What If ...

[LarryTango]

When i was diagnosed my blood sugar was SUPER HIGH , but after a few weeks my blood sugars were normalised (granted i was on 2000mg of metformin)

I am more aware of what i eat now (pre diabetes i would happily eat 4 chocolate bars 4 packet of crisps 2ltr bottle of coke etc a night - which obviously is just stupid) and i make it out to everyone at work etc that its worse than i personaly think it is (i guess its like a coping measure i say i can never eat any chocolate etc so i wont be offered anything - not even a crappy little tiny chocolate out of an advent calender 1 day in the month , just so i know i can never lapse and pig out at work lol) but in the last 2 yrs my brain cant really accept it

i keep thinking what is im not diabetic .. the docs seen me for 1 night and i was told to take 2000mg of metformin .. since then i have convinced docs slowly to reduce my meds , i dunno how to get that thought out of my head and i dont know how im going to be once it actually leaves.


any input?

[minkydog]

If your sugar was super high(I"m assuming >200) then you are definitely diabetic. How are your sugars now? Are they still stable while you're dropping your dosage? Did you lose a lot of weight?

I find, for me, that Metformin helps a lot. It makes it much easier for me to keep my sugars in the 90-120 range. On diet alone it was darn near impossible to keep any control at all.

I'm very realistic about diabetes. My sister and my nephew have type 1. my mother has type 2. I'm a nurse and you would shudder as some of the things I've seen. So there is no wishful thinking on my part. I'm taking this extremely seriously. Right now I'm about 45-lbs overweight(down from 80-lbs overweight!) and I'm hoping that as I come down my need for Metformin will be reduced or even eliminated. BUt I don't think I'll ever let my guard down. Diabetes can work you over and I have no intention of letting complications sneak up on me!

[EeyoreButterfly]

What is your definition of "super high?" You said that it took a couple of weeks to normalize your sugars, which indicats something was going on. Having "normal" blood sugars does not mean that you are cured. If you were to go back to your old way of life, chances are that your sugar would spike again. It is great that you are getting your levels down and decreasing your meds! But you will always need to watch your blood sugar. By the time most people are diagnosed, they have already lost a lot of their beta cell function and it will continue to decrease. You may be able to reverse it, but the genes are there and the damage is done.

I understand your desire not to have diabetes, truly I do. But denial will not help you manage your diabetes or prevent complications. Be glad that you are in control. I also have to ask, what is your definition of "normal?" Based on your a1c it looks like you are doing a good job, but sometimes what people think of as "normal" is much higher than it should be.

[LarryTango]

generally speaking my levels are between 4.0 - 5.5 when ever i test but i am on 1000mg of metformin still , im not saying i dont think im diabetic or anything im saying im going through all the motions of thinking this a serious thing for life on the outside but my brain wont accept it and i keep thinking what if type thing , and i dunno how to fix that

[EeyoreButterfly]

I'm going to be very honest: your posts are incredibly hard to follow. I don't understand what you mean "what if type thing". It's very hard to decipher what you are asking. Perhaps you could try rephrasing it so we can know what exactly you are asking about and try to help you.

[LarryTango]

I'm going to be very honest: your posts are incredibly hard to follow. I don't understand what you mean "what if type thing". It's very hard to decipher what you are asking. Perhaps you could try rephrasing it so we can know what exactly you are asking about and try to help you.

lol. its 5am and no sleep .

ill try rephrase. if you ask anyone how i handle my diabetes everyone will say that i take it very seriously, alot actually think i take it too seriously. everyone knows that i know this is a lifetime thing and i am willing to fight this all the way and continue to keep my sugars levels down.

however the last 2 yrs i have been going through the motions , i get up take my meds and appear to remind everyone i have diabetes on a regular basis (like i say i think thats just so i cant do things that i want to because "they" would know ha) and i just have this thing in my head (which i know isnt true .. i honestly know its not true) saying "you got tested once .. youe levels are fine what if the docs made a mistake" and "you dont need to take it as seriously as you are, eat the food you like - even if the levels go up its not a big deal plenty of diabetics have higher levels " etc etc.

i dont think i really accepted it as such, i havent had a real bad experience of this full diabetes thing - my levels are always fine (altho i actually freak out if my levels are about 6.5 a couple hours are food and my gf tells me off for worrying ha) , my a1c is fine (my new doc recently jokenly said he was questioning me having diabetes which i guess started this in my head) and i feel fine. and thus i dont think i take it seriously in my head and im quite scared of what it will be like when i do.



to answer a previous question u asked, when i first thought i was diabetic i got a crappy home test meter with the colour changer paper thing and the levels were between 35 and 55 , i didnt eat for 3 days b4 i went to the docs and tested me and i was 20ish after a night in hospital i was given the tablets etc (i was given insulin in the hospital to try bring it down ... but that didnt work??) a few weeks later my levels were between 7 - 9 then dropped to normally been 4 - 5.5

[Tribbles]

You have two possible approaches both of which you should discuss with your doctor before you do them and they depend on where you want to go. Either carry on eating as you do now and reduce your medication and monitor your levels to makesure they remain in ok limits. Or start adding back some of the things you have removed from your diet (chocolate?) and see what happens. If either approach works try then implementing the other as well.

But monitor all the time for changes, and watch your weight carefully. Again talk about this with your doctor. You come diabetic at the point your beta function is 60% effective so depending on why you hit that mark (weight, genes, etc.) gives you the room you have for manouver.

[minkydog]

I think i get what you're saying. Basically, you're tired of having to deal with it. Things are going well, so you feel like you could take some liberties with your food and meds. This is not unusual thinking for someone with chronic illness. My DH has been seriously ill with stage 4 lung disease, something that will eventually kill him (he's on SSDI now). But he has times when he's feeling pretty good that he thinks "Hey, maybe I could stop some of these meds, get a job, and start running again!" Of course, his illness disabuses him of these thought rather quickly and he goes back on the meds, sometimes at increased levels.

One thing this reminds of is how an alcoholic or addict thinks about their drug of choice. It is very common for them to comply with treatment initially, really throw themselved into it. They go to AA every night, change their playgrounds and playmates, and try very earnestly to not get into a position to be tempted. Inevitably, most of them will relapse. At some point, many will try their drug "one last time, to test myself." Of course, it doesn't work that way. Once you're an addict, you're always an addict. They have to remain vigilent for the restof their lives if they want to maintain sobriety.

I know that addiction is a different animal from diabetes, but I think the illnesses have similar features. It is very easy to fall down once we start playing on that slippery slope.

[Tribbles]

I think i get what you're saying. Basically, you're tired of having to deal with it. Things are going well, so you feel like you could take some liberties with your food and meds.

I'm not sure I agree with this outlook. He has this well controlled and there is no reason not to relax it a bit if that is what he wants. There are a few people who have stopped meds.

I have a target of under 6.5% and as long as I meet that I am happy. My last A1c was 6.1% so I have undershot and consequently have 0.4% to play with, now to decide what to put back.

[savvysearch]

If you feel unsure, you need to go to your doctor and have him come up with another confirmation. Perhaps an OGTT after being off of metformin for a while.

Regardless of the chance of being or not being diabetic, I think is crucial for your state and ease of mind to be completely sure.

[Axel Slinger]

Once you're an addict, you're always an addict. They have to remain vigilent for the restof their lives if they want to maintain sobriety.

I disagree. I used to be a screaming alcoholic. But that was 30 years ago. I quit New Year's in 1978 \ 1979 and for the first few months I missed drinking. Then slowly but surely I stopped thinking about it, and the times I was tempted to "fall off the wagon" (as the old saying goes) became fewer and farther between. Now I haven't been tempted in over 25 years, and I never once went to an AA meeting.

It was pretty much the same with when I quit smoking cigarettes. I was tempted at first and I wanted a smoke really bad. But I never gave in and as time went on I stopped even thinking about it, and now it's been almost 4 years and I wouldn't even consider smoking again.

[FetchExpress]

What If.................DeNile is a river in Eygpt.

Denial is a funny thing it sneaks up on us in many many ways and can take many forms. The thing is usually once you start communicating clearly what is going on it goes away.

I think you need to talk to your doctor and tell them your thoughts about all of this.

[Khan]

When i was diagnosed my blood sugar was SUPER HIGH , but after a few weeks my blood sugars were normalised (granted i was on 2000mg of metformin)

I am more aware of what i eat now (pre diabetes i would happily eat 4 chocolate bars 4 packet of crisps 2ltr bottle of coke etc a night - which obviously is just stupid) and i make it out to everyone at work etc that its worse than i personaly think it is (i guess its like a coping measure i say i can never eat any chocolate etc so i wont be offered anything - not even a crappy little tiny chocolate out of an advent calender 1 day in the month , just so i know i can never lapse and pig out at work lol) but in the last 2 yrs my brain cant really accept it

i keep thinking what is im not diabetic .. the docs seen me for 1 night and i was told to take 2000mg of metformin .. since then i have convinced docs slowly to reduce my meds , i dunno how to get that thought out of my head and i dont know how im going to be once it actually leaves.


any input?

Impressive blood glucose (or sugar) control.
If you don't mind, can you please answer the following questions : -
1. How old are you?
2. How much did you weigh at diagnosis?
3. How much do you weigh now?
4. What changes have you made in your diet since your diagnosis? Is it low carb?
5. Have you included exercise in your weekly routine?
6. Did you used to exercise/play sports at diagnosis?
7. Were you a smoker at diagnosis? Did thi change after?
8. How much did you used to drink per week at diagnosis? Did this change after diagnosis?

Thanks,
K

[LarryTango]

If you don't mind, can you please answer the following questions : -
1. How old are you?
2. How much did you weigh at diagnosis?
3. How much do you weigh now?
4. What changes have you made in your diet since your diagnosis? Is it low carb?
5. Have you included exercise in your weekly routine?
6. Did you used to exercise/play sports at diagnosis?
7. Were you a smoker at diagnosis? Did thi change after?
8. How much did you used to drink per week at diagnosis? Did this change after diagnosis?

1) Im now 27 (28 in jan)
2) I not sure on diagnosis , during that time i generally weighed up to and maybe exceeding 21 stone
3) about 18 stone (i did at one point get it down to 17 but .. bleh)
4) my diet sucks. it always has.
compared to everyone i seem to have made no changes at all but.

a) i no longer eat chocolate (i ate alot b4) or sweets
b) i no longer fry anything (everything used to be fried)
c) i no longer drink sugar softdrinks (such as coke etc)
d) i cut down on my milk intake (i used to drink 6+ pints a day)
e) i increased my fruit intake (probs due to no sweets) and i am sure i eat way too many red grapes.
f) my diet isnt varied at all this is typical work day
9:00 (if im awake) get 2 weetabix with semi skimmed milk
11:00 at work get 2 pots of grapes and a diet softdrink (take tablets)
15:00 get 2 more pots of grapes and 1or2 pints of milk
18:00 maybe get a pot of grapes or a milk
21:00 finished work , at home make oven chips have a diet softdrink take meds

during the weekend its not as structured as that but basically i snack on fruit (oranges , grapes , apples , mainly grapes) all day and have oven chips on night , i realise how bad that sounds lol.

5) exercise with my job is hard i sit on my butt for 8 hours a day and cant be bothered to do anything when finished work , i try to walk places whenever i can but to be honest exercise is a bit lapse

6) at diagnosis i pretty much sat on my butt all day on sofa and watched tv / played on pc (didnt have a job) and ate chocolate (alot of chocolate) , i do more now even tho i dont do much , the act of me going to work makes me do more if that makes sense


7) never smoked in my life

8) never drank alcohol in my life

[Khan]

i keep thinking what is im not diabetic .. the docs seen me for 1 night and i was told to take 2000mg of metformin .. since then i have convinced docs slowly to reduce my meds , i dunno how to get that thought out of my head and i dont know how im going to be once it actually leaves.


any input?

Doctors don't like to say that type 2 can be reversed. Diabetes is a name to a complication that is described by above normal BG (Blood Glucose) levels. It is high BGs that give rise to secondary complications like: heart complications, problems with nerves and signalling, urinary infections due to sugar in urine etc. Since your BG levels are well controlled and just as good (if not better) than a non-diabetic, you don't have anything to worry about. As far as your medication is concerned, Metformin is known to be a well tested and safe drug. It has very few side effects. I think your doctor has done the right thing i.e. reduced your dosage. See how your BG levels (or Hba1c) are for next two/three months and then ask your doctor to take you off meds completely. You wrote that you have got a new doctor, ask him to start writing you test strips so you can test frequently. Get a logbook and jot down the date and time when you test together with the time you ate, how much you ate, what you ate and if you did any exercise.

If your doctor is not very helpful then you can get a second opinion from another doctor by registering with a new GP in your catchment area. I am not quite sure how this works (other posters may have a better idea) but another fellow diabetic at work told me that one can seek a second opinion.

Diabetes is a lifestyle disease. The habits you had at Dx led you to D. Changing your lifestyle should put you in better control. Since Dx you have lost about 10-15% weight. That's very good. You have changed your eating habits and what you consume. If your BGs remain in control even after your doc puts you off meds, I will not recommend you to go back to your old pre-Dx ways of eating.

I am glad to know that your BGs are very well maintained. You certainly are a lucky case. I guess you got Dx early before too much damage was done to your pancreas (beta cells). Continue to keep yourself away from cigs and alcohol (even small amounts). Maintain control over your intake of sugar and carbohydrates (wheat - bread, pasta, rice and potatoes - chips etc.).