diabetic

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as if i don't have enough problems in my life right now, i just found out i'm diabetic.

i went last week for a routine check up because of my high blood pressure. it was high again (even though i've been taking my meds), but it was stress related. thing is, i have lots of stress problems with my emotional problems even when life is going good. this was also the first time i saw my family doc since i was diagnosised with hfa/as (my therapist doesn't distinguish between the two). so my family doc upped my blood pressure meds.

then i had to have some routine blood work done because of these meds. got a call the next day saying my glucouse level was 160 and since diabeittes (sorry i can't spell it) runs on both sides of my family they wanted me in for a three hour blood test.

i had that done yesterday and the results were supposed to be back some time early next week.

i had to go out a little today and when i got home my daughter said the doc's office called twice while i was gone and i was to call them back. i knew right then that i was diabetic.

and yes, that's what they wanted to tell me.

they're calling some medicine in to the pharmacy, but i have to take it twice a day. i know for most people that don't seem like much, but it took me years to be able to get my asthma under control because i couldn't remember to take my medicine. they finally put everything together and i had to take it at one time. there's still one inhaler i'm supposed to take twice a day and it never happens because i can never remember the other one.

then i know i'm going to have to test. don't know how many times a day.

and then there's the whole diet thing. forget about all the starvation i went through as a child. i can barely even keep myself fed. i forget to eat. my kids take care of meals now that they're teens. then there's going to be the added cost for the food that i need.

i just don't know how i can handle it all.

Hang in there! You have kids and a whole community that loves you here to lean on!

My mother was a diabetic and she had to check her blood glucose levels at least twice a day and take insulin injections twice a day and take all sorts of medicine twice a day, morning and evening. What helped her was to buy one of those medication weekly organizers and fill it up once a week with all the medication she had to take. That way, she could just look at the box and see whether or not she had remembered to take her medicine. You could even put your inhaler on top of the box so you remember it as well. What medicine will you take? My mom took regular Humulin, Humulin type N and Actos, but she had taken many other medicines before she took that.

As for food for diabetics being more expensive than food for non-diabetics, it depends on what you buy. If you are buying many convenience foods that are easier for your kids to prepare, diabetic food can actually be cheaper. True, you can't eat a lot of junk food without paying for it in terms of your health and if you forget to eat for too long, a sick shaky feeling will remind you not to do it again next time.

Diabetes runs on both sides of my family too and being a biology graduate, I know a hell of a lot about it. My grandad (my mum's dad) has type 2 diabetes where he has to have set meal times, watch what he eats and has to take a couple of tablets a day. I know from watching him that it is at first quite difficult as it is a drastic change in lifestyle but he says you get used to it soon enough, partly because you have to. In this respect I do sympathise and wish you well with the whole getting used to it thing as Im crap at taking medication too. Is this the type of diabetes that you have?

My dad, on the other hand, has type 1 diabetes and has to inject himself with insulin up to 4 times a day, which takes some getting used to. However, he doesnt have to eat at set times like my grandad does so lifestyle wise its alittle easier. He still has to watch what he eats though. But he is also used to it and can't actually imagine, say, having sugar in his coffee anymore or anything like that.

i assume it's type 2 (isn't that the adult onset?). i don't know what medication i'm taking yet. my son and his friend are picking it up for me. all i know is it's twice a day.

i've tried the medicine strips before and it never worked because i would forget to fill it up. yeah i know, pretty bad, but that's the truth. i could never get my meds in regularly enough to have them do any good until i saw my asthma specialist. she's the one that got everything changed over to once a day and kind of worked to make sure it was as easy as possible--she said i had the lungs of a 60 year old and i was late 20's. my asthma is under control now but she left and i see a different guy and i'm not as comfortable with him yet (and i've been seeing him for several years--gee it only took about ten years for me to start talking to my family doc a little).

right now all of my medicine is right beside my cpap machine in a box. the one inhaler that i'm supposed to take twice a day in the winter is in there, but i never remember the morning dose. i also take a prescription nasal spray and it wasn't until i got the cpap machine that i was able to incorporate that into my medicines, even though it was right there with them.

about the convenience food--is there a certain brand or something specifically for diabetics. that would be easier for me. i'm assuming if i do something like that we'll basically have to make two meals--one for me and one for everybody else (well, three if you include mammy because a lot of times we have to make her something separate).

it just all feels so overwhelming. i looked at some sites and i couldn't even stand to look at them for very long because i got so overwhelmed and frustrated trying to figure it all out and realizing i'm going to have to do all of this stuff.

april

the kids just came back with my medicine--it's metformin
april

Here is some information about metformin.

http://www.rxlist.com/cgi/generic/metformi.htm

Here is an ask a dietician website that talks about diabetic food exchanges.

http://www.dietitian.com/diabexch.html

Healthy Choice Frozen dinners are pretty good about listing the diabetic food exchanges on the labels. I know Weight Watchers used to, but I don't know if they still do since they have moved to a points system instead of food exchanges. Lean Cuisine might list diabetic food exchanges as well. I'll check the next time I go to the grocery store. With some frozen dinners, you need to add a green salad or a steamed green vegetable other than green peas to round it out, because many of the frozen dinners don't have enough vegetables. Be careful to look at the fat content of frozen dinners because some of them have more fat than you should consume in an entire day. Salt may be a problem too, because of your blood pressure.

A slice of bread is a serving. For a starchy vegetable or a fruit, 1/2 cup is a serving. For fruit juice or milk, 1/2 cup is a serving. For lean meat, a piece about the size of your palm without your fingers is a dinner serving. A lunch serving of lean meat or fish would look more like a deck of cards. I know it is overwhelming right now, but after a while of weighing and measuring everything, it will become almost automatic and you will know how much you should eat of almost any food just by looking at it.

I'm sorry your life is so tough right now.

it just seems so impossible. i can't even hardly take care of myself now as it is. i don't see how i'm going to manage this. if i can't even manage to cook for myself now, how am i going to do it when i have to do so much more.

april

The only frozen dinners I saw with the diabetic exchanges printed on the box were the Healthy Choice. Weight Watchers' Smart Ones and Lean Cuisine had the Weight Watcher Points printed on them. Of course they all have nutrition information printed on them, however.

...

my blood sugar seems to be going down. i've been working really hard to remember to take my morning medicine and so far have only forgotten once. i'm also doing better at trying to make sure i eat. i simply forget to eat. i also replaced all the sugary stuff with sugar free.

my average was down to 116 until i forgot that one pill. it's back down to an average of 117 now though.

the people from the hospital finally called me but i won't see them for another week. they were given the wrong number and so it took awhile for them to hook up with me. i actually dread talking to them because i know that there are radical changes that need to be done, but i just can't do it all. right now i'm really working hard just to make sure to take my morning pills and eat. i just don't want to get overwhelmed again.

april