[Scrabblechick]

The prognosis is changing all the time, and keeping your BG under control now is the best possible insurance policy against complications down the road. IMHO, the reason you hear about so many diabetic complications is because so many diabetics just don't take good care of themselves. Now, complications might still crop up, but chances are, they will be farther down the road, less severe and less frequent. And you might get hit by an 18-wheeler tomorrow. (Hopefully not!) The point is, we just don't know the future.

As for your feet, get thee some Aveeno lotion! That stuff is wonderful. Put it on every night before you go to bed and wear socks over it. Soft, supple tootsies in no time -- guaranteed.

Deep fried Twinkies? Eeewww. However, at Jackson's in Nashville, they do serve cookie dough in a deep fried egg roll wrapper (w/chocolate sauce and ice cream) that I would FIGHT you over! LOLOL.

Obviously, I have not reached the point where sweets are no longer appealing. I doubt I ever will.

[matingara]

Originally Posted by Aslosman

That it seems eye bleeds are inevatable is part of what is getting me down. If I stay in good control (assuming I ever get back there) can that be avoided? Looking around here it does not seem like it can be.

from what i have read, with good control, all/most diabetic complications are totally avoidable.

in fact, i believe that they are even reversible.

i think i read this in the Bernstein book.



-- Joel.

[jillrapp]

Alex and all,

We do it, and we keep doing it because we're not ready to leave our lives. For 2 years I avoided thinking about my diabetes. I gave up. I did nothing to help myself and acutally kind of liked the little bit of weight I lost as my sugars got higher and higher. Then life turned upside down and I had a heart attack. I'm 41 and had a major heart attack. My BMI is on the high side of overweight, not obese, but ignorning my diabetes ticked the big D monster off and it got me back big time. In the last 5 months after recuperating and getting my BS back in control I've been through it all, being upset and sorry for myself that I could no longer live as if I didn't have diabetes, being estatic that I'm ALIVE and lucky to have the love and understanding from my friends and family... and I tell you - I am ASHAMED!!! Ashamed that I let it get so completely out of control that I literally risked my life. Ashamed that I put my husband, my two children, my parents, other family and close friends through all that I did because they had to worry that I might not recover from my heart attack. I'm humbled by the love that was shown to me even though I deserved none of it, because I did this not only to myself, but to them. I'm sorry to all that love me, and I'm thankful that they still do. I'm also thankful that I got my wakeup call early, at age 41. I saw my cardiologist today and my heart is now working at 100% capacity. My BS's have been averaging 130 in the last 2 weeks and life seems managable again. My doctors said I should live well into my 80's without complications if I keep doing what I have been doing in the last 5 months, and I will. I will because even though life with Diabetes is hard, it's better than the alternative.

I love you my Diabetes comrads. Never give up and know there is always someone here that will never give up on you!

Love to all of you!

[matingara]

Wow Jill!!! That is quite a story!

as they say in Australia "good on ya!"

Alex: another thing to be happy about is that you live in New Hampshire!!! I was born in Manchester and my middle name is "Live Free or Die".

i would love to come back and live in NH or VT. my Aussie wife would also (she and i and our daughter lived in Pepperell MA from 1988-1994). But for the moment we are here and we are happy. you can only be in one place at a time! and you are in a very beautiful place!



-- Joel.

[Keezheekoni]

My motivation is simple... I have 5 children that I want to see graduate college, get married, have children, have their children hate them as much as they hate(d) me.

I don't always eat the things that are good for me. I have a lot of weight to lose and have been stuck at a 26# plateau that's making me hate life right now. I'm jealous of people whose insurance companies pay for gastric bypass surgery since mine won't. I'm a T1 so it won't help me with my particular diabetes, but I would still love to do it.

Anyhow, the gym doesn't motivate me because every time I go I hate it. I don't feel energized after the gym, I loathe it. I'm waiting for that time when it does energize me... I'm sure it'll be a long wait. Until then, I just remember that every little bit of exercise I get does help.

As for foods, I've found that as long as I have a HUGE salad before lunch and dinner, I'm not as hungry as I'd normally be. I also only use the salad sprays now, otherwise I'm not as good with portion control of my 1000 Island dressing. I've had to jump out of my comfort zone of iceburg lettuce, tomato, and hard-boiled egg... I've added better/different lettuces, bell peppers, carrots, cucumber, bacon bits, etc. Okay, so the bacon bits aren't great on my diet, but it's only two teaspoons' worth. LOL

As others have said, come back here often as well. We'll help encourage and motivate you!

Where in NH are you? My hubby's company is in Concord, and he's there a few times a year. They've tried to get us to move there, but I don't think I could handle the snow! 10 solid months of rain where we currently are has killed me enough!

[fgummett]

Originally Posted by matingara

from what i have read, with good control, all/most diabetic complications are totally avoidable.

Dr Ian Blumer's site has some good words on Complications (& How to Avoid Them)...
For Example:

Complications from diabetes are NOT inevitable. Long gone are the days when if you had diabetes it meant it was just a matter of time until you went blind, went on dialysis or had a foot amputated. Thankfully. Yet I still not infrequently see people whose most vivid impressions of diabetes were gleaned from memories of their mother (or father or aunt or uncle or...) who "had her foot taken off;" with the newly diagnosed person with diabetes sitting beside me terrified it will undoubtedly happen to them, too. Well, I can't guarantee it won't but I can surely make the odds immensely better that it won't. In fact, there is convincing evidence that if someone with diabetes is managed in the best possible way (good lifestyle habits, great blood pressure, great cholesterol, low dose aspirin, etc.), the risk of complications can be reduced by up to 75 percent! (See my Ten Golden Rules of Prevention for the low down on that). Now I wouldn't want to pretend for one second that to achieve these things is easy; in fact it surely is not. But it can be done!

Realistically I don't think that there are any guarantees, even with the very best of control, but you can improve your odds, and I for one intend to do my utmost to be around and healthy to see my son (and hopefully his children) grow up happy and healthy

[BrianSCohen]

Alex,

You are by no means alone in your feelings many of us have struggled with similar feelings. You need to start working on coming to terms with things. Don't let things happen to you, make your own opprotunities. Don't let youself and your needs and desires take a second priority. Why in the world do you have to work out at 4am? I decide I would tell my family to deal with their lives, I need time in the evening for myself (and yes, I have two teenagers). When was the last time you did something just for yourself that made you happy?

I watched a video about 6 months ago that I found really inspiring. It is by Randy Pausch, a professor at CMU. I'd really recommend it, it kinda puts things in perspective. You can see it here YouTube - Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams. There is also a book he wrote with Jeff Zaslow that accompanies the lecture that is really good, it can be found here YouTube - Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.

Stay in touch with people here, talking with others can really help you feel better and clarify your thoughts.

ps. I see you are in New Hampsire. My wife's family is in New Hampton and I used to live near Canaan and work in Hanover. Are you near there?

[volleyball]

Alex, you've got a wife that loves you, a good job, a roof overhead and food on the table. I don't see where life sucks.
That hamburger meal sounds great to me. I'd add some spices to the meat and lettuce, not iceburg, and tomato and have a feast.
Give a 1 of the stupid tv shows you watch and spend the time in the kitchen making healthy food. Not just for you but your wife also.
Get yourself out to places where food is not a focus. There are some great parks where you can do nature walks. You can join adopt-a-highway groups and clean up the earth while getting exercise.
You need to put yourself in a different environment to change your old habits.
You already have the foot problem, others may soon follow. And once you get them, you'll be saying why did I not do something about this when I could have. Well this is that time. You lost the weight before, remember how much better you felt, well you can do it again. If losing weight was easy, where would the pride in doing it come from?

[davef]

Alex,

Welcome to the forums, I'm glad you found us, this is a great place for information and I guess you see it's great for support too.

Do invest in the Gretchen Becker book, it's easy to read, very informative and written by a person living with diabetes!

I can 110% relate to your struggles with weight, I'm 42 now and have always struggled with my weight, well sometimes I didn't bother struggling.

As Frank has said, the old adage of "Eat less, move more" is simple but it sure as heck is not easy!

Motivation is always the hard thing, I find I get my motivation from being part of this great forum and also because I want to see my children grow up, as a side effect they'll get to have me around. One thing about weight loss is that you have to do it for you, not for anyone else, just you. It's something that many people don't understand and until it clicks with you, now matter how many people cajole, bug, nag you about losing weight it is not until you decide to do it for you that it actually works.

I think the fact that you are here and posting about this means that you have hit that point. Which is great, now you need to give yourself time and have patience, remember you did not put on the weight overnight, so it won't disappear overnight either.

Forget about your 150/100lbs goals, set yourself something much easier to imagine and achieve. I'm sure when you went to WW they set you an initial goal, probably about 10-15lbs, they do it for a reason. It means that you look at 10lbs and say, yeah I can do that and so you go for it. Whatever you do, don't weigh yourself everyday as it's a surefired method of lossing hope and motivation. Pick a day as your weigh in day and stick to it, aim for about 1-1.5lbs a week, it's achieveable. I would strongly recommend that you allow yourself a treat each week, it helps you to stay motivated.

I really like Keith's idea of trying something new to eat/cook each week.

The other thing is don't write off all your "old" foods, it's a matter of balance and portion control. I'm sure you know, but this is where regular testing comes in, as Art once wrote ... Eat, Test, Learn. Eat something, test and learn how it affects your numbers. You can lead a normal life, as was said to me, I can eat anything I want, I just choose not to eat somethings.

If you find you need chocolate, then try dark 70% cocoa variety and have a small piece then test, I (and I believe others) find that we can tolerate a small bit of chocolate.

Try to look on this as having found a great reason for leading a healthier life, rather than it being a life sentence.

And as everyone has said, please do keep visiting here, we can relate to what you are going through, people here will support and not judge you and help keep you motivated. We all have times we need to rant/vent and this is perfect place to do that as the people here will understand, more than most people, what you are going through.

Don't give in/up, you will win in the end. By endurance we conquer!

[pdxdennisj]

As an addiction recovery tape says: Never, Never, Never, Never Give Up. About your Byetta weight loss starting to reverse. I experienced the same thing until my Endo questioned me on how long before eating I was taking it. I had gradually started taking it closer to my meals, thinking it would do a better job covering carbs and give me better numbers. When I reverted to taking it 60 min before eating my appetite decreased and I started loosing weight again.

[Aslosman]

Originally Posted by fgummett

Realistically I don't think that there are any guarantees, even with the very best of control, but you can improve your odds

No no no, the answer I am looking for are the magic words to make this all go away

Seariously, I can improve my odds but only if stuff starts working again.

Since the Canadian government reciently agreed I should be found again maybe the issue is that I've been looking to the ADA recomendations. Perhaps I should now start using the CDA now.

[fgummett]

Originally Posted by Aslosman

No no no, the answer I am looking for are the magic words to make this all go away

OK... you are being ironic again right..? How about this for being a bit more upbeat, "the UKPDS study showed that, a one percent drop in A1C (which is about a 2 mmol/l drop in your average blood sugar level) reduced the likelihood of microvascular (that is; eye, kidney and nerve) damage by THIRTY SEVEN PERCENT! "

[Aslosman]

Originally Posted by fgummett

OK... you are being ironic again right..? How about this for being a bit more upbeat, "the UKPDS study showed that, a one percent drop in A1C (which is about a 2 mmol/l drop in your average blood sugar level) reduced the likelihood of microvascular (that is; eye, kidney and nerve) damage by THIRTY SEVEN PERCENT! "

It sounds prety close to to being magic words even if it iin and of itself does not change anything right now.

But I'm confused, Didn't I see you say on another thread that you are in Canada? I thought Canada used mcg/dcL.

[fgummett]

Yes Canada, but we use mmol/l

[Noturningback]

For dry skin try a product with the active ingredient being dimethicone 1%. It puts a barriar on your skin that doesn't immediately wash off. Some massage therapists use it as a skin protectant/barrier. It's what seems to be in those "special" diabetic creams/lotions. One brand is TheraSeal. It's the only thing that works for me when my hands become cracked and bleed.

~Danielle