New, in denial, and frustrated!

[lewsterr]

I just found this forum after being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes two days ago. I’ve been having some of the classic symptoms (more frequent urination, fatigue, and excessive hunger), so went for a Glucose Tolerance test. I suspected something was wrong when the doctor called me the next morning. Needless to say, I flunked the test. This should not have been a big surprise to me, since both my parents had type 2 diabetes, so it was only a matter of time. I have been looking for a lifestyle change since I recently turned 50, but this was not what I had in mind!

The results of the GTT are:

Fasting – 126 mg/dL
1 hour – 240 mg/dL
2 hour – 246 mg/dL
3 hour – 145 mg/dL
A1C – 7.0%

The doc gave me a prescription for Metformin (500mg, 1/day), a glucometer, etc., and told me to make an appointment to see her in four weeks. Two days later, I’m still in denial, still staring into the refrigerator after midnight, and in need of guidance. Although the doctor indicated that this cannot be reversed, I’m not convinced. I started exercising more and watching my diet. The reading of food labels is getting to be quite frustrating to say the least. If this disease doesn’t kill me, the aggravation from my friends and family constantly telling me what I should and shouldn’t eat will.

Physicians are so quick to give meds, but where is the guidance and emotional support that should go along with it? Hopefully, this forum will fill that void. Thanks for letting me vent.....

[seacomp]

Hello Lew, I hope we can help. There's lots of advice here and lots of support.
I agree with your doctor that diabtes "cannot be reversed" in the sense of it just going away. But paying attention to what you eat and your exercise will go a long way in control things with little negative effect on your quality of life.

And venting is very much allowed here. Welcome again.

[Ritehsedad]

I would recommend 2 things: First make an appointment with a Certified Diabetic Educator (probably through your local hospital). They probably know as much if not more than your doc (unless its an endocrinologist). Second, I would recommend you buy the book, "The First Year, Type 2 Diabetes" by Gretchen Becker. The first thing the book tells you is that its not your fault. She also talks about denial. You won't regret getting this book.

Good Luck, let us know how you do.

[Ashtur]

Ok,the bad news, your doc is right. It's not reversable.

The good news, with an untreated A1C of 7.0, I would say that you have got an excellent shot at getting things under control. Sure, you won't be able to just dive into the fridge and grab a big ol slab of chocolate cake any more, but with some care and discipline, your odds of avoiding the major complications are excellent.

Just a reminder though, meds are nice, but the best control is knowing what you eat.

[valc3]

Hi Lew and welcome to our happy family. You've come to the right place for information and support. You've been given great advice already. The only thing I'll add, when I was first dx'd, I wrote everything I ate down and started measuring my food. You get surprised by what and how much you eat in a day. This really helped me.

I hope you visit us often.

[Cinnabon]

Welcome... ask away...
We have all been thru denial.

[psilocybin]

i have been through deniel...it was only for a couple days. i felt depressed and was down. that was couple weeks ago...hope you feel better

[Belinda]

We all like to deny the fact that we have diabetes....think of it as a healthier life change not a incurable illness that you can't live a normal life....It takes alot to get use to but remember to take it slowly and if you fall of the track....just jump back on the next day....it happens to us all. You have come to a great place for support and advice. Welcome to our family and an A1C of 7.0...that is good....I can't get mine lower than that no matter what I do.....

[Tokyo Cate]

Welcome to the Forums Family :hello: . I am sorry that you are going through such a rough time and hope you find lots of support here. I think Ritehsedad's book recommendation is a good one, based on the title and it looks like a good starting point. As others have said, seeing a Certified Diabetes Educator is the next step if that's available to you.

You have made some great steps already (you are aware of the numbers are looking for information and seeking support). The first few weeks are quite difficult and denial is a natural reaction.

Trust that it will become easier and you will begin to feel healthier.

Best of luck :ciao: .

[vvti-le]

When I was first diagnosed it hit me like a ton of bricks but I knew that I was at risk because T2 runs in my family. You are not alone and we all will pull through.

[am1977]

Just wanted to say HI and Welcome :hello:

There's no doubt that this disease can be hard and frustrating :argh:, but having support helps make things a little easier. There is a lot to be found here at this site- so stick around and get to know us ;).

Hang in there :burnout:

[Linda J717]

Ok,the bad news, your doc is right. It's not reversable.

The good news, with an untreated A1C of 7.0, I would say that you have got an excellent shot at getting things under control. Sure, you won't be able to just dive into the fridge and grab a big ol slab of chocolate cake any more, but with some care and discipline, your odds of avoiding the major complications are excellent.

Just a reminder though, meds are nice, but the best control is knowing what you eat.

Oh great... now I want chocolate cake....lol. Welocome to the board. I was in denial in my "pre-diabetes" days... but when my dr looked at me and told me I was as much at risk to have a heart attack as someone who had already had one... the denial stopped there. Especially since my dad didn't listen and died way too young. Just come here and vent all you want. Remember... we are all in tis together.

[lewsterr]

Reading all of your replies was better than going to a shrink (and cheaper too). Each and every one of you really put my mind at ease knowing I have a support group out there, and I greatly appreciate it. My hope is that, with education and experience, I can eventually give others the same peace of mind and encouragement that you gave me.

Thanks to you all.............

[Cyborg]

Welcome to the forums and good luck. I spent alot of time with denial, anger, self pity, etc. Once you realize that you can't live a good life with diabetes until you accept it, things get much better. You will find lots of good tips here from many veteran and rookie diabetics. If you ever need any help, just ask... :)

[playgtar]

I too was recently diagnosed, 01/14/06. I'm T1. You have my sympathy. The first couple of weeks are very difficult. I had to spend 4 days in the hospital. My sobbing only interrupted by the nurses coming in to prick my fingers or give me a shot. So.......what do you do. Well, you mentioned you wanted a lifestyle change. Here it is. It's a healthier way of living.

It's terrible to have, but I try to look at the bright side. I lost 70 lbs, which I'd had for over 20 years. I also lost a lot of muscle mass with that. I started exercising. Sit ups and push ups to start. I could do 5 push ups two months ago. I now do 40 at a time. I use a workout machine now also. My body looks and feels 10 years younger, and yours will too. Make the change and look for the positives.

Label reading gets easier. The way they taught me was pretty easy to start with. You're a T2 so your eating may not be as strict as mine was. For the first month it was hard, eating on schedule. Once I went to an injection with each meal things became much easier. I pretty much eat what I want and dose for it. The good thing now, after the limited diet I did for a month or so is I don't want all of the crappy foods anymore. I eat lean meats and more soups than I used to. Some of the cook books out there have really good and interesting recipies. My wife also changed her diet and lost 20 lbs in two months, with no exercise. She feels great. It does help to have someone on the program with you. If you don't that's what we're all here for. It's not that bad. Too bad they don't teach you about the labels and carbs in that home ec class you take in high school. We'd be a lot better off if they did. Do what your doctors tell you. It will get easier I promise. We had a food day at work today, and I wasn't even tempted. You'll get there.

[greendavid]

Your blood glucose meter is your best friend! At first, you may fear it because it tells you whether you have been "good" or "bad," but ultimately you will carry it with you everywhere and thank the heavens you have it.

Are test strips covered by your insurance? If so, test often. It's useful to test when you wake up every day, so you can see how you're doing over time. Also, test before you eat, and then 2 hours after. You can test around different meals on different days to save strips.

Here's a hard one: You need to write down your BG measurements and your food. This is a big hurdle for someone in denial, especially if you're an overeater (like me). I always thought "Well, I know what I'm eating, and anyway the meter has the readings in memory." Not good enough! You cannot learn what you need to know if you don't write down the BG readings and your food in some sort of chart based on the time of day. (You don't have to do this every day forever. Just for a few days every so often to get some good data.)

At first, you may not see a pattern (there might not be a pattern if you're eating erratically), but later the written record will be the primary tool you use to adjust your eating and medications. When you do find a CDE (Certified Diabetes Educator), the first thing she or he will do is ask you for a written record. They cannot give you good advice based on your general reports. (Believe me, I tried to get away with this for years. It doesn't work.)

All that said, your A1c of 7.0% is not horrible, though the closer you can get to 6.0%, the better. The American Diabetes Association recommends less than 7.0%. The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists recommends less than 6.5%.

Bottom line: use your meter even when you don't want to. Just do the **** poke! :secruity: The reality check will help you get smart faster than anything else.

[labob]

A few suggestions for those nights when you find yourself staring into the fridge:

1. Sugar-free Jello. I almost never ate dessert before I was diagnosed (probably 99.99% of the time -- it just wasn't part of my life). Immediately after my diagnosis, though, for a few weeks I absolutely craved something sweet, probably because I was struggling psychologically with the idea of having diabetes. I settled on sugar-free Jello, even though I hadn't voluntarily eaten Jello in well over 30 years. It's a "free" food on the ADA pyramid (10 calories per 1/2 cup serving with an insignificant amount of carbs, if any -- I honestly can't remember), so you can indulge without worrying about it having an adverse effect on your glucose level. I soon got over this phase, and now, just over three months after diagnosis, can't quite understand why I ever wanted to eat Jello at all, but it did help me get through that initial post-diagnosis period.

2. Chopped vegetables. Sometimes you just want to munch on something crunchy. I find keeping ziplock bags of various kinds of fresh vegetables in the fridge helps. I use them mostly for salads, but there's no reason why they couldn't also satisfy a late night hunger pang.

3. Almonds. You don't want to overdo nuts because of their fat content, but I do find on those nights when I wish I had allowed myself just a little bit more at dinner that 3-4 almonds help kill any lingering desire to eat. Count them out, though, and savor them.

In my experience, the first month after diagnosis is really tough. It takes a while to calm down and figure out how to manage your life after getting the diagnosis. It does get better, though, and sooner than you might think -- just hang in there.

Welcome!

[labob]

For what it's worth, I think that greendavid's post should be required reading for every Type 2 (along with Ritehsedad's suggestion of reading Gretchen Becker's book). Is there any way of linking new members to those posts automatically at registration? I can't think of any better advice for new Type 2s than "Just do the **** poke!"

[Peter Lee]

Lew, everyone goes through what you are now going through and the fact that you have decided on a lifestyle change and come onto this site says that you are already coming out of denial.

The good news is that with the numbers you have posted, I would say that you stand a very good chance of controlling your diabetes with diet, exercise and a minimum of medication - you've caught it in the relatively early stages. Many people here (myself included) were first diagnosed with much worse numbers and had huge improvements to make.

Read books, post questions and take good medical advice and you'll be OK for a good few decades yet. Don't let non-diabetics hound you - it's your disease, your body and your life. At any rate, that's my opinion and that's how I manage my diabetes.

Good luck. :shakehand

[diaconfused]

Lew, don't worry. As almost everyone said, we've all gone through some sort of denial when confronted with diabetes. It's not the easiest thing to get your head around.

I've been diagnosed very recently too, just a few weeks. And more than denial, I'm still in a state of confused shock, to say the least.

I did not have a single symptom, am not overweight, am quite active, I've never had any other ailments or ilnesses. Yet my sugars turned out high during a routine checkup. And everything else was 'normal'.

Sure, being diagnosed with diabetes is a big deal and it is worrisome, But take your time and you will be able to manage just fine.

[Mrs Pacino]

I'm going through the new diagnosis, denial, meds thing right now. I've taken a couple of days off work to get into things and I feel guilty for doing that!!

I've been bad tempered, snappy with the kids and don't feel like doing much at all - although it was feeling so tired that sent me to the doctor in the first place.

I'm sure it will all work out well soon enough and I'm relieved I've not been diagnosed with something worse - I was really worried that I had cancer with the weight loss and the tiredness I was experiencing.

[etm1109]

I can definitly identify with you newly diagnosed. This disease can be a real struggle to handle with.

Somethings to look out for is what I call 'delayed burnout.' You may never experience this, but 3/6 months into treating the disease by eating less, not eating/having things you liked anymore, problems/side affects with medications, testing, the cost of the medications/strips even with insurance.
It will get to you in a myriad of forms. I think it is definitly something to look out for.

I'm not sure how others feel about the topic, but after the initial shock and adjustment, I definitly saw myself slip at 6-8 months because I can't seem to find foods I like or a diet that works best. I still have wierd results with foods. Somedays a very small bowl of granola/skim milk will shoot me to 245 and other days just 189. No sugar breads take awhile to learn to like.

And vegetables and I were never good friends outside of tomatoes/oninions/okra/spinach and my wife hates spinach.

I also changed doctors and finally found a good doctor.