Introduction

mommax3 · 12-12-2009, 08:55 AM

Hi everyone. My name is Amanda and I have been reading this forum for about a week, and I must say I have been truly inspired. I am 28 and was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic in 2005. At the time, we had insurance so my dr started me on 2000 mg of metformin a day. My bs was ok, I tried to lose weight by doing Weight Watchers and other low fat diets, but I always lost about 10 pounds, and that was it, no matter how hard I tried. Then in 2006 I got pregnant with my 3rd child, and my dr took me off the pills and put me on insulin. My bs was soooo high through the whole pregnancy, and when he was born, he had alot of health problems, problems with his heart, lungs, blood sugar, everything. He was in the hospital a month before he got to leave with oxygen. He is now a healthy 2 year old!!! So, dr put me back on the pills, bs was still not great but managable. Fast forward a couple years, my husband was laid off this past January. I had been a stay at home mom for years so I had no job,and we lost our insurance. Still unemployment was too much income for us to qualify for medical card, kids did get it though. My dr was understanding and gave me a discount on office visits and my meds were only $4 a month (I do have other health issues, but I couldn't afford meds for everything), so I was able to continue my meds for a while. However, the last couple of months I have not had the extra money to go to the dr, and my refills had long since run out. So, my blood sugar has been running in the 3 and 4 hundreds, and that makes me drowsy, so I have been taking caffeine pills like there nothing. Anyways.....good news, my husband got his job back, insurance kicks back in the first of the year. But I didn't want to wait to start feeling better, and I know I have to do something reguardless of having the meds or not, soooo, I have been reading what you all have been saying. I went to the grocery on Wednesday and stocked up on low carb foods....I read DANDR last year, so I gave myself a refresher on that first. Thursday was my first day eating clean, and I decided to go ahead and give up the caffeine pills too. By Thursday evening, I was in tears, my head hurt so bad, along with the rest of my body, and I was soooo emotional. I finally broke down and took some tylenol, but it really didn't help much. Yesterday, same. So today, I had to give in and have one cup of black coffee. I don't think I can withdrawal from sugar and caffeine at the same time. I have 3 very hyper boys, lol. On a positive note, my bs yesterday stayed below 200 all day. I woke up today and it was 179, I know not ideal, but it has been in the 300s and 400s. So, pretty good for day 3 and no meds. Anyway, sorry this is so long, but I wanted to say I know this is going to work for me. As long as I stick to it. And I think it would help to get motivation from other diabetics. So, I hope to get to know everyone!
i forgot to mention my weight, lol. I am starting out at 250 lbs, however I am not weighing myself until the first of the year. I want this to be about feeling good and improving my health, and I don't want lack of weight loss to stop me....so I will post my updates after the first.

Amanda

chiody · 12-12-2009, 10:55 AM

Amanda,

I'm so happy you've aggressively sought out a solution for your predicament. LCarbing is the solution for T2 as many on these forums will attest. Just a few quick recommendations, skip the Tylenol and opt for Aspiring for headaches which should be diminishing as time goes on during your "induction" phase. Unless you are in dire need of caffeine, minimize this also if possible.

Your lower BS levels are terrific for only 3 days into the new regimen! Keep monitoring levels and log them for your next MD visit. It's your way to know what is happening on a daily schedule.

I saw your post on the main forum but I'll welcome you here 1st!!!

shunsweets · 12-12-2009, 10:55 AM

Welcome Mommax3. You're off to a good start. Diet and exercise are amazing in what they can do for BS levels. I have med insurance issues too so understand those concerns.

Keep up the good work and check in often for support and to share.

mommax3 · 12-12-2009, 03:15 PM

Just curious chiody, why aspirin instead of tylenol? Either is fine with me, I'm just wondering if there is a medical reason behind it. Thanks!!

hpjrt · 12-12-2009, 06:32 PM

Welcome Amanda!

Glad that you've found this board ... and that you're "on track". Your progress so far is amazing!

Keep up the good work!

Mary

chiody · 12-12-2009, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mommax3

Just curious chiody, why aspirin instead of tylenol? Either is fine with me, I'm just wondering if there is a medical reason behind it. Thanks!!

There is data supporting a greater possibility of liver damage with Tylenol, toxicity can occur rapidly with repetitive and non monitored use. Regarding daily aspirin regimens as a prophylactic for stroke prevention, recent studies point towards it's use in this manner for higher risk patients ie. past history of TIA episodes (Trans Ishemic Attacks - suffered mini-strokes).

mommax3 · 12-13-2009, 08:55 AM

Wow, thanks, I did not know that about the tylenol. I take it like crazy too, I hope I didn't do any long term damage. Yesterday with just one aspirin I did start to feel better....my head is hurting today though. I only had one cup of coffee yesterday, black, and compared to the 5 to 7 caffeine pills I had been taking, not bad. My blood sugar when I woke up this morning was 220, I ate good all day yesterday. However, I have always had higher bs first thing in the morning. My dr said that shouldn't be, but i have heard there is a reason for it, just not sure what the reason could be. Anyway, I am feeling ok. My body feels calm, if that makes sense, lol.

hpjrt · 12-13-2009, 10:29 AM

Hi Amanda,

Well ... I don't know about your doctor ... but many diabetics have the "Dawn Phenomenon" ... where our BS is higher in the morning [fasting bg reading] than the rest of the day.

Dr. Bernstein covers it ... but a great site you might like to look at which also deals with this is Bloodsugar 101

Blood Sugar 101

and the sister site ...

What They Don't Tell You About Low Carb Diets

The author of those sites is a member here ... and her articles on her site are well worth a read ...

Good luck!

Mary

mommax3 · 12-13-2009, 11:23 AM

Thank you Mary! I'm going to go check them out now!!

saponaria · 12-13-2009, 07:48 PM

Welcome, Amanda. Nice to meet you. It's great you are doing this and it sounds like it's working well fast.

Steve Parker, M.D. · 12-14-2009, 05:48 PM

Hi, Amanda. I'm glad you've had success lowering your glucose just with diet.

I wouldn't feel bad about 2-4 cups of coffee a day. It doesn't seem to be hurting you. A study in this weeks issue of Archives of Internal Medicine links coffee consumption with lower risk of developing diabetes. [I know that doesn't apply to you since you already have it.]

Aren't those $4 Walmart prescriptions great? I hear some other pharmacies are stepping up to the plate and competing.

Your experience with low-carb eating, along with many others similar, convince me that low-carb is best for many people with type 2 diabetes.

-Steve

Disclaimer: All matters regarding your health require supervision by a personal physician or other appropriate health professional familiar with your current health status. Always consult your personal physician before making any dietary or exercise changes.

mommax3 · 12-14-2009, 06:19 PM

So I can keep my coffee??? Awesome! I was mostly worried about the caffeine pills I was taking to try to get out of the lethargic state I was in most of the time. Now with my 2 cups a day, and no pills, I feel 100% more energetic than I did when my bs was so high and I was eating the pills like candy! I think I may go ahead and pay cash for a dr visit since my husband is working again. Our insurance is effective the first of the year, but I would like my blood work to be done now, before I get too far into induction, so all the crazy numbers I know I'm going to have are not blamed on Atkins, plus I would like to be able to see my progress with my A1c and cholesterol (which has been very high in the past). Before I lost my insurance, I was on levothyroxine, lipitor, lexapro, metformin, and blood pressure meds. Sooo, I'm really curious about what my blood work is going to look like now.

BillB · 12-15-2009, 11:13 AM

Hi Amanda,

It's great that you found this group. Thank you for sharing your story. You seem like a very brave woman, and I am very proud of you for "attacking" your elevated blood glucose now instead of waiting for the insurance to kick in. Of course, it would be very easy to "just wait". But the more progress you make now, the more your doctor can help you when you see him (or her) soon (the sooner the better!).

Keep us posted, let us know how you are doing. There are a lot of really smart, kind, and helpful people here. We all want the best for you!

--bill

12-12-2009, 08:55 AM	#1
mommax3 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 108 Gallery: mommax3 Stats: 250/235/??? WOE: Atkins Start Date: 12/11/2009	Introduction Hi everyone. My name is Amanda and I have been reading this forum for about a week, and I must say I have been truly inspired. I am 28 and was diagnosed as type 2 diabetic in 2005. At the time, we had insurance so my dr started me on 2000 mg of metformin a day. My bs was ok, I tried to lose weight by doing Weight Watchers and other low fat diets, but I always lost about 10 pounds, and that was it, no matter how hard I tried. Then in 2006 I got pregnant with my 3rd child, and my dr took me off the pills and put me on insulin. My bs was soooo high through the whole pregnancy, and when he was born, he had alot of health problems, problems with his heart, lungs, blood sugar, everything. He was in the hospital a month before he got to leave with oxygen. He is now a healthy 2 year old!!! So, dr put me back on the pills, bs was still not great but managable. Fast forward a couple years, my husband was laid off this past January. I had been a stay at home mom for years so I had no job,and we lost our insurance. Still unemployment was too much income for us to qualify for medical card, kids did get it though. My dr was understanding and gave me a discount on office visits and my meds were only $4 a month (I do have other health issues, but I couldn't afford meds for everything), so I was able to continue my meds for a while. However, the last couple of months I have not had the extra money to go to the dr, and my refills had long since run out. So, my blood sugar has been running in the 3 and 4 hundreds, and that makes me drowsy, so I have been taking caffeine pills like there nothing. Anyways.....good news, my husband got his job back, insurance kicks back in the first of the year. But I didn't want to wait to start feeling better, and I know I have to do something reguardless of having the meds or not, soooo, I have been reading what you all have been saying. I went to the grocery on Wednesday and stocked up on low carb foods....I read DANDR last year, so I gave myself a refresher on that first. Thursday was my first day eating clean, and I decided to go ahead and give up the caffeine pills too. By Thursday evening, I was in tears, my head hurt so bad, along with the rest of my body, and I was soooo emotional. I finally broke down and took some tylenol, but it really didn't help much. Yesterday, same. So today, I had to give in and have one cup of black coffee. I don't think I can withdrawal from sugar and caffeine at the same time. I have 3 very hyper boys, lol. On a positive note, my bs yesterday stayed below 200 all day. I woke up today and it was 179, I know not ideal, but it has been in the 300s and 400s. So, pretty good for day 3 and no meds. Anyway, sorry this is so long, but I wanted to say I know this is going to work for me. As long as I stick to it. And I think it would help to get motivation from other diabetics. So, I hope to get to know everyone! i forgot to mention my weight, lol. I am starting out at 250 lbs, however I am not weighing myself until the first of the year. I want this to be about feeling good and improving my health, and I don't want lack of weight loss to stop me....so I will post my updates after the first. Amanda Last edited by mommax3; 12-12-2009 at 09:11 AM.. Reason: I forgot to add

12-12-2009, 10:55 AM	#2
chiody MAJOR LCF POSTER! Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Chicago, IL (I'm top left) Posts: 2,348 Gallery: chiody Stats: 235/146/165 6'0" Diabetic T2, No Meds 20 yrs. WOE: LC-ing (Maintenance) Start Date: 10/2008 HbA1C 5.2 - 12/15/2009	Amanda, I'm so happy you've aggressively sought out a solution for your predicament. LCarbing is the solution for T2 as many on these forums will attest. Just a few quick recommendations, skip the Tylenol and opt for Aspiring for headaches which should be diminishing as time goes on during your "induction" phase. Unless you are in dire need of caffeine, minimize this also if possible. Your lower BS levels are terrific for only 3 days into the new regimen! Keep monitoring levels and log them for your next MD visit. It's your way to know what is happening on a daily schedule. I saw your post on the main forum but I'll welcome you here 1st!!! __________________ Seafood Buffet BINGE AND LESSON! (Click) Coping with Type II Diabetes & LC ing - a "Lifestyle Commitment" (Click) Before/After Pics (235 lbs. - 165 lbs.) (157 lbs.) Goal Reached? (Click) Photo's (Click)

12-14-2009, 05:48 PM	#11
Steve Parker, M.D. Senior LCF Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Scottsdale, Arizona USA Posts: 255 Gallery: Steve Parker, M.D. Stats: 170/156/155 WOE: Low-Carb Mediterranean Diet Start Date: September 1, 2009	Hi, Amanda. I'm glad you've had success lowering your glucose just with diet. I wouldn't feel bad about 2-4 cups of coffee a day. It doesn't seem to be hurting you. A study in this weeks issue of Archives of Internal Medicine links coffee consumption with lower risk of developing diabetes. [I know that doesn't apply to you since you already have it.] Aren't those $4 Walmart prescriptions great? I hear some other pharmacies are stepping up to the plate and competing. Your experience with low-carb eating, along with many others similar, convince me that low-carb is best for many people with type 2 diabetes. -Steve Disclaimer: All matters regarding your health require supervision by a personal physician or other appropriate health professional familiar with your current health status. Always consult your personal physician before making any dietary or exercise changes. __________________ Steve Parker, M.D. Disclaimer: All matters regarding your health require supervision by a personal physician or other appropriate health professional familiar with your current health status. Always consult your personal physician before making any dietary, nutritional supplement, or exercise changes.

12-15-2009, 11:13 AM	#13
BillB Senior LCF Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: NC Posts: 672 Gallery: BillB Stats: 450+/293/200................ A1C: 12.4--->5.2 WOE: Atkins/VLC/Alternate Day--1g Metformin twice a day Start Date: Last restart, June 2009 at 450+	Hi Amanda, It's great that you found this group. Thank you for sharing your story. You seem like a very brave woman, and I am very proud of you for "attacking" your elevated blood glucose now instead of waiting for the insurance to kick in. Of course, it would be very easy to "just wait". But the more progress you make now, the more your doctor can help you when you see him (or her) soon (the sooner the better!). Keep us posted, let us know how you are doing. There are a lot of really smart, kind, and helpful people here. We all want the best for you! --bill __________________ "I read this book about how some scientists tried to get primates to paint. For 10 years they worked on it, and nothing happened. Then, one of the monkeys suddenly began to paint, and what it painted were the bars of its cage. So, in my writing, I believe I'm painting the bars of my cage so that I can get out. This is something you have to get done before you can meaningfully move on in any way."--Ferron

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12-12-2009, 10:55 AM	#3
shunsweets Senior LCF Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 733 Gallery: shunsweets Stats: maintenance WOE: VLC Start Date: May 2003	Welcome Mommax3. You're off to a good start. Diet and exercise are amazing in what they can do for BS levels. I have med insurance issues too so understand those concerns. Keep up the good work and check in often for support and to share.

12-12-2009, 03:15 PM	#4
mommax3 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 108 Gallery: mommax3 Stats: 250/235/??? WOE: Atkins Start Date: 12/11/2009	Just curious chiody, why aspirin instead of tylenol? Either is fine with me, I'm just wondering if there is a medical reason behind it. Thanks!!

12-12-2009, 06:32 PM	#5
hpjrt Senior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: S.W. Ontario, Canada Posts: 307 Gallery: hpjrt	Welcome Amanda! Glad that you've found this board ... and that you're "on track". Your progress so far is amazing! Keep up the good work! Mary

12-13-2009, 08:55 AM	#7
mommax3 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 108 Gallery: mommax3 Stats: 250/235/??? WOE: Atkins Start Date: 12/11/2009	Wow, thanks, I did not know that about the tylenol. I take it like crazy too, I hope I didn't do any long term damage. Yesterday with just one aspirin I did start to feel better....my head is hurting today though. I only had one cup of coffee yesterday, black, and compared to the 5 to 7 caffeine pills I had been taking, not bad. My blood sugar when I woke up this morning was 220, I ate good all day yesterday. However, I have always had higher bs first thing in the morning. My dr said that shouldn't be, but i have heard there is a reason for it, just not sure what the reason could be. Anyway, I am feeling ok. My body feels calm, if that makes sense, lol.

12-13-2009, 10:29 AM	#8
hpjrt Senior LCF Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: S.W. Ontario, Canada Posts: 307 Gallery: hpjrt	Hi Amanda, Well ... I don't know about your doctor ... but many diabetics have the "Dawn Phenomenon" ... where our BS is higher in the morning [fasting bg reading] than the rest of the day. Dr. Bernstein covers it ... but a great site you might like to look at which also deals with this is Bloodsugar 101 Blood Sugar 101 and the sister site ... What They Don't Tell You About Low Carb Diets The author of those sites is a member here ... and her articles on her site are well worth a read ... Good luck! Mary

12-13-2009, 11:23 AM	#9
mommax3 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 108 Gallery: mommax3 Stats: 250/235/??? WOE: Atkins Start Date: 12/11/2009	Thank you Mary! I'm going to go check them out now!!

12-13-2009, 07:48 PM	#10
saponaria Senior LCF Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Georgia Posts: 106 Gallery: saponaria Stats: 187/161.2/? I'm pregnant so we'll see...... WOE: Atkins, Weston Price, Bernstein	Welcome, Amanda. Nice to meet you. It's great you are doing this and it sounds like it's working well fast.

12-14-2009, 06:19 PM	#12
mommax3 Senior LCF Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Kentucky Posts: 108 Gallery: mommax3 Stats: 250/235/??? WOE: Atkins Start Date: 12/11/2009	So I can keep my coffee??? Awesome! I was mostly worried about the caffeine pills I was taking to try to get out of the lethargic state I was in most of the time. Now with my 2 cups a day, and no pills, I feel 100% more energetic than I did when my bs was so high and I was eating the pills like candy! I think I may go ahead and pay cash for a dr visit since my husband is working again. Our insurance is effective the first of the year, but I would like my blood work to be done now, before I get too far into induction, so all the crazy numbers I know I'm going to have are not blamed on Atkins, plus I would like to be able to see my progress with my A1c and cholesterol (which has been very high in the past). Before I lost my insurance, I was on levothyroxine, lipitor, lexapro, metformin, and blood pressure meds. Sooo, I'm really curious about what my blood work is going to look like now.