Hi -newly diagnosed with TYpe II

[Phranky]

Hi - just got diagnosed with Type 11 and must admit I"m angry and a bit depressed.

I'm 42 and had been worrying about diabetes and had been losing weight for over a year.

I'm 6'4, was like 300lbs, and am now down to 225lbs. Went for the normal checkup and was hoping my BS would be way down. I was borderline a year ago at 8 (Canadian), did my fasting BS test and was at 17!!!

****e!!!

Just feeling angry, why me? So many things I have to change, no more pub life, even more strict diet control, and it just makes me sometimes like saying, "screw it", I'll do what I want and pop off when the times comes.

I understand this ofcourse isn't realistic.

All the stuff I'm reading say's you can or can't drink - drink light beer or nothing.

Ive decided to abstain, I've got to get under 9BS and I've been on metformin for three days now. Latest tests I've been doing still put me between 13 in the moring and as high as 20 just after a meal.

Sheesh, this is really, really depresing, I'm angry, wonder if I did this to myself, am I going to die early...

Anyway, I figured if I joined a group like this I may be able to start feeling a little better.

Been choked up about this a few times - all my friends and family were so proud of my weight loss, better diet (I cut out all pre-processed foods, good portions, etc..) I thought I might be able to avoid it.

Now my Dr. says he's getting me an endocronologist and suspects part of my weight loss may have been due to the diabetes...

Anyway - "Hi!" to everyone from the Great White North....

[cherokee_psh]

Hi and welcome.

I'll admit it is a shock to hear that you have diabetes. I'm still closer to borderline myself. It's certainly a lifestyle altering disease, but managable. It'll take time, patience, and lots of support.

You've found a great place for support here!

[Penny]

Hi phranky. I'm sorry you are going through this, but happy that you have the wieght loss. Sometimes, no matter how well you follow your diet, your BG will not get any better. That is why some of us use pills or insulin. I just watched a discussion about diabetes, the panel agreed you could have the gene for diabetes and never show signs of it, then again you could also have all the worse symptoms, too. Sometimes it just is not something you were in control of, others maybe you could have prevented it. Just do not beat yourself up about the "hows" and try to keep it under control. You landed in a soft spot here, many people will help you deal with it. Welcome.

[Phranky]

Hi Penny / Cherokee - thanks for the response.

Just been scouring the threads and have learned a lot!

Literally last Thurs was diagnosed, got my meter, started on metformin on Friday morning (2 x 500), dr then wanted me to up to 1000 x 2 per day.

What I'm starting to understand is that it isn't any one thing you can't eat or drink, it's the overall combination.

Frankly, I enjoy my pints of beer, and I was a little apprehensive that I had to cut this out entirely, now I realize I just have to be responsible. I guess what I think I'm finding out is drinking a pint of Coca-cola is probably worse for you than say a glass of dry red wine or a pint of beer.

I train at my karate dojo a couple of times a week, have been eating very properly for over a year (lost 75lbs) and am starting to also realize that it's the uncontrollable sugars that do the damage.

Now I'm starting to feel that in the long run it was proably an excellent thing that I was diagnosed. The Dr. said that I was, "asymptomatic", had no signs, that he caught it very early on, and if I continue, there is no reason I can't live a normal life.

I've read a few threads on alcohol, am I reading this correctly that it is not neccessarily any one thing you can or can't have, but ensuring you maintian the proper bs levels?

Sorry if this sounds stupid...kinda feel like I'm going between optimism, depression, anger, and then swinging back through again!

Doh!

Phranky

[mrwall]

Good Luck! I have seen a lot of posts and read info on Drinking, most say to try to limit yourself to 2 drinks per day at the most, what i have found is that if i have a beer, my numbers are always higher in the morning.. also, i heard that it is hard on your liver when you are taking metformin... so you might ask the Dr. about that one..

but welcome, i was diagnosed in Nov. and i have lost 57 pounds, and changed my eating habits quite a bit, you will be surprised how quick you will learn what you can and cant have!

mike

[Musqua]

Hi There Phranky :)

Welcome to the friendliest forum on the net. I have found that everyone here is friendly & knowledgable. :congrats: I have gone through the same emotions as you. Please remember just to take it one day at a time. I am a type 2 , on insulin & gluconorm.

:whistling Canadian Girls Rock :whistling

[sydneya]

:hmpf: So sorry you have to go through this, Phranky. I am glad that you were diagnosed so early though. As I read both of your posts it took me back 20 years. I was soooooooo angry and soooooooooooosad. I also didn't believe it. Since I was pregnant at the time I didn't have the luxury of the denial right then. I couldn't take chances with the baby. I went through that when I realized that I wasn/t just gestation diabetes, it was full fledged Type II after the baby was born.

:motz: Your feelings are normal, but it sounds like you are getting in touch with reality and starting to work with it. Twenty years ago when I was diagnosed it was simply, "Stay away from the sugar." They've found that there is a lot more to it than that. We are all different. It is a matter of finding out what effects you and what doesn't. I am not a drinker, but I've read the postings. It sounds like even in that, it's making choices that you can handle. I'm over the top with any type of rice or cereal product. Many can handle that. You'll find as you test after eating or drinking certain things what you can do. Testing often is important. A food diary is important.

Make sure the doctor gets you into an diabetic class and a dietician soon.

I hope you find the forum as helpful as I have. Post often with questions, feelings, and opinions. Share with us and let us help. There is a lot of knowledge here. Hope to hear from you soon. :dancing2: Life can still be fun.

[DaveC426913]

Hi Phranky, and welcome.

I too am 42 and Canadian, diagnosed just a couple of years ago. I was 200 lbs, but I'm only 5'7". I'm also on Metformin. Like me, you are really fortunate to have been diagnosed early.

The thing that I've learned is that everybody's different. As you said, you don't necessarily have to cut anything out. It'll take a little while to get those sugars down to the 4-7 range, but once there you'll be able to figure out what works for you. Moderation and monitoring is the key. The fact that you exercise regularly is a big plus.

Personally, I do not deny myself anything outright, as long as I'm responsible about it. I just make sure I know what it does to me and act accordingly.

Educate yourself. Diabetes is a disease that is highly individualistic and very poorly understood - the general populace is astonishingly ignorant and outdated about it.

Welcome and good luck! Keep us appraised of your progress!

[Phranky]

Wow - just got out of a meeting and feel a lot better reading these posts!

Geez - just knowing that you're not alone kinda takes away that feeling of isolation! I really appreciate all the info!

So - this is my third double dose of metformin, on Monday I started 2 x 500mg at breakfast and 2 x 500mg at dinner. Wow! What an effect. Whereas 24 hrs before at the same time I was at 20 (on Sunday), last night I was down to 13, and this morning I woke up and I was at 10! Had my breakfast and took my 3rd 1000mg.

Dr. says he wants me below 9 - I'm hoping I can get there in the next couple of days. Dr. says he caught it really, really early, said this has been going on for months rather than years so I'm hoping!

The really funny thing though is the previous denial.

I knew I was drinking too much water.

I knew I was peeing to much and to frequently in the night. I'd read the news stories, suspected I'd had it, read all the info, then proceeded to say, "Naaaa - I've lost weight, that can't be me!"

Sheesh - what a doofus I was!

Even now, my horrendous thirst has all but gone, I'm not peeing like a Viking anymore, and I actually didn't realize I wasn't feeling as good as I might (getting tired easier than usual at Karate).

Other thing is, hey, I'm a guy, I like toys, and so far I've done my BS about 8 times a day. I've got this little Ascentia Breeze monitor and a little thing that when you prick your finger it doens't even hurt. Downloaded the software and uploaded the data and I'm already seeing a downward trend.

THis board has been so helpful - I learned that it isn't any one particular thing - it's about high (or really low) blood sugars being bad and normal blood sugars being good.

I WILL go and have my pints this Friday, only this time I'll make sure I eat with them, test, and take it easy - which is good for you anyway.

My Dr. said, "the paradoxical nature of diabetes that if you follow the program, and do the right thing, you'll be healtheir than the vast majority of the population. Eating right, not being obese, being moderate, and getting proper excercise if what everyone should be doing - now YOU have to do it."

Anyhow - babbling on, just thanking some guiding force that got me off my *** a year ago, back to the Dojo, eating right, and took me from about 303 now dow to 230.

Thanks,

Phranky

[am1977]

Just want to say hi and WELCOME :hello:

[Peter Lee]

Welcome Phranky. You're going to have to be more patient with the Metformin. It can take three weeks to notice any effect at all. It can take six weeks to have a significant effect. In my case it took three months to make a really significant difference. It seems to vary from person to person.

[Phranky]

Hi Peter - thanks for the response.

Actually - it seems to be working already for me. I've been doing my bs like 8 times a day since I got the new gadget and I was on 1000 per day since last Friday, then the dr. told me to double it on Monday.

In comparing my bs in the last 24 hours, I've already dropped 7 points.

On Monday night at 9pm I was at around 20, last night same time, after literally the same meal (leftovers), I was at 13.

This morning on waking up I was at 11.

Dr. said he caught me really, really early, that this had been going on for months rather than years, so I'm hoping I can get below 9, which is what he wanted me at sooner rather than later.

This board has been great though, I've learned that it's not necessarily what you can or can't have, but mainting proper bs levels.

Like you Peter, I like my pints, I was firghtened that I had to give that whole aspect of my life up and whether I'd be able to do that. I realize moderation and balance are the key, it's just nice to know I don't have to become a monk.

I'm a big framed guy, was 303 lbs a year ago, now down to like 230lbs, been excersing a lot (back at Karate) and feel ten times better - no apnea, no lethargy.

This diagnoses was a big blow though....

Phranky