Type two diabetes....

[carole]

I was just curious how many PTer's have this or have it in the family, my dad has it, my sister and now my mother has just been diagnosed with it, do i feel it is me next, yep, however i am doing my best here not to be the next one, i had a test about a year ago, and all was well, and i have now lost weight and will be starting to exercise when i get motivated, yep the latter is the hardest one for me, last reading was 4.3 which is fine, but i a now feeling a bit paranoid about my chances ,but will do everything i can to hopefully avoid it.

How are you coping if you have it,? and what steps can be taken to avoid it, other than what i am already doing, am i just genetically wired to get this or what, opinions, advice , thanks.

[Grace]

I was diagnosed 4 years ago - probably had it for a couple of years before that.

I'm still controlled with diet, exercise and Metformin. I will take Prandin occasionally - before a high carb meal like Thanksgiving dinner or pizza.

I test several times a day - for my own information. I like to know how different foods affect my blood glucose.

I don't know if you are 'genetically wired' or not - but with your family history you are wise to watch your diet, and continue with exercise.

An excellent book I found - The First Year: Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Gretchen Becker. Another one she wrote - Prediabetes: What You Need to Know to Keep Diabetes Away - might be good for you right now.

[slick]

I've had it for about 3 years now (brought on by obesity) and controlling it with Metformin and Gliclazide both twice a day. My recent weight loss has help tremendously (duh-why didn't I think of that before!! :rolleyes:). My doctor says if this continues, in a year I may be able to start weaning myself off the meds.

[Marigold2]

I got it for my birthday last year. It's a bummer. I exercise almost every day and watch what I eat. Life goes on.

[kitten645]

When I turned 40 my body literally fell apart! :rolleyes:I went in for a regular ob appointment and they sent me for bloodwork. I got a message later on in the day that if I had any symptoms, to call 911 :eek: Symptoms of WHAT? I had to wait the weekend and found out my glucose was like 400 something:eek: They took it again and told me I was borderline diabetic. Nearly EVERY single person in my family is diabetic. My younger siblings haven't been diagnosed yet.
I've been dieting ever since and have lost 60lbs in about 4 years. That has really helped. I'm now on the Flat Belly diet since I'm told people who carry their weight around their mid-section (that would be me thanks much!:rolleyes:) are more likely to have glucose problems. I'm on day five and it's pretty do-able.
I strongly suggest you read up on EVERYTHING related to the disease. You can fend it off but you have to be equiped with information!
Good luck!

[carole]

Thanks everyone for your replies, yes i will continue with the way i eat for life, i was getting right fed up yesterday being on WW, and felt like giving up, it was so darn cold here and i was hungry,but now this has made me more determined to get to goal and keep it off, i have never been obese, but i need to shift those spare tyres around the middle, the late middle age spread, i call it lol, and i need to start an exercise programme that will work for me.

My dad is slightly overweight,(at 78 he still works full time in his own business and is pretty darn active ), and my mother is not, although she is carrying a lot of body fat around her middle, she has a thyroid condition and has been on medication for cancer which all contributed to this happening, but she actually only weighs 61 kgs,my sister probably could loose a few pounds but she is not what i class as being overweight by much at all.

I sure hope i am not genetically wired to getting it, i will do everything possible to keep it at bay, of course it is treatable and life goes on, but hey i would rather NOT have it, lots of complications that occur with having it, are the worst, like the slow healing,eyesight problems,just to mention but a few, i have enough going on with health issues, no more for me thanks very much.:)

[kitten645]

The good news is that as you loose weight, you actually start getting full on less. I can recall the day when I'd "Super Size" a mickeyd's meal. These days, if I go at all (why tempt fate?) I can barely do a Happy Meal!
Diabetes is treatable but the damage it causes is not. My mom is blind because she chose not to properly manage her diabetes. It's good motovation for a diet when you see the results. Better to not have to deal with it to begin with. There are some amazing statistics out there if you have a look. While not in ALL cases obviously, it's a disease that can be prevented. Knowledge is power.

[K9karen]

Diabetes runs in my mom's side of the family. She didn't have it, but, I think it may be genetic. But that doesn't mean everyone gets it.

I know 4 people who had gastric bypass and *Viola* no more insulin OR diabetes!!!

I just thought I'd mention that. No insults meant... these people had a life or death situation, where gastric bypasss was their only choice.. which goes to show, diet and excercise are vital.

Good luck to all of you. I hope you continue to stay healthy! :love::love::love:

[carole]

I am not too concerned about the weight thing, i am not a very big girl, none of the ones with the diabetes are huge, just a tad overweight, none of us would near qualify for gastric bypass, my mum is rather tiny, she just has put it around her middle, due to her conditions and cancer medication.

Yes well i will get mine checked soon to make sure i am still good, i was before, but things can change, although i would imagine for the better in my case.:)

[smokey the elder]

Is it your A1C number that's 4.3? The latest cutoff from the American Diabetes Association for pre-diabetes is 6. They think this number is a better diagnostic than blood glucose, since that is highly variable. A1c, like fructosamine in cats, is a better long-term indicator of glucose regulation in humans.

(I don't have any human family diabetics, but had a diabetic cat for 3+ years.) Good luck!

One of my rescue friends was pre-diabetic; she took off a bunch of weight and is now in a good range, so it can be done!

[Barbara]

A friend of ours who really loved eating a lot and is in the mid-50s was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. He lost like 50 lb- and was ok. I hear however that it is not only weight but also exercise. So it seems as if type 2 can in many cases be avoided. My granny and my dad had it. While my dad was never really really overweight (weighing in at 170 lb with 5ft 5) he stopped moving very much when he became 80+ (sitting in front of the TV watching soccer and tennis) - and there it was.

[Freedom]

My Dad has Type 2, he is now on 4 insulin shots per day. He was diagnosed at about age 68? They figure he had it for several years prior to that.

I know in my head that I need to lose weight, but I just don't do it. Sigh.

[caseysmom]

Does anyone know the abbreviations for the test for this? I had a bunch of bloodwork before my surgery that I can see online but it all has abbreviations?

[K9karen]

I know in my head that I need to lose weight, but I just don't do it. Sigh.

Yeah, food tastes way too good going down!
There must be a GPS in my body leading the fat cells to my arse.

[carole]

Yes i know exercise is important as well, that is why i am going to try and do some, my diet is great, so i can only do that to improve things, my mum is pretty in active, so i guess that is why she has it, she really is not that bad with food, my dad on the other hand , well we won't go there, he has been diabetic for some years now, and is on pills, but his diet is appalling to say the least, mum has tried to tell him, but he just won't listen, he brings home all the fatty ,high sugar food like pies,cream donuts,chocolate,crossiants,mum usually does not even eat them, as she prefers other foods anyhow, he also had a heart attack,actually it was the day after the towers went down in America, a day none of us will ever forget.

Funny thing though it was only like about six months to a year since my mother had her last blood tests done and she was ok then,so things can change pretty darn fast alright.

I have not had a blood test done in about six months, but it was fine then, so hopefully since my diet has improved since the last blood test, it will be fine again , if not better, i am hoping anyhow.

Freedom don't leave it until it is too late, and you have the diabetes, if it is in the family, and you are overweight, chances are you are heading that way too, i know it is hard, but believe me it is worth it, in the end, if you can prevent something ,then take the choice and do it, ton of support here to help you anytime you need it.