Diabetes

[ArlyA]

Seeing these notes from you guys, seems the dexcom are more accurate.

 

[ArlyA]

How's everyone's a1c doing? I was just out to get more dexcom7's I'm nearly out of and found they do have them in stock again.

 

[daugen]

one of the guys in my other thread just said he learned he had AIC issues.
Said he wasn't used to that test.
Welcome to the choir, those of us diabetes prone live our life by it.
but didn't hear the number.
I'm assuming over 6.5 but maybe they pull the alarm at 6.1?

so much of medicine seems to revolve around what metric is needed to justify
treatment and payment of insurance.
I'm getting my AIC checked in the Fall and have to now remind my docs to order that test.

wouldn't it be neat if you could test for AIC at home?

 

[WM75Guy]

one of the guys in my other thread just said he learned he had AIC issues.
Said he wasn't used to that test.
Welcome to the choir, those of us diabetes prone live our life by it.
but didn't hear the number.
I'm assuming over 6.5 but maybe they pull the alarm at 6.1?

so much of medicine seems to revolve around what metric is needed to justify
treatment and payment of insurance.
I'm getting my AIC checked in the Fall and have to now remind my docs to order that test.

wouldn't it be neat if you could test for AIC at home?

There is a home A1C test. Where you get your glucometer supplies should have them.

 

[ArlyA]

one of the guys in my other thread just said he learned he had AIC issues.
Said he wasn't used to that test.
Welcome to the choir, those of us diabetes prone live our life by it.
but didn't hear the number.
I'm assuming over 6.5 but maybe they pull the alarm at 6.1?

so much of medicine seems to revolve around what metric is needed to justify
treatment and payment of insurance.
I'm getting my AIC checked in the Fall and have to now remind my docs to order that test.

wouldn't it be neat if you could test for AIC at home?

My spouse see's people with a a1c of 10+- and won't heal, so they are in to see her department. Go figure.

 

[mjonesnh]

How's everyone's a1c doing? I was just out to get more dexcom7's I'm nearly out of and found they do have them in stock again.

6.0 for me. Got lucky , started on metformin and insulin. Figured out that exercise and watching my diet could help reverse symptoms. Medicine free for 3.5 years

 

[ArlyA]

6.0 for me. Got lucky , started on metformin and insulin. Figured out that exercise and watching my diet could help reverse symptoms. Medicine free for 3.5 years

Do you have a CGM or are you poking your fingers?

 

[mjonesnh]

Do you have a CGM or are you poking your fingers?

Sticking my finger. Have a bluetooth glucose meter that gives me 30, 60, 90 day averages. A1c blood test and glucose meter agree very close. maybe .1 -.2 difference between meter and actual a1c blood test. Have been 6.0-6.2 for 3 years with low carb, low sugar diet and walking 3-4 miles/day.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

my understanding is that saturated fats can be natural, like in butter or whole milk.
Makes sense to limit anything fatty, not eliminate. I drink 2 percent milk because I can use it in my coffee as well
as cereal. Keeps me away from 1/2 and 1/2.
But trans fats are not natural and are a result of processing.
many store baked goods do not have any nutritional info given.
and boy do they make that font small on the label

I wish someone made yogurt with the good flavor and fruit
of the caloric fruit on bottom types, but without the sugar
or the fake sugar. Seems best yogurt is stuff you make yourself by blending in
your own fruit. I eat a lot of blueberries by dumping them in yogurt.
Some yogurt is really thick. Other yogurt is suspiciously creamy due to a huge number
of chemicals on the label.
I find most blended yogurt unappealing, would rather have chunks of fruit in there, so
guess I'd better get used to adding more on top.
gotta get my berries in...

Diabetic wife likes plain Greek yogurt. No sweetner at all. Add variety of berries and if she wants sweet sometimes adds some honey.
Health food stores sell pure Stevia which is a natural plant. She likes Zevia soda.
We both like unsweetened tea, although I'm not Diabetic. I used to love sugar but not so much now. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar.

 

[LHF2019]

How's everyone's a1c doing? I was just out to get more dexcom7's I'm nearly out of and found they do have them in stock again.

So there was a shortage/supply issue? Exwife contacted me to see if I could get the G7 locally in Feb. Said they were having issues getting them. Son is back on G6 for time being.

On a different note if I have need Dexcom/Tandem supplies just learned of 2 people in Southern Tier NY that recently got the Dexcom/Tandem setup. Have tried in the past when supplies ran short while son visiting and nobody in this area had a clue what I was talking about when trying to source supplies. My co worker is one of them and he was excited to show me as we had talked about my son in the past. He is very excited with it. First time having CGM and pump linked. Had been pump only with manually taking BG readings.

 

[ArlyA]

So there was a shortage/supply issue? Exwife contacted me to see if I could get the G7 locally in Feb. Said they were having issues getting them. Son is back on G6 for time being.

On a different note if I have need Dexcom/Tandem supplies just learned of 2 people in Southern Tier NY that recently got the Dexcom/Tandem setup. Have tried in the past when supplies ran short while son visiting and nobody in this area had a clue what I was talking about when trying to source supplies. My co worker is one of them and he was excited to show me as we had talked about my son in the past. He is very excited with it. First time having CGM and pump linked. Had been pump only with manually taking BG readings.

Walgreens told me a month or so ago, they could not get them until March. I like to keep three in stock in case of failures.

 

[ArlyA]

Diabetic wife likes plain Greek yogurt. No sweetner at all. Add variety of berries and if she wants sweet sometimes adds some honey.
Health food stores sell pure Stevia which is a natural plant. She likes Zevia soda.
We both like unsweetened tea, although I'm not Diabetic. I used to love sugar but not so much now. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar.

Honey is just another form of sugar. I'd not call it bad, if your BG is kept in check. Cinnamon does not lower blood sugar.

 

[ArlyA]

Sticking my finger. Have a bluetooth glucose meter that gives me 30, 60, 90 day averages. A1c blood test and glucose meter agree very close. maybe .1 -.2 difference between meter and actual a1c blood test. Have been 6.0-6.2 for 3 years with low carb, low sugar diet and walking 3-4 miles/day.

You should ask your doc about a CGM. Getting one was the best product develop in the past 40 years (for me anyway).

 

[NorTracNY]

The sad part is that doctors are waiting until there's a real problem before addressing the issue. It often takes over a decade of bad eating before our A1c gets above 6. Doctors don't have training in nutrition and no nutrition rep is going to their offices and taking them out for lunch. If you're A1c is going above 5.5, doctors should be recommending you see person to discuss your diet.

Some people that are up above 10 often find they drop very quickly on a low carb diet to the 6-7 range. It can take years to drop below 6 for some people. It's been over 2 years for me before my ~6 has reduced to a healthy ~5.5.

Too many doctors see someone in their early 40s and KNOW they will be on a bunch of medications for BP, weight, diabetes within 10years. They do nothing to prevent that. There's no way I could live with myself if I was a doctor who did/says nothing. I know a lot of us wouldn't listen, but the truth needs to be known. I didn't even understand how sick I was until I dropped the carbs. I thought joint pain was just getting old. Nope, it's getting inflammation.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

Honey is just another form of sugar. I'd not call it bad, if your BG is kept in check. Cinnamon does not lower blood sugar.

Reason I mentioned cinnamon is wife has had diabetes 25+ years and by experimenting with diet. Redundantly the exact same diet checking blood sugar cinnamon causes hypoglycemia. The herb neem does the same.
It's possible everyone's reaction is different.

 

[ArlyA]

Funny thing about diabetes that is not well understood. This applies to type one and two. Joey goes out everyday and walks 3 miles and eats exactly same thing* while his BG stays good, but then on Tuesday doing the same routine he finds his BG runs high and can't figure out why! So he up's his humulin or mileage a bit to compensate. Then on Friday he continues the same routine and find his BG goes down like a rock and he has to eat extra. Yet the same mileage, same food* and same walk.. How could this happen?!!?!? This can and does happen because we can not see or feel all the things that are going on in our body. Was it an low level infection?? Did one go away?? Or a million other things your body is always doing with hormones. Joey was not doing anything wrong. This was one of the reasons I love using a CGM.

* Its not healthy to eat a unvaried diet.

 

[NorTracNY]

Funny thing about diabetes that is not well understood. This applies to type one and two. Joey goes out everyday and walks 3 miles and eats exactly same thing* while his BG stays good, but then on Tuesday doing the same routine he finds his BG runs high and can't figure out why! So he up's his humulin or mileage a bit to compensate. Then on Friday he continues the same routine and find his BG goes down like a rock and he has to eat extra. Yet the same mileage, same food* and same walk.. How could this happen?!!?!? This can and does happen because we can not see or feel all the things that are going on in our body. Was it an low level infection?? Did one go away?? Or a million other things your body is always doing with hormones. Joey was not doing anything wrong. This was one of the reasons I love using a CGM.

* Its not healthy to eat a unvaried diet.

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. I believe diabetes is well understood. T2D isn't defined by high blood sugar, but by insulin resistance.

BG is absolutely impacted by MUCH more than food and exercise. Sleep and fighting infections are certainly two of those. We also know that a combination of foods will impact your BG differently than those foods taken individually. Generally fiber will slow down the sugars going into your blood stream. Also, everyone is different. That is what makes CGMs wonderful. It allows us to customize our own care. I believe it's actually the reason there was a major push by doctors to not allow CGMs without a prescription. A program like LEVELS will help people be healthy and reduce business for doctors who like sick patients.

 

[LHF2019]

I'm not sure what you're trying to say. I believe diabetes is well understood. T2D isn't defined by high blood sugar, but by insulin resistance.

BG is absolutely impacted by MUCH more than food and exercise. Sleep and fighting infections are certainly two of those. We also know that a combination of foods will impact your BG differently than those foods taken individually. Generally fiber will slow down the sugars going into your blood stream. Also, everyone is different. That is what makes CGMs wonderful. It allows us to customize our own care. I believe it's actually the reason there was a major push by doctors to not allow CGMs without a prescription. A program like LEVELS will help people be healthy and reduce business for doctors who like sick patients.

Type 1 I’ll speak to. Diabetes is not well understood otherwise maintaining a healthy bs level would be easy. But everything varies one from person to person and from day to day. And as stated in the above post. You can do the same thing everyday and have varied results. Why? Just because you feel good everyday doesn’t mean there aren’t underlying factors affecting you.

The concept of diabetes is well understood.

 

[garry1p]

I know my type 2 diabetes is sort of under control, but bs will vary day to day, even when I try to eat something very similar ( I don't like eating the something again). Taking metformin er twice a day past 15 years.
A year ago for some reason my BS went out of control, I found out when DR checked bs up from 7.1 to over 10 in 6 months. As far as I know I did nothing different, now I take one shot a day plus metformin last check was 6.3.

One example, a banana one morning will have very little effect, next day same routine and boom 192 to 203.

 

[ArlyA]

I know my type 2 diabetes is sort of under control, but bs will vary day to day, even when I try to eat something very similar ( I don't like eating the something again). Taking metformin er twice a day past 15 years.
A year ago for some reason my BS went out of control, I found out when DR checked bs up from 7.1 to over 10 in 6 months. As far as I know I did nothing different, now I take one shot a day plus metformin last check was 6.3.

One example, a banana one morning will have very little effect, next day same routine and boom 192 to 203.

Garry, you should try to get that a1c lower. What do you do for exercise? Any of your healthcare people mention you could do better with a CGM?