholesterol. Cooincidentally, I just started wearing eyeglasses in 2001 when my eyesite took a significant turn for the worse (which at the time was attributed to my age).

I am now wondering how many of my other conditions are resulting from the Diabetes. For example, could the Edema and eyesite problems be caused by Diabetes? What other symptoms are from this? I have had severly dry cracking skin on my feet and excessive scaling and flaking skin on my face and scalp - could these be symptoms too?

My doctor perscribed Amaryl 2mg per day. Tomorrow I have to schedule an appointment with a "Diabetes Educator" - I guess that is where I will learn what my new diet will be and how to control the sugar in my blood. But he didn't say anything to me about testing my sugar at home (I dread having to poke myself with a needle) - do some people NOT have to do this?

I am wondering how challenging it will be to control diabetes and high cholesterol with the same diet - low carb/lowfat sounds like no food (especially since I am deathly allergic to all poultry!)

Please - I welcome any words of wisdom, suggestions, and experiences!!!

I am so sorry to hear that you are going through this. First let me say that I am a type 1 but there are many type 2's here who are filled with wonderful knowledge. They can give you a first hand account of what they went through. You are not alone in this!

The RD is going to be your best friend in all of this! She will help you learn how to eat, how to take your blood sugar, etc. I have heard of type 2's not taking blood sugars but I don't feel that this is any way to control anyone with diabetes regardless of type. It is careless IMHO. There is no way of knowing what kind of control you have if you don't take your blood sugars. Why some Dr's dont get on board is beyond me. I would also try to get a referral to a Nephrologist if I were you. It is important to find out what is causing the edema and what your kidney function is since diabetes can only make it worse.

A lot of diabetics have problems with dry skin but I haven't found why. I would start taking blood sugars on my own and find out what it is doing. Then I would call in the highs to my Dr on a regular basis. That is the only way for him to know if the therapy you are on is working.

Like I said, there are type 2's who can help you out more than I did. Good luck to you and please know there is a place to come when you need support through all of this/ We have all been there

Hi JD,
First of all, let me say that being diagnosed with a serious illness can certainly be devastating emotionally, but you've come to a great place for support. As Mindy said, you are NOT alone!

I'm a T2, diagnosed in 1984. I've been on insulin for several years now so I'm not too familiar with some of the newer oral medications, but from my understanding, they can control T2 much better now with orals than was the case years ago. However, I think too many doctors still do not take T2 seriously enough. Although we are not subject to some of the immediate complications of T1's (such as diabetic ketoacidosis, otherwise known as diabetic coma), we are just as apt to develop complications over the long term if we do not control our blood sugars, so it's important to learn everything you can and get invested in taking care of this.

Yes, you absolutely should get a blood glucose monitor. Be sure to have your doctor write a prescription for the monitor and for the test strips; most insurances will pay for them. Until you get your numbers under control, you should be testing at least 3 times a day (AM fasting always, bedtime always, and vary the other test from day to day between 2 hours post-breakfast, 2 hours post-lunch and 2 hours post-dinner.) Once you've achieved good control, you can probably cut back to twice a day, but don't get too complacent about this as things can change over time. To minimize the "ouch" factor, I highly recommend a lancet device that has a dial on it so you can achieve the least depth penetration that will give you blood, and I also recommend using the BD Ultra Fine II Lancets...they are incredibly sharp and hurt much less than other ones I've used. You can usually reuse one lancet at least twice, probably 3 times, before they get dull (I reuse mine for weeks, but that doesn't mean you SHOULD do that, lol).

I'm glad to hear that you'll be seeing a Diabetes Educator (DE); however, that is not usually the same as a Registered Dietician(RD). You should ask for a referral to an RD, who will explain what you need to do as far as diet and meal planning go. There is more than one way to go: carb-counting, exchange diet, etc., and you should ask about the different ways you can manage your diet. The DE will, hopefully, help educate you about diabetes in general and your own case in particular. If there's a course available, take it!

Yes, it is possible that all the other problems stem from the diabetes. The most disturbing one is the protein in the urine, and I agree with Mindy's advice to see a nephrologist...make sure it's one who has a lot of experience with diabetic patients. It is possible that you'll stop spilling protein once your blood sugars are under control, but even if you don't, I'm not sure that furosemide is the way to go for a diabetic person. Most diabetics with microalbuminuria (small bits of protein in the urine) are treated with Ace inhibitors (a type of blood pressure medication that helps prevent diabetic kidney damage). I believe furosemide is a diuretic? That will help the edema, but might conceivably put further strain on the kidneys. A nephrologist is the best person to consult regarding this situation.

Dry skin...oh, yes...a few winters ago, my fingers were peeling down to the knuckles! There are several things you can do. One, get a humidifier, especially in the winter. Two, use a good body lotion and hand lotion EVERY day! Look for ones that contain urea, which is the only ingredient that actually ADDS moisture to the skin; the other ingredients just prevent further moisture loss. Make sure you use cream on your feet, too, and you should probably make an appointment with a podiatrist to check your feet and treat any callouses.


The eye problem: depends on what happened. If you just have trouble reading, but not seeing distance, it might indeed be an age-related issue. But, if it's related to the diabetes, it may improve significantly once your blood sugars are under control. Be sure to see an ophthamologist at least once a year for a complete, fully-dilated eye exam.

Okay...are you overwhelmed yet??? I didn't mean to write an entire book here! There is truly a lot to learn, but...you DON'T HAVE TO LEARN IT ALL AT ONCE! The fact that you have been diagnosed and you're being treated is the most important step. Read, learn, ask questions...you'll remember some of it. Later you can ask the same questions again, and you'll remember more of it. Treat it as a process, not as a single event. Complications happen over a long period of time, not over a few weeks or even months, so you don't have to be perfect immediately (or even ever...none of us ever achieve perfection in mananging the numbers, we just try to get close).

I highly recommend the American Diabetes Association's magazine, "Diabetes Forecast", as a great learning tool. It comes with membership to the ADA. (you can google them). They also have some terrific meal-planning and recipe books available.

And if I haven't scared you off with my verbosity, come here often and ask us anything...if we don't know the answer, we'll try to figure out how you can find the answer.

Ruth

"Life is what happens while you're making other plans."

Losing weight will be a big help in getting your blood glucose under control. A low carb diet will bring your weight down. I lost 25 pounds quickly when I went on the diet. Watch out if you are given the ADA diet--it has way too many carbs on it.

You should definitely get a monitor and check how different foods affect your blood sugar. I check 1 or 2 hours after I eat.

The low carb diet will also help to get your cholesterol under control. Read through the postings here. You will learn a lot.

You found a great place for information. It's nice because you can keep coming back, 24-7 when those questions come up. And they will. You will find that by getting with the diet and the medication that you will start to feel better immediately. Before dx, most are just lumbering along, terribly tired and all other kinds of things and once the diet gets working (immediately) and the meds are working and the bs is under better control, you will FEEL better. Just some encouragment. It is a process that you will learn one step at a time.

Hi Ruth,

What would we do without you. You are a fountain of knowledge! I noticed while reading your advice column :) that we were diagnosed around the same time--I was diagnosed in 1982.

The only other thing I would like to say about the dry skin and use of lotion is that what works for me is putting lotion on while my skin is damp (after a shower or washing my hands). I heard this advice on T.V. years ago and it really works for me. I also have very dry skin.

Good luck.

Sharon :)

Thank you all for your kind and informative replies. Now I have more questions...

I just made my appointments at the Diabetes Center. One is with a nurse who will educate me and show me how to monitor my bs. The other is with an RD who will help me with diet. But my appointments are 2 weeks from now- the earliest available.

So now I am concerned... How do I know if my bs is out of control? (I am assuming it always is, but I mean dangerous) What should I be eating vs. avoiding? I am on 2mg of Amaryl that I take with supper - but I have only had 2 doses so far, so I am not sure what to expect.

Can anyone help me with these questions?

The eye problem: depends on what happened. If you just have trouble reading, but not seeing distance, it might indeed be an age-related issue. But, if it's related to the diabetes, it may improve significantly once your blood sugars are under control. Be sure to see an ophthamologist at least once a year for a complete, fully-dilated eye exam.

Actually I have no trouble with reading at all... my vision problems are all distance. As I mentioned I have only been wearing glasses for about 2 years and my perscription is not very strong. But early on I used to be okay without my glasses... I was just more comfortable with them. But NOW, I cannot function without them. And I do have days when my vision seems worse.

I do have an eye exam faithfully every year... my last exam was July. But looking back, my opthamologist had trouble figuring out my perscription. It was like my vision was changing while I was sitting in the chair. He would test me and then put on the simulated eyeglasses and I could not see well. Then he would test me again with a different outcome and the same thing would happen. Finally after about 6 tries he just averaged them all and told me to try the glasses and he would change them if needed. I know this sounds strange... but could this have been a diabetic thing??? Has this happened to anyone else?

Hello,

I can totally relate to your post. I am also 43 and in October I went to the Dr just not feeling right. In one day I learned I had had a Heart Attack, had high blood preasure, very high Cholesterol, and was type II Diabetic. I was also suffering from Aniexty attacks. Wow, what a day. I am now, 4 months later doing pretty good. Everything is under control except the Diabetes and I've had a hard time with the meds. Am starting a new one today, my bs is generally over 200, but if it gets closer to 300, I can certainly feel it. I shake, my skin itches and my vision gets bad. I also have had terrible problems with my bowels thru this whole thing from all the meds. I've also had a difficult time with food, between my Cholesterol, Diabetes and my bowels, I was afraid to eat. What I do now, whether it be right or wrong, in the morning I might have a boiled egg and dry toast, lunch is usually a small piece of meat with a green salad, dinner will be the same thing with a vegetable added. I also drink protein drinks, I make them with Crystal Light tea and protein powder. Seems to work best for me right now.
When this all happened, I could not even get out of bed some days, which was very frustrating to me, since I'm very active. But thru this all, I am feeling better. I'm now able to do more things, like work outside for a couple hours. Just hang in there, it will get better.

Sandy

JD -
From what you've told us, I strongly suspect your eye problems may be related to diabetes. Now, that doesn't mean that it's serious; just that fluctuating blood sugars can affect your vision, but it should stabilize once you've got your blood glucose under control.

As far as diet goes, just try to watch your intake of carbs. Cut back(but don't necessarily ELIMINATE) bread, rice, potatoes and sweets. Complications from diabetes don't happen in just two weeks time, so you should be fine until your appointment.

Have you got a blood glucose monitor yet? Make sure you get one, and have your doctor write a prescription for both the monitor and the test strips...ask him for 3 strips a day. Your insurance should cover this. It will probably take a few weeks to a month or two to get things totally under control, learn what you need to know, and figure out how to manage food/diet/exercise. But a blood glucose monitor is an absolute must for this, so be sure to get one.

Sharon gave me such a nice compliment but, really...it's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I've had 20 years to learn all of this. Believe me, I knew NOTHING the first year or two. And frankly, I've learned more from some of the on-line support boards in the past year than I learned in the previous nineteen years. So keep coming back and asking questions...this is such a great place for support. And we'll be interested in your progress.

Ruth

Thanks for the info, I have to admit... I am so confused about diet. I was at the American Diabetes Assoc website and found their food pyramid. It says that grains and starchy vegatables (potatoes, rice, beans, corn) should make up a large part of your diet. But this contradicts what I read everywhere else. To me it seems like that is all carbs. Their pyramid also says you can only have 6 oz of protein per day... I don't know if I could survive on that!!!

As I mentioned, I am significantly overweight (around 300), but I did lose 50 lbs in 1997 and have kept it off since. Right now I don't count calories but if I had to guess I am probably consuming 4000-5000 per day (not dieting but suprisingly able to maintain)

I DEFINATELY want to lose weight - I would be happy with another 50lbs to start (worry about the rest once I get there :)) But I don't know If I could live on 2000 calories per day - I am afraid I will be hungry all the time! I realize that weight loss is critical to the control of diabetes, but I want to feel well too!

I have been trying to be "good" since my diagnosis. I have completely eliminated sweets and foods with high sugar - I am reading labels. I am eating cottage cheese and fruit for breakfast, soup or sandwich for lunch, meat, vegetables, and/or potatoes or rice for dinner and I have stopped using butter on everything. I am trying to eating 3 meals per day (usually only eat 2) but since I started this I have found myself incredibly hungry late at night (I mean midnight-2am). I am not just thinking about food -- I have a growling stomach!

I take my Amaryl (2mg) with supper per the doctors instructions... could it be the meds doing this or could it be the change in diet and frequency of meals?

Hi Jill,

I don't know if this is the case for you, but...I also was only eating two meals per day for years (because of depression related to meds and another illness I have). Last January, I decided to make sure I eat three meals per day. Within one week of doing this, I actually felt hungry again. Before this, I was NEVER hungry--I just ate because I knew I had to. Maybe this is why you feel your stomach growling late at night? You said you started eating three meals per day from the previous two. Just a thought :)

Sharon :)