Need help understanding - Diabetes Message Board

Heartsy · 06-18-2008, 08:37 AM

I have not been diagnosed with diabetes. I have an appointment with my doctor for next week. I do not really understand what is going on with my body.

I have been having symptoms for a while that I have not had in the past. I have been urinating often and have been having burning and itching around my vagina. I have just been feeling bad, like I was getting the flu. I have been drinking a lot, this is not unusual because I have always drank a lot of water. Sometimes I get so sleepy, like I feel drugged. I did a research online and found that I may have diabetes. I bought a glucose meter from WalMart and have been doing my test for the past three days. These are the numbers.

Monday:
Before breakfast at 7am - 155
After breakfast at 9am -- 266
Noon ------------------- 141
before supper ----------- 108
at bedtime 10pm -------- 146

Tuesday:
7am --------- 133
10am -------- 175
3pm --------- 159
10p --------- 131

Wednesday: (today)
7am --------- 151
9am --------- 168

I woke up this morning at 7 with sweat pouring off me and feeling shaky.

Are these numbers too abnormal. I am scared of being diabetic.
I guess, lucky for me, I am not a sweet eater. I never drink any kind of soft drink. I sweeten my tea with Sweet and Low. I very seldom eat cake, cookies or candy. I have never had a weight problem. I am 5'2" and weight 125 pounds. I do use honey in my coffee every morning, this is the only coffee that I drink for the day.

What can I expect the doctor to tell me. I want to be prepared to ask questions. Thanks for your help.

I forgot to add that I am 74 years old and very active.

lilbit1973 · 06-18-2008, 10:43 AM

I really am sorry to break the news first, but yes, it definitely looks like diabetes. These numbers are way too high not to be. It doesn't just happen to obese people. I am 35 yrs old, 98 pounds and 5 feet tall. I am not a sweet eater either, it just runs rampant in my family on my mom's side. Best advice, get to your doctor of course, make sure he sends you to a dietician that specializes in diabetes so you can learn to count your carbs and what you should/shouldn't eat. The honey really needs to go. VERY high in sugar. Try to cut your refined or "white" foods out until then to try and get your sugars down. Diabetes, if managed properly, is not the end of the world. There are a lot of us out here and this is a great supportive site. Please keep us posted.

Jenny1434 · 06-18-2008, 01:19 PM

hi heartsy, I have to agree with lilbit. It does indeed sound like you have Diabetes but please relax it's a disease that you can live a perfectly normal life. I don't eat simple sugars anymore but you really need to watch your carbs. It is best to switch to 100% whole wheat bread and pasta, and the whole key is moderation. Exercise everyday for 30 min. I love walking and it really helps keep my blood sugars in check. Please keep us updated on how you're doing. Good luck.

SamQKitty · 06-18-2008, 08:54 PM

Heartsy,
I agree with the others...with those numbers, you are definitely diabetic. The question is going to be...what type? You didn't mention your age, but 125 pounds at 5'2", while not skinny, isn't really overweight...just at the high end of normal weight for that height.

I would ask the doctor to do both a C-peptide test and a GAD antibody test, which will tell you if you're a type 1. If not, then you're a Type 2. Either way, you'll need to find a way to get your blood sugar levels down, whether it means diet and exercise alone, diet and exercise combined with oral medication, or possibly insulin (but at this point, only if you're T1.)

So, questions to ask your doctor:

What type am I? (and make sure he does the c-peptide and GAD antibody, regardless of how old you are...if you turn out to be T1, all the diet and exercise in the world won't control your blood sugar levels.)

If he advises diet and exercise: Can you refer me to a registered dietician for a few visits for advice on meal planning/balancing carbohydrates?

If he advises oral medications: Which medication, how long can we expect it to take before we start seeing results? How soon should I come back for an HbA1c test (this is a test that tells your average blood sugar levels over the past 8-12 weeks)?

Other questions to ask:

Is there a diabetes education course nearby that I can take? (Most insurance companies will pay for this).

Can you prescribe enough test strips for me to test 2-3 times a day, so I can see how food affects my numbers?

Your doctor should also do a CBC and a chem profile...these are simple blood tests, but they can show if anything else might be wrong.

While all this might seem overwhelming, please have faith in yourself...you WILL be able to deal with this...after all, you're already testing and keeping excellent records, and that's half the battle in managing diabetes!

Ruth

Heartsy · 06-24-2008, 07:53 PM

Thanks so much to you all for your help and support. I love this forum. I had my doctors appointment today. I took all my records that I had been keeping with me. He looked at me and was astonished. He said that he thought I was the last person on earth that would have diabetes. He seemed somewhat embarrased also that he did not test for it six months ago when I went to him.
He started me on 500mg. glucophage. I got the generic form. I will be starting on it tomorrow. From all I have read about it, I am really scared to start it because everything bothers my stomach. When is the best time of the day to take it and should it be taken with food. I am to take it twice a day. He told me to start off with once a day for the first three days. I am really scared of this disease. I already eat a low carb diet, so I think later maybe I can do it on diet alone and exercise. I have a treadmill but have been lax about using it. I will try and get back on it.

I went to him 6 or 7 months ago because I was feeling bad and at times felt drained. He just adjusted my thyroid by decreasing my dose and could not find any other problem. He did not even do a glucose or any other lab work. He said that too much throid would sometimes make a person feel tired. I was only taking .125 of synthroid. He reduced it down to .112. He had on my record that my sister had diabetes that had started when she was 65 yrs. old. I could tell that he seemed somewhat embarrased that I had to find this on my own.

Is it possible with my blood sugar levels, that I can completely control it without any medication after I get leveled out. Of course I am for sure going to start walking on the treadmill.

Thanks so much for all your help. I will keep you posted.