Question for Type 2's

[felinefan67]

Recently my FBG was 102 a couple of time during March (dad's home meter). I had an A1C of 5.8 on April 5th. My doc isn't overly concerned and refused to call me a pre-diabetic and to stay off the internet. She said either you have it (type 2) or you don't as the medical profession feels the "pre-diabetic" label is outdated. She said you're normal so don't worry, just diet and exercise.

My questions are this:

For those who KNEW they had pre-diabetes and were diagnosed as such,

1. How long were you a pre-diabetic before you crossed the line??

2. At what elevated FBG level were you at diagnosis of (pre-d) and was it under the OLD GUIDELINES (up to 110) OR the new guidlelines (up to 99)? Because under the OLD guidelines I'd still be considered normal! Some doctors still go by those older numbers.




I'm trying to figure out if I went up to 102 due to stress and injury over the winter and keep my numbers normal, NOW with diet and exercise, are my odds good that I will NEVER progress to type 2??

I'm feeling obessed and depressed over this. I've got relatives (including my father) with type 2 who aren't nearly as upset with their type 2 as I am with teetering on the edge of pre-diabetes and later possible type 2 hitting me.

I saw a woman come into my store last night who had a recent leg amputation and her other leg was all discolored and bandaged and I nearly fainted with fear. I don't want that to be in my future. I'm sorry I'm obsessing again. Maybe someday I can relax a bit.

[fgummett]

Why do you think 102 is high?

In Canada, a Fasting Sugar of 7.0mmol/l or above (126) is required for a diagnosis of Diabetes

[fgummett]

In Canada at least 6.0mmol/l (108) is needed to suggest pre-diabetes... which is actually a fairly recent addition as a diagnosis so I'm not quite sure where your doctor is coming from. Perhaps he means that you can't be a bit diabetic... that would be like being a bit pregnant.

Bear in mind that BG meters are not that accurate and can be off by 20% or more, so the difference between 99 and 102 does not really exist. So for a diagnosis you really need to be having fasting blood tested at a clinic not relying on a home meter. What was your fasting blood when they did the A1c?

If your father has type 2 Diabetes then you are genetically predisposed but that does not mean you WILL get D... take care of yourself, get plenty of exercise, eat a healthy diet including breakfast, maintain a healthy weight and avoid stressing yourself out :)

[xMenace]

I'm trying to figure out if I went up to 102 due to stress and injury over the winter and keep my numbers normal, NOW with diet and exercise, are my odds good that I will NEVER progress to type 2??

Why our BGs decide to take an occaisional trip to Bermuda is a giant mystery. We all experience it. It's rhetorical. There's often no clear answer, only best guesses. We hope that with enough incidents that we can tie all the clues together. One thing we tell everyone: control what you can, try to find causes, but don't worry, be happy, live your life without fear. If you maintain an A1C within recommended targets, you'll have little to worry about.

[volleyball]

Feline, you did not state your stats to help guide our responses such as age, weight, height and activity level
I'm guessing that you have a deep fear of diabetes.
If you do, the best way to conquer that fear is to do what we do. We take a proactive response. Eat better, exercise more, learn more.

[patricia52]

felinefan,
I had a fasting bg of 102 at a health screening. The nurse was concerned and sent me to the doctor. I had a fasting bg of 116. The doctor was not concerned. Because of my internet knowledge, I knew a fasting bg between 100 - 125 was prediabetic. I had an A1C done it came back 6.3 (over 6.0 is considered diabetic. That doctor recommended diet and exercise. I had been doing that for 6 months and had lost 10 pounds. I bought a cheap monitor and strips and tested for two weeks. I had fastings between 110 and 132. My bg 2 hours after meals ranged from 180 to 225. Armed with these reading and the test result from the other doctors, I found another doctor (she is diabetic) that took an aggressive approach and got my #'s down. I immediately began to feel better.
You are the keeper of your body. No one knows your body better than you. If you feel you have a problem, you need to get a 2nd, and maybe a 3rd opinion. Just remember that some GP's do not keep up with the latest information available and base their decisions on "old school". Today when prediabetes is diagnoised early, most of the serious complications from D are prevented. (IMO your A1C was a little high.)

[felinefan67]

I am a 5',1" 40 year-old female that has been overweight much of my life and have slipped into the obese category(at 170-ish lbs) (slowly) after getting married 3 years ago. This winter I suffered a lower back injury and a femoral nerve injury in my right leg. I was much more sedentary as usual because of this. I didn't curb my eating and my husband LOVES high carb foods (pizza, spahgetti, bagels, custard) AND high carb drinks (soda/juices) I ate and drank (for me alcohol too) right along with him.


On the brighter side, I danced (alot!) and exercised in my 20's and early 30's. I also swim as much as I can in the summer.

Currently my wieght is 156 lbs and my last FBG number was 74, and two hours after a meal was 84.

The U.S.A recently lowered the IFG, levels from 110 to 99 (99 now considered the high end of normal)

As to my A1C, I was shocked at 5.8 but my doctor was not. She kept interrupting my concerns and saying "But you're NORMAL (emphasis on normal) and with a bit of a chuckle in her voice. Not sure why she called pre-diabetes terminology "outdated" when I thought it was a relatively new term.

Yes, I have a HUGE fear of it (Diabetes). I watched my 22 year-old friend's mother (years ago) lose a leg to diabetes and she lost her will to live a few years beyond the amputation. She was 70. My friend (her daughter) got Diabetes in her early twenties (very obese her entire life) and she lost ALL of her teeth around that time. Then she started having problems with the blood vessels in her eyes and described how painful the surgeries were to fix them (scared the daylights out of me then, but even more so now). So, yes. all that combined with me teetering on the brink of type 2 according to my A1C has me scared to death frankly.

My mother is sick of hearing me talk about it and I don't blame her. She's got more on her plate right now than anyone should have to deal with. My dad is type 2 (diagnosed last year at age 70), probably had it a good 3 years before diagnosis. As I said he seems FAR less concerned about it than I am.

Bottom line: Both my doctor and my mother are telling me to stop obsessing and worrying and don't rely on the internet for anything. Both said to stay off of it.

[felinefan67]

Oh, They told me I didn't need to fast for the A1c, so I didn't do a fasting the night before. My dad's meter is very accurate as when I was testing on it last fall (it was 99) my lab results in Dec. also came back at 99.

[volleyball]

A change in activity and the onrush of food could certainly drive you up in numbers.
glad to see you have corrected this. It will take a while to normalize.
Your father developed later in life when our organs are slowing down. A little care on his part and he should not develop complications.
I agree with calming down, less stress = better numbers.
Most of what is on the internet is misleading, quality forums like this are your best bet. But we are not doctors, only those who have taken the drivers seat in this situation. Not to say that the doctor is always right.

[davef]

Felinefan,

I think you need to take a deep breath and try to relax a little. It is good that you are aware that as your Father developed diabetes that you are predisposed to it too, BUT, as Frank mentioned that does not mean that you will develop diabetes.

There are many of us here who would kill for a FBG of 74 and 84 two hours after meals, in my case when I start getting towards 72-74 I feel low! We are not doctors, we do live with diabetes/pre-diabetes and can only offer advice based on our experience and Frank has given you great advice ... "take care of yourself, get plenty of exercise, eat a healthy diet including breakfast, maintain a healthy weight and avoid stressing yourself" ...

In relation to you weight, at 5'1" and 156lbs, you have a BMI of 29.5, the "healthy" range is considered to be BMI 20-25, for you to have a BMI of 25, you would need to get down to about 132lbs. Now before anyone jumps on me, I KNOW BMI has limitations, it does not take account of gender, age, race or build, it is however a useful guideline. If you are truly concerned about becoming pre-diabetic, perhaps you could channel the energy you are expending on worrying towards a positive goal of trying to drop a few pounds, call into somewhere like Weight Watchers (if you would like a support group) and they will help you. Lowering you weight will help your overall health.

But please try to relax a little,

[felinefan67]

If you are truly concerned about becoming pre-diabetic, perhaps you could channel the energy you are expending on worrying towards a positive goal of trying to drop a few pounds, call into somewhere like Weight Watchers (if you would like a support group) and they will help you. Lowering you weight will help your overall health.

Already been workin' on that :) I was 170-something over the winter and have lost nearly 15 lbs so far. I've also started exercising at least a half an hour most days of the week. I DO consider my self-PRE-D at this point regardless of what my mom and doctor say, so yes, I am working towards better health (but I still obsess and worry).

[xMenace]

Oh, They told me I didn't need to fast for the A1c, so I didn't do a fasting the night before. My dad's meter is very accurate as when I was testing on it last fall (it was 99) my lab results in Dec. also came back at 99.


Lol, pure luck. Our meters are best guesses. Try testing a few times with it back-to-back-to-back. Try on the same drop if you can. It's an eye opener.:1eye:

[davef]

Already been workin' on that :) I was 170-something over the winter and have lost nearly 15 lbs so far. I've also started exercising at least a half an hour most days of the week. I DO consider my self-PRE-D at this point regardless of what my mom and doctor say, so yes, I am working towards better health (but I still obsess and worry).

Good for you on the weight loss, 15lbs is a great achievement, try focus on that as being something positive and less on being pre-diabetic, your new lifestyle will help keep your numbers in the good range they are now.

[gleny]

Recently my FBG was 102 a couple of time during March (dad's home meter). I had an A1C of 5.8 on April 5th. My doc isn't overly concerned and refused to call me a pre-diabetic and to stay off the internet. She said either you have it (type 2) or you don't as the medical profession feels the "pre-diabetic" label is outdated. She said you're normal so don't worry, just diet and exercise.

My questions are this:

For those who KNEW they had pre-diabetes and were diagnosed as such,

1. How long were you a pre-diabetic before you crossed the line??

2. At what elevated FBG level were you at diagnosis of (pre-d) and was it under the OLD GUIDELINES (up to 110) OR the new guidlelines (up to 99)? Because under the OLD guidelines I'd still be considered normal! Some doctors still go by those older numbers.




I'm trying to figure out if I went up to 102 due to stress and injury over the winter and keep my numbers normal, NOW with diet and exercise, are my odds good that I will NEVER progress to type 2??

I'm feeling obessed and depressed over this. I've got relatives (including my father) with type 2 who aren't nearly as upset with their type 2 as I am with teetering on the edge of pre-diabetes and later possible type 2 hitting me.

I saw a woman come into my store last night who had a recent leg amputation and her other leg was all discolored and bandaged and I nearly fainted with fear. I don't want that to be in my future. I'm sorry I'm obsessing again. Maybe someday I can relax a bit.
HI Feline,
I am same way as you are about this diease. I amscared to death..But I was pre diabetic since 2001, then this winter I gained 15 lbs I sypped smoking last sept and had back surgery in dec.Last week after my blood work was done I was high.last 3 times its been high.So he started me on metfromin and i starred at those suckers for 4 days worring crying.My BG was 171 when I started this diet and I am on metfromin 2 times a day.I was so scared to taek them I take 1/2 of 500mg am amd pm. so far. My readings are different all the time.Am its highest..about 140-160...rest of day before meals its about 135...tonight I waited 5 hrs before testing its was down to 107 I was so glad. The guide lines in Maine here is 90-130 before meals..2 hrs after meals not over 180. I am deiting low carbs cause thats what brings mine up, breads, pasta, no sweets unless jello sugar free do I eat.I never crave sweets just pasta...bad..cravings for pasta!!! Not sure if you are over weight but i am 30lbs.I think if i lose weight i can get off the pills but all my life will need to stay on this diet and watch carbs..I feel depressed alot too and I have panic attacks , but very seldom now.I had one sat when I got these pills and got so worked up about it.I don't want my body getting to rely on these darn pills so I can get off them.My grandmother died at 52 of heart attack from diabetes.My mom had borderline but only weighs 115 and is 78 so shes ok with hers.If you ever want someone to talk too my email is under my profile...I am new at this but know how you feel.I went to classes at my hospital can you see if there are any you can go too? Your reading sounds fine too me..but it creeps up on you if you eat badly so be careful but I wouldn't worry right now.Take care Gleny

[davef]

Gleny,

The first while can be daunting and overwhelming, I'm sure you heard it before, but it really does get much much better.

One thing that has helped me, is that I have convinced myself and importantly others, that I am not on a diet. As somebody here, once wrote in a post to me, there is nothing I can't eat I just choose not to eat somethings, so I can't be on a diet!

I'm going out to dinner tonight with a few friends (my Irish Gal Pals) to celebrate completing a course, if I was on a diet I'd be worried about not being able to eat things. I'm not worried, any menu will include meat and veg so I'm good to go, I may even splurge a little and share some nice carbs (like roast potato) with somebody. I'm in control, I decide what I will eat, I make my decisions based on what I have learned over the past 5 months and by knowing what foods work for me. It does become 2nd nature to look at a menu and rather than picking out what doesn't work for me, I pick out all the lovely things I will eat cause they work for me.

I have modified my lifestyle so that I will have a proper life. I have over the past 5 months created new habits for myself, one of these is popping a 500mg metformin in the morning and night. It takes seconds and I don't stop to analyse it, it's just a pill or more importantly it's a tool I am using now to keep my BG under MY control, I'm losing weight, I've got way more than 30lbs to lose ;). Who knows, when I do get the weight off maybe I'll get of the meds, if I do that would be great, if I don't, well it's only a pill. Please don't get me wrong, I'm in no way belittling the fear you have of having to take a pill, I had the same thoughts after I was diagnosed and I too was down after DX, had a few tears during private moments of fear, and crying is not something we men allow ourselves do or like admitting to.

I guess I just want you to know that many of us have been where you are, you have the added problem of the panic attacks which can't help. But please do try and relax a little, you can and will control your BG, you can and will lose weight and you may even achieve your goal of being med free. In the meantime, allow your body the assistance of the metformin, it's not going to be addictive, but it will help your body overcome insulin resistance.

One thing to remember, Metformin takes about 2-3 weeks to take effect so don't expect to see your BG drop overnight. It will come down, watching your carb intake will certainly help.

In terms of target numbers, I aim to have an FBG of below 110 and below 140 2 hours after first bite. I'm achieving this most of the time, sure I get blips, if you give yourself a chance then you will get there too, it does take a little time. Testing is the best tool you have, that's how you will find the foods that work best for you.

Believe me, if I can do this, then anyone can. I have been overweight all my life and I would not consider myself to have strong willpower, when I get a habit I find it hard to kick, so I did work at creating good habits to help me.

Don't let worries/questions fester, come here and ask, the people here are a great source of information and support, I don't know what I'd do without them.