[Frangelica]

I appreciate your invitation to join other "sweetaholics" on this board. Having diabetes is such a challenge...and even though I was diagnosed when I was 21 (and it runs rampant in my Italian family), I never started taking care of it until I was in my late 30s.

Hence, for all of you who are just newly diagnosed, I've had the "thrill" of neuropathy in my feet which is a very "tender" experieince. They're always burning, itchy or cold and hot at the same time. Walking bearfoot is something I wouldn't dream of doing...too much pain.

Where some diabetics feel less pain as the neuropathy does its thing, I feel more pain and my feet are more sensitive.Wearing socks is a great help, but living in the Sonoran desert where it's been over 100 degrees lately makes them even warmer. At one point the endo suggested Capazine, which is used for arthritics and has a natural ingredient (can't remember, but it's a spice that 's hot) which, when used over a period of time is supposed to relieve this pain. Tried it, but never kept up with it because it didn't seem to do that much.

So far kidney, liver and other organs are maintaining themselves (had a triple bypass in 1996 and double mastectomy in 1992), with the help of accupril, Lipitor and other drugs of my doctor's choice.

This is not meant to be a "downer," it's just something I wanted to share. It's so important for us to keep our numbers in balance in all areas...our blood sugars and our weight. If we don't, we end up with all of these peripheral problems. People don't die from diabetes, they die from the complications of it. It's a hideous condition.

Yet, I've made friends with my needles, glucose monitor, exercise and diet. I actually feel the best I've felt in a long time because of all the changes I'm making.

The best part is that I still go to restaurants like Friday's, Olive Garden, Mimi's, etc. I just pre-plan and I can enjoy whatever I want (as long as it's not toooo much pasta. That "sticks" to my blood sugar for two days! So sad is an Italian who's favorite food is what she needs to eat the least of! )

Thanks for letting me vent..this is a great board and I send all of you angel hugs and the sweetness of an angel's breath. (That's ONE sweet thing that only helps us)

[jlea]

Thank you too.

I have neuropathy in my feet too, and hands. It doesn't bother my hands too much, but oh do my feet hurt sometimes! It has gotten better since losing weight and getting my BS in good control but the burning NEVER stops! I also have the ice cold spots too, like my feet are burning hot and then ice cubes are touching them in different places. Weird! My legs also tingle about half way up to my knees. Sometimes my hands feel a little tingly too. More of a nuisance than anything. I can live with it. My worse problems at the moment are the gastroparesis and my eyes. I have retinopathy and I've had a little bleeding in the retina but it's not bad. But I had laser surgery in both eyes in April for closed-angle glaucoma. And at the moment, I'm having a bad time digesting my food. It is just sitting in my stomach for hours, even with my medication.

Oh well, enough gloom and doom! But to all the diabetics reading this....please take care of yourself. This could be you!!