Had my docs appt today. I did get a mild diuretic to use as I feel I needed. I don't want to take it all the time. I am still going to be on the Metformin, but waiting for my insurance approval to get the time-released. I thought we decided for me not to take the Fenofibrate although I told him I would take it if he insisted. He when online and put my prescriptions in and when I got to the pharmacy it was one of the meds that was ready... so I guess I'm going to continue taking it. I know keeping the cholestrol and trigycerides down and that seems to be the meds for that. My A1c was 7.0 which I was thrilled it wasn't higher. DH was 7.4 and he's on his meds. He told the doc it was all his halloween candy. DD told her Daddy it was all they candy he's eaten in the last 120 days. LOL His was .1 down from 3 mos ago. Mine was up about .8 from May. Doc doesn't want to put me on any other diabetic med because he says it is too easy to gain weight on. I really pray timed-release Metformin works because the regular did curb my appetite and kind of kept me regular and of course, I know the other benefits from him and our Mad. So I will do what he said. He also gave me orders to go have a mammogram at the women's center here in town. I've got to call and make an appt as I find out when DSIL is off work. So overall I am happy with the results of my visit even though he didn't change my treatment much. I read that you need to drink a glass of water before you go to bed to stop leg cramps so I'll trying that. INTERESTING thing... found out today that Doc counts calories when he needs to. He showed me how he used myfitnesspal.com on his ipad. He tried to show me how to use my Smartphone to do it but he couldn't figure it out.
Good morning. Patty, it sounds like your doctor is a good one who really cares about his patients. Too bad all of them aren't like that. The occasional use of a diuretic sounds good - being water-logged is not good for the heart!
Chugging along with weight up and down a lot. Tester FBGL this morning and am up to 5.6 - probably from having most delicious pork and beans last night. My neighbour Cathy is village-famous for her pork and beans and I just "happened" to run across some in my freezer. Very delicious but I know she uses maple syrup in them. The good news is that they are now gone.
Off for a haircut appointment for 10:30 and need to go to Staples which is right next to the dreaded Chinese Buffet! My strategy is to get my butt in gear right now and go there before I go for the haircut. Then I'll be able to come straight home from the haircut. Wish me luck!
Mad, glad you have recovered from the election. I cannot imagine staying up that late. I'm usually wakening up around then. Sure hope DD gets her act together and doesn't give you grief.
Bonnie, hope all is OK. Haven't "seen" you since Monday. Remember to put yourself first as often as possible.
I took a regular Metformin last night with my usual breakfast oatmeal meal. I guess I can't eat that at night. My FBS was 202 this morning. I have never had a FBS that high. So I had a lower carb breakfast this morning. I forgot to check my bs just before eating, but I will do a 2 hr after check any way. No leg cramps last night even after taking the Metformin and the Fenofibrate so I guess drinking the water helps. I drank a glass before I went to bed and I drink just a little when I get up to go to the bathroom. I read last night on a diabetic site that we should check our bs at bedtime. The writer said that if the blood sugar is too high or too low it keeps us from sleeping. I thought that was very interesting.
Ruthie Good luck passing up the Chinese food. I have difficulty with that too. Don't feel too bad about the pork and beans if made with maple syrup as I've read that is one syrup that is not too bad for diabetics. Of course, I'm not sure as my doc says that someone is always coming out with new ideas that a food they want to eat is good for them. I've decided that maybe we need to check out who did or had the study done. I agree my doc is very good. I tell DH all the time that I love him because he takes time to talk to us. In fact, he ended up talking to me so much about counting cals and why he felt I should stay on the meds that he and I both forgot to have me do the urine test he wanted. Oh well, guess he'll do it next time if it is important. I'm using Livestrong to keep up with my calories and of course it also keeps up with the carbs. My cals for today so far are 1074 and my carbs are 46. DH made up a copy of the monthly sheets for keeping up with recording my bs that he made up for his 1st wife to use when she was living. So I'm ready to really get serious with all this again. Also found out yesterday looking at my part D insurance that it doesn't cover diabetic testing strips. So I don't think I'll be getting prescriptions for them any more. That way I can purchase them when I want. A prescription has test one a day and I can only get them every 50 days or so. So I always buy extra on my own. I thought Medicare helped with them but if they do they don't help that much. Have to test several times a day to get them free from Medicare and send them a copy of my tests each month. I just don't want to do all that especially when I don't have to and not sure I want Medicare/government in my business that much.
Funny thing about doc. He did a pap smear and as he was preparing to do it, I told the nurse that I thought every man should have to have at least one of those horrible things. He said that he thanks God that he is a man. He said not only would he not want to have one, but he thought it must be horrible to have to carry a baby for 9 months. LOL
Mad I guess I'm a news junkie too. However, if elections here in US didn't affect my life as it doesn, I don't think I would have stayed up as late as I did to see the results. BTW I told my doc about you and how you encourage me to take the Metformin and why. He was impressed. I think he was glad I'm on a good diabeti thread.
Hope Bonnie, Rie and others are doing okay. Hope they check in when they can.
Hi all: Went to see a lovely movie last night, "Stories we tell" by filmaker Sarah Polley. She found out she was a product of her mother's affair, and documents the unfolding of this. In reality, I see it as a love letter to her mother, who died when she was 11, and finding her mother as much as her biological father. Her "real" dad, who raised her, was warm and understanding too. All in all a beautiful film to see if you are able.
Stuck to plan yesterday. Off for the weekend, so plan some yoga and walking. DS wants me to go to see my father and help get house ready for sale, apparently little has been done since the garage sale in the summer. She was there for a day, and did quite a lot, according to her! So I may go there tonight or tomorrow, depending on his wishes. I am asking DH to call and talk to him about what he wants, because I feel so strongly about not pushing seniors around (I am a takeover kind of person naturally) that I am concerned about overdoing it.
Still having trouble with constipation, took some clearlax last night. I have been adding fibre1 to breakfasts, but not helping. Time for the big guns now.
Hope everyone has a good friday heading into the weekend.
Bonnie and Rie haven't been over for a while, and I miss froggy, but glad for you Ruth and Trish. Stay well
I just got diagnosed with diabetes, and have been prescribed Metformin (which I'll start tomorrow - as I wanted to wait 'till a non-work day to start in case I had nasty side effects). I'm starting with 500 mg once a day for a week, increasing to 500 mg twice a day for a week, then increasing to 1000 mg twice a day. I also just moved into a new place and didn't have a working frig until last night.
So I'm heading to the grocery store after work...and could really use some suggestions for what types of groceries to get. As a general rule, I know I should stick with whole grains/high fiber for carbs, as well as veggies and some fruits, and mostly high protein/low fat stuff. But if anyone has any specific suggestions, I'd greatly appreciate them.
What's the max number of carbs I should eat in a meal? Or the max for a day? In some online research I learned that overindulging on carbs can increase the chances of the nasty side effects of Metformin.
I could really use any advice, suggestions, websites, resources you'd be willing to recommend.
Michelle - This is a good place to learn. There are others who have been doing this longer than me who can give better advice. One think I would say is that any diet or woe will work... my doc told me that any diet would work; I just needed to find what I could live with. After 2 yrs of trying different diets, I've finally settled on counting calories which was what he told me to do when he first diagnosed me. He wanted me to go on a 1600 cal diet and what I've done recently is settle my mind to eat limit myself to 1600 cals daily. I read where someone said they would rather be able to eat what they want within a calorie count than not. I find it so much easier not to have any food I can't have within the calorie limit. It seems to work for me.
Some here do or have done Atkins, South Beach, WW... so decide what you can live with and go for it. I researched diabetes on line... there are loads of info out there. If your doc recommended or referred you to a dietician, then take advantage of that.
Mad - Good luck working to get things ready to sell your Dad's home. Do they have another place picked out?
I called today and have my mammagram scheduled for Monday morning. I was so surprised that I got it so soon. I'll be glad to have that done.
Welcome to Michelle: it looks like you have already lost quite a bit of weight, and if most of that is recent, I don't know that you need to change your diet much. Many people prefer lower carb diets (south beach, atkins) which may be higher in fat, because fat has not effect on blood sugar and can make a smaller meal more satisfying. But if you have been doing low fat and its working, it may be ok.
That is a high dose of metformin you are heading towards, and quickly. And do you have an appointment with a diabetic educator and dietitian? Are you testing?
Our usual suggestions are to learn A LOT about type 2 diabetes, a site like Blood sugar 101 is excellent. And get a glucometer, right away. Start testing your response to different meals, and you can soon learn what to cut out. For instance, I really had high spikes when eating white bread, it was still high but a bit lower with whole wheat bread, and lower still with sprouted grain breads. If I add peanut butter, the fat helps slow the sugar getting into my system. I rarely have bread now, as I don't want the spikes in blood sugar, (sprounted grain bread with peanut butter still has me at a blood sugar of 9mmol or more, 2 hours later) so its a real treat.
SO checking your sugars can really help you learn about your personal reactions, since we are all different, and you can decide what you are willing to cut from your usual diet. I am not a bread person, so no big deal. But I love my steel cut oats, and have them every once in a while, even though my blood sugar doesn't love them.
If you don't have a prescription for the strips, (the glucometer is free if you buy strips, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!) walmarts relion seems to be the cheapest. I like the onetouch ultra, and their strips are cheaper than many other brands too.
It takes a good month to get used to the metformin, so be prepared, the gas and squirts can be serious. I personally also find that I still get symptoms like that if I eat breads and cereals, but not otherwise. If you are having pretty severe symptoms when you are on 500 mg twice daily, check with your doc about waiting to up the dose. (But only if your doc agrees, I am not a doctor and can't give you medical advice, your doctor may have good reason to want you at the dose as soon as possible)
The good thing about your diagnosis is that you can head off negative effects of diabetes. GOod Luck, and hope you will continue to come to this thread.
On a personal note, weight seems to be staying down at 172, so am please about that, and I am staying on track. Going to Dad's this afternoon. He already has possession of an apartment near his house, he didn't want to go to a seniors place yet. But we didn't want the house empty to sell, but he is having trouble decluttering etc. So I will help him move non-furniture items and get rid of other stuff as able today and tomorrow. We will see how that all goes.
Trish, good luck with the Mammogram, shouldn't be any worse than a pap, a bit unpleasant and uncomfortable, but not horrible.
Ruth: if you didn't get past the dreaded chinese buffet, don't beat yourself up, and don't weigh for a few days, as you know the salt ALWAYS puts your weight up for a few days. LOL.
Hope everyone else is doing well.
well quiet since I was here yesterday. Got quite a few things tossed at Dad's and while he is at church, will do much more. I packed meds to bring, and forgot them at home, am I really only 51 and this forgetful? oh dear.
His fridge is also pretty sparse, as he has supper at his lady-friend's place 3 times a week and she sends food home, so we made supper last night, from his freezer, but not to my way of eating. Will have to get back on track tonight when I get home!
Have a nice Sunday everyone, weather forecast here is warm and sunny, late autumn treat.
Didn't realize I hadn't checked in for a while. First of all, to Michelle. Mad has certainly given you the word on being a Type II. I agree that controlling carbs is key.
Spent most of yesterday hard at work purging and cleaning my barn. I have a cousin who is a contractor and he lent em his dumpster. I can't believe we filled it! My husband, may he RIP, was a real packrat and we pitched a lot of useless stuff and gave away things too. There is more to do but at least I now have room to move in there. I served the crew of friends a lasagna and salad lunch and tried not to feel like one of those women on "Hoarders".
Leg is still giving me grief but I do plan to get back to the gym tomorrow morning and have a consult booked with my PT. I really need to strengthen my knees so we will be working on that. It's 67ºF right now so I am going to get out there right now and do some raking. I was at Church and then at the Memorial Day service today and just finished lunch here at home after making an appearance at the Legion after the service and gushing at the ladies over the lovely lunch they had laid out. (Nobody noticed I just had coffee since it was the kind of affair where everyone stands and chats and they pass the food.)
Need to plan some menus for the week while I'm raking. Maybe I'll take my little tape recorder - nothing like multi-tasking!
I got out in the sun for a while to walk the dog when I got home. DH has a migraine, so quiet evening at home with him. Getting back to plan. Ruth, good for you for purging stuff. Its a bit of a challenge, but I got Dad to let me take the typewriters, (he had 2, and uses a computer now of course!) and some other electronics to be disposed of properly. I am pretty happy with his tossing, and plans for other stuff to go. How much more to go RUth?
Have a good day, everyone.
That is how I feel right now. Things are so hectic here. I jest can't seem to get on the track. I am so tired of not being able to do what I need to. Then Hubby get me a king size bed and it takes up almost my whole room. No more working out in their Now I have to go out to the garage to do some work outs. But the garage is in shambles now we have to get this all cleaned up.
I tried the carb cycling but it gave me headaches so bad I had to stop and then I realized how much it was gonna cost me to use that one plan I had to stop . I am back up to 275 man do I need help . Somewhere down the line something has to give and I need to get back on track..
I tried the carb cycling but it gave me headaches so bad I had to stop and then I realized how much it was gonna cost me to use that one plan I had to stop . I am back up to 275 man do I need help . Somewhere down the line something has to give and I need to get back on track..
Bonnie: you CAN do it. You have the ability. Stop and take a look at what is happening. What schedule do you have, and how can you make that work for you? When (and where) can you work out? Remember, even taking the baby for a brisk walk with the stroller is exercise and good for you.
Let the family know they have to help. Then decide on the eating plan that has worked before, and get to it. Its not easy, but its worth it, and so are you!
Reaching out to help Bonnie pick herself up! Time to stamp your foot and let your family know they HAVE to help. I used to just go on strike - they had to get their own meals and I wouldn't even answer questions. It worked for me when I was single parenting and having difficulty putting food on the table. Go for it, Bonnie.
I did finally go to the gym this morning and my PT made some modifications to my routine. It felt good! On the way home I shopped for some groceries (starting to bulld up my entertainment stash) and also scouted out winterberry which is what I have in my avatar. My secret place was bare - I guess the drought affected the berry production this year. I have another secret place in the marsh but will avoid it for a while as the deer hunting is happening.
Going to make a chicken salad for lunch. We are in a lovely warm spell right now and I may be able to get away from wanting carbs.
This is a good place to learn. There are others who have been doing this longer than me who can give better advice. One think I would say is that any diet or woe will work... my doc told me that any diet would work; I just needed to find what I could live with. After 2 yrs of trying different diets, I've finally settled on counting calories which was what he told me to do when he first diagnosed me. He wanted me to go on a 1600 cal diet and what I've done recently is settle my mind to eat limit myself to 1600 cals daily. I read where someone said they would rather be able to eat what they want within a calorie count than not. I find it so much easier not to have any food I can't have within the calorie limit. It seems to work for me. 
to Michelle. Mad has certainly given you the word on being a Type II. I agree that controlling carbs is key. 
