What is your story and your BG level at first diagnosis?

[Earth Child]

This type of post may have already been posted at one time or another...but it is something that I wonder about. I was diagnosed with type 2 in Sept 08 after a couple of months of feeling generally bad, sleepy, blurry vision and peeing A LOT! I thought that maybe I had the flu or something at that time and thought it would go away...I really dont like going to the doctor and I dont like taking meds for anything, but I finally let my mother talk me into going to see the doctor and they took a BG level test..and it was 548 mg/dL :eek: ...and after blood tests it was confirmed as diabetes. After a few months of getting over the shock and trying to work my mind around it I have finally come to grips and I am looking into a natural health alternative to beating this and am doing fine. I was just curious as to what other peoples stories are just before they found out and what their BG level was when they got checked.
Thanks Tom

[mooncat]

This type of post may have already been posted at one time or another...but it is something that I wonder about. I was diagnosed with type 2 in Sept 08 after a couple of months of feeling generally bad, sleepy, blurry vision and peeing A LOT! I thought that maybe I had the flu or something at that time and thought it would go away...I really dont like going to the doctor and I dont like taking meds for anything, but I finally let my mother talk me into going to see the doctor and they took a BG level test..and it was 548 mg/dL :eek: ...and after blood tests it was confirmed as diabetes. After a few months of getting over the shock and trying to work my mind around it I have finally come to grips and I am looking into a natural health alternative to beating this and am doing fine. I was just curious as to what other peoples stories are just before they found out and what their BG level was when they got checked.
Thanks Tom

I was diagnosed in December 2008, with symptoms very similar to yours - raging thirst, constant peeing, blurred vision, and a few other things. My diagnostic BG was 540-something, almost identical to yours.

I have been amazed at how much my sugars have come down into a good, if not non-diabetic, range in only a few months. Only barely 90 days and my very first A1c was 5.9, which totally shocked me. I was afraid it was going to be something like 9 or 10. Changing my diet has made my BG's drop like a stone (compared to that 540) and the weight just melt off. Fingers crossed it stays this way for a while!

[fa4960]

My story is not far off yours either, Dx'ed in September 2008 after a few months with problems sleeping, raging thirst, unexplainable weight loss, constant peeing while wondering why it looked like somebody had poored soap into the toilet with all these bubbles..... First BG was 332 fasting so a pretty clear cut case.

After a few months trying unsuccessfully to sort my DB out solely with the help of oral meds I am now also on Lantus and this has made the difference for me - now my BG and A1C is finally getting there.....

[Maurie]

I was diagnosed in oct 08, never really had any symptoms
burred vision once in a blue moon, didn't have a raging thirst
but i did have neuropathy both feet.

my numbers at dx were 297 ! I wasn't overweight and only decided to get checked just for the **** of it.

Was shocked at first but got over it, now controling this with diet and exercise. My glucose numbers now i think are to low,
if you read my post on this page under whats going on you'll
see what i mean.

Off to doc tomorrow to talk about these low readings, see if something other that my diet and exercise is responsable for these... what i consider low readings.

Maurie

[Moreno]

I was diagnosis July 17, 2005. My blood sugar was at 719. I had all the usual symptoms of Diabetes.

[Earth Child]

I was diagnosis July 17, 2005. My blood sugar was at 719. I had all the usual symptoms of Diabetes.

Thanks to all of you!! and to you Moreno O...M....G!! 719!!!???
I thought my BG was high but yours beats mine up one side and down the other! :eek: I had gone a road trip with my Dad the week before my appointment and I remember needing to stop and pee just about every five miles. I think I should also expand on my story a bit...before I went to the doctor that morning they took my BG level...I had wolfed down a BIG bowl of Golden Grahams! DOH!! :o

Take care All!:D

[yannah]

I didn't have classic symptoms, just diarreah for months, some blurry vision off and on and just flet nasty.

took me months to go to the docotr, and when I did it was for ingrown toenails. and somewhere in the converstion with the docor he did a finger prick, they walked out of the office and back in. I don't know why, but they hooked me up to EKG, abnormal, blood sugar was 3 something. put my in an ambulance and off I went to the hospital for a few. don't know why but they altrasounded all my organs and did a million heart tests. everything was okay except gallbladder and fatty liver disease. gave me a 20 minute diabetes educationa and a meter, snet me home.

I got home and proceeded to throw up and be bedridden for the next 3 weeks. don't know why. the whole thing was a big "WTF"

[Stumpkins]

Mine was 1011 -- I had ALL the symptons, had lost so much weight that the teachers in school had to meet with my mother, because they thought i had anorexia.....

Couldn't make it more than about 10 minute without peeing a RIVER!!!!!!

Couldn't see anymore, found out I had cataracts in both eyes.

[davef]

I had fairly classic symptoms, altough I didn't really recognise them at the time :(

I was DXed at the end of Nov'07, in the lead up to the DX I was constantly tired, sleep didn't help at all. About 2 weeks before DX I noticed that my vision was getting worse (I thought I needed a new prescription for my glasses), I had the quenchable thrist and associate urination. I then got the mother of all UTI. I was treated by a locum for the UTI who told me to get checked for diabetes, while I was off work because of the UTI (I was sleeping a lot) I went to get my eyes tested, the optician said get checked for diabetes .. so I did and hey presto, full blown T2, FBG of 21 (378) and A1c of 11.6%. I was very overweight.

My DX gave me the kick in the arse I needed, basically my GP got myself and wife to sit with him and he said doing nothing was not an option and he needed me to take control becuase he did not want to be sitting with my wife in a few years lamenting my death, that will get your attention!

I went through the usual, denial, guilt, anger, grief, fear and feeling overwhelmed.

I found these forums 2-3 days after DX, read, learned, asked questions, learned, paniced and posted, got support and learned. I got my BG levels down my eyesight went to better than pre-DX.

One of the key things I learned in those very early days was to watch my carbs and to test frequently. Then eat the foods my meter said worked for me and avoid the ones that didn't.

So here I am 17 months later, 60lbs light (need to lose more), last A1c was 6% (will get back into 5's) and my average FBG is 5.8 (104), my short-sight vision was described as 20/20 and I now only wear glasses for driving and watching TV. I feel healthier now than I have in years.

It's not necessarily an easy road to a better life, but it is not as hard as I thought it would be, without a doubt having the good people here in the forums to help me along the journey played a huge part in my improvements.

That's my story.

[Annabell1959]

I was Dx in January of 2009. Had gone to the doc because I had put on some weight and wasn't able to lose an ounce in the ways I had in the past. I assumed it was menopause. Ohhh noooo! I had a blood test done in November and FBG was 114. Doc ran another test in January and FBG was 122 so she did the OGTT and after 2 hours the glucose in my blood was over 200...222 I believe and that's how the Dx was made. A1C 6.4.

I had honestly never even thought about Diabetes...EVER. No history that I'm aware of in my family but doc said they are Dxing much earlier these days and that I may have it in my family but they never knew it.

Needless to say I was very frightened, upset and angry then I found this place. Not to say I don't still have those feelings once in awhile but when I do, I stop by here, read a few posts, know that there are others feeling the same things I'm feeling and offering advice on how to deal with it all. You guys are the best!

Since Dx I've lost about 45lbs...still need to lose more...have actually been at a stand still for a few weeks so any advice on how to jump start my system again would be appreciated BUT I am very happy about that. My last A1C, which was earlier this month was 5.9. Doc was very pleased as was I.

So thank you again to everyone here for listening and being my cyber friends. :)

[foxl]

See my signature -- my story is VERY much like yours.

Apparently this precipitous onset and very high BS at diagnosis is becoming increasingly common?

[zoelula]

I was diagnosed in July 2007. I had been tired and having frequent thirst and urination especially at night. The clincher for me was that I was effortlessly losing weight (doesn't happen at my age!). I asked for a blood glucose test pretty sure what I would see. My fasting was 325, and I was put on oral meds as well as encouraged to make dietary/exercise changes. I didn't really experience any shock or upset as I knew I had diabetes ahead of time.

I did well on that regimen for about a year, though I continued to lose weight even with stable glucose. I found out my thyroid level, stable for many many years had become very high, and needed a med adjustment. After the year my glucose began a slow but steady climb until I asked to go on Insulin in February. Since then I have had a difficult time getting stable (highs and lows) and suspect I may in fact be Type 1.5, not Type 2. I am currently testing and will see an endo for the first time next week.

[mars bar]

I had symptoms for about 8 yrs before dx when i look back, we do like hindsight, i was dx in nov 2008 anyway first test was 23.1 then fasting was about 19.3. I have a brother who has been type 1 for about 20 yrs my mother was a type 1 and i decided to test my other brother a couple of months back with my tester and he was 19.5 so set him to dr's. Lastest A1c was 7.8 but still trying to get on insulin so i can put on weight (34 yr old male 6' tall and about 9 stone 9lbs) and i have a very manual job. looks like i am type 1.5 but dont think we have that in uk hehe.

metformin 500mg x4
gliclazide 80mg x4

[mortis505]

I was Diagnosed in May of 2007. BG was at 573ish. For the weeks prior to DX I had lost roughly 45 pounds, always thirsty, oral thrush, peeing every few minutes, and always wanted to sleep. I spent 3 days in the hospital learning about insulin injections.

[Kerstin]

I was DX on Haloween, 2007. I had developed a horrible electric like pain in my leg a year earlier, which the doc's finally..after xrays and MRI's decided was "nerve pain" and put me on Gabapentin. This fixed the nerve pain. Then winter of 2007 started being thirsty all the time..and peeing like a race horse. My hair also started to fall out. I don't like going to the doctor and so just drank more water and pee'd more. Finally I was hospitalized for asthma the night before Haloween, and that morning they did a fasting glucose and the nurse had a fit. I was at 390! I didn't want to believe it..but after a couple weeks I resigned myself to the fact that yes, I've got diabetes.

[Marcia K in Fl]

I was dx in Nov. 08. That was b/c I took myself to an endo after my gp said maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. I knew I had PCOS (hormone infertility issues) and I knew that lead to insulin resistance but I stupidly did not research that further. I did go on Met 500 mg b/c that could help people lose weight. NOT! I applaud the pre-diabetics on this forum-they are the brains in my opinion. I should have learned what that was and been proactive but I wasn't. I was focused on fertility only. I was dx by prior A1cs 6.0, 6.5 and all the adrenal symptoms I had associated with PCOS.

I have always loved water and I drink a lot. I went to the bathroom a lot due to that, so I thought. I would come home everyday after work and sleep 2-3 hours b/c I couldn't keep my eyes open, then have no trouble falling asleep at night. My ongoing anxiety had turned into depression as well so that is why I thought I was sleeping so much.

My March A1c was 5.6. My life saver was my wishy washy gp and my getting disgusted with that, and my friends here at this forum. Thank you to everyone!:)

[ludenar]

diabetes was my christmas present :eek: I was diagnosed in december 08 after being seriously ill - my crohns or an infection attacked my pancreas - after the prednisone and antibiotics started working I started drinking two gallons of water at first thought it was the prednisone and the fact I hadn't been able to keep anything down for the last month (until the medication started working ) was the reason I was so thirsty - then I lost my eye sight and had difficulty staying awake so back to the doctor I went and had him test my blood sugar - it was 598 ,4 hours after I had eaten. - at first I lost 40lbs.(I gain when I can't eat) Unfortunately now that my insulin is regulated I gained it back-no change in my diet.:(

I was put on humalog and lantus--

I came off the prednisone and was put on another anti-rejection medication but my blood sugar didn't come down

The longer I was on the insulin the more insulin resistant I became it increased to 30 humalog and 50 lantus and a very low carb diet-meat and low sugar vegies.

a couple of weeks ago they started me on januvia and now I only have to take 5 to 15 humalog and 50 of lantus and I can eat a normal meal without shooting to 400--the highest I get now is 170 and 86 is my low.

though an infection (in may and june of o8 my blood sugar was normal in my labs--labs taken because of crohns) killed all of my insulin cells I am insulin resistant so it makes me a type two.
guess it doesn't matter type 1 or 2 as long as I keep my blood sugar under control. :D

[MClark]

July 25, 2007, felt really good but was peeing a lot. Fasting BG at time of diagnosis 272. I have dropped 60 pounds and have things pretty well under control.
Mylene

[Patient254]

I was diagnosed April 2007 after being very sick for about 9 months. I was throwing up about 5 times a week. I had an upper and lower endoscopy and they did not find much. I kept going to the doctor and telling him I was throwing up. He gave me lorasopam because I also told him my stomach hurt. He thought I had anxiety.

Turns out I had pancreatitis, which they found when I was sick yet AGAIN and my husband came home from work and dragged me to the ER. He said I was slurring my words. I was way into DKA (even though I'm a T2), my electrolytes were terrible and they diagnosed me with T2. My glucose was 495 and to give you an idea, I had stopped eating on Friday because I just couldn't take anymore food without throwing up horribly and I was taken to the ER on Monday, so I hadn't eaten food for a couple days. I was in the hospital for a week and then went back the second week for another 3 days after reacting badly to Avapro bp med.

I was put on insulin immediately and have been on it every since, and frankly I'm so glad. It gives me great numbers.

[Patient254]

I should add: I've had chronic hives for years and was on a lot of predinose at the time of my diagnosis and for at least 2 years prior to diagnosis. I have high blood pressure and was diagnosed with at 37 with osteopoenia and only .1 away from osteoporosis from my use of prednisone. I now take plaquinil for the chronic hives and have been removed from prednisone.

[UpNorth]

Had all the classics, felt unwell for about a month or so, last couple of weeks were horrible, knew what it probably was, headed to doctor and had a fasting of well over 20mmol/l. Minutes later i had my first insulin injection. The high reading, my age (19 a few days later) and the fact it came so fast made my doctor correctly diagnose me T1 at once, tests later confirmed it and all my insulin producing cells has kicked the bucket and had done so within a couple of years. I'm 5 years in this autumn :)

[BigcityRich]

In Feb 2007, I went to the doctor cause I was having tingling in my left arm and was getting concerned. As it turns out I just had tendonitus in my elbow, but during the doctor visit my doctor noticed a discoloration in the folds of my neck.

She asked if I had ever had my sugars checked, and diagnosed the discoloration as "acanthosis nigricans". She said this is common partner to insulin resistance and ordered up a fasting blood test.

Next day doctor called and told me I was full blown type 2 and advised I get oral meds and a meter and get to diabetes education classes.

When I went to the pharm to get the meds and meter, the tech showed me how to use the meter and that 1st practice BG test was 375.

I immediatly started eating low carb and cut out all soda and sweets and have since quit smoking and lost about 25lbs. Feeling better than ever.

[e||ement]

Beginning Sept. 08 I started to feel unusually fatigued. I had just sold my house, bought another, moved, went back to work after mat leave, started a new job and I chalked the fatigue up to that...and preparation for the holidays.

In December I felt nauseous every single day and had to take a half a gravol to function at work. I thought I was pregnant— fatigue, nausea— but test after test told me I was not.

In December and January, we had a real string of bad luck/bad news so at the end of January 09 we decided to have a party and "de-stress". The next day I was really hungover, (I admit I overdid it...but it was worth it! LOL), and I was really ill. The following day, a Monday, I was SOOO thirsty at work...I must have filled my water canteen about 15 or 16 times. So of course I was running to the loo every 20 minutes.

I sincerely thought this was some sort of strange delayed hangover and vowed never to drink whisky sours until 5 am again! However, when these symptoms persisted for 2 weeks and I suddenly dropped 10 pounds in the course of 3 days, I knew something was up. I went to the doc. My fasting BS was 14 and my A1C was 8.9 and I had a lot of ketones in my urine. I was initially dx'd Type 2 by my doctor (who is a complete tool and told me ketones are nothing to worry about), but I went to an endo on the advice of a D nurse, and was properly dx'd Type 1.

So there you have it. Those darn whisky sours...they'll get ya every time ;)

[jwags]

In my early 50's I decided to lose all that extra weight I had kept on with each of my 5 children. I had always been athletic playing tennis 4-6 hours a week. I took off 50 lbs with low carbing and weightlifting, pilates and cardio. About 2 years later I went in for my routine eye exam to get new reading glasses. When they dilated my eyes, the optomitrist saw very tiny lines in the back of my eye. She said it was probably nothing but sent me to a opthamologist who injected me with some kind of dye so that he could see into the back of my retina. He asked immediately if I was diabetic or had high blood pressure. I said, No. He ordered full blood tests and they came back with a fasting of 240, high cholesterol . The nurse asked if I had made sure I had fasted. Of course, I did. So losing all that weight didn't help. When I went to the internist the first thing he said was lose 10% more weight. So I lost another 14 pounds. Of course gained back a few this winter. Now, back to low carb to try to lose another 10. Now looking back I probably had symptoms but thought they were because I was going through menopause. That eye test probably saved my life.

[Mom22weewuns]

You know, in reading all these replies, I have the urge to smack myself in the head and yell "D'oh". I was diagnosed in February of this year as Type 2. In thinking about it, though, I have had symptoms for quite some time.

I've been on Diovan HCT for a few years. I always thought my running to the bathroom constantly was because of the diuretic in it. Last fall, I started getting really tired constantly. I also started with gallbladder symptoms. I had a scope and some basic bloodwork. My hemoglobin was in the 9's and I was diagnosed with anemia. That explained the fatigue. I lost 25 lbs, but then again, I had changed my diet to low fat and figured it was a happy side effect (I need to lose 50 more) even though while I was low fat, my portions really didn't decrease. My glucose was a bit elevated, but they weren't concerned - they chalked it up to the gallbaldder problems. On my preadmission testing for my GB surgery, my fasting was 190. Still chalked up to the gallbladder. In February, my doc sent me for my annual battery of tests, which this time included A1C. While my fasting was down to 131, my AIC was 7.8.

In reading all of these posts, it really dawned on me that the symptoms I had could be explained. It was most likely the diabetes all along. I'm still on the Diovan and my bathroom trips have become less frequent (unless you count the Metformin trots), I'm not near as tired as I was, and but unfortunately (and I say unfortunately because I need to lose a lot more) my weight loss has come to a screetching halt.

[kjb38]

I can credit my older sister for diagnosing me. She was diagnosed last August, with BG over 400. She has struggled to bring her numbers down, started with the ADA recommendations. When that made her BG worse, she did research and discovered low-carbing. Her BG are much closer to normal now, she has lost a lot of weight, and feeling much better. She believes she has been DB for at least 20 years, but was unable to ever get a doctor to take her seriously.

Our paternal grandmother died from complications of DB at 53. Our maternal grandfather never took care of his DB, and lost parts of his feet. We believe our father was DB too, but he died of a heart attack at 47 (younger than I am now), so we don't know for sure.

I have suffered hypo episodes for years, I don't even remember when they started. I have tried to get a DX for quite a while, but my FBG always showed in the normal range, so every doctor I've seen has told me I'm fine.

Just lately I had felt really horrible, and talking with my sister, she finally convinced me to buy a meter and start checking. After reporting my first numbers to her, she confirmed that I was indeed diabetic. My post-prandials go very high. I've since been to my DO and had it confirmed. Fortunately for me, I switched to a low-carb diet immediately, and have been able to drop my numbers considerably. I've also lost 13 lbs in the 4 weeks since I started, after struggling for years to lose weight.

My thyroid is still messed up, so I don't feel wonderful yet, but with my numbers down without medication, I am feeling very hopeful, and infinitely grateful to my sister for catching this early!

[DiabeticTrucker]

I was DX april 1st of this year. Had put on some weight and had a bladder infection could not get rid of. They tested me and caught me in time before ir was to late. my fasting level was 220 .. SInce dx ihave lost 32 lbs and my 7 day bg avg went from 189 to 112 this last week ..:D no meds just cut carbs. 10 to 15 per meal.

[Earth Child]

Thank you to you all that have posted here!...I think that by reading others stories, it may in some way help someone else that is dealing with diabetes and may not be aware of it. I also feel that it kinda helps me to look back and see that I didnt have it as bad as some of you...some people dont catch it in time and end up dealing with more severe problems the longer they wait. Fortunately outside of elevated BG levels I guess it was found in me before any serious complications such as retinopathy, neuropathy or kidney damage could really develop...Anyway thanks again and take care Tom:D

[foxl]

You know, in reading all these replies, I have the urge to smack myself in the head and yell "D'oh". I was diagnosed in February of this year as Type 2. In thinking about it, though, I have had symptoms for quite some time.

I've been on Diovan HCT for a few years. I always thought my running to the bathroom constantly was because of the diuretic in it. Last fall, I started getting really tired constantly. I also started with gallbladder symptoms. I had a scope and some basic bloodwork. My hemoglobin was in the 9's and I was diagnosed with anemia. That explained the fatigue. I lost 25 lbs, but then again, I had changed my diet to low fat and figured it was a happy side effect (I need to lose 50 more) even though while I was low fat, my portions really didn't decrease. My glucose was a bit elevated, but they weren't concerned - they chalked it up to the gallbaldder problems. On my preadmission testing for my GB surgery, my fasting was 190. Still chalked up to the gallbladder. In February, my doc sent me for my annual battery of tests, which this time included A1C. While my fasting was down to 131, my AIC was 7.8.

In reading all of these posts, it really dawned on me that the symptoms I had could be explained. It was most likely the diabetes all along. I'm still on the Diovan and my bathroom trips have become less frequent (unless you count the Metformin trots), I'm not near as tired as I was, and but unfortunately (and I say unfortunately because I need to lose a lot more) my weight loss has come to a screetching halt.

Don't yell it too loudly! I went in and told my MD I felt lousy. I did a sleep study to the tune of $4000.00. He did bloodwork and it was all NORMAL. He is good, I trust him. I do NOT trust testing guidelines though. I had never had an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test. Betcha it would have been a revelation though! Six months or a year ago ... or MORE. But ... it was not indicated, so it was not done. I think they need to do far, far more of them, particularly in this current epidemic -- what's the COST? Ridiculous.

[CountYourselfIn]

In Dec 07 I first got a cold, that I couldn't shake, and in the 3 weeks following, I was peeing huge amounts every 30mins, raging thirst, no energy, extremely blurred vision, and after a week of constant vomiting, I could barely get out of bed, and the dehydration was so bad, I could only get out a couple words at a time without needing a drink, and even they sounded awful, like I had some weird fake accent.

Took off from work one day after vomiting 3x, went home and called an ambulance. When I got to the hospital, they got me on some O2 and I kinda blacked out for a day. Came to as a diabetic.

My BG was over 1000 and I was right on the cusp of going into a hyperosmolar coma (from extremely high BG).

My A1c then was like.. 12 or 13.

The combination of getting sick, and the fact that I was drinking nothing but extremely sugary substances because I had no energy and they made me feel better (haha... wrong), put me into a bad place.

[elipsis1]

I had been going to the bathroom alot, especially at night, and was very thirsty for a couple of months. One night I noticed blurred vision.

However, I didn't go to the doctor until I had a UTI. When they took my BG it was 375. A1c was 13.5%.

I was just diagnosed with type2 about a week ago.

I am eating around 50g carbs a day, exercising and lifting weights each day. 30 minutes of jogging, and light weightlifting.

This morning my BG was 150. I am on metformin 500mg and linsopril(sp?)

I am realizing, this disease is one that basically says, "If you want to live a long life, you will fight me for it." I am going to kick its butt, but I get frustrated at higher numbers when I am trying to do everything right, and eating very little.

My weight at time of diagnosis was 313, now I am 306. I have lost a lot of weight before on weight watchers (100lbs), but gained it all back because I went off it.

I want to live a long life. I want my vision, I want my feet. Therefore, I prick my fingers and continue the battle...

"just a little pin prick" -pink floyd (comfortably numb)