Greetings from Buford, GA. yeee haww!

[xanlexian]

Already made two posts, figure my third should be an intro...

I was diagnosed as T1 on May 2nd, 2005 (my first coma) with a BG of 1300. Gone DKA 8 times so far. Sudden comas are a totally weird experience.

Doctors all say I'm a medical anomaly, want me on disability, don't want me to drive (due to the sudden coma thing -- which happened once while driving 70+ MPH. I remember seeing a sign on the highway for my exit in "One Mile" -- next thing I knew I was waking up in the ICU {again} with IVs in my arms and it was two and a half days later).

So, I no longer drive. I still have daily highs of over 600. Docs all want me on a pump, but can't afford one. I can barely afford strips. Since being diagnosed, I've sold off my business, three cars, a condo -- and that was to cover my medical bills.

Talk about a lifestyle change!! Yikes!! Diet-wise, no real change there. I've never liked sweets (last birthday cake was for my 8th birthday in 1981). I've always eaten moderately healthy. Never big on the fast-food thing. Never a soda drinker (now I have a bad addiction to diet coke... go figure).

I inject 210 units of Lantus at 2:00am, and another 200 at 2:00pm. Every 90 minutes I inject 30-50 units of regular Humalog (sliding scale).

I should be testing every hour. But then the issue of strips come into play. I'm pretty much covered on strips now. That's a different story for a different time.

I've got three meters... The UltraSmart, the Accu-Chek Compact, and an Ascensia Contour.

I love hardware hacking, and have been looking high and low for an Ascensia Contour data cable (or pinouts). Soldering skills have gone downhill due to neuropathy (I periodically can't feel my fingertips... the upside is, testing isn't painful at all anymore).

My docs all joke about having to order my insulin by the vat instead of vial -- and they all love having me as a "case study subject". So, a **LOT** of my medical records have me listed just as "34 year old white male -- Patient 'X' ".

Been healthy my whole life. Then this hits me. No trace of diabetes on either side of my family -- so nobody knew the signs I was showing before that first coma. I knew SOMEthing was drastically wrong with me when I had to sleep in the hallway next to the bathroom -- since I was peeing every 30 minutes like clockwork. I still pee every hour to hour and a half. I never sleep more than two hours at a time (at the MOST). That, and losing over 40 pounds in three weeks was quite alarming to me.

Checked my symptoms in "WebMD" (on advice of my father) and everything said just one thing, "Type 1 diabetes". Just totally disregarded that since there was no diabetes in the family. Less than 24 hours later from looking that up, I'm hospitalized with a 1300 reading.

So it goes.

What I'm THANKFUL for:

Of all the crazy virus/disease things out there to get, I'm GLAD it is T1 Diabetes. Not some weird unknown disease nobody has ever heard of or seen. At least I've got something millions already have, and a disease with a STEADY 130+ years of research in the field. Not "fixable", but "treatable". That's fine by me. Whatever keeps me alive! I don't get depressed by the whole diabetes thing (the whole being broke all the time, that's a different matter). Life is a series of experiences. Good, bad, indifferent -- all experiences. If I'm dead, I'm not 'experiencing'. So naturally, I don't want that!!! Plus, the way I've always seen it, (and an old motto of mine) "I can do no good for anybody or anything if I'm dead." So, yay on being alive and experiencing things!!

I'm still deathly terrified of needles.

Well, that's me in a nutshell.

Hiya folks!

[ant hill]

Aww WOW, :( you seem to count your blessings well and you have come to the right place to be happy again.

Now you said that you are from Buford Texas am I right?? Me I am in Australia.
welcome to DF Xanlexian. And I hope that life get's better than this. :D

[xanlexian]

Not Buford, TX -- but Buford, GA

Buford, GA - Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Buford,+GA&ie=UTF8&ll=34.128005,-84.005928&spn=0.129026,0.229683&z=12&iwloc=addr)

I've been browsing around these forums, and it seems I've
found a great place here. I personally know two other diabetics,
however, they're both type 2.

Hello there "Down Under"!!

Oh yeah, something else the docs all ORDER for me:

I'm not to be without adult supervision for longer than four hours.
This is due to the whole "sudden coma" thing.

I've always done moderate exercising -- mainly walks -- unless the sensations/pains/numbness in my legs has subsided.

Last A1C was 12.8.

It isn't diet. That's a fact. My ketone count goes from "high" to "negative" on a daily basis as well.

Well, as I said -- it doesn't get me depressed. It's treatable, and just something else in life that I got to make it through.

I also found when I traveled to England to visit my Mom -- airport security does NOT want to go through a diabetic's kit bag! Present them with all the doctor's notes on why you need to travel with so many vials, alcohol wipes and needles -- they just whisk you right through! hehe

that was unexpected

[ant hill]

LOL I have had a look at the map and I see that you're are not too far from "Sugar Hill" as I bet that you get meny jokes from that. :hahaha: :T

[xanlexian]

"Sugar Hill" -- HAH!!

You know? The whole "joke" thing with 'Sugar Hill' has never once even occurred to me until you just mentioned it!

Since being "disabled" (I really don't think I am) -- I've taken up "indoor gardening". Turned my old office (a spare bedroom) and my workshop (a second spare bedroom) into a hydroponic and areoponic grow rooms for tomatoes, onions, bunches of herbs -- even indoor hydroponic corn. The lights and fans jump up my power bill, but it more than offsets the cost of purchasing the food -- plus, I KNOW what I'm getting, I KNOW what I'm eating, and I like being able to grow my own marinara sauce!

Just another tid-bit about me... Still have my "workbench" for watch making/repair... but don't do that so much now. Getting little gears lodged in your fingertips and not knowing where the gear went started to worry me. Spent over 30 minutes once looking for a gear I though I dropped, and found it lodged in my pinky.

The neuropathy is a b!+ch...

Since I can't really do what I used to do (watch making/repair -- corporate IT manager/CIO) -- I find gardening very relaxing. This is my first attempt in life in gardening, and I absolutely love it! I've been trying to grow MONSTER tomatoes -- y'know, the "state fair"-kind-of-big! Whatever I'm doing, I'm obviously doing it right! Plus, I share with my neighbor and in exchange, I get to leave my trash on their curb for pickup. So, that's one less expense. Love the bartering thing, and everybody needs food.

Anyways, as I said, just a bit more about me.

So, "Ant Hill" -- what's your story? Work? School? Etc...

I guess I could quit being so lazy and just check your profile!

Regardless, pleasure to make your acquaintance and well met!

**EDIT** -- just read your profile. KF4YOR here. 73!

[mho357]

Hello xanlexian and welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have been through the ringer! You will find lots of great info and support here.

Mark

[xanlexian]

Hello xanlexian and welcome to the forum. Sounds like you have been through the ringer! You will find lots of great info and support here.

Mark

I'm STILL going through the wringer!

I'm already finding WONDERFUL info here!

I'd be much happier if I could find the pinouts for the Ascensia Contour data cable. I'm quite sure I've got all the parts (even an excess of MAX3323 and family). Got a bunch of data that would be a pain to enter in by hand.

The ONE "schematic" I keep finding apparently doesn't work.

Anyway, that's all info for a different thread in a different sub-group.

Thanks for the welcome, and from reading around, certainly a phenomenal group of folks here!

--Alex

[kgm0612]

Hi Alex & Welcome to the forum. Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself to us.

Karen

[xanlexian]

Absolutely! And quite welcome! As I've said (as well as seen) -- without a doubt, I've come across a wonderful group of people here.

Thank YOU ("you" = "all") for such a receptive and warm welcome.

[gettingby]

Hi xanlexian and welcome from a Southern Gal !!!! :D
You've been handed quite a lot to begin with but you seem to have a positive attitude about it all.
Glad to have ya here and hope to hear more from ya soon !!!!:)

[xanlexian]

You HAVE to look at the positive things in life, if you don't, you'll die miserable. Nobody wants that.

It is funny, one year and two months (to the day) before I was first diagnosed -- I literally woke up on a Monday morning and just made the conscious decision to cut out EVERYthing negative in my life.

I've been MUCH happier ever since. I just don't get mad or upset at anything anymore. All problems have a solution, the adventure is finding the path to the solution.

Being gifted with infinite patience helps as well.

Glad to be here!!

[Jan B]

Xanlexian,

Wow. This forum needed someone like you! What an amazing example of living and not whining about your condition. If I were you, I'd be reading and researching until my eyes wore out! You are like a miracle and I hope you get the help you need to stay alive for the benefit of all you are around. What an amazing story. Without researching more first, I'd think you would be a good candidate for a pancreas transplant. Of course you would need antirejection drugs, but geez . . .

http://t2.images.live.com/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1537510350581&id=59bd3edd9838c9c9628f0f541791f425

Welcome. I'm still amazed at what you deal with.

[xanlexian]

Xanlexian,

Wow. This forum needed someone like you! What an amazing example of living and not whining about your condition. If I were you, I'd be reading and researching until my eyes wore out! You are like a miracle and I hope you get the help you need to stay alive for the benefit of all you are around. What an amazing story. Without researching more first, I'd think you would be a good candidate for a pancreas transplant. Of course you would need antirejection drugs, but geez . . .


Welcome. I'm still amazed at what you deal with.

Well, as I said, I started the whole "no negativity in life" thing a full year before I even knew what diabetes was. Whining really gets you nowhere, and tends to cause disdain towards you after a while. Funny though, after I made that 'change' -- I've become quite a serious recluse. I don't like going out, I don't like being around people I don't know (in person -- online is excluded). And I'm VERY happy this way. I do go "out" -- as in walks, geocaching, stuff like that. Shopping is always fun as well. Wal-Mart at 3am is the best!

I've been reading, re-reading, cross referencing, and so on and so forth. Even at almost three years now, it is STILL a lot of information to take in.

A pancreatic transplant sounds nice and all, but it is my liver my docs are all watching -- since my ketone is constantly excessive.

The other thing that really puts things into perspective for me, is that EVERY one of my doctors have all told me, "we have no idea why you didn't die twenty years ago. It just doesn't make sense. So, we go from here to make sure you get at least another twenty."

Works for me! I've accomplished so much in my 34 years of life thus far, I can't begin to imagine what I'll get done in another twenty.

Exciting road we're all on! Gotta make the best of it!

Time to start on that Valentine's cake for when my fiancee gets home!

Pleasure to make your acquaintance as well!!

[Alice]

Welcome! I hope you have found a great endo in the Atlanta area...there are some really good ones down at Emory if you need to get a "different view" on things! I sincerely hope that you are able to get things in better control and you will be able to get your license back...that is such a freedom/right that we all enjoy.

I know I never thought about driving much until my last endo reminded me that in many states, your license can be taken away if an accident occurs while driving with low blood sugar/insulin reaction...so now I'm very "anal" about testing every time I drive...

Thanks for the reminder...glad you are ok.

[xanlexian]

Welcome! I hope you have found a great endo in the Atlanta area...there are some really good ones down at Emory if you need to get a "different view" on things!

I'm actually closer to Gainesville than I am to Atlanta (I'm pretty much on the Hall County border). I've got three endos, two GPs, then the eye doc, foot doc, neurologist (two of 'em) then the odd assortment that like to question me during my doctor visits. I'm in the process of hooking up with a doctor and a (or some?) grad students at Emory to be some student's thesis. This is all expected to happen this coming Fall. So, I'm well taken care of.

I sincerely hope that you are able to get things in better control and you will be able to get your license back...that is such a freedom/right that we all enjoy.


I never really liked driving anyway. I actually still have my license, but that's going to be revoked. My last blackout episode (about two weeks ago, now) -- I apparently had a seizure while unconscious. So, that's a new thing. And I know for fact that in Georgia if you're epileptic or prone to seizures, you surrender your license. I was terrified of driving anyways (with the sudden coma thing) -- I feared going into a coma while barreling down the interstate at 70mph and slamming into a school bus (I drove a 96 Cadillac Sedan DeVille -- I would have just plowed through just about anything). Luckily, I just ended up sliding alongside a guardrail (from what I saw of the car afterwards).

After that incident, I won't drive any farther than the store that is just two miles away. Any other driving, my fiancee is with me.


I know I never thought about driving much until my last endo reminded me that in many states, your license can be taken away if an accident occurs while driving with low blood sugar/insulin reaction...so now I'm very "anal" about testing every time I drive...


My problem isn't with low blood sugars, I'm the total opposite. Out of the blue, my BG will sometimes spike from 250 to 600+ and if I drop below 200, I go hypoglycemic. And it isn't the food I eat.

Thanks for the reminder...glad you are ok.

Absolutely welcome!! Don't want to scare the bejeezus out of anybody, but it is indeed quite frightening. As far as the accident is concerned, I just ended up with a skinned knee (slammed into the dash, it would seem). The car was 'skinned' down the passenger side.

[Dewey]

Alex, welcome aboard. It does sound like you have been and are going through the wringer...but, we're all here for you & will help whenever we can. Glad you've found us!

I'd be much happier if I could find the pinouts for the Ascensia Contour data cable. I'm quite sure I've got all the parts (even an excess of MAX3323 and family). Got a bunch of data that would be a pain to enter in by hand.
I love hardware hacking, and have been looking high and low for an Ascensia Contour data cable (or pinouts). Soldering skills have gone downhill due to neuropathy (I periodically can't feel my fingertips... the upside is, testing isn't painful at all anymore).

If you need an Ascensia Contour cable, I'll be glad to give you mine. Just PM (private message) me your address & I'll send it out in a jiffy! :)

Once again, welcome aboard & glad you're here. :shakehand

[Keezheekoni]

Hi and welcome to the board! Glad to have you here. :D

[ladytaz]

Hello neighbor Alex .... Lithia Springs, GA here ... well, not exactly neighbor, but close enough! LOL I used to work in Buford, at Sutherlin Nissan about 5 years ago. :0)

Well boy have you been through it! sheeeeeeesh! I sure hope they figure you out, and soon!! ;) As for your diet .... are you positive that's not affecting your BG's in any way? Have you cut back on carbs? Breads, potatoes, pastas, rice, cereals, corn. It's not all about "sweets" and "junk foods". Still though, the amount of insulin you are taking is outrageous! I think you definitely need to be on the pump. BUT, without insurance ... yea, right! I feel ya though, no insurance here ... and you're right, the test strips are the KILLER. My insulins I can totally deal with the cost!

I also hear ya on the driving thing. I HATE driving anymore. UNLESS I'm out in the country. That, I LOVE. I find it very relaxing. But the city driving and interstates. BLECH.

Well, welcome to DF. Nice to see another Metro Atlantan in the place! :)

[susique333]

Wow! I read and then re-read your posts. You should write a book! Welcome to the forum.

I see where the Drs want you on disability, are you unemployed and if so, can you then apply for Medicaid?

"The US Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) announced in 1999 that Medicare/Medicaid would cover the cost of insulin pumps for persons with type 1 diabetes. HCFA is the federal agency that administers the Medicare, Medicaid, and Child Health Insurance Programs.

[xanlexian]

Wow! I read and then re-read your posts. You should write a book! Welcome to the forum.

I see where the Drs want you on disability, are you unemployed and if so, can you then apply for Medicaid?

"The US Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) announced in 1999 that Medicare/Medicaid would cover the cost of insulin pumps for persons with type 1 diabetes. HCFA is the federal agency that administers the Medicare, Medicaid, and Child Health Insurance Programs.



I'm automatically disqualified from Medicaid BECAUSE I'm in the middle of a disability claim/appeals -- and it can not kick in until 24 months AFTER the start of reciving disability.

I can still do stuff!! I don't care what my doctors say about it, I still do SOME work (even after the complaining about it from my doctors). I **HAVE** to have SOME kind of income.

I'm currently almost three years into the claim -- have a lawyer for the whole thing and all. Every one of my doctors have written letters to my lawyer and the SS department.

According to the Social Security office -- I'm "normal".

You work every freakin' day of your life since you were 13, pay into the system, and when you need it, you can't seem to get it.

I'm reallllllly not liking the USA. Absolutely disgusted with the country as a whole.

Not to mention, when I do work, I no longer accept US dollars, either. Unless I'm being paid in cash, you are going to pay me in Euros.

**EDIT** -- the work I do indeed do, it is all "under the table" kind of stuff. Nowhere enough to pay the bills, but enough to certainly help out a bit.

It is a reallly weird feeling being unemployed and "unable to work".

Since being diagnosed, I went against my doctors' orders on three different occasions and acquired jobs. Got fired (well, "dismissed" or "released") because each and every one, I was found passed out on the floor somewhere -- within the first few days of being on the job. The blackouts are a b!+ch.

[xanlexian]

Hello neighbor Alex .... Lithia Springs, GA here ... well, not exactly neighbor, but close enough! LOL I used to work in Buford, at Sutherlin Nissan about 5 years ago. :0)

Well boy have you been through it! sheeeeeeesh! I sure hope they figure you out, and soon!! ;) As for your diet .... are you positive that's not affecting your BG's in any way? Have you cut back on carbs? Breads, potatoes, pastas, rice, cereals, corn. It's not all about "sweets" and "junk foods". Still though, the amount of insulin you are taking is outrageous! I think you definitely need to be on the pump. BUT, without insurance ... yea, right! I feel ya though, no insurance here ... and you're right, the test strips are the KILLER. My insulins I can totally deal with the cost!

I also hear ya on the driving thing. I HATE driving anymore. UNLESS I'm out in the country. That, I LOVE. I find it very relaxing. But the city driving and interstates. BLECH.

Well, welcome to DF. Nice to see another Metro Atlantan in the place! :)


Native Atlantan here. Lithia Springs! Quite familiar with the area. Part of my despise of driving is when I was working for a large Atlanta dental firm, I'd often drive 200-350 miles a day -- and never leave 285. I don't condone it, but I CERTAINLY appreciate and understand "road rage"!

Buford is the furthest north of the Metro Atlanta area that I've lived. I want to go further into the country. Like middle-of-nowhere Saskatchewan. I can't handle heat anymore -- and keep the thermostat in the house at 62 to 65.

My to-be-Father-in-law is a type 2. His insurance company INSISTS that he tests himself three times a day, his doctors all tell him that once a day, or once every-other day is more than adequate for him. So, for strips -- that's where I get them. I'm quite darn lucky in that aspect.

I don't eat rice or potatoes. I do bake a small loaf of bread every two or three days. Outside of that, I eat small portions of beef, chicken, or turkey and a bunch of veggies that I grow. I LOVE cucumbers and broccoli -- and grow a LOT of them.

As my doctors all say, they aren't sure why I'm having to inject so much. One of my endos says she has a 22 year old female patient that injects more than I do, and they don't know what is really wrong with her. This endo said she was actually glad to see me come along to have another "extreme case" to work and share with other doctors (hence the whole, "34 Year Old White Male, Patient X" in my records).

As I've said before, I don't let the whole thing get me down. It seems to be treatable (with a vat of insulin). Just another thing to everyday life... like brushing your teeth. 15 times a day.

[ladytaz]

Native Atlantan here. Lithia Springs! Quite familiar with the area. Part of my despise of driving is when I was working for a large Atlanta dental firm, I'd often drive 200-350 miles a day -- and never leave 285. I don't condone it, but I CERTAINLY appreciate and understand "road rage"!

Buford is the furthest north of the Metro Atlanta area that I've lived. I want to go further into the country. Like middle-of-nowhere Saskatchewan. I can't handle heat anymore -- and keep the thermostat in the house at 62 to 65.

My to-be-Father-in-law is a type 2. His insurance company INSISTS that he tests himself three times a day, his doctors all tell him that once a day, or once every-other day is more than adequate for him. So, for strips -- that's where I get them. I'm quite darn lucky in that aspect.

I don't eat rice or potatoes. I do bake a small loaf of bread every two or three days. Outside of that, I eat small portions of beef, chicken, or turkey and a bunch of veggies that I grow. I LOVE cucumbers and broccoli -- and grow a LOT of them.

As my doctors all say, they aren't sure why I'm having to inject so much. One of my endos says she has a 22 year old female patient that injects more than I do, and they don't know what is really wrong with her. This endo said she was actually glad to see me come along to have another "extreme case" to work and share with other doctors (hence the whole, "34 Year Old White Male, Patient X" in my records).

As I've said before, I don't let the whole thing get me down. It seems to be treatable (with a vat of insulin). Just another thing to everyday life... like brushing your teeth. 15 times a day.


Yes, I fully understand the driving that many miles a day, and more. I used to work with hubby, when he drove a wrecker, moving cars to and from the dealerships all around Atlanta, Alabama, South and North Carolina and Tenneseee. 500 miles a day was very common! He would carry two cars on the wrecker and I'd drive one. After about a year, I'd had it. I FULLY understand road rage!! LOL Though I'd never actually hurt anyone (well, unless they hurt me first! LOL) I have some serious thoughts about it!! All I have to say is, there's a LOT of people around Atlanta that are VERY lucky that I don't carry a gun!! LOL

Now, hubby drives a car carrier, moving the cars from all over the south (and sometimes up north too) to and from Atlanta. I don't know how he keeps his head about him! He's been driving for over 25 years like that. (Used to big truck, cross country, before I met him).


Okies, you got a handle on the "carb" thing then! ;) And OH BOY do I love me some Broccoli!! Raw or cooked. And cucumbers, but mostly in a salad. But every so often, well just slice me up some. ;)

At least you're not alone in your 'weirdness' ;) There is someone else around the area that the Docs can kind of compare you with, or well, you know what I mean!

Your attitude is splendid, and will carry you a LONG way! :) I've never been down about my D ever, either. Oh, I've been frustrated, sure! Which was mostly before I went on insulin. Since insulin, things have been pretty good! :) But, I've never gotten depressed about it, at all. I know it's not my fault, I didn't do anything to cause it. It's just the genes I got handed down to me! D runs rampant in on my Dad's side of the family.

[susique333]

I find your posts so interesting. I can see why everyone is screatching their heads. You eat very little carbs yet you show massive glucose spikes, where is that sugar coming from? Perhaps youre making glucose out of breathing the air! Have you heard of Dr. Richard Bernstein (brittle type 1) , he has helped many brittle diabetics 'normalize' their blood sugars. He has a book out called "A complete guide to achieving normal blood sugars" and he has a web site by the same name. His is a very strict program, I would think due to your experiences it might just be the program/diet for you.

[Tazmara]

Greetings Xanlexian!! (smiles and waves) Reading what you have been through, going through, and your positive outlook is so refreshing!! Yes, to find the silver lining on dark clouds is a choice, and does get easier with practice and time. I tend to see the glass half full, but do have my days where that silver lining is pretty thin. (soft smile) Best wishes to you on your journey!!

[xanlexian]

All I have to say is, there's a LOT of people around Atlanta that are VERY lucky that I don't carry a gun!! LOL

I can not even begin to tell you how **MANY** times those similar words have been uttered from me. Many, many times. It's a darn good thing I don't have a violent bone in my body!!


Okies, you got a handle on the "carb" thing then! ;) And OH BOY do I love me some Broccoli!! Raw or cooked. And cucumbers, but mostly in a salad. But every so often, well just slice me up some. ;)

One of very, very few foods I had to give up was my absolute love of strawberries and pineapple. O-well. I've got six heads of broccoli that should be ready for harvest by next weekend. I'm looking forward to that! Always a treat on harvest day! Radishes are another thing I love! The whole 'carb' thing, I've actually always have had a moderate handle on it -- never counted carbs or even looked at a nutrition label on anything (until being diagnosed) -- just ate healthy-ish. I'd eat fast-food MAYBE once a month. I'm a food snob and am very egocentric about my cooking. I prefer my own cooking to just about anything out there I can buy already prepared. I've always been that way. Everybody in my family -- both sides -- are all phenomenal cooks.

At least you're not alone in your 'weirdness' ;) There is someone else around the area that the Docs can kind of compare you with, or well, you know what I mean!


My god I know what you mean! When she (this particular endo) told me about this other patient of hers, I swear, I felt a weight lifted. This may sound bad, mean spirited, or whatever -- but I am actually a bit relieved there is someone out there shooting up more than me.

An old saying my Mom used to tell me when I was a kid (and I still tell myself on a daily basis):

"I cried when I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet."

Plus, if you ever want to feel better about yourself -- just watch fifteen minutes of Jerry Springer!



Your attitude is splendid, and will carry you a LONG way! :) I've never been down about my D ever, either. Oh, I've been frustrated, sure! Which was mostly before I went on insulin. Since insulin, things have been pretty good! :) But, I've never gotten depressed about it, at all. I know it's not my fault, I didn't do anything to cause it. It's just the genes I got handed down to me! D runs rampant in on my Dad's side of the family.


I can honestly say that I was depressed when I was first diagnosed. It seemed to only hit me in when I was taking a shower (of all things) -- I'd get kind of weepy and I kept thinking, "my god... I have to give myself injections every day for the rest of my life".

That lasted all of about a week. If you don't have a positive attitude on life, why bother living at all??

[xanlexian]

I find your posts so interesting. I can see why everyone is screatching their heads. You eat very little carbs yet you show massive glucose spikes, where is that sugar coming from? Perhaps youre making glucose out of breathing the air! Have you heard of Dr. Richard Bernstein (brittle type 1) , he has helped many brittle diabetics 'normalize' their blood sugars. He has a book out called "A complete guide to achieving normal blood sugars" and he has a web site by the same name. His is a very strict program, I would think due to your experiences it might just be the program/diet for you.

I get "dawn phenomenon" quite bad (obviously). But outside of that -- it really is a bunch of head scratching by the doctors.

When I eat, I usually have to force myself. Since being diagnosed -- I RARELY have much of an appetite.

I have not heard of Dr. Richard Bernstein, however, I am going to look all of this up after I reply "Tazmara" (I FIFO my posts).

Thank you very much for the information!

Oh, and unhealthy thing I DO eat a few times a month is bacon. Man oh man do I love bacon! I've always known how bad it is -- so I never eat much of it. Oddly enough though -- I'm really starting to prefer fake bacon bits to real bacon. Go figure.

[xanlexian]

Greetings Xanlexian!! (smiles and waves) Reading what you have been through, going through, and your positive outlook is so refreshing!! Yes, to find the silver lining on dark clouds is a choice, and does get easier with practice and time. I tend to see the glass half full, but do have my days where that silver lining is pretty thin. (soft smile) Best wishes to you on your journey!!

Greetings right back at'cha, Tazmara! As I've said, my overall positive outlook started a full year before I was diagnosed.

Surprisingly, before I was diagnosed, the ONLY thing I knew about "diabetes" was that it had SOMEthing to do with sugar. I didn't even know injections were involved. I've never been ill my whole life (sans breaking my arms a LOT of times). Doctors have always been "one-time use" things to me. Broken arm, stitches one time, eye doctor (whoever had the deal on eye exam and contacts/glasses at the time) -- I MIGHT see the same eye doctor more than once. Had a vicious case of pink eye once. I've been gifted with perfect teeth as well. So, I never go to a dentist. I get my teeth cleaned for $10 at the local dental school by some student (a student is much more prone to pay attention to what they're doing).

My "positive outlook change" was due to an ENTIRELY different set of circumstances other than health.

On your days with the thin silver lining -- remember, it *IS* still "silver"!

Glass half empty? Glass half full? Forget that! Knock the glass over so you have an excuse to fill it up again!

[ladytaz]

I can not even begin to tell you how **MANY** times those similar words have been uttered from me. Many, many times. It's a darn good thing I don't have a violent bone in my body!!

I'm not *normally* violent, but mash my buttons just right, and O.M.G, you'll rue the day you were born! LOL



One of very, very few foods I had to give up was my absolute love of strawberries and pineapple. O-well. I've got six heads of broccoli that should be ready for harvest by next weekend. I'm looking forward to that! Always a treat on harvest day! Radishes are another thing I love! The whole 'carb' thing, I've actually always have had a moderate handle on it -- never counted carbs or even looked at a nutrition label on anything (until being diagnosed) -- just ate healthy-ish. I'd eat fast-food MAYBE once a month. I'm a food snob and am very egocentric about my cooking. I prefer my own cooking to just about anything out there I can buy already prepared. I've always been that way. Everybody in my family -- both sides -- are all phenomenal cooks.

That's awesome! I don't have to be as careful, now that I'm on insulin, as I did before ... got MUCH more lee-way (sp?), though, I still pretty much stick to my pre-insulin D diet. I do like to *treat* myself about once a month with a burger and fries from McDonalds. ;)


My god I know what you mean! When she (this particular endo) told me about this other patient of hers, I swear, I felt a weight lifted. This may sound bad, mean spirited, or whatever -- but I am actually a bit relieved there is someone out there shooting up more than me.

No, not mean spirited at all ... you just feel so *not alone* any more! Something I thought about today on all of this: are you taking metformin? You could very well be insulin resistant as well!! Common thing, even with T1's. It's becoming more common for T1's to take metformin as well as insulin. If you're not, then consider asking your Endo about it! It may not alleviate the high insulin dosages, but it may bring them down a bit. Worth a try! Met is inexpensive when bought at Walmart. $4 for a month supply!

Though I'm a T2 on insulin, I'm still taking my metformin. Even though I'm unsure that I'm actually T2, but possibly T1.5 instead (tests to follow, someday, when I can actually afford them!) Nothing will change, of course. I just want to know.


An old saying my Mom used to tell me when I was a kid (and I still tell myself on a daily basis):

"I cried when I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet."

Amen!! No matter how bad you think you've got it, there is always someone worse off than you are! ;)


Plus, if you ever want to feel better about yourself -- just watch fifteen minutes of Jerry Springer!

O.M.G. That show KILLS me! I can't even watch it! I really like Jerry Springer, HIMSELF. But, his show .... I can't stand it! They sure give southerners a REALLY bad name! NO WONDER the entire nation thinks we all here in the south are all "messin" with our relatives!! Cuz it seems everyone on there is from the south, and "messin" with their brother's wife, sister's husband, mother's boyfriend/husband, father's girlfriend/wife, steps sisters/brothers .... etc. GOOD GRIEF LOL



I can honestly say that I was depressed when I was first diagnosed. It seemed to only hit me in when I was taking a shower (of all things) -- I'd get kind of weepy and I kept thinking, "my god... I have to give myself injections every day for the rest of my life".

That lasted all of about a week. If you don't have a positive attitude on life, why bother living at all??

Awww :( *hugz* sorry to hear you felt that depression.

... Funny thing about being in the bathroom, seems to bring about lots of stuff. That is actually where I think about things, and cry about them, too. I guess it's because we are *usually* truly alone in there, with nothing else but our thoughts? *shrugs* ...

I'm not sure why I've never felt that depression about D that some do. Probably because I've always known I'd eventually get D? At least since 1986, I did. When I was preggy with my last one, and had Gestational D, and found out about my family history of D. It wasn't a matter of IF I would get it, it was just a matter of WHEN.

But, yep, you're right about the positive attitude and living! ;)

[Tazmara]

Greetings again!! (smiles and waves) I do like your idea of just knocking the proverbial glass over and just refilling it again!! (giggle) So, do you get people telling you that you can't possibly be so positive?? I once had a friend tell me that because of my positive outlook, she wondered if one day she was going to learn that secretly I was an axe murderer or something. (giggle)

Yes, even those days that the silver lining is thin, it IS still there. I do allow myself to feel what I need to feel, and carry on, because I know that tomorrow will bring better days. (soft smile) My positive attitude development started many years before my diagnosis with cancer, also due to something completely different. In a nut shell, I was not going to continue playing a "victim" role in life, because it was not helping me or those that I wanted to help/be there for. I have a wonderful story called "Jerry" and I share it with those that I teach anger management to. Jerry always said that he was doing so good that he could be twins. Even when shot in a robbery, he kept his positive outlook, and told the medical staff to operate on him as if he were living and not like he was dying. It really is a matter of choice. (soft smile)

I can't say that my relationship with doctors has been as brief as yours. I was diagnosed about 5 yrs ago with cancer, and got to know the medical team pretty good during my treatment. I volunteered to enter a program that tests drugs, so it required trips to the hospital daily for about a year. I am today cancer free, and look at each day as a gift. (warm smile)

When I was diagnosed with diabetes, I knew that it had to do with sugars in the body, and that there are some that have to take insulin injections. I did not know that it could be controled for some through diet, exercise and meds. I have been researching online to find out what foods I can and cannot have. Following my diagnosis, I was told, "lose weight... take this twice a day (metformin)... and make sure you see your doctor within 2 weeks." I went to the pharmacy to fill the prescription, and the pharmacist was the one that told me to get a monitor, lancets, and test strips. She taught me how to do the tests and suggested how often to test my blood. Also shared with me the upper levels my blood sugars should be before meals and after. And that was all I was given that first day. I believe my fears were of the unknown. My doctor was on holidays for another 18 days, so off to the internet I went. I still have many unanswered questions, but do know that once I get in to see a dietician, those questions will be answered. I just have to be patient. (soft smile) The day I was diagnosed, I got rid of all junk food from my house... no I did not eat it!! (giggle) ... and went shopping to fill my fridge with fruits and veggies. When I saw my doctor, she had me get on the scale, then asked if I changed my diet at all because I was still losing weight. My first thought was of surprise that she was surprised that I had. (giggle)

In another post, you mentioned that it was a weight off your shoulders knowing that there was another person who used more insulin in a day than you do. Just curious, is there any way that your endo can arrange for the two of you to meet, if this would be of interest to you both?? Would possibly give you a support person in your area. Just a thought. (soft smile)

And before I finally bid you a wonderful day... pardon my ignorance, but what is "dawn phenomenon"??