New member, new T2 diabetic

[gary.keith]

Hey everyone. I've been reading this forum for a few days now. You all seem very compassionate and many of you seem quite knowledgeable. Hopefully you'll be patient with me as I struggle with all I need to learn.

I was diagnosed T2 almost a month ago after weeks of feeling blah. Based on what I know now I had all the classic symptoms of diabetes, I just didn't know what to look for. The insatiable thirst, dry flaky skin, constant nausea hence an inability to eat almost anything, blurry vision, confusion, the list goes on and on, were certainly indications something was wrong. But the only doctor I see regularly is a psycho-pharmacologist--I do get annual physicals but wasn't due for another two months, and from the symptoms I chose to share with him we chalked it up to all the usual side effects of the many meds I take for mental illness. It's my own fault really. I realize now I was in deep denial that something serious might be wrong with me.

Anyway, on the last Sunday of September 2009 I collapsed on the floor at home. My last conscious thought was to dial 911 from my cellphone, and I was able to give the dispatcher my address. That's the last thing I recall until I came to in the hospital ER a few hours later.

When my doctor arrived he shared the news with me. My BG upon arrival was 1,254 mg/dl! Yes, I know :), nobody else in hospital had ever seen readings that high. I'm guessing other tests were done because he also told me I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic.

The next few days were spent in the critical care unit. After that I spent another week in a regular hospital room. When I was discharged my BG was down in the 300 mg/dl range and my care was transferred to an endocrinologist. Between 60 units of Lantus daily and a base dose of 25 units of Novolog with a sliding scale based on my BG I've been able to get my BG into the normal 80-110 range.

The next step for me is a diabetes management class so I can stop taking so much insulin. I'm insured by Medicare because I'm on SS Disability, and for some reason that defies logic they won't pay for the class until I've been out of hospital for one month. It's an $800 class, which I could just pay cash for, but this darn disease has already cost me a small fortune this month so I'm going to wait and let Medicare pay for it.

Well, I guess that's enough about me for now. I'll be around, reading and asking questions. So let me thank everyone in advance for being so generous with your time, experiences, and advice.

Um, I forgot to warn you all I can be quite wordy! :D

~gary.

[beau91]

Hi Gary ,Welcome to the forum.It's the place for you .you learned the hard way that you have diabetes .Bye Ricky

[kgm0612]

Hi Gary & Welcome to the forum!

If possible, test your blood sugars often and keep a log of the foods you're eating so you'll be able to see how that particular food(s) effected you. Limit your carbohydrate intake. The less foods with high carbohydrate counts you take in, the less insulin you will need to cover them. Exercise is very important also, so if you're able and not already doing so, start an exercise program. Walking is great!

As far as your scheduled diabetes management class goes, postpone it for awhile until Medicare will pay for it. There's terrific information right here on the forum that will get you by in the meantime. If you need additional information, don't hesitate to post a question. We're all here to help!

Karen

[gary.keith]

Thanks both of you!

Karen, I'm testing 8-10 time a day, sometimes more. I record every BG check, every insulin injection, and everything I eat using an iPhone app called Diabetes Pilot. I'm a software engineer so I usually turn to technology to help me with stuff.

The major problem I'm having now is deciding how much insulin to take before a meal. The endo said 25 units. But then she tells me a lot that I need to either eat more carbs for that amount of insulin or take less insulin. But I don't have a clue how to adjust my own dosage. This is something I'm hoping that class will teach me.

Exercise is something I'm still working on. I need a new right hip due to a cliff climbing accident many years ago. I did sign-up for an aquatic aerobics class at the gym so we'll see how that goes.

Yep, there's so much information here! I'm spending about an hour a day reading through older posts and learning a lot in the process.

Thanks again for the warm welcome!

[plattb1]

Gary, you're on the right track! If you're already testing frequently, you'll get a handle on your insulin & carb ratio soon. A number of DF members rely on a book called Using Insulin, Everything You Need for Success With Insulin by John Walsh. It's available in paperback on Amazon for $16.95.

Read DF a lot, post your questions & progress, & hang in there.

Once you're able to exercise again, it will be easier. Take care!

[jer.lawrence]

Welcome! Glad to see we have another software guy here on the forums. :)

Man, I can't even imagine how that 1,200 must have felt! I was feeling "odd" at diagnosis and my sugar was only in the 300s then! Crazy.

[gary.keith]

Thanks, Barrie. I just ordered the book.

Hi Jeremy. I've been tinkering with computers and software since I was a teenager back in the early 1970s. Been doing software engineering since the early 1980s. Is there a section of DF geared toward us geeks? The 1,200+ BG felt awful! I was barely functional in the days leading up to my dx. All I could do was drink gallons of fruit juice--yeah, I know ;), urinate and try to sleep! I'm still having vision problems in that my prescription seems to change by the hour, but all my other symptoms have gone away.

[buddy7]

Hello! good evening and welcome to the forum.

Well Gary! looks like you've had your wake up call, and came out the other side very well indeed, Man! those numbers are high, that must be a record high, and to get things down to 80-110 I think you've done remarkably well, bl**dy good show my friend.

Now what you're going to do, is to stay with us and learn more how to better control your diabetes, they are some very smart people on here, who I'm sure will be more than willing to answer all your need to know questions, so please post on.

All the bets for now, Gary
best of luck with your D.....

[jer.lawrence]

No, no geek section that I know of. There's a general chat section, though, and a Chat Room. The link to the chat room is over on the right-hand side bar. It just says "Chat" really small. Took me forever to find that one.

My eyes started going a little (though I'm not sure it was nearly as bad as yours) right before my Dx, because my sugar was so high. I was near sighted at that point (I've always had 20/20). That's what prompted the Doctor's visit.

After about a week or a week and a half (and after I'd started getting numbers in control) my eyesight normalized for a few days. A few more days, and it got all screwy again. I couldn't see ANYTHING now. Near or far. VERY obnoxious.

I made the mistake of going to see an optometrist. If you're going to see an eye doctor, it should be an Ophthalmologist, as they have much more experience with diabetic retinopathy, I've been told. Anyway! The optometrist prescribed me a pair of glasses. My eyesight remained VERY finicky for about another week, week and a half, and then it straightened back out to normal.

Moral of the story, your eyesight can change a lot, and quickly as your sugar is moving (up or down). Once it's stable for a while (Took mine about 2 weeks), your eyesight will stabilize as well. I have no idea how long it would take for you -- your numbers were way high. I was Dx at 320, and I think I caught it early. An ophthalmologist can tell you whether there is any damage, or whether it should straighten out on it's own.

Sorry about the long post.

OH, yeah and I just graduated college in about 2004, so I've only been doing software since about 2003. I'm still a young'n, I suppose.

Thanks, Barrie. I just ordered the book.

Hi Jeremy. I've been tinkering with computers and software since I was a teenager back in the early 1970s. Been doing software engineering since the early 1980s. Is there a section of DF geared toward us geeks? The 1,200+ BG felt awful! I was barely functional in the days leading up to my dx. All I could do was drink gallons of fruit juice--yeah, I know ;), urinate and try to sleep! I'm still having vision problems in that my prescription seems to change by the hour, but all my other symptoms have gone away.

[gary.keith]

Now what you're going to do, is to stay with us and learn more how to better control your diabetes, they are some very smart people on here, who I'm sure will be more than willing to answer all your need to know questions, so please post on.
Yes sir, will do! :)

I made the mistake of going to see an optometrist. If you're going to see an eye doctor, it should be an Ophthalmologist, as they have much more experience with diabetic retinopathy, I've been told. Anyway! The optometrist prescribed me a pair of glasses. My eyesight remained VERY finicky for about another week, week and a half, and then it straightened back out to normal.

An ophthalmologist can tell you whether there is any damage, or whether it should straighten out on it's own.

OH, yeah and I just graduated college in about 2004, so I've only been doing software since about 2003. I'm still a young'n, I suppose.

One of the first things my primary care doctor had me do, even before I saw the endo for the first time, was visit my ophthalmologist. Got a full checkup and everything seems fine for now. I also got all new prescriptions. He recommended Transitions lenses to help compensate for my wacky eyes. I'm going back in February for another full checkup. If all's well then he wants to see me once a year after that.

You are a young'n! I remember being 28. That was when I could stay awake for days on end writing code on nothing more than an endless amount of Cuban coffee, sleep for a few hours, maybe grab a shower, and then get right back to it. :)