Just wanted to say thanks

[Kit 26,603]

So, I've been a member here for exactly 1 month and I lurked before registering for maybe a couple of days.

 

Back on April 4th I was still struggling on getting my morning fasting readings under 120 and was just getting my after meal readings consistently under 140.

 

My dietician had given me a "strict low carb diet" of around 100 carbs a day and less than 50g fats a day (with as little saturated fat as possible).  I followed this diet faithfully.  I had already grasped the concept of eating to your meter and I kept dropping my carbs in an attempt to gain some control over the situation.  While my numbers were going down, I knew they weren't good.

 

I was depressed and dealing with anxiety attacks.  I was also dealing with a possible MS diagnoses (which I'm still in limbo on) and I was feeling like my meter was a random number generator.

 

I also felt like a failure.  I was a failure because I was diabetic.  I was a failure because I wasn't able to gain the control I needed.  I was a failure because when I ate the way I was told to eat I had horrible numbers.  I was hungry because I kept trying to cut carbs and so was loosing calories steadily from my diet with little way to get any back in with the fat limitations.

 

And then I found this place.  Over the course of a month I have read every post in every thread in the archives.  I have learned more from the people here than I learned anywhere else.  I learned a lot of diabetics can't control their blood sugars with so many carbs a day.  I found other people who were experiencing the same things I was.  I learned fat wasn't my enemy.  I learned that while diabetes is progressive, complications are not inevitable.  But most of all, I learned that I wasn't a failure and that I wasn't alone.

 

My morning fasting reading now fluctuates a little above or below 100.  I am seeing more and more readings in the 80s, its uncommon for me to be in the 100s and I'm almost never over 110 (after breakfast is still a bugger at times).

 

In 3 months I have lowered my A1C from 10.4 to 6.7 and I feel confident that even if I maintain where I am now, that I should be able to hit under 6 for the next one.  I feel I can enjoy eating again.  I am less afraid and feel more free to experiment.  I can eat things that taste good and that are good for me.  I am not deprived.

 

So, I just wanted to say thanks for posting about your successes and failures.  Thanks for the encouragement.  Thanks for being here, for being welcoming and for helping others know that they aren't alone and that they aren't failures.

[samuraiguy 4,970]

There are no failures in the pursuit of healther BG levels, just adjustments to your management routine 

[Ela 1,814]

Hey Kit and thank you for your post!

 

Even though I agree with Dowling Gram that no thanks are necessary, it's good to hear that we (our community here) are able to help!  I was in your shoes 3 years ago and also very grateful for this forum. 

[TrickyTreeFrog 196]

First and foremost...

 

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! 

 

 

 

you did it and it was all you!!!

 

I am so glad you stuck around and read the great information this forums has to offer then implement what worked for "you".

 

Keep up the good work

 

Hugs

 

Da Fwog

 

 

[ramon 693]

No doubt about it, this forum is one of the most positive thing that happened to many here. Met so many good folks and so many help me walk the line. I just hope we take the time and effort to pass on the word.

[pat593 283]

I feel the same way.  I have learned more here from real users than any medical professional I've seen

 

I can so relate to your feeling frustrated and blaming yourself.  Don't forget, when your blood sugars are not in line, your mood swings can be a little crazy too. 

 

Once I got the diet under control, my depression lifted and I found I could better deal with the new challenges this disease brings us.

 

Stay here, keep posting.  I hope one day to give back the advice that I was given here.  Great place to learn.  I look forward to hearing more about your progress.

[rubidoux 344]

That rocks, Kit! It takes a lot of us YEARS to figure out how to get and stay in control. If sounds like you're doing great.

 

I identify w a lot of what you say and had to lol at the random number generator.

 

I can't believe that dieticians are still giving that crappy advice! Gah !

[Kit 26,603]

Yeah, failure wasn't the best choice of word in the last little bit of my post.  Perhaps it would have been better to say thinks for posting about all of your ups and downs.  I really think it would have taken me a lot longer to get where I am right now if I hadn't had access to so many with such a vast amount of experiance.  This place is one of the most valuable resources I have found.

 

I fear the anxiety is here to stay for a while though.  This year has been a bit of an insane ride.

 

Back in January I lost all feeling on the left side of my face, the entirety of my mouth, and lost the ability to taste anything.  Funny enough I didn't actually notice this until lunch time (I've mentioned elsewhere that my brain just doesn't work well in the morning).  After googling the symptoms and having a stroke come up over and over, I panicked and went to the ER.  Of course I drove the 30 some miles to the one near my house instead of one closer to work (becuase I am insane that way).  Its kind of amusing how fast you go to the front of the line when a 40 some old woman tells them the left side of her face has gone numb.

 

So, I spent the next 6 hours getting lots of medical tests like EKGs and MRIs.  So as I'm sitting there terrified and bored out of my mind, the ER doctor and a nurse come in.  As she starts taking my blood pressure for like the 50th time that night, the doctor says "Well the EKG is fine, the MRI doesn't show any signs of a stroke or tumor.  However, there are a few lesions at the base of your brain and it looks like you have Multiple Sclerosis.  Here's a referral to a neurologist.  Oh and by the way, you're diabetic.  Here's a prescription for Metforim.  Get it filled before you leave and wait to take the first one tomorrow morning.  Follow up with your PCP."  The nurse made a comment along the lines of "Wow, I didn't know blood pressure could go that high."

 

Now I have never had very good luck when it came to keeping a PCP.  Normally I would call saying I'm sick, or I hurt myself, etc and would get a response of "well the soonest appointment we have is 8 weeks out".  So I would fire that doctor and head over to urgent care.  I might spend 8 hours waiting, but at least it was a better response time than 2 months.

 

So I got to start this journey with no clue what to do, no doctor to go to.  As diabetes runs in both sides of my family, that wasn't completely a shock and I had some basic ideas on how to get started.  I found a doctor who I really like and she has been quite open to the non "traditional" methods of diet.  Her only concern was when I admitted to eating less than 1000 calories a day and that I might burn myself out.

 

Its proceedure for all new diabetics (at least in this area) to be referred to a dietician on diagnosis.  While he was a very nice and friendly guy, he gave me a mixed bag when it came to advice.  He advised me to get familiar with portion sizes which was valuable advice.  But he also told me horror stories about fat and diabetics.  Specifically he told me that dietary fat makes you more insulin resistant.  He told me a story about one of his clients went out for a steak dinner.  The guy skipped the potato and just ate the steak and veggies and then couldn't understand why his blood sugar went so high.  I took his advice at face value and followed his guidelines absolutely.  The one time I broke with that (before I found here) was a crappy sirloin steak from a crappy chain.  I ate the entire steak and felt so guilty about it.  Two hours later my reading was not only10 points less then before I had eaten, it was my lowest reading since this had all started.  Talk about being confused.

 

While the whole diabetes thing has been stressful, its been the MS that's been spiking my anxiety levels through the roof.  The feeling in my face and my sense of taste came back about 2 and a half weeks later.  Then it was episodes where the same area of my face would start to intensly tingle, I'd get a metalic taste in my mouth, and it would feel like someone had turned down the gravity.  Or I would get numb spots on my arms.  Or my sense of temperature on my face would get messed up and hot would be cold and cold would feel hot.

 

The neurologist started his all bout of tests as he felt the MRI was inconclusive.  I've been tested for vitamin deficiencies (look up B12 deficiency if you want to really get scared to death).  They all came back fine.  He also ordered a spinal tap.  The results came back positive for banding which was not present on the blood sample.  So another point for MS.  So I got to go through it all again.  A new MRI going down into the neck area as well as the brain this time.  Both with and without contrast.  I also got to do another spinal tap to make sure the last one wasn't a false positive.  Now I get to sit here for a month until I can get the results back.  While waiting I bounce between reading as much as I can on the subject and getting more depressed an anxious, or trying to ignore it, focus on the diabetes, and get more depressed and anxious.

 

Yeesh, I don't believe I have ever said this much in one go.  I think its time for me to go for a walk in the rain. 

[coob 133]

Focus on deep breathing.  If you're not sure how to breathe deeply (not chest breathing), look it up.    Pray.   Consider hormonal influences.   Keep coming to this site.  I'm new too - and the people are great!!

[Eh562300 811]

Well, this is an old thread, but wow, Kit, reading your story and seeing how far you have come in such a short period of time is amazing. You have also done so much to educate other newbies on this board.    What an experience.