Well, I finally got the results of the MRI and the follow up blood work. Not good news on the blood work. Seems my years of eating what I wanted (CRAP) and not working out have resulted in Type II Diabetes. Nice. I cannot believe what I have done to myself. I am so mad I did this to myself. I KNEW if I didn't do something, I would end up like this and I have. I feel like I have run up a HUGE debt like a credit card bill and now must spend the rest of my life paying it back - all cuz I was irresponsible with and in my youth - irresponsilbe with my life. Now, I get to jam a little lancette into my finger everyday, maybe 4 times a day to check my blood sugar on that meter I must now carry with my everywhere I go. (can you tell I am just a leeeeeetle bit angry) There is good news, however. I do not have to shoot insulin. I can and I will, repeat I WILL control this with my diet. This will not cripple me, I will be a walking poster girl for eating well and lifting hard - you guys can hold me to it!
And the restriction that showed in the MRI (brain) is from the diabetes and not a stroke! Happy about that.

Now, I feel like I am on a crusade to tell everyone I know about the evils of eating poorly (starting with 1 step-daughter who ate chicken alfredo for dinner last night and spent the rest of the night sleeping in the bathroom with her head on the loo! (She didn't eat dinner w/ me! BTW ) She got up this morning and I asked her what she had (I already knew! ). I asked her if eating a plate full of butter, cream, fat and cheese would make her tummy hurt? "WHAT?! Is that what's in there?" And so the conversation went.....

I guess I have a question too. Anyone else in the Type II boat? Or have any insights? You all are so full of USEFULL info.

Thanks for listening. I will check in more often.

yup got it as well. I don't suffer from the symptoms anymore though due to clean living. I guess that I 'cured' myself.

Advice? Stay away from the sugar entirely and cut back on it during free day. What I would do is have pasta or something for a free meal and then a small portion of cake after it for my sugar fix if I felt like it. But I don't really like that much sugar these days.
Some easy things you can do is swap splenda for sugar in coffee and cooking and emphasise eating whole natural foods instead of processed ones.

I also use a lot of low-fat foods instead of fat-free. FF normally means more carbs so I stay away from it.

Good luck

JC

So sorry to hear your prognosis of diabetes. I don't have experience with it, but I believe you can do wonders for yourself with a clean diet. Don't beat yourself up too much over it - just take good care of yourself now.

Susie- I had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy ( 13 years ago ) and was told it was a possible window on my future, that 75% of women who had gestational diabetes developed type II withing 12-15 years. 2 years ago, I was convinced that I was diabetic- I certainly was working on it- but test showd otherwise. That's when I decided to change my act and clean up my life for good. I have no guarentees that I won't develop it at some point no matter what I do, but I do know that since losing about 50 lbs of fat, eating clean, and lifting heavy, my cholesterol, blood sugar, heart rate are incredibly low. I was also able to control the gestational diabetes through a lot of exercise and a very careful diet.

If your doc has told you don't need insulin, I bet you CAN control this with diet and exercise. Don't beat yourself up for your past. We all have pasts. Do what you can now, and realize how lucky you are that you already are on the right path, have the commitment and knowledge to deal with this. And who knows- you may have developed it no matter how you lived.

mel

Nope, don't need insulin! Yipeee! I have the knowledge now and will use it to the fullest! I have been eating clean and working out since August - although not following BFL to the letter. But will now. I already feel much much better since I have been using a few supps (chromium always helps w/ blood sugar - I don't care what people say! )

JC- I do all that stuff too! I luv Splenda! Jeez, that stuff is good. Do you find w/ eating clean and working out your sugars are normal? Or do you even test?


Mel - I think you're doing great! 50 # of fat gone! Wow. I would hope with clean eating and hard liftin' you won't have any worries!

Thanks all for the kind words!

Susie

I haven't been tested in a while and don't test myself anymore but your post made me think about it and I have organised a Doctor's appointment to get some bloodwork done soon. I still use chromium as well and have for the past 2 years.

Yes I find that clean eating keeps my sugars normally so I don't get the symptoms anymore. I feel totally normal!

JC

JC - I am glad you're getting tested. My doc says even if you don't have symptoms, your sugars could creep up without you knowing about it. No signs, really. He wants me to test 4x day at the begining, then see how it goes. Please let me know what the test says!

You post @ L&S, no?

Susie

Susie

Yes I do post there under the same initials - do you?

JC

I am SusieM @ L&S. formerly 'Jazmin'

Hey I noticed your "Homecoming" Pics! Sigh.... how sweet. Is he still in? My husband, Mike is in the Army Guard. He got called up for the Olympics' security (I know, tough gig! ) He was gone for 5 weeks. We live in CO, so we got to go out to see some events. But, sheesh I tell ya, he was so worn out I hardly recognized him. He lost about 20 pounds they worked him half to death. And he was the Commander! There is a great chance he will get called again. (He was in Germany during DS -we didn't know each other then) We handle it by joking "I hope you aren't wintering in Iraq, dear!" Or N. Korea. But, that was the deal when he signed on, and that was the deal when I married him. We knew. And so the story goes....

Oh ok I lose track of all the different SNs, I have a really bad short term memory......

Yep hubby is still in. We handle it with joking as well. Yep we knew when we married them, I think of it as just another issue to deal with in life....

JC