I had sort of fallen slack within the past few months, just eating whatever I wanted, but still keeping track of my blood sugar levels.
I'm a type 1 diabetic, since april of 2004. I've had many issues along the way, but recently, my problems have begun to escalate, and I think its mostly diet related, although my blood sugars have been normal for the past couple months!
Since I ballooned out of control, my fiance told me enough was enough, I needed to get back on my diet, so last night (Sunday) I had my last day of freedom. I had a full roast lunch (butter basted turkey, mixed veg, cheesy mashed potatos, and yorkshire puddings) And for dinner, I had a failed grilled cheese sandwich, and two cream cakes to top my night off. I had weighed myself that night, and I stood in at 188lbs or 13stone6lbs.
I woke up this morning, tested my blood sugar and in spite of my taking into account with my insulin how many carbs I had, I woke with a blood sugar of 499!!
After seeing that number, even though I'd decided on a once weekly weigh in, I had to weigh myself again. I stepped on the scale and lo and behold, I was a whole 10lbs lighter! I was massively elated, but also distressed as well.
I know that keeping a high bgl means that there's no insulin to turn anything to fat, so you basically just pee out sugar. I also know how harmful this is over even a short period of time.
I had been to my doctor's last week, and tried to change from my current long acting insulin one that I know works better for me, but he said I should stick with my current insulins. (Levemir and Novolog flexpens)
Does anyone have any advice they can give me? My blood sugars have been completely under control till this morning, and on the odd occasional other morning as well. I dont think my scale is wrong because my fiance has weighed himself the same times as me and he's stayed the same weight.
I have been to see my doctor this morning, and they want to keep me on the insulin I'm currently taking, which only lasts for 16 hours throughout the day.
I have been trying to get back onto my original long acting insulin for quite some time, because it lasts closer to the 24hour mark. My doctor keeps readjusting my current insulin and its getting rather frustrating.
The issue I need advice on, is what to look for in a new Doctor or GP. I havent had much luck with doctors so far, as I'm quite skitty and anxious around male GPs. Any tips? I'm at my wits end with my doctor currently.
(sorry about the repost, I was heavily confused almost to tears this morning, and when I look back, I dont think I made much sense or got my question across properly!!!)
I can certainly understand why you are so upset amd I'm afraid I don't have any miracle-like advice for you . . . Actually, if you've been eating like that (as described in your first post), I'm surprised your BGL hasn't been running higher on a more regular basis.
Do you have a DEC (Diabetes Education Centre) close by? They are usually staffed by Nurse Practitioner Specialists and Dietician Specialist (at least in Canada, they are). Most GP's are willing to admit that they are not Diabetes specialists.
I think you need to see both a Dietician and an Endoncrinologist if possible, and as soon as possible. I don't know just how the national health system works in the UK, but here in Canada, our national health system requires that you be referred to both an Endo and a DEC by your GP. So . . . see if your current GP will refer you . . . if not, that would be my first priority in looking for a new GP -- one who admits he/she is NOT a diabetes expert and will readily provide the needed referrals.
BTW, although I'm Type II, I do use Insulin and have found that 2 shots of Intermediate Acting Insulin (12 hours apart) tend to give me better control that one shot of Lantus. Of course, that's just me . . . everybody is different.
In the meantime . . . get those carbs under control, Chickie. There's a lot more than your weight at stake. Good luck and be sure to keep us posted on how things are going.
I used to be on lantus, and it was the best, until they gave me the pen and cartridge system. (and as for my slight binge last night, I havent eaten like that in a long time, I was more reffering to the fact that I dont look closely at what I eat)
With the healthcare system here, you actually have to be referred to a hospital, and after your check up there, they will refer you again to an endo or diabetes specialist.
Last time I went through this (I've recently moved further into the UK), it took a good 3 months for me to get to see a diabetes specialist, and I spent about an hour in the room with the Dr (a man) and I couldnt stop crying. I have had a few bad dr/patient relationships with men, and ever since I was diagnosed, I've only trusted a handful of men.
I'm also not sure how my weight has been fluxuating so harshly. I got on the scale at 188lbs last night, this morning I was at 176, and just 2 hours ago (noon here) I was at 178!
All I've had to eat today was two bowls of cereal, one for breakfast and one for lunch. 174 calories each. That may have fueled a bit of panic in me.
The cereal (with milk, I assume) could account for the 2 pounds (most liquids come in around 10 lbs a gallon) . . . but the ten from yesterday is definitely beyond me.
If we are talking about the same kind of pen system I use I can't understand how it would make much of a difference from the bottle and syringe method . . . very strange.
With my pen, you stick in a vial of insulin, then you attach a needle, then you dial the number of units you want to inject, stick it in yourself, and push the plunger. Not much different from the syringe method except you don't have to actually draw up the insulin from the bottle. Just makes things a little neater and it's easier to carry with you when necessary.
I really hope you can get a female GP . . . I like them better, too, but they are rare as hen's teeth around my rural community. Even rarer is a female GYN
With the Lantus pen, the cartridges have a tendancy to leak into themselves, so when injecting, you get little or none of the insulin you dialed. I have seen websites and forums where people have had that exact problem. I have even called avensis or however its spelled, and they said that I should just get new cartridges, which was starting to hurt my parents insurance plan because just about every other cartridge would leak, sometimes out the sides of the needle as well.
It even happened to my doctor when I brought him the pen and needles I used!
That is going to be difficult for me as well, finding a female GP and god forbid when I have children, I might just stick with a midwife! I've got quite a few years till I will be ready for children anyways.
Thanks for your help, the milk thing does sound like the culprit!
I've been diabetic (type II) for nearly 40 years, and the high bsl with lower weight is not surprising. High blood sugar trashes the body, and the body gets rid of fluid big time when that happens. That's why the warning signs of diabetes are "frequent urination, losing weight without dieting". These are both symptoms of high blood sugar. As an overweight diabetic, I know full well if I want to lose fast, don't take meds. I've done that in the past many times. Of course, now in my 60's I'm paying for it with complications. Your mental confusion also can be attributed to high blood sugars. I got admitted to the hospital once with a bs of 800+. I had been sick for 2 days but couldn't think well enuff to know what to do about it. Then, I DROVE MYSELF to the emergency room. Fortuately it was about 3am, so I didn't kill anyone on the way. You just cannot mess around with high blood sugar. You're young and have a long life ahead of you. Don't do something now that will make your life miserable when you're my age. I take both Lantus (twice a day) and Humalog (3-4 times a day), but both by needle. I've never used a pen, so know nothing about them.
How dreadful . . . I've never had a pen/cartridge that did anything like that . . . sometimes I get a cartridge that seems a little 'sticky' about giving up the first couple of units that you expel to make sure things are flowing properly, but after that no problems. You definitely need to get back to syringes or at least change to another pen and cartridge manufacturer if possible.
Now that Soiley mentions it, I do remember about six years ago I went through a stage of denial -- sort of -- and stopped testing regularly and my sugars started to soar and I started to lose weight inexplicably. When I finally came back to earth is when I had to bite the bullet, admit that the disease is progressive, and start using insulin because I was at the highest dose of the Glyburide, Metformin, Actos combination allowable and it wasn't getting the job done.
Type I or Type II . . . proper testing, proper eating, proper weight control, and proper medication . . . are all needed to contain the nasty, nasty Diabetes-
I've been through it as well, quite close to soiley's experience actually.
January 2005, I was so fed up with my GP (guy who diagnosed me), and he wouldnt transfer me to another female gp, so, foolishly, I took matters into my own hands. I weighed in at about 190 at the time, and I dropped to 150lbs in less than a month and a half.
I was so excited at the time, because I was buying my first prom dress and I could actually wear a slinky dress instead of a full corseted one!
Two days later, I nearly passed out during a chemistry test and the school called my grandmother who took me in to see my Aunt Terry (nurse) at the Emergency Room at my local hospital. My blood sugar was just below 800, and they decided to keep me in the hospital for a week+, till I was more stable.
As I was lying in the hospital bed my first day, my GP came in and started scolding me. He was accusing me of not taking my meds because I wanted to lose weight. Which was completely untrue. I had been to all the Diabetes Edu classes and I was never told that weight loss was a consequence of my actions! Poor practice on my GP's part. I told him to get out of my room, even thinking about that man right now makes me go red to the face with utter anger.
He still handled my care, although I would not let him come anywhere near me.
I noticed, in the morning of day 3, they started giving me different IV bags. The first set of IVs I had contained the formula Csub257 Hsub383 Nsub65 Osub77 Ssub6 which is the formula for Insulin. Now, I'm not stupid, I was just about to go sit through a chemistry exam before all of this. I asked my nurses everytime they changed my IV what they were feeding into my veins. "Insulin We need to get that blood sugar down!" They'd say all cheery and disgusting like.
Day three, my IV bag had a different formula on it. The bag read "C6 H12 06". Gluscose. No insulin, and I didnt even have my insulin pens on me. Day 4 was a Thursday, I was sick and tired of them not handling somehting that I could have finished fixing at home with my insulin pens. My blood sugar levels were hanging above 350 constantly now that they'd put the glucose IV up.
I pulled the needle out my hand, and left. My parent's insurance didnt cover more than 3 days in hospital, and they were deliberately keeping me there without listening to me, and they even lied to me on several occasions.
I gave my GP a good ol butt whooping via my communication skills, and demanded to get released from his shoddy care.
Took me nearly a whole year to get out from that man's grasp.
Dang, Cassandra, your story makes me glad we do NOT have national health care here in the US.
I am type II, and I do not take insulin, so I am afraid I can't offer any advice. I just wanted to let you know I read your posts, and I am hoping and praying you can find a GOOD doctor- easily. It sure makes a difference when you have someone who treats you with respect, includes you and your preferences in decisions, etc.
Actually, that experience did happen when I lived in the USA. I moved here because my Fiance is welsh
But healthcare in the USA is much better. Its even harder to find a decent doctor here, because you're just assigned one. You have absolutely no choice in the matter. And if you call in to make an appointment, you wont necessarily get that person.
Its so inconsistent in the UK. I was just in the last preparation steps towards getting an insulin pump, and then I moved, and they wont let me have a pump here, unless I meet specific conditions. (ie, my bloodsugar is always low) Which is ridiculous, because the whole point of a pump is to have insulin at the ready for when your sugar is high and needs lowering. :/
You do get free prescriptions here. And some doctors will just up and prescribe you anything you ask for! Because the health system is funded completely by the government, they dont have the resources to take your preferences into consideration all the time.
I went to a gp the other day, and got shoo'd out of his office because my "10 minute appointment slot" was up. You have to call the GP the morning of the day you want to see a Doctor. I did, and said I wanted a full prescription review, and to change some of my meds. I walked out of that office with a prescription for insulin cartridges belonging to a pen I've never owned! Talk about drama, when it was the last appointment of the day and the pharmacy was about to shut!
I'm still waiting to be referred to a hospital. Its been 2 months now.
See, weighing yourself throughout the period of one day is enough to make anyone frustrated. Example: (warning: potential overshare) I weighed myself and I needed to pee. It said 167. I shrugged. Then, after peeing, I noticed I weighed 164. Throughout the day, I've noticed I can gain and lose up to 8 pounds, and I've never really thought anything of it.
And high blood sugar causes you to lose weight like that *snap, snap* I know it's bad, but I used to constantly make sure mine was high just so I could stay skinny.
I don't have any particular advice to offer you, though I do have a question: why did your doc take you off lantus? And also ,that requirement for your blood sugars to be constantly low for a pump is ridiculous... AND ironic... you'd think they'd be more likely to offer one to someone with poor control and erradic numbers. *Tsk's at the Brits*
My doctor in the UK decided to put me on levemir because my lantus pen was being naughty. And leaking into the innertube and out the sides of the needle seal. I wasnt getting the insulin, and they wanted to try me on levemir.
I didnt really get a choice though. I just have to go along with all of the appointments they make for me, otherwise, when/if I do have complications, they wont treat me for them on the healthcare system. I'll have to go private. I cant even afford stamps for job applications now, let alone major health care bills.
Started anew, massive problems already!
