[s4par]

This is my first post so hi everyone. long story short, 8 months ago I found I had a problem with blood sugar levels. For over 4 years I had went to get blood tests done and doctors always said everything was normal, this bothered me because I felt like ****. My moods were fluctuating and I had no clue why. So the first time they do a diabetes test they see i had a problem. In the first and second hour after drinking the solution I had a very high BS and the third hour I dropped down to normal. The clinic I went to is not the best, a health clinic at college. They said I was glucose intolerant.

I dont have insurance right now so I have been watching my diet in order to try and control my bs. over the last six months I have felt much better and not had the mood swings that I had before. I have a few basic questions.

do you think that a fluctuating BS leads to depression?
I am always tired, do you feel this is related?
Is it hard to attain insurance?
In relation to this question, I am 29, 5,10 @ 160lbs with about 10% body fat and physically active on a normal basis. However, my pulse is always at 90 but my blood pressure is usually 78/120 can bs be attributed to high pulse rate?
any recommendations on a cheap and easy tester?

[BeadieJay]

Hi s4par and welcome to a great forum.

I can't help with your questions about insurance etc, as I'm in the UK and we don't have to pay for our meds.

About fluctuating BS leading to depression - this is my own opinion, but I think it can have a lot to do with it. I've suffered from depression for years, and in the last few months have got my BS stable, and I'm feeling so much better. I still have bad days, and I'm still on anti-depressants, but I know that the depression has lifted. I also felt tired a lot, and I think that's a side effect of depression as much as anything else. It could also be from aneamia - I recently found out I was aneamic, and was so pleased to know that, because it explained why I wanted to sleep all the time!! Since my blood levels got back to normal, I'm hardly ever tired during the day now.

(I just thought - I wonder if my depression got better because I'm not tired anymore? hmm!!)

I hope this helps a little bit. I hope that you can sort out some insurance soon. I'm sure others will be along soon to help with your questions.

[nantomsuethom]

Hi s4par. Welcome to the forums.

I would think a lot of what you were (are) feeling has to do with your bg level.

For a bg meter, you can usually get them free. It's the strips that cost a lot. I have seen some posts here for Walmarts meter and strips. I think theirs are the least expensive.

When my son was first diagnosed we had no insurance. I went through Diabetic Charities. They provided us with a meter, strips and lancets. I found them through the ADA website.

Good luck.

[zookeeper671]

Did a little random surfing and landed upon a few articles about mood, depression and diabetes.

article #1

article #2

article #3.

...and Welcome!

[rzrbks]

do you think that a fluctuating BS leads to depression?

Yes, yes, and yes.

I am always tired, do you feel this is related?

Yes, yes, and yes

Is it hard to attain insurance?

Not sure, already had ins when Dx'd

In relation to this question, I am 29, 5,10 @ 160lbs with about 10% body fat and physically active on a normal basis. However, my pulse is always at 90 but my blood pressure is usually 78/120 can bs be attributed to high pulse rate?

Not sure there either. Was always active and pulse was higher than "Normal" but then part of that was genetics

any recommendations on a cheap and easy tester?

nantomsuethom
For a bg meter, you can usually get them free. It's the strips that cost a lot. I have seen some posts here for Walmarts meter and strips. I think theirs are the least expensive.

The strips are Indeed the part that costs and costs and costs---the cheapest I've ever seen was the Wal-Mart brand

[HeatherP]

Welcome s4par, it's nice to meet you.

As far as insurance goes, your best bet is to get health insurance thru your employer. That way the ins co. has to accept you. Make sure you understand any "pre-existing conditions" clauses. We Diabetics are a pariah to the insurance companies so I'd say it'd just about be a miracle to get accepted on your own.

Hope we'll see you around often,
Heather

[BeckieLynn55]

Originally Posted by s4par

Is it hard to attain insurance?

Since you were tested a college clinic, are you enrolled at the college? If you are, I know at least the University of Pittsburgh (where I attend) offers insurance for students at a fixed rate. This way, they'd also have to accept you... and for mo more than any non-diabetic student.

If you're not a student, I agree with that through your occupation is the best/only way to go...

But I'm still living off of my daddy's insurance policy for one more year, so I dont have much room to talk.. just what I've heard

[BeadieJay]

I noticed something interesting today and yesterday. Yesterday afternoon I started eating the wrong foods - cookies, fries and then later in the evening I had a jam doughnut. Ok, ok I know I'm stupid, and I knew at the time that it was stupid but I did it anyway.

So, a bit later on in the evening I started to get really irritable. Then this morning I woke up with a headache and was still feeling irritable....I think my kids were really glad to get to school this morning!! It just made me wonder if my bad mood was because of the excess sugar that I'd had?

I do know that I haven't felt depressed or irritable for ages, and for the most part my blood sugar levels have been great. I also haven't felt tired in a while, and before I seemed to be tired all the time.

It certainly gave me an added incentive not to overdose on sugary foods again!!

[s4par]

thanks for the info and help. Without insurance I feel like I am battling this alone so that can be kind of depressing and scary. I dont want it to turn into type 1 or 2 and I know that if I take care of it correctly it wont. Sometimes I have taken too much sugar to the point where I get a headache. I have cut down my sugar intake but at times I feel like I cannot eat enough. I almost always feel hungry even if I eat 4-5 times in a day. I just wish I could talk to an expert on pre diabtetes so I may understand some things.

[TAutry]

Sue,

Yep, your sugar OD probably contributed to the rotten mood. Yes, you did a very stupid thing. YOU, however, are not stupid, just human.

s4par,

Have you considered getting a blood glucose monitor and using it? There are several models available through various pharmacies and even Walmart that are very affordable. Even the test strips are relatively inexpensive for some of them.

The only way to know what your blood sugar is doing and to keep a handle on it is through regular testing.

Travis

[BeadieJay]

Originally Posted by TAutry

Sue,

Yep, your sugar OD probably contributed to the rotten mood. Yes, you did a very stupid thing. YOU, however, are not stupid, just human.

Thanks Travis

[KickStart101]

Hi s$par and Welcome to Our Well-Rounded Group. It's too bad
that your Doc took so long to take the proper test. Did you
have any of the symptoms? If so did you tell the Doc about them?
Well, I'm glad that you are controlling your bs with diet and that you are feeling better. That's a Big Step...Good Job. As you will find the Dr.'s,
CDE, etc.(and Groups as our's are a Big Help), BUT you are the Main
Person in your Life and Responsible for how your Life shapes up
and how Long you live and how Healthy you keep yourself. It's not
hard once you get used to it. It ALWAYS is a Pain in the Butt tho'.

[Dewey]

Originally Posted by s4par

I dont have insurance right now so I have been watching my diet in order to try and control my bs. over the last six months I have felt much better and not had the mood swings that I had before.

any recommendations on a cheap and easy tester?

Hi s4par and welcome to the group! There's a meter called the Reli-On Ultima, which sells at Wal-Mart for $8.88. Strips for the meter cost $21.95 for 50, and $42.95 for 100. The meter has a memory capacity of 450 readings, and from what I can tell, it seems pretty accurate. There are other great meters out there, but strips for them are usually more expensive, so if you're in a pinch and don't have insurance, this meter sure cuts the costs. Insurance usually is hard to obtain, unless you're working for a larger company or the like. I'm fortunate to be on hubby's insurance now, but I went for quite a while with no coverage, so I had to do what I could to make ends meet. Also, getting self-coverage is possible, but not easy nor inexpensive. Hope this helps some and sure hope to "see" you here often! Again, welcome!

[Belinda]

Welcome,
Ask your doctor about a free meter. They usually have them lying around. If you would like I may can get my hands on another one when I go in to visit in June and would be glad to send it your way.