Diabetes: Discussion thread.

[supershifty]

Hi all. Diabetes is on the rise globally in first world nations. This thread is to discuss how it affects you or your family. Many of us have it.

The scope of this thread is about anyone with Type 1 or Type 2 - no exclusions:

a) How you manage your diet
b) What triggers your highs - food wise!
c) What you use to help control it - exercise/diet/pills/insulin
d) Suggestions of tucker - all good!
e) Anything of significant value you think is valuable to share.

I'll kick off without being long winded:

Was diagnosed at 32 with T2 @ 135kg (now 50yo) Managed for a while on Diaformin/Metformin but am now insulin dependant @ 100kg.

I knocked out all added sugar from my diet from day one, I now hate the taste of sugar.

I was appointed with a dietician who advised me what to eat. Pasta, rice, wholegrain breads - she couldn't have been more wrong, my sugars went through the roof!

Not all diabetics are the same. Might be a common diagnosis - but we're all different as to what we ingest and how our bodies process them.

Cheers!

[prydey]

Just to clarify,

Type 1 is an autoimmune disease. The pancreas stops producing insulin.

Type 2 is when your body becomes insulin resistant.

[Blue Shadow]

Found out I had T2 in 2010. I was 120 kg at the time, I am still only diet controlled, but I think that will change over time.

You are 100% correct about diet advice it is just standard advice. I to gave up sugar and now can't stand it.

If I eat fruit I.e oranges my levels hardly change, but speaking to others fruit sends them through the roof. For me it's butter that lights me up

It's something you have to play around your self to get it right

[supershifty]

Originally Posted by prydey

Just to clarify,

Type 1 is an autoimmune disease. The pancreas stops producing insulin.

Type 2 is when your body becomes insulin resistant.

Exactly Rob - nailed it in one.

I feel sorry for kids that have to deal with T1, they shouldn't have to.

Old blokes like me can deal with it.

Cheers!

[prydey]

My daughter was diagnosed with T1 when she was 5. Nearly lost her. ICU for 3 days. Still makes me cry today whenever i remember it. Tough times for any parent watching their kid cling to life. It was misdiagnosed by local doc initially as just a gastro bug, which is why she ended up quite bad as we thought it was just a bug. Thankfully that parental 6th sense kicked in.

She is now 16 and on an insulin pump. As long as you have a healthy diet, it hardly impacts on life now. Our diets were always pretty good anyway. Only thing we really cut out is soft drink. Stuck with the diet stuff for a while, but now never have it in the fridge and only drink it if out for a meal etc.

In some ways, its easier to manage than T2 (not for everyone, just us) as you can manage what you eat by adjusting your insulin levels. so if you go to a birthday party, you don't have to forego the cake, you just add more insulin. Normally ahead of time to give it a chance to work.

She went through a rebellion period (which the doc warned about) a couple of years ago where she stopped dosing herself, but a reminder about the seriousness of the disease soon had her back on track.

[MR REKLAW]

The other issue with long term T1 diabetes is that,any insulin not used by the body,has to removed by the kidneys and over time slowly damages them to the point of failure.

I have seen this happen first hand,as my wife has been a T1 diabetic since she was 8 years old and is now doing peratanial dialysis for the last 2 years.

Because of her diabetes and renal failure,we both have a healthy diet,as there is a history of diabetes on my fathers side of the family,I get tested every year.

As Dave said diet plays a big part and is different for each person.

As it is very indiscriminate on who it targets and at what age,it is hard to watch a child have to suffer,what is a debilitating disease,through no fault of there own.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

My daughter was diagnosed with T1 when she was 5. Nearly lost her. ICU for 3 days. Still makes me cry today whenever i remember it. Tough times for any parent watching their kid cling to life. It was misdiagnosed by local doc initially as just a gastro bug, which is why she ended up quite bad as we thought it was just a bug. Thankfully that parental 6th sense kicked in.

.

This is could be a carbon copy of my story!

I was diagnosed at age 6, now 30, so neigh on 24 years with type 1 diabetes.

After being urine tested for the disease the GP choose to ignore the problem and sent me on my way. I was too young at the time to remember why that happened but ended up in hospital for weeks. I remember complaining to teachers at school during lunch of feeling ill but was told to simply go and sit down. I also remember, vividly, as the paediatrician walking into the ward saying ".....I can smell him from here!!!......." referring to the aroma of ketone's in my system.

The early times must have been tuff for my parents. My father used to have to hold me down so as to allow my mother to give me injections. This was in the days before insulin pumps, with medication administered from old fashioned syringes. Blood glucose metres were huge and the lancing devises brutal. I also found that outside of the home, in other words school, teachers didn't want a bar of it, I suspect to shoulder themselves from blame if something went wrong. In some ways I think the diabetes held me back to some degree, I suppose I used it as an excuse for many things, still do.

Its very easy to let the disease get the better of you. Hypos suck the energy from you as dose high glucose and there are many long term complications that way on the mind. I have found its the emotional burden of diabetes that is the hardest part. And doctors, specialist's in particular, don't understand and very few actually care. Wrapping a patient over the knuckles for the odd hyper or hypo or a less the perfect HBa1C sends waves of guilt through you at every bad reading. Everyday, every meal, every situation has to micro managed. What will I eat. When will I eat. How much insulin. How much exercise. Will there be somewhere to take my needle without the world thinking I'm a druggie. On and on and on. And then there are the times when you have done everything right only to have a massive hypo/hyper.

Having said all that I am, and generally always have been, well managed with reasonably good BGLS and HBa1C results. And after complaining about my lot in life its worthwhile reflecting that it could be worse. My condition is treatable.

Sorry for the long winded story but its something that I tend to keep to myself and this thread has prompted a bit of a vent.

[blackf6]

I don't know anything about diabetes. But have had a few mates with it. Seems like the raw end of the deal. Controls their whole lives type deal. Wouldn't wish it on anyone.

[Blue Shadow]

Excellent thread Supershifty, great to talk to other diabetics about it.

[Maka]

Was listening to a research doctor talking to Dr Norman Swan on the radio the other day, basically saying "brown fat" is kryptonite to diabetes.

While still in the research stage, it was found that people that had more brown fat than white fat was way less at risk of getting diabetes. Cant remember all the details of the conversation but a cure may well be on the horizon.

Diabetes is in my family, my dad lost his leg to it, over time I dropped around 30kg to make sure I don't get it. Good luck to all with it, hopefully this cure will be here sooner rather than later.

cheer's, Maka

[supershifty]

There was no history of diabetes from either my parents family that I know of. I am the only child of a second marriage. My five other half siblings don't have it. The heredity of diabetes down the family bloodline is still a much debated and yet to be solidly proven point. I'm more relating to T2, T1 might prove to be different - the jury's still out on that one.

In my case (T2) I was a likely candidate to develop it, however I was unaware my lifestyle was leading myself down that path.

Shiftworker, irregular eating patterns, overweight, irregular sleep habits, ate one large meal per day and usually all the wrong tucker. Signed myself right up for it.

I'd come home from work buggered and crash on the lounge for a couple of hours, had an insatiable thirst after I woke up. I and the Mrs couldn't work it out. Just put it down to work and summer heat.

By happenstance I was talking to a co-worker and his Mrs at a BBQ about this. I didn't know his bride was a T1. She said that I may have early signs of diabetes and to go see my Doc and arrange for a test. WTF?

Sure enough, indeed I did. Glad I went to see the Doc, changed diet, got on the meds and felt much better.

Fortunately these days govco has funded education campaigns, professionals and media are promoting the awareness of diabetes to the masses now that it is a growing problem with society as a whole.

Cheers!

[Blue Shadow]

Same here, no diabetics in my family. My lifestyle for 25 years was the same as yours, i was a plain clothes policeman for 23 years, very irregular hours, drinking and bad eating habits is how i became a diabetic.

There was not much info at the time, early 80's, police doctors would put it down to fatigue so they would give you a bottle of codine and a bottle of duramine (a persctiption speed) to sort it.

One thing i would support is a sugar tax.

[Maka]

In my family, its on my dads side - both uncles too insulin dependent. Imo it was environment not hereditary. All were power lifters,wrestlers, in the gym when younger. As they got older they got complacent fitness wise when family life set in & didn't have much time to stay fit. Sound familiar?

They ate the same stuff as when younger but were not drinkers. Sweet tooths, you bet! No info back then about diet, exercise etc, todays generation has much more info available on diabetes thank god.

In regards to the brown fat info, apparently being cold actually promotes it (brown fat) Dr Swan asked the research doctor if he practiced getting cold himself & the researcher said yes, not 100% sure but about 45min a week. Google has lots on the subject, but playing golf (in winter too) is what I did for years to help stay fit.

cheer's, Maka

[prydey]

So.... earlier on i mentioned about my 16yr old daughter being T1D. I have 2 daughters, the other being 8.

Long story short, both my girls are now Type 1 Diabetic. What a lovely xmas present for the 8yr old.

Wed 21st dec, I'm at work and got a call from the wife to say she just checked Chels (the 8 yr old) BGL and her level was up slightly. waited a couple more hours to make sure it wasn't being influenced by anything recently eaten and checked again and it was quite high so straight to hospital. i was home by this stage. Docs did some tests but everyone pretty much knew what we were dealing with.

Often we are told that onset is abrupt, which is kind of true, but to people like us who have been paranoid about any symptoms ever since our eldest got it, there are little pointers that can be picked up and help with early diagnosis. Chels had been a bit thirstier than normal over the last few days (but it was hotter as well, so pretty normal to drink more) and getting up every night to go to the toilet, which again, wasn't uncommon, but it was becoming every night, rather than just every now and then. Her behaviour had also deteriorated, becoming quite short tempered and unruly and rude, esp when tired. The morning of the 21st was the first time she complained of feeling nauseous and combined with all these other little signs, and the fact that she was extra unruly my wife, on instinct, decided to check her blood sugar. due to already having a T1D person in the house, we have all the stuff necessary to check.

i would just like to say at this point, to all parents out there, trust your instincts. they are almost always right. as parents, you know your kids better than anyone, and you just know when something isn't right.

So, Chels still needed to spend a day with a drip in both arms to sort out her levels. even though we picked it up pretty early her blood had started to go acidic (ketoacidosis) and that had to be sorted first. By friday lunchtime we were back home. being experienced at dealing with it, the docs were all happy to send her home after only a day of observing her new regime. Currently she is on 4 injections a day, 1 for each main meal of one type of insulin, and 1 long lasting insulin each night. Poor kid starting to look like a pin cushion. hopefully within a month or 2 she will be on a pump. that should make things much easier for her.

so, there you go. at least it is very manageable these days, and as her older sister has proven, it doesn't have to hold you back at all. (she's straight A's, yr 10! yes i'm a proud dad!)

[Maka]

Hi guys, here's a nice link about regeneration of the pancreas's & reversal of diabetes by fasting. Early days yet, but sounding promising -

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-0...ncreas/8304426

cheers, Maka

[prydey]

Pump day for my youngest today. That should make things slightly easier for her. No more 4 injections a day.

While a cure would be the perfect fix, it's awesome that these electronic devices have been invented to help people cope in the here and now.

[brett4777]

I hav a family history of Diabetes Dad has it my Brother has it . I got diagnosed at 36 I take 2 metaformin a day .Basically cut out the upto 2 litres a day of Big M or any other flavoured milk I could get my hands on plus the 2 cans of coke each night when I got home from work.Its been 3 years now,can't stand the taste of flavoured milk anymore.probably only have coke maybe one or twice a month,on the plus side my weight has dropped from 96 kgs to 84 kgs.

[ebxr8240]

Mrs has type 2 .Man oh !! The odd time I chip her on diet as in eating bread, buns etc.. Ill cook you up some eggs.. Far out world war lll !!!

[jakkes]

i got type1 at age 8 or grade 2 in school.

I'm 30 now the insulin pump liturly changed my life i remember when i was on the 1 needle before breakfast one before dinner and one long lasting at night before bed. it was terrible for control.

then went to a pen jab yourself every time you eat better control but still not the best.

thinking back to high school i now remember feeling like i had maple syrup running through my veins my head always felt like it was up in the mist with no clarity (your body doesn't feel chemically right)-----------high blood sugar i was always higher than i should have been

i really think i could have done OK at school if i didn't have this disease or if i and everyone else had access to these newer types of pumps back then.

I'm now paying for that with failing eyesight. one eye is already partially blind very scary thing to have your sight slip away from you

makes me happy knowing kids these days have access to this new technology to help stop future complications its made it a lot easier to live with

[DFB FGXR6]

Have just got back from an appointment with a new endocrinologist recommended too me by my Diabetes educator.


This gentlemen is a professor at Baker IDI and would have to be one of the most positive interactions I have had about my diabetes in 10 years. My previous doctor was seemingly quite negative, always expecting perfection. As I'm sure anyone reading this would know, perfect type 1 diabetes control is sooooo hard. There are so many variables that affect blood glucose control that perfection is something that is unachievable.


Having had to deal with a number of health issues over the last few years has left me fatigued and so over diabetes. To have someone tell me that I'm doing well, offering encouragement and helpful advise was so very refreshing.


For anyone that feels that they aren't getting the advise they need or feel like they aren't getting value from their current doctor, I say don't be afraid of seeking a different opinion or perspective.

[prydey]

my kids just had kind of the opposite experience. the doctor we've been seeing since my eldest was diagnosed 13 years ago, and my youngest nearly 2 years ago, has decided to retire (how inconsiderate) he was awesome. a real kid lover, and genuinely loved his job.

the new doc (I wasn't at the last appointment) by all reports didn't endear herself to my kids at all. hopefully after a few more visits things will settle down, but they certainly weren't painting a good picture of their first impression.

having a good doctor/patient relationship plays a big role in the patients attitude I have found. my kids have been very lucky that the educators and dietician we've been seeing have all been constant and nice people.

[DFB FGXR6]

I was diagnosed at 6 years old and stayed with my pediatrician until I was 19. He is another one of those doctors that is excellent with kids and has a dedicated, life long fight for the welfare of children . It took me ten years to find another doctor who "cared". Like you said, the doctor-patient relationship is something that sometimes just doesn't eventuate and why my advice to keep searching for a doctor until the relationship "gels". Good doctors who "care" and are not just script writers are soooo hard to find.

I have been recently trying the Libre flash reader. This is a form of continuous blood glucose monitoring. A sensor is applied to the arm and scanned from a bgl meter or even a smart phone camera. This sensor takes readings from the institutional fluid under the skin, not the actual blood. There is a lag time from the two readings of about 5 minutes, so making insulin decisions based on the sensor reading isnt advised from my point of view. But I have found it to be a great way to quickly get idea of my bgl in times when washing hands, taking a sample, waiting for the result just isn't convenient. Its also one less thing to have to think about in the daily burden of the disease.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by DFB FGXR6

I have been recently trying the Libre flash reader.

hopefully this soon gets added to the list to be govt subsidised.

my kids have use a 'CGM'. (constant glucose monitor) its the same sort of thing but works in conjunction with the pump, so while its 'inserted' you only have to look at your pump to see your BGL and also see in an instant if its stable or going up or down. its great for fine tuning the pump settings as well because you can download all the info and see exactly whats going on at all times, esp during the night. it still needs a finger ***** morning and night to 'calibrate' and lasts for 7 days. real handy when camping etc.

the libre things look good.

[DFB FGXR6]

Originally Posted by prydey

hopefully this soon gets added to the list to be govt subsidised.

my kids have use a 'CGM'. (constant glucose monitor) its the same sort of thing but works in conjunction with the pump, so while its 'inserted' you only have to look at your pump to see your BGL and also see in an instant if its stable or going up or down. its great for fine tuning the pump settings as well because you can download all the info and see exactly whats going on at all times, esp during the night. it still needs a finger ***** morning and night to 'calibrate' and lasts for 7 days. real handy when camping etc.

the libre things look good.

At $92.50 each, substantiation cant come soon enough. Each sensor lasts only two weeks. I have been given two free ones to see if I like them.

[slowsnake]

Hello,
Have read all posts here before saying anything,I am just surprised that no one ( especially T2 ) diabetics have not mentioned the absolute importance of the Liver's function in both types of diabetes,T1 and T2.

Cheers Billy.

Ex - T2 diabetic.
HbA1c - 5.1....2 weeks ago.
Diagnosed - 2009..Fasting 4hr glucose blood test 14.9
Cured myself - 2012

[slowsnake]

Hello,
Thought I would just add a little to my comments last night on the forum.
It seems to me that most discussion was focused on the pancreas,and with good reason too,particularly if a person has T1
I feel very sorry for children who are born with this rotten disease, its hardly seems fair does it, but I feel the same for kiddies with cancer and other diseases.

My T2 arrived after I stopped work in 2005 due to a work injury, I was a fair beer drinker all my life, I also liked OP rum, strait.
But I worked physically hard and burned off most of the sugars from the booze, I only drunk light beer since about 1997, I had severe cirrhosis of the liver, I cut my intake down on my beer, and, the alcohol content.

I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 1990 by needle biopsy at Westmead Hospital, I was 37 years old!
The report to my referring Physician stated that, William has moderate cirrhosis, it is not drug or alcohol related!
So what was it?
Well it continued on to say " as you well know Williams Hepatitis B from his needle stick injury at Bulli Tops in 1985 has affected his liver function"
He continues to drink, he says he is very depressed and I suggest starting him on such and such a drug.

As you know William was eager to get back to work but sadly this latest event ( stood on syringe ) has set him back yet again.
After his right patellectomy which cost him 3 years off work and in a full leg cast for 9 months he is feeling very despondent, in fact he is seemingly angry with the world.

I spent 4 - 5 weeks as an inpatient at Liverpool Hospital after stepping on that syringe,and I nearly died.
So what is the point of this,well it was the cirrhosis that caused my T2 diabetes, or late onset, I researched everything I could about the livers function, I cured myself of Hep B in 2001, all 3 surface antigens negative, through my diligent research into T2 diabetes and already knowing that the human liver has over 500 known functions, and many unknown, well I threw out the diabetes low carb poly unsaturated fat diet and healed myself!

The liver is known as the body's " glycogen warehouse "
I started my own high saturated fat, very low carb diet, and it worked ( on me )
I realised the food pyramid,you know the one, well I decided to invert that, I never looked back, my doctors are sort of amazed by me,especially getting HepB to a point were I am now immune!..lucky me eh, but it was hard work, getting my blood glucose to normal levels was even harder, mainly because I went against everything they taught me, well I did their diet for 2 years and was still testing on my morning glucose test between 7 - 11?..I now average 5.1 to 5.4.

Some doctors don't like me, they want to keep me sick, and I deny them that.
You are not allowed to heal yourself, only doctors can do that!

Good luck to all of you, and I have all my reports and tests going back to 1987.
Doctors are like mechanics, one on every corner, choose the right help, they use you as guinea pigs, they don't know so they practice on us poor defenceless folk.


Regards Billy.

[b0son]

Low carb diets simply mask the symptoms, they don't provide a cure. If you want to test whether you've actually been cured, eat carbs for a week and see how you feel and how your blood glucose responds.

There's a reason the majority of diabetes animal research models rely on high saturated fat diets to trigger T2D. It increases insulin resistance.

[paule11]

Originally Posted by slowsnake

Hello,
Thought I would just add a little to my comments last night on the forum.
It seems to me that most discussion was focused on the pancreas,and with good reason too,particularly if a person has T1
I feel very sorry for children who are born with this rotten disease, its hardly seems fair does it, but I feel the same for kiddies with cancer and other diseases.

My T2 arrived after I stopped work in 2005 due to a work injury, I was a fair beer drinker all my life, I also liked OP rum, strait.
But I worked physically hard and burned off most of the sugars from the booze, I only drunk light beer since about 1997, I had severe cirrhosis of the liver, I cut my intake down on my beer, and, the alcohol content.

I was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 1990 by needle biopsy at Westmead Hospital, I was 37 years old!
The report to my referring Physician stated that, William has moderate cirrhosis, it is not drug or alcohol related!
So what was it?
Well it continued on to say " as you well know Williams Hepatitis B from his needle stick injury at Bulli Tops in 1985 has affected his liver function"
He continues to drink, he says he is very depressed and I suggest starting him on such and such a drug.

As you know William was eager to get back to work but sadly this latest event ( stood on syringe ) has set him back yet again.
After his right patellectomy which cost him 3 years off work and in a full leg cast for 9 months he is feeling very despondent, in fact he is seemingly angry with the world.

I spent 4 - 5 weeks as an inpatient at Liverpool Hospital after stepping on that syringe,and I nearly died.
So what is the point of this,well it was the cirrhosis that caused my T2 diabetes, or late onset, I researched everything I could about the livers function, I cured myself of Hep B in 2001, all 3 surface antigens negative, through my diligent research into T2 diabetes and already knowing that the human liver has over 500 known functions, and many unknown, well I threw out the diabetes low carb poly unsaturated fat diet and healed myself!

The liver is known as the body's " glycogen warehouse "
I started my own high saturated fat, very low carb diet, and it worked ( on me )
I realised the food pyramid,you know the one, well I decided to invert that, I never looked back, my doctors are sort of amazed by me,especially getting HepB to a point were I am now immune!..lucky me eh, but it was hard work, getting my blood glucose to normal levels was even harder, mainly because I went against everything they taught me, well I did their diet for 2 years and was still testing on my morning glucose test between 7 - 11?..I now average 5.1 to 5.4.

Some doctors don't like me, they want to keep me sick, and I deny them that.
You are not allowed to heal yourself, only doctors can do that!

Good luck to all of you, and I have all my reports and tests going back to 1987.
Doctors are like mechanics, one on every corner, choose the right help, they use you as guinea pigs, they don't know so they practice on us poor defenceless folk.


Regards Billy.

That's interesting know a farmer who I buy vegetables of he is huge ,does not eat vegetables but eats meat and most of the food he eats is protein drinks beer and his blood and cholesterol is really good.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by paule11

That's interesting know a farmer who I buy vegetables of he is huge ,does not eat vegetables but eats meat and most of the food he eats is protein drinks beer and his blood and cholesterol is really good.

Everyone is different .... I would have thought my blood glucose levels would be high with my size and what I eat. They aren't. But ... I was born with Familial Hypercholesterolemia. Something I live with and have to deal with my whole life as well. I am just lucky it's not that severe that you have to have your blood cleaned once a fortnight like Dialysis.

It's interesting to see how it does affect everyone though and what they have to go through.

But as you can see above though ... different foods/diets after everyone differently.

Also .. there seems to be a number of variations of Type 2 Diabetes as well. So not everyone with Type 2 will have the same issues as the next.

[prydey]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Also .. there seems to be a number of variations of Type 2 Diabetes as well. So not everyone with Type 2 will have the same issues as the next.

yes, its not something that only affects overweight people. The main problem is the body becomes resistant to insulin.