As I mentioned in a thread in the Political Forum earlier last week, it looked like I was showing signs of diabetes. I was scheduled for some tests today, but managed to somewhat blow it by getting sick with some 24 hour virus or somesuch last night.

In short, my blood sugar tested out at 73 Monday morning, and that was with food "kept down" being a very small homemade pancake (dry) at 1PM and a peach on Sunday morning at 8AM. And that was it. I don't even remember dinner Saturday, other than it was something on the grill, so I was pretty well empty.

The only thing I ate for dinner tonight with any sugars or carbs in it, other than the natural ones in fresh vegetables, was a slice of 20 carb/2 sugar per slice white bread, which shot me up 16 points in 2 hours and almost made me puke again. That test read 104, but then again, I was still pretty much "starved" from Saturday night.

Given the list of symptoms I had, though, and how a radical change in diet eliminated all of them, Doc is pretty sure I've got Type 2, but he's also confident that with the numbers I've given him so far, I can control it with diet and exercise and regular testing.

No more peeing about a quart every half hour, no more intense thirst/hunger, and no more numb/tingling extremities. (NO, not THOSE extremities!)

The better news is he managed to get me a free electronic glucose meter. All I have to buy is strips and for now, keep a careful logbook for him to review later on this week - unless something goes wild first.

My stomach hasn't been able to tolerate much of anything lately, but as he said, whatever your're eating, if you feel good, and keep getting good numbers, continue to do that. Call me, and you can get "stupid" this weekend or when you feel like eating again. In other words, a "pig out" test.

Thing is, I don't really don't want to try and get "stupid", because it's nice having a 33" waist again! That, and I really don't have any desire to eat anything sweet anymore.

We'll see what happens later in the week, I guess. And thanks to my friends here for all the advice.

I have been on Androcur for over 8 months now and I love the new me. But over that time I have lost over 30 pounds and I have not changed my lifestyle or eating habits. I know Androcur can cause weight gain but have any of you heard or had this kind of weight loss?

I am also going to be tested to type two diabetes on August 1st since I have have many of systoms

No idea.

This is all new to me.

I'm still trying not to scream when I stick my finger!

Boy, that comment looks GOOD next to my avatar, doesn't it?

Well,

The redeeming factor is that Light Sabers dont make bloody messes.

IT is not exactly like "Kill Bill" and you have to make the "Crazy 88" sword fight in black and white to get it past the censors...



A-1

I have Type 2 diabetes which is currently under control by Metformin plus a low-carbohydrate diet and as much exercise as is reasonable for a creaky old wreck like me.

Some of the symptoms persist anyhow, such as peripheral neuropathy. I have tingling, burning, and paræsthesia in my hands, especially in the fingertips. How much of this is due to the diabetes, though, is uncertain inasmuch as I have carpal tunnel syndrome in both hands. Before the diabetes showed up in my blood, though, my doctor strongly suspected it. He told me "You don't have diabetic blood, but you have diabetic feet."

Apparently, the Metformin is effective enough that my physician doesn't feel it necessary for me to test my blood sugar at home. I have blood work done at a local lab about once a month. I think that once your blood sugar has been stabilized, your diabetes can probably be controlled by drugs taken orally. Good luck !

Thank you.

So far, so good.

Weight was 200 about 4 weeks ago.

Now it's 172.

I'm 5'9".

Waist - was a tight 36"

Now it's a loose 33".

And so far, no more symptoms!

And no more cravings for sweets, either.

Acutally, it could turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

I feel better than I have in YEARS.

Flaxseed oil has been shown to help the body process carbs. Plus, if taken at the same time carbs are consumed, it also slows down the absorption rate of the carbs which helps even further. I can't find it, but I had a nice article demonstrating how type 2 diabetes was reversible with the use of these essential fatty acids and such that are found in flaxseed oil but not in modern butter substitutes. The main reason people are even getting type 2 diabetes is not really what they are even eating but what they are lacking in the diet more than anything. Of course, if one stays insulin resistant for too long a time, the pancreas cells die from over exhaustion and then that much is definitely permanent!

It's good to read Paolo that despite the unpleasantness and shock of this that you have lost weight and feel good about it. I know nothing of type 2 Diabetes, fortunately. Is it gained as a result of eating 'fast foods' high in fat and sugar?

Is a sensible prevention the rule of eating 5 items of fruit and vegetables a day, as we are often reminded. (I have to say I rarely do manage that and I drink far too little water usually, like most people).

I can see I shall have to look up Wikipedia to learn more about it.

There have been a number of remedial suggestions apart from the advice you must be getting from your own Doctor. Is this incredibly hot midsummer a contributory factor??

I hope you can hold down your food {and drop the 'smiley' of being sick!)

and that you retain your slimline waist. Some good news there, eh

I don’t know a whole lot about it either, Sac_Mec.

But for what it’s worth, my diet was probably the absolute worst it could have been.

No breakfast, or if any, a small bottle of milk and a donut from the gas station weekday mornings on the way to work. That and coffee.

Lunch – fast food. Usually Taco Bell or a cheeseburger or Pizza Hut or somesuch.

Dinner – whatever I can find, sometimes skipping it altogether.

Then there was the high sugar content snacking, and the smoking.

The smoking part I’m still trying to deal with, along with getting more exercise.

As I was talking about to a friend on the phone last night, I don’t know how a McDonald’s sandwich or any item from Taco Bell could possibly make it past the FDA! Common sense would indicate the rise in diabetes in this country could be blamed on too little “real” food and too much fast food. Once you start reading labels, even the stuff you by off of the shelf at the store is loaded with “crap”. It’s cheap filler, making for high profit margin. To hell with what it does to the consumer, obviously.

Thing is, a change in diet and losing weight isn’t that difficult.

From what I’ve experienced, there seems to be a difference in the type of carbohydrates that you take in. I’m no nutritionist, but my own observations are:

Fruits and some vegetables are loaded with natural sugars and carbs, but these don’t seem to have the same effect (on ME) that carbs and sugars in processed foods do. By processed foods, I mean things like pasta, breads, any pre-made foods.

For example, one slice of Wonder white bread says it has 20 carbs and 2 sugars. The carbs also convert to sugars in the body, though. ONE slice of it was enough to jump me 20 points on the blood test. Two slices – about 40 points. I won’t do that again. And it takes MUCH longer for the level to go back down (without medication), than it takes to go back down with natural carbs/sugars. The potato itself is not an evil thing. It’s what we do to them. I can eat a nice size baked potato, with a shot of fake butter spray and a touch of sour cream (moderation!) and only go up about 12 points or so. Then it falls off nicely.

I’ve found I can have a plate of fresh fruits for breakfast, have a spike in sugars, but by noon and lunchtime, it’s back down to 100 or so and I’m hungry again. I stop eating when I’m full. I eat when my stomach rumbles, or I get dizzy.

As far as a “pigging out” test, which the doctor suggested, I have not done it and I WON’T do it.

I have no desire for sweets anymore, with the exception of Hershey’s Special Dark bars. But then again, we can’t have everything. They’re good for low-sugar crises, though. God only knows what my numbers were a month ago, and frankly, I don’t want to know. All I know is I felt like hell and didn’t want to do anything.

(Had more of an analysis here, but the power went out and I lost it…recovered some).

In short, get up and move around. Stop eating junk. Get a little kid and a pet. Chase them around. Eat when you’re hungry – and by that, I mean when your stomach rumbles. Cut out anything processed, fast foods, and milk and bread. Eat only “real” food that’s not in a box. I guarantee you’ll see a change in a week…or less. Look into a good vitamin supplement if you feel you need it. Consult your doctor, too, if you can find a good one.

So does fast food cause diabetes?

I don’t know.

The case of the little boy down the road here, who didn’t start puberty until he was 16 and never ate fast food at all, and who couldn’t have been more active and had a better diet, came down with Type 1 and landed in the hospital right out of the blue. In fact, he almost died. The only thing was his paternal Grandma was Type 2, needing the occasional pill to control it.

Is there a link between late puberty or lack of testosterone?

I don’t know.

But why is it on such a rise?

I don’t know that either.

Hi Paolo,

I've been thinking about it too. This issue is huge. A first thought I had today was about processed food, even things like the less expensive brands of bread for example. In order to keep the prices of many of these foods low, the manufacturers first add loads of sugar and then add salt to counteract the sweetness of the sugar. Both salt and sugar are very cheap and fill out a processed product easily, without you being aware of it.

Here in the UK, the Government was bringing in a code for all food manufacturers to list clearly the content of fat, salt and sugar. The food industry wasn't happy and so they brought their own system in, ahead of any government changes.

(You can guess which system the industry wanted!). Now each supermarket

has chosen its own different way to list these items and the public remain confused and consequently ignore the labelling and will be encouraged by the food processors/manufacturers to just maintain their ordinary buying habits and therefore 'bury' the safe food labelling scheme, effectively.

I read up a little about your form of diabetes and it is actually more usual

these days in children after puberty but obesity was listed as a possible reason for adults. (I hardly think your waistline last week at 36" puts you in that category!) but maybe it is the stressful life diet you've indicated which

gave you this. I'm pleased for your waistline and hope you kept the denims etc in the smaller waistline.

Do you know one little known fact about mens and women's clothes?

A Guy buying a shirt in th UK or rest of EU who chooss XL, will only need a L size if he buys an American brand, such as Lands End. So, it's quite good for the ego for us when we do buy your clothes! Hope you're feeling brighter and stronger again Paolo.