Managing Diabetes.

Thanks for writing, it wasn't a friend of mine who said that, a prior person who wrote here's friend said it. I have been trying to change my habits, it's been somewhat overwhelming, cause for everything I read, it wants me to test myself seems like what ever I do or eat...I'll have hundreds of needle marks on myself from testing? Just trying to get perspective on how others handle it?
 

C'est Moi said:
And again, there is no cure for diabetes. A person can MANAGE THE SYMPTOMS with diet, exercise and sometimes medication. If your friend who has been "cured" reverts back to poor habits, I can assure you that the symptoms of diabetes will return. Check some reputable medical websites, and the American Diabetes Association for accurate information.

Pat--there is no magic. You have to begin new habits to learn to live with diabetes. If you don't, you will likely end up with much more serious problems. It's not difficult but it does require a certain amount of dedication on your part. Good luck.
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I guess you didn't read the links that I shared?
 
Invictus said:
I guess you didn't read the links that I shared?
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No, sorry. As soon as I saw "Diet Doctor.com" I knew all I needed to know. I prefer a real medical website or the American Diabetes Association for my information. If you have diabetes I hope you will seek better advice as well. A keto or low-carb diet is a means to help manage blood glucose levels, but it IS NOT A CURE.

And, I'm done.
 

C'est Moi said:
And again, there is no cure for diabetes. A person can MANAGE THE SYMPTOMS with diet, exercise and sometimes medication. If your friend who has been "cured" reverts back to poor habits, I can assure you that the symptoms of diabetes will return. Check some reputable medical websites, and the American Diabetes Association for accurate information.

Pat--there is no magic. You have to begin new habits to learn to live with diabetes. If you don't, you will likely end up with much more serious problems. It's not difficult but it does require a certain amount of dedication on your part. Good luck.
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I like to think positive rather than negative...You say there is no cure because if a person goes back to poor lifestyle choices the diabetes will return...That's like saying a alcoholic who quits drinking for the rest of their life isn't cured because if they pick up a drink again they will become sick again...I don't look at it that way...If you can beat a disease and no longer have to live with the symptoms of a disease, and can live a healthy normal life, then you are cured in my opinion.
 
C'est Moi said:
No, sorry. As soon as I saw "Diet Doctor.com" I knew all I needed to know. I prefer a real medical website or the American Diabetes Association for my information. If you have diabetes I hope you will seek better advice as well. A keto or low-carb diet is a means to help manage blood glucose levels, but it IS NOT A CURE.

And, I'm done.
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So you just admitted that you allowed your personal bias to prevent you from reading two real life experiences of two people who cured their diabetes with diet and exercise.
 
Patnono, I understand your frustration, but diabetes is a life and limb threatening disease. You simply MUST get a handle on it or it will kill you. Along the way, it may cause you to have to have limbs amputated and your kidneys to fail and cause you to go blind.

My husband decided he didn't have to worry about it and took the position that he had too much to worry about and shouldn't have to worry about diabetes because it wasn't fair, and nothing like that would ever happen to HIM.

He was wrong. What you do to manage it is up to you.You can't blame the doctor because you didn't understand what he told you. Go back to him and get it sorted out, and or go to a dietician or diabetes counselor and/or search the internet on reliable medical sites. Putting your head in the sand or shaking your fist at the heavens does not help at all.

It's your life and limbs that are at stake.
 
Thank you for writing, I do understand the consequences of what could happen if I don't take care of it, there's just so many do's and don'ts that it's overwhelming. I do somewhat blame doctors because they are not educating me, one doctor refused to give me a referral to see a podiatrist. Another one told me I didn't need to test my blood? I even took a class provided by a senior center. They gave me contradicting information that I was given by doctors, WHO to believe? I Really want to GET IT.
 
Patnono said:
Thank you for writing, I do understand the consequences of what could happen if I don't take care of it, there's just so many do's and don'ts that it's overwhelming. I do somewhat blame doctors because they are not educating me, one doctor refused to give me a referral to see a podiatrist. Another one told me I didn't need to test my blood? I even took a class provided by a senior center. They gave me contradicting information that I was given by doctors, WHO to believe? I Really want to GET IT.
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You cannot blame doctors who are "not educating" you -- you are not a child -- they assume you understand unless you tell them you don't. You need to listen to the facts, not woo-woo stuff from crackpots and people who are tying to sell you some miracle cure or miracle food. The facts are not overwhelming but having to suffer from having your leg amputated inch by inch sure can be. My friend Carla could have attested to the agony and heartbreak of that -- she can't attest to anything anymore because the diabetes killed her at 52.

The basic facts are that if you are diabetic, your body isn't dealing with sugars (other carbs turn to sugar in your body) correctly. You can deal with that by controlling your diet. You can get lists of carbohydrate containing foods from medical sites on the internet, or from a counsellor. Look at the American Diabetes Association's website.

If you don't understand your doctor, go back, or pick another doctor. As to the doc who you say told you you didn't have to test your blood, either you don't have a real diagnosis of diabetes, or he's nuts, or you didn't understand what he was telling you, like maybe he told you were HEADING towards diabetes and would get it if you didn't change your ways. No reputable doctor would tell a diagnosed diabetic not to test blood. Get all that junk out of your head and get the medical facts. Managing your diet is no fun, but it IS manageable. Bizillions of diabetics do it every single day of their lives. If you get contradicting information about diabetes from some senior citizens' group, believe your doctor, not the group.

If it really is diabetes, it is not going away on its own, and will kill you.
 
WHOA, sounds like I touched a Nerve??? Are you related to a doctor?? This Is WHY their always getting sued, because they are not informing their patients on how to deal with their diseases? I have a Right to my opinion last I checked? Doctors went to medical school to learn their job, I DIDN'T. I don't know HOW this works?? Iam NOT holding them fully responsible, let me make that CLEAR!!! But they are NOT being truthful with their patients, what doctor tells a diabetic to NOT test their blood??? You need to STOP being so DEFENSIVE??? I was merely asking for advice, not to be put on the defense for a disease I did NOT ask for, to be given the RIOT ACT too. You obviously lack empathy for other's?? Other have told me they don't like writing to this site because of people like YOU. We're just looking for a ear to bend? If no one writes, that's ok. So maybe you shouldn't respond to others if you can't be Civil. I pray that you get though what ever it is? I'm NOT going to respond to you anymore you seem to just want to beat people emotionally DOWN.
 
Patnono, Butterfly, like everyone else who has given you advice in this thread is just trying to help you, I've been reading her posts for a long time now and she is a very caring and empathetic person.

You should listen to what everyone is saying, you asked for help and they are trying to give it to you. Butterfly is right. If you don't understand what the doctor said about your diabetes, then you need to meet with him again and have him or a nurse explain everything to you clearly.

I find it hard to believe that a doctor would refuse to give a blood test for diabetes. I have it in my family and if I need a blood test to determine my blood glucose levels to prevent diabetes, they give me one. If your doctor refuses to give you a blood test and give you a copy of your numbers and explain them to you, then you need to go and see another doctor as soon as possible.

We can give you all the advice in the world, but you are in charge of your own body and decisions, and you have to be proactive in your health.

Here is a link with some information, please take the time to look at it and learn what you need to get done. https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes-tests#blood-tests

Blood testing allows a doctor to determine the levels of blood sugar in the body. The A1c test is one of the most common because its results estimate blood sugar levels over time, and you don’t have to fast.


The test is also known as the glycated hemoglobin test. It measures how much glucose has attached itself to red blood cells in your body over the last two to three months.
Since red blood cells have a lifespan of about three months, the A1c test measures your average blood sugar for about three months. The test requires gathering only a small amount of blood. The results are measured in a percentage:



  • Results of less than 5.7 percent are normal.
  • Results between 5.7 and 6.4 percent indicate prediabetes.
  • Results equal to or greater than 6.5 percent indicate diabetes.
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Patnono said:
WHOA, sounds like I touched a Nerve??? Are you related to a doctor?? This Is WHY their always getting sued, because they are not informing their patients on how to deal with their diseases? I have a Right to my opinion last I checked? Doctors went to medical school to learn their job, I DIDN'T. I don't know HOW this works?? Iam NOT holding them fully responsible, let me make that CLEAR!!! But they are NOT being truthful with their patients, what doctor tells a diabetic to NOT test their blood??? You need to STOP being so DEFENSIVE??? I was merely asking for advice, not to be put on the defense for a disease I did NOT ask for, to be given the RIOT ACT too. You obviously lack empathy for other's?? Other have told me they don't like writing to this site because of people like YOU. We're just looking for a ear to bend? If no one writes, that's ok. So maybe you shouldn't respond to others if you can't be Civil. I pray that you get though what ever it is? I'm NOT going to respond to you anymore you seem to just want to beat people emotionally DOWN.
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I care quite passionately about the issue of diabetes and its effects on people who either pretend not to understand or blatantly disregard their doctors' instructions (my husband even blamed the doctor by saying "he just wants our money," as he cheated on his diet and refused to take his meds as the disease ravaged his body.

I have watched two people close to me suffer terribly because of their own willful failure to assist in managing their own disease.

You admit that it is idiotic for a diabetic not to test their blood, but you continue to use what that doctor either said or did not say as an excuse along with your idea that the doctor failed to properly educate you, which is silly. Doctors diagnose, and there are diabetes educators aplenty affiliated with medical practices and hospitals around the country. I know this because I attended the repeated education sessions with both my friend and my husband. They both were educated, but both simply failed to comply.

As to having a right to your opinion, of course you do -- but as is oft said on TV these days, "you do not have the right to your own facts."
 
If you have diabetes, you should have a blood glucose monitor to check yourself on a regular basis. I can't see why your rates should go up, they already know you're diabetic.
 
Robert59 said:
I got a phone call from Insurance company wanting to help me manage my Diabetes two. Now I'm worried because does this mean my insurance rates will go up? They want to give me a device so I can keep track of BG tests everyday and what I eat. My insurance is UMR.
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In my case, the PCP is the one that directed me to use a glucometer, decided the frequency of testing, etc...

The insurance company is the one that specified the brand of meter and test strips that they would support.

My insurance company also has a program to review my medications with a staff pharmacist annually and suggest but not require other treatment options.

These things have no impact on my insurance rates. I believe that the insurance company/Medicare is doing these things in an effort to control costs by monitoring treatment early and hopefully preventing the need for more serious procedures in the future.

Give them a call and see what help they can offer you in managing/controlling your diabetes.

Good luck!
 
Invictus said:
I have a friend who cured his diabetes with the Keto diet...He no longer takes any medications and is doing great...I know of a few other people who have also cured their diabetes with the Keto diet...It may be worth a try.
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Your friend didn't "cure" his diabetes. Eliminating carbohydrates from the diet greatly reduces the need for insulin. But it may be at the expense of health, because of excess protein which is hard on the kidneys (which are already stressed by diabetes & age) and bones due to leaching calcium to neutralize the excess uric acid in the blood caused by a keto diet.
Another guy on a diabetes forum just got out of the hospital for pancreatitis after a few weeks on a keto diet. His doctor said it wasn't a goo idea - for him, at least.

A guy in my diabetes support group lost 35 lbs on a keto diet, but after a few months, his doctor raised hell about his lab tests which showed high uric acid & low kidney function. He also warned him about kidney stones & other issues.
People are so excited about lower blood sugar & weight loss, they ted to ignore risks of something they think is working. Just a FYI.
 
Pepper said:
If you have diabetes, you should have a blood glucose monitor to check yourself on a regular basis. I can't see why your rates should go up, they already know you're diabetic.
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And you won't have a bunch "of needle marks" on your body -- you just stick your finger with a little device that gets a drop of blood. The needle stick marks are gone almost instantly.
 
We are each responsible for our own bodies and health. Doctors diagnose, advise and guide, but they cannot and will not force us to follow their instructions.

There's a ton of information about diabetes on reputable medical sites, including those cited on this and earlier SF threads. The advice is straightforward and consistent from one site to the next. @Roadwarrior summed everything up beautifully.

Yes, chronic diseases and lifestyle changes are difficult, but the alternatives are horrific. Like @Butterfly, I've seen too many relatives and friends go blind, require dialysis, and lose body parts bit by bit, because they didn't take their diabetes seriously enough.

No pasta, pastry or sweet is sufficiently delicious to be a worthwhile trade for one's foot, believe me.
 


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