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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/21/2009 4:09:05 PM
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pruned
Posts: 124
Joined: 4/12/2005
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Hi folks! I'm not diabetic or hypoglycemic. I am curious about a couple of things:
1. Rayofson, you've mentioned counting carbs a couple of times. What number range are you aiming for? Is that a good goal for most everyone, or does it depend on body height/weight, etc.?
2. I have many friends who are diabetic and control it in various ways. Let's say someone gets "in trouble". Tell me what to do to help in this case before the paramedics arrive. (Because I'm clueless, you can bet I will be calling for help.)
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I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than anything else in the Lord's workshop. -- Charles Spurgeon
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/21/2009 6:40:22 PM
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A-Mighty-Oak
Posts: 7557
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From: Formerly known as Humbleinspirit
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As long as your blood sugar doesn't end up in the 500's, you should be ok. Under 100 and you need to intake some sugar. This is what I have been told anyway.
I am having trouble with foods so far. Either I am very hungry or not hungry at all. This isn't good for the 5 so-called small meals that I should be having. I have been consuming sugar but my blood sugar remains to be low.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 8:10:17 AM
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R8chel
Posts: 968
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: my computer to yours
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..... oooo!!! Good questions for the day! 
quote:
ORIGINAL: pruned
Hi folks! I'm not diabetic or hypoglycemic. I am curious about a couple of things:
1. Rayofson, you've mentioned counting carbs a couple of times. What number range are you aiming for? Is that a good goal for most everyone, or does it depend on body height/weight, etc.?
2. I have many friends who are diabetic and control it in various ways. Let's say someone gets "in trouble". Tell me what to do to help in this case before the paramedics arrive. (Because I'm clueless, you can bet I will be calling for help.)
Carb guidelines were greatly simplified when I learned about them. Simpler is easier sometimes.
There are 5 fingers on your hand. That's how may times you should eat in one day.
Your thumb, middle finger, and pinky finger represent your 3 main meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Eat no more than 45 carbs at these meals!
Your pointer finger and ring finger represent a mid morning snack (maybe around 10 am) and a mid afternoon snack (maybe around 2pm).
Eat no more than 15 carbs!
If someone's blood sugar is way too low... they may start acting like they are drunk... or not making much sense at all. This is when it's okay to have real sugar as intake: 1/2 a glass of orange juice, 1/2 a can of regular pop, 1/2 a candy bar, hard candy etc.
If they don't start shaping up in about 30 minutes... they can have a little more....
What have others learned?
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 11:05:19 AM
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doinkdom
Posts: 3502
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: The higher lowcountry
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Orange juice works best for me if my sugar gets too low...but that's not normally my problem.
As for carbs...I dunno what should be normal - I think what Rachel wrote would work well. I know on Atkins, it was about 20 carbs for the whole day.
I also found if I eat one small tossed salad a day, it better kept my blood sugar at a balanced level.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 11:37:05 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 773
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Yes, it does vary some depending on size/weight of the individual because their caloric requirements will be different.
1 carb count is equal to 15 grams of carbohydrate. An example is that a typical piece of bread is about 15 grams...or 1 carb.
My instructions were to have 4 carbs for breakfast, 4 for lunch, 4-5 for supper and 1 for an evening snack. It's OK though to break those down further though. For example for breakfast instead of having 4 carbs, I'll have 2, then 2 more for a mid-morning snack. Also I might save one of the supper carbs and have 2 instead of 1 later.
Signs of low blood sugar include dizziness, lethargy, nervousness, shakes, confusion, drunkeness, coma. Unfortunately some of those are signs of high blood sugar too, along with a lot of other illnesses such as high or low blood pressure.
For me personally, if the blood sugar is too high, I get dizzy. If it's too low, I get the shakes.
In First Responder training, we were taught that if we believed that there was a diabetic high or low blood sugar to give the victim juice or candy if they're conscious. If it's low blood sugar, the food will help them. If it's high blood sugar, it won't really hurt them.
But that assumes that there's no blood sugar monitor available. If there is, then the blood sugar can be quantified. For high blood sugar, see if the victim has insulin that they could self-administer.
For known diabetics, a medical emergency is more likely to be low blood sugar. If unchecked it could lead to coma and death.
I carry with me gluco-tabs (over-the-counter glucose tablets) and food bars in case the blood sugar drops out the bottom. If I eat right though, it's not a problem.
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Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 2:52:15 PM
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laura...
Posts: 2506
Joined: 3/1/2005
From: NE Ohio
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I am a type 2 diabetic. I can control my glucose levels with diet. I've been doing a really lousy job of it for the last couple of months.
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Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith... ...so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrew 12:3-4
Follow me on Twitter: MrsLalaD
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 6:00:34 PM
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Elena1030
Posts: 2277
Joined: 6/21/2006
From: Music City, USA
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quote:
ORIGINAL: pruned
Hi folks! I'm not diabetic or hypoglycemic. I am curious about a couple of things:
1. Rayofson, you've mentioned counting carbs a couple of times. What number range are you aiming for? Is that a good goal for most everyone, or does it depend on body height/weight, etc.?
Mine is to figure out how much insulin to take ---> 1 unit / 15 grams of carbs.
quote:
2. I have many friends who are diabetic and control it in various ways. Let's say someone gets "in trouble". Tell me what to do to help in this case before the paramedics arrive. (Because I'm clueless, you can bet I will be calling for help.)
If the person is conscious, try getting a sugary liquid down him.
If the person is unconscious, check his belongings for a glucagon kit. It's a syringe filled with liquid and a vial with a tablet inside. You inject liquid into the vial, swirl it till the mixture is dissolved, and then draw up all the liquid in the vial into the syringe. Inject into muscle tissue.
Low blood sugar symptoms (checking for diabetic shock)
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What symptoms did you have leading up to the diagnosis of diabetes?
I would dribble in my underwear after going to the bathroom. My mom and I thought I had a UTI. When I went to the pediatrician and my bg was checked, it was 240 about 2 hours after eating lunch. Blessedly, I didn't have to do a glucose tolerance test. The bg level of 240 was sufficient evidence!!
What type of diabetes do you live with?
Type 1 (aka diabetes mellitus or juvenile diabetes; it's the autoimmune version.... not brought on by health factors like being overweight.... researchers think that various infections set off the genetic switch and start the body's attack against the islet cells in the pancreas)
I use an insulin pump.
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"LORD, You light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness."—Psalm 18:28, HCSB
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 6:07:29 PM
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Elena1030
Posts: 2277
Joined: 6/21/2006
From: Music City, USA
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quote:
ORIGINAL: humbleinspirit
As long as your blood sugar doesn't end up in the 500's, you should be ok.
OK as in staying conscious, but not OK as in preventing damage and staving off the complications from diabetes.
Anything above 240 is considered "really not good" by my doctor and me. And anything above 300 is the "scary" range.
Blessedly, I've never gone unconscious b/c of highs or lows.
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quote:
ORIGINAL: JustaFan
What kind of levels work for you?
After 23 years, I don't really "feel" the levels that my blood sugar is at... I feel the fluctuation. I can feel it whether it's going up or down. Going down is definitely easier to feel, though.
I do feel better when my blood sugars stay closer to 120... if it's nearer 100, then it's likely on the way down.
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cherish405:
Is your scale for the a1c? Or is it for glucose testing on your body?
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"LORD, You light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness."—Psalm 18:28, HCSB
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 6:11:54 PM
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Elena1030
Posts: 2277
Joined: 6/21/2006
From: Music City, USA
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quote:
ORIGINAL: humbleinspirit
I am having trouble with foods so far. Either I am very hungry or not hungry at all. This isn't good for the 5 so-called small meals that I should be having. I have been consuming sugar but my blood sugar remains to be low.
Be sure you're eating protein with your carbs.
Milk, cereal, and dried fruit are all primarily carbs. Protein will help stabilize your biochemistry, metabolism, and blood sugar.
So... try reduced fat cheese, a spoonful of peanut butter, lowfat lunch meat (turkey, for example), low-fat cottage cheese.... for breakfast.
When I need a snack after low blood sugar, I go for peanut butter and crackers. That works well for me.
You're doing well to stay away from high-fat foods. The fat -- like in pizza -- delays the absorption of carbs.... so you'll get an initial lower spike soon after eating... and then another, bigger, spike a few hours later.
Have you seen a dietician or nutritionist to talk about suggestions for meals and snacks made up of the foods you like (or healthier versions of the food you like)?
_____________________________
"LORD, You light my lamp; my God illuminates my darkness."—Psalm 18:28, HCSB
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 10:58:46 PM
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cherish405
Posts: 8574
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Elena1030
cherish405:
Is your scale for the a1c? Or is it for glucose testing on your body?
Both.
_____________________________
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend;
inside of a dog, it's too dark too read
~ Groucho Marx ~
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/22/2009 11:35:02 PM
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JustaFan
Posts: 3427
Joined: 4/24/2006
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quote:
I do feel better when my blood sugars stay closer to 120... if it's nearer 100, then it's likely on the way down.
It seems that people vary on what feels right to them. I feel fine if I am down in the 70s. I do know that it's time to keep an eye on it at that point and have some food before it goes lower, but I still feel good. The lowest I ever went was 49. I felt a little out of it at that point, but I didn't feel like I was near passing out.
Also, after mine goes low, I just have something sugary (I actually enjoy the chance to cheat) and then it goes right back up, no problem. However, I know people who say they are tired and have to rest for an hour even after their levels are back up to normal.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/23/2009 8:20:02 AM
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rayofson
Posts: 773
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I've grown a bigger tolerance for lower blood sugar readings. Early on, any reading below about 90 made me feel low. Now I can tolerate it into the upper 70's.
Before I was diagnosed, my eyesight was normal. Over the years it had declined with age and I do wear glasses. But after being treated for diabetes and the blood sugars dropped down to normal levels, the eyesight went blurry. My doctor said not to bother to go to have the eyesight checked for at least a month as the sight would slowly get better again. He was right, and it slowly came back to where it was previously.
_____________________________
Please don't feed the Ogre.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/23/2009 10:03:59 AM
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cherish405
Posts: 8574
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
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For a while, I was really slack where my diabetes was concerned. My numbers were a lot higher than they were supposed to be. Now that I'm getting them back in check, I find that I feel like I'm going into a hypo at a higher number than I should. I know that it's just my body readjusting to getting back to normal. Sometimes 5 or 6 feels too low. When it starts getting to 4, then I start listening, but I'm usually ready for dinner by then anyway.
_____________________________
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend;
inside of a dog, it's too dark too read
~ Groucho Marx ~
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/23/2009 1:48:03 PM
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doinkdom
Posts: 3502
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: The higher lowcountry
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In the summer...my favoriate healthy breafkast is plain yogurt with fresh or frozen fruit mixed in and topped with homemade granola.
In the winter, I prefer old fashioned oatmeal or warm granola cereal.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/23/2009 7:07:52 PM
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Covaan_Meshuga
Posts: 849
Joined: 6/8/2005
From: being knit together in my mother's womb
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quote:
ORIGINAL: laura...
I am a type 2 diabetic. I can control my glucose levels with diet.
Me, too. And AlwaysR8chel, thank you so much for starting this, because I struggle with not going to doctors. I haven't seen one about the diabetes in well over two years. I try to educate myself using other means.
Since learning I had diabetes 2, I have lost over 40 pounds, but I did if slowly, taking the whole (approximately) 3.5 years I have known to do it. Let's see -- 40 pounds in 3.5 years -- that's about 2-1/2 pounds a month. But that is good with me! :-D
A lot of the information already given here has helped me to understand stuff better. Thank you, everyone, for your input!!
_____________________________
While in prayer or praise, I am only as devoted to G-d as I am in my most private moments.
Abiyah, if you had known them as G-d knows them, you would have answered them differently.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/23/2009 9:35:43 PM
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cherish405
Posts: 8574
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: The Land Down Under
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Favourite healthy breakfast? Weetbix, (cereal), banana and milk. All the nutritionists rave about weetbix being so good over here. I've been eating it since I was a kid.
_____________________________
Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend;
inside of a dog, it's too dark too read
~ Groucho Marx ~
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/23/2009 10:55:28 PM
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R8chel
Posts: 968
Joined: 4/11/2005
From: my computer to yours
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quote:
ORIGINAL: awed
quote:
ORIGINAL: Covaan_Meshuga
A lot of the information already given here has helped me to understand stuff better. Thank you, everyone, for your input!!
I agree with Abiyah.
It has helped me to read all of the input an appreciate it.
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..... I agree with you guys, too!!! I am learning much... there are many wise people here!
A favorite healthy breakfast.... well, depends on your own situation... but I like to have 2 eggs with one piece of oat nut toast in the morning.
I try not to eat all the yoke... because that's where the 'bad' stuff is! 
I also like oatmeal.... (not the flavored instant stuff - it has too much sugar!)
I've also learned to enjoy Vanilla soy milk... I like to have it in cereal and in my coffee..... but there again, I have to be careful about the carbs. Soy milk may be good for my heart.... but it's added carbs.
mmmmm mmmmmm
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/23/2009 11:03:01 PM
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Mrs.Wifey
Posts: 526
Joined: 4/12/2005
From: The Gorgeous plains of Colorado
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quote:
I've also learned to enjoy Vanilla soy milk... I like to have it in cereal and in my coffee..... but there again, I have to be careful about the carbs. Soy milk may be good for my heart.... but it's added carbs.
I'd just stop drinking it all together, it's bad for your thyroid. How about almond milk?
I have a question... how many of you with type 2 diabetes have a genetic predisposition to the disease? When DD was born our hospital was participating in a study that tested the newborn cord blood for a "gene" that would cause type 2 diabetes. DD's was negative, which I found surprising given her family history. Both of my parents and grandparents are diabetic, DH's father and grandfather are diabetic so there is definitely a strong possibility there for DD as well. It should be interesting in the next 40 years to see if she really is not effected.
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Ryanne- trying hard to be my husband's girlfriend and my daughter's mother.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/24/2009 12:04:55 AM
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Covaan_Meshuga
Posts: 849
Joined: 6/8/2005
From: being knit together in my mother's womb
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I assume I have a genetic connection -- my mother had it in her later years. . . .
_____________________________
While in prayer or praise, I am only as devoted to G-d as I am in my most private moments.
Abiyah, if you had known them as G-d knows them, you would have answered them differently.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/24/2009 12:13:39 AM
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JustaFan
Posts: 3427
Joined: 4/24/2006
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I'm curious, does this ever happen to anybody else?
If my blood sugar goes way up--like I've been very "naughty" or I've taken medication that makes it go up I will have a low blood sugar incident several hours later. It's like my body turns up the insulin production to take care of the high, and then it over does it so I get a bad low.
I first discovered it when my ear surgeon gave me prednisone. He'd been very cautious about giving it to me because he said it would make my blood sugar go up. It did a bit, but then the blood sugar would plummet so low that I had to stop taking the prednisone. The last day I took it I had eaten a whole box of Dots candy, was eating a Snickers bar, and drinking a Coca-Cola, and my blood sugar still went down to 49.
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RE: Living with Diabetes... - 6/24/2009 12:14:53 AM
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awed
Posts: 314
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: AlwaysR8chel
I eat an Oat Bread too! Sarah Lee brand.
I "may" have a genetic connection. Not real sure.
Justafan... that sounds pretty scary.
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