Mody / Lada

[yma611]

Hi, diabetes runs in my family...Type II...and since the age of 10, my sister and I have been tested. Low and behold, I developed diabetes and at age 18, the doc put me on oral agents. Here is my confusion.

Everyone knows the basic make-up of a Type II diabetic...over weight, usually older, poor diet. My fathers mother & sister died from complications of Type II, they were both severly over weight, and had a poor diet and were diagnosed after the age of 45. Well, my grandfather, my father and I are Type II but not normal Type II. We all were diagnosed at the teen age years, all were thin, and very active...father played basketball, grandfather bowled, I played soccer. We have baffled our Endo...the 3 of us go to the same doc. My grandfather will be 90 this year, my father is 65 and I am 33. And the eye doctor is baffled as well, that there are no signs of diabetes in my eyes or my fathers. My 90 yr grandfather is just old, so his vision is poor.

We do not fit the typical profile for TII, but yet we are not TI. None of us have ever taken insulin ( I did when I was pregnant), and have A1Cs not over 7. Mine have always been 6 and under. I aksed my diabetes doctor (when I lived out of state and was pregnant) to explain my diabetes and he said "what does it matter, you are a diabetic". My father & I are on 1 pill of Glucovance a day.

Can you shed some light on what appears to be genetic, but not TI, and not typical TII? Just a note: we have never had any symptoms of diabetes either. Just ran across high levels during a routine blood test.
Thanks

[almonkey]

There is a type 1.5, metabolic syndrome, or syndrome X is what many docs call it. Its similiar to Type 2 in many ways but particularly differs in that Type 1.5s arent 'typical' ...overweight...Type 1.5 and 2 are both hereditary. Its a progressive disease so you DO have the possibility to end up on insulin....The best way to prevent this is keep your #s down, keep your weight down, and keep exercising.

Although they say T1 is not genetic, they think that t1's are "predisposed" to getting it. In other words they cant explain why some people get it and others in the same family dont. They do believe its an auto immune response to a virus.

As far as older w/ type 2, that is changing. Due to weight, many type 2s are being diagnosed in their 30s intead of their 50s...Its our awful american diet, full of refined carbs that is causing both obesity and type 2...I believe its the refined carbs that effect type1.5s too. Before everything came in a box and was filled w/ sugar we didnt have this epidemic. I think we are breeding this new type of diabetes because we werent made to injest so much sugar or refined carbs and it seems everything that is "convienent" or quick to make is FULL of refined carbs. I just wonder if we went back to a cave man type of diet in the us if we would all loose weight and type 2 diabetes (and 1.5) would go down instead of increasing every year! (cave man meaning if you cant hunt,fish,or grow it, you shouldnt eat it)

[vikingirl]

Hi, YMA611,

What almonkey describes as Type1.5 fits me to a 'T'. I was (in retrospect), Hypoglycemic for years, started being treated for Type2 after a round of Prednizone blurred my vision and tests were done and determined insulin resistant, then for a year and a half of ever incresing meds till I was eventually on maximum dose, triple therapy (Metformin, Glyburide, Avandia, Avandamet), to eventually being diagnosed as Type1 Jan 2005, with 5 shots/day "intensive therapy".

Two years ago, at time of Type2 diagnoses, I was 5 lbs underweight at 110 and my A1C was 10%. At the time of Type1 diagnoses, I was 93 lbs and was suffering extreme symtoms of being hyper all the time. I was in rough shape by the time I started on insulin and my A1c was over 14%. I've not had cholesterol 'issues' until recently, have always been active all my life, have normal-low blood pressure and will be 38 years old this Sept.

Both my Grandmothers were treated for Type2 diabetes very late in their life and lived to 94 and 89 respectively. The 94 year old had always been overweight (100 lbs) and the other suffered progressive loss of sight (due to botched cataract surgery at 68). None of her 149 offspring have Type1 except me and only 2 of the older ones have recently started on Type2 meds and lifestyle changes.

I was told that I was probably genetically predisposed to diabetes (Gramas), but that the very nasty flu that put me out of commission for almost 3 weeks a few years ago, was probably what kickstarted my immune system into attacking my pancreatic cells - just as almonkey describes.

The great news (other than your fantastic numbers - way to go!), is that you seem to be pretty informed about diabetes or at least aware of it's signs, symtoms, etc. You also are on top of things with your regular testing so you'll be able to catch if things start changing much faster than those who aren't aware or were too ignorant of what diabetes really is to make the necessary steps to a better life (stupid me :-)

I do believe that the Type2 (important to make this distinction) diabetes epidemic here in North America, is largely due to our lifestyles - it's like a badge of honour to be "so busy" all the time. We need faster cars, faster foods, faster computers, etc. What are we racing towards? Hmmmm....methinks and early death. Time to slow down and smell the roses (or eat the carrots :-)

Sorry to ramble on so long but I hope my story might help with some perspective.

Cheers and good health,
- Vikingirl

[yma611]

Hey thanks for the posts. I am aware of everything, and I do not put anything (medicine wise) into my system or allow my husband to do so, without researching it first. Diabetes has been a part of my life since birth, because of family members. My father also ate very well, so my mother cooked well...No breads or pastas, not alot of starchy foods, never any sweets, or candy excpet holloween. When I eat sugar I feel like crap, and really always have.

My doctors have never tested me other than the typical GTT's to find out where exactly your numbers are after drinking that crappy sweet orange soda. And the 3month A1C test. Which is normal all the time. I never have lows, and my highs aren't really highs, but I do need to take 1 glucovance a day. People ask about my diabetes and assume that because I am TII that I must've been overweight. I have a hard time explaining exactly what I have so I just say I am not your typical diabetic. and I never really have been able to properly say what exactly I have.

One doc said it was MODY...Mature Onset Diabetes in the Young. Sounds good, right? and an article I read was LADA...Latent Autoimmune Disease...something something something...who knows...I guess it really doesn't matter....

thank you