Any diabetics using the FB?

[llchevy56]

Wondering if there are any diabetics out there who are using the FB and working towards weight loss?  I'm insulin dependent and trying to lose weight but more importantly trying to regain my health and physical strength while balancing everything.  A challenge a day! Love to hear your stories....

[CalgaryMac2014]

I was diagnosed with Type II about a year ago. My doctor was concerned that I was so focused on tracking numbers (glucose, calories, etc.) that I was forgetting that I was needing to create a healthier lifestyle rather than a book full of numbers. His thinking is that the numbers give me a reading for a specific date and time but is not useful in isolation. So I am tracking weight (lost 12 pounds so far) and my A1C has dropped to 6.8 without any medication - just diet and exercise.

Small steps I know but in the right direction.

[jcpoole]

Just had my 3 month follow up.  I have been at this whole hog since the beginning of March with lifestyle changes, diet, and exercise.  My A1C was 7.9 in March, through diet and exercise it is now 5.6. My cholesterol is 177, LDL is now 96 and HDL is 44.  Triglycerides are down to 184 from 288 in August of 2014.  I haven't lost a lot of weight (17 lbs) I would like to lose 45 - 50 more, and I can get discouraged about that.  The scale is just an object, these numbers are real, they come from within me, and that is the proof in the pudding....errr Sugar Free Jello..............for me.  I am now off one of my blood pressure meds, and my goal for my 6 month follow up is to be taken off the other. Take it slow, focus on the day, hour, or minute if you need to. 

[Eye]

That is terrific. I'm just starting out but I'm doing pretty well. I know what you mean about the weight. But I do feel shifting in my body, so I know something is working. Haven't had numbers done since I started but will have in Sept so I have all summer to work.

[JulieATr]

That's fantastic news!!  I go for my 3 month A1C check in a couple of weeks and am hoping for results like yours.  Also would like to come off some of my meds.

WTG and keep up the work!!

[Heather45]

Great job! 5.5 is normal .

[Rebeccaatthewel]

I was diagnosed with type 2 around 20 years ago and for the most part I found that if I didn't acknowledge it I didn't worry about it, but at the time I was massively obese and I was recommended for weight loss surgery due to cholesterol, diabetes and sleep apnea. So in 2002 I had the surgery and ended up loosing about 80 lbs total ending at a size 18.  Since the weight loss put my diabetes completely under control, It was much easier to pretend that it no longer was an issue so I quit taking my sugar readings and considered it "gone" even though the reality is Diabetes is a permanent illness and once you have it you will NEVER not be diabetic. You may  be able to control it with diet but you will be diabetic for the rest of your life. Just the way it is.  

So, there I was pretending I no longer had diabetes because of all the weight loss and how much my sugar got back in sync during 2003.  Then flash forward 2010. On vacation I had a bad ache in my back that would NOT go away so my friends took me to the ER and long story short, I had a massive heart attack in the hospital that night and a triple heart bypass a day later.  All because of diabetes.  Since then, I have learned how to eat much more responsibly but I have found that after years pass it is so easy to get back into bad habits.  But I don't want to go there again, so, that is where I am now. I am now a size 20 (gained about 40 lbs 😞  ) and ready to make a difference again. I am just tired of hating myself and even though I have tried millions of things in the past that never worked, all I know to do is to dig in my heels and try again. So, I am going to the gym and TRYING to alter my eating habits again (get rid of sodas and chips etc...) So, wish me luck.  And I wish ALL of you here luck as well.

[WillowTheWhisp]

I have type 2 diabetes, probably as a result of the weight problem I've had for years. It is currently controlled by tablets and I have to admit that until recently I haven't really taken what I eat into consideration which I know is very foolish. I'm on course for losing weight again now since getting my fitbit and I'm wondering how the weight loss will affect my glucose levels. I have no means of testing it myself, just go to doctor appointments every few months. They seemed encouraging about my intent to lose weight but as I have not managed to do so for several years I don't think they take me seriously. 10 years ago I was much heavier than I am now. I lost about half of my goal but then developed problems and actually gained some back again.

The fitbit has helped me to see what I'm eating and how it affects my weight and body fat but I have no way of judging my sugar levels. I am hoping that getting back on track and losing more weight will improve that.

[Ron_S]

You don't say whether or not you have health insurance, Medicare or Medicaid, all of which will cover the glucose meter, testing strips and lancets. Even if you don't have any of those I am sure your local diabetes association and/or your doctor can put you in touch with an organization that can help you get these testing supplies.

While losing weight is a start to controlling your Type 2 diabetes, you need to control your blood sugar, which is done not just by medication, but by diet and exercise. Also, I am sure your doctor told you the consequences of failing to control it.

Ron S.

Sent from my iPhone

[WillowTheWhisp]

I live in the UK Ron and have asked my doctor if I can have the testing kit but he won't authorise it.

[MatildaT]

I'm not familiar with the UK, but do ya'll have a Walmart store or other drug store. Thats where I buy mine.

[WillowTheWhisp]

We have pharmacies where they may well be available but I didn't think I'd be able to buy one without my doctor's prescription.

[MatildaT]

I looked on the internet and looks like UK may have a store called ASDA. If so they would have the same products as our Walmart stores. Walmart is where I get my supplies. They are normally in front of the Pharmacy. Please let me know if they are available to you. If not, I'll see what I can do to help get you these supplies.

[MaryLynn]

It is not necessary to have a prescription for meters or strips.  Ebay sells them.


Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device

[Mrsaireysson]

​The DVLA in UK says you cannot drive your car unless you have checked
your blood sugar is 5 or more, and you have tested it within the last two
hours. You can buy the BS monitors on Amazon but the strips are £23 for
50, so you need to get these prescribed - what about your diabetic nurse at
your hospital and/or your Consultant Diabetologist? Can they help?

Also, why not email Diabetes.uk.org and ask for their opinion

To state the obvious, blood sugar monitoring will help with your overall
control, and reduce unnecessary expenditure on the National Health Service
( hospital admission etc), so it is a no brainer.

paul

[WillowTheWhisp]

I would have thought it would be logical for me to monitor my levels too Paul and was quite surprised that my GP actively discourages it.  I don't have  diabetic nurse or consultant. All the monitoring, including feet checks and retinopathy screening are done at the GP surgery.

Driving isn't an issue for me as I don't drive due to a vision problem I've had for years.

I am certainly going to persue the idea of buying my own kit though, if only to put my mind at rest about what is going on with my glucose levels as I (hopefully) lose weight.

[JerriAnn]

If your doctor doesn’t take your diabetes seriously go to another doctor. If you have diabetes clinics go and check them out. they will give you
advice where to go for help if they can’t help you.

Checking your levels every day is a must. I don’t know how else you will know where you are at with the disease.
You let it slip as the years go by it gets much worse .



Jerri Stobinski
JStobinski@roadrunner.com



---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

[Mikey1234]

@Rebeccaatthewel"Diabetes is a permanent illness and once you have it you will NEVER not be diabetic."

Sorry it didn't work out for you, but the statement above is WRONG!!!!

I had type two diabetes, and I no longer have it.  Did I have to change my lifestye permanently? Yes.  Did I have to exercise? Yes.  If you're saying you have diabetes for life if you don't change your lifestyle, then yes, you will have diabetes for life.  if I no longer have diabetes based on how I eat and exercise then I no longer have detectable diabetes by any doctor or hospital.  If they cannot detect it then you DON'T HAVE IT!

[Ron_S]

I am not familiar with the medical system in the UK other than you have socialized medicine. In the US these items can be purchased without a prescription, having a prescription will result in a substantial portion of the cost being covered by health insurance, which isn't free in this country. However, that being said, I still find it hard to believe that a doctor in the UK wouldn't encourage frequent bloodsugar checking. Even though you are a non-insulin Type 2 diabetic, the BG checks tell you and your doctor how you are responding to both the medication, diet and excercise. You can still experience low BG's; but uncontrolled, long term high BG's can result in blindness, loss of limb(s), neuropathy, kidney failure, heart problems, etc.

I read earlier in this column that someone from the UK had mentioned an organization in the UK, (e.g., UK Diabetes, or Diabetes UK, etc.), which similar to what we have in the US, i.e., the American Diabetes Association, (ADA). I believe you should be able to Google it, and find a local affiliate. I would think that they should/would be able to help you.  In the States, the glucose machine is relatively cheap compared to the glucose strips. But getting your BG checked every 3 mos. is suicidal, (please excuse my harsh response)!

Having said all this, I am wondering if you are seeing a specialist, e.g., an endocrinologist, that specializes in the treatment of diabetes?  The next time you see your doctor I would ask him again for the precriptions for both the glucose meter, test strips and lancets. If he says no, then question him/her as to why? Ask him if he is aware of all the research and resports in both the UK and US indicating the necessity for more frequent BG testing then you're currently getting, and the long term consequences of poor control? The best way to prepare yourself for these appointments is by researching it so you can discuss it intelligently with your doctor. If he still isn't willing to prescribe these items for you, and he can't give you an intelligent response as to why not, then get a different doctor.

While we have GP's in the States that treat Type 2's, I wouldn't trust them to know enough about diabetes to let one treat me if I were a Type 2 diabetic. I see an endocrinologist for my Type 1 diabetes, an opthomologist for my eyes, and a GP for general health issues, etc.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Where I live it isn't easy to get a new GP. They won't readily take on new patients. Far too many are oversubscribed anyway, they don't have enough time to devote to each patient individually. My GP's surgery is a small medical centre where the retinopathy checks, foot checks and CVR clinic are all under the same roof. I have never seen an endocrinologist. In order to see a specialist a patient needs a refferral from their GP. I do have a hospital specialist for my glaucoma but had to be referred there by my GP. I once missed an appointment with the specialist and they sttruck me off their record. I had to get a new referral from my GP before I could get a new appointment. 

Maybe in some parts of the UK it isn't as difficult as here but the doctors are certainly overworked here and thin on the ground. Not long ago it was impossible to find a dentist willing to take on new patients. When moving house to a different area it can be a real problem. I think it all comes down to the funding of the NHS.

[Ron_S]

I, too, would imagine it's because of your NHS being financially
overburdened. I know the politicians in the States are complaining about our
Medicare system being overburdened and underfunded. I wish you good luck in
dealing with this issue, and I would certainly encourage you to argue with
your doctor about the importance of your being able to test your blood
glucose, (BG), more frequently than your occasional visits with him. In the
States the BG supplies don't require a prescription to purchase, but health
insurance will only pay for it if a prescription is issued by the doctor. I
don't know if a prescription is required in the UK, but based on an earlier
post from another UK member, 23 pounds, (I can't find the "Pound" sign on my
keyboard, so I am spelling it out), for a bottle of 50 strips seems
expensive. Because I am a brittle Type 1 diabetic, I check my BG 10-13 times
a day; so one bottle lasts me about 4 days. The US Medicare system allows
checking it 3 times a day, so I always appeal it.



Good luck in dealing with your diabetes, your doctor, and your health
system!



Ron S