A introduction finally...quick history...and perspective

[chiody]

Sorry about this belayed introduction:

Pertinent timeline highlighting my life living with T2 diabetes and how I arrived at VLCing:

1) Diagnosed with full blown adult onset Type II diabetes in 1989 with BS of 578, A1C over 14 (as I recall, may be higher?) after classic symptoms, unexplained wt. loss, excessive thirst, cramping, tiredness/fatigue, etc. following a bout' with a prolonged flu/cough.

2) As a result of my refusal to be admitted to the hospital, my Internist prescribed Glucotrol 5 mg BID (twice/day) with a extensive followup schedule.

3) Researched what is T2 and decided to attempt control with exercise/diet. Immediately initiated biking program, a minimum of 15 miles/day, increased to 30 within 1 week and limited saturated fats while providing adequate carbs for liver glycogen levels.

4) 2nd week experienced hypoglycemic attacks on the bike and started carrying OJ in a thermos for emergencies.

5) Followup exams by Internist, didn't factor in my extreme biking regimen (by then ~50 miles/day, 4-5 times per week, a schedule I continued for over 20 years and currently in use). I had to do something about the hypo attacks.

6) Weened myself off the glucotrol (less than 6 weeks) while carefully monitoring BS "on and off" the bike.

7) Internist finally mentioned ~90 days from diagnosis (after I informed him of being med free, "Coming off medication would have been the goal."

8) Fast forward for the next 19 years, routine exams produced "controlled" BS and A1C's usually around the 7.0 levels controlled by my then high carb/low saturated fat (little red meat) regimen. Cholesterol, BP were all in line too. It was a great "ride" in more ways than 1 for nearly 2 decades.

9) As it is with complacency, one tends to expect the status quo to continue. Unfortunately just over a year ago, tests came back negatively with a sudden turn for the worst. I felt miserable, tired, irritable, fatigued, headaches, and my riding diminished due to lack of strength exacerbating the situation. A1C levels in the mid 12's! BP up with level 1 diagnosis (systolic near 95-100). Even my ratios for cholesterol turned for the worst. Had to do something quick.

10) After researching many options including Bernstein's approach, I initiated my current VLC regimen.

11) BS results within weeks changed for the better and dropped back inline quickly. A1C tests improved steadily and within 4 months were in the 7's again, simply amazing. Needless to say, all symptoms dissapeared. Point of reference, I've been using the Bayer A1C home test for the last year which gives 5 minute 99.50% laboratory accurate results.

12) Today with just over 1 yr. of VLC'ing, last 2 A1C tests were in the 5's putting me in the non diabetic range, lower than I've ever experienced in 2 decades! Essentially, I've been able to control to date 19.75 years worth, T2 diabetes with exercise (obsessive to many), and chosen eating regimens (2).

13) Lost 65 lbs. too as a by product. How has this affected my health? Besides all the resultant normal markers, my cycling is better in terms of "hillclimbing" but I was faster overall in the past due to greater VOmax. Anotherwords, in the past the legs gave out first, now my lungs limit what I can generate (It's a downhill battle after 55 guys and gals).

Conclusion: T2 diagnosis aside, I've been extremely fortunate to have a supportive SO (25 yrs.) and my 2 boys (17/19) do their share keeping me in line understanding how to live with diabetes. Been lucky to be very, very healthy in terms of illness too, and live with a relatively manageable stress level.
I'm not the type to experiment with diets for vanity or weight loss reasons and value my overall health and well being the most pertinent in life. Am confident the VLCing will and continue to be my way of life. Hoping it will keep the reigns of diabetes in control for another 19.75 years.

FWIW, many of my friends work in the health care field and are aware of many new cases of fellow T2 diagnosis over the years. To date, not a single one has decided to change habits and have chosen traditional routes with medication/diet recommendations. In every case I've followed, it has been a downward spiral to say the least. I just wish more would take T2 more seriously and make the "lifestyle changes" that can affect this debilitating disease.

Thank goodness for Low Carb Friends, a terrific place to share, rant about, listen to, and evaluate life's predicaments.

Thanks for listening to my story.

[teri f]

Awesome story and stats. Keep up the good work!

[KellBell1234]

Wow, you've had quite a ride (no pun intended ). Thanks for sharing your story!!

[JuliaL]

Wow! That is quite a story, thanks for sharing. Interesting insight about your cycling performance on hills and VO2 max. I love cycling myself, though never came near 50 miles on one day!

Congratulations on finding a lifestyle that works for you!

[texastigerlily]

Great story! I didn't know about the Bayer A1C home test. I'm going to look into it.

[Blood Sugar 101]

Congratulations on your tremendous improvement.

One correction. The Bayer A1c test is the old "A1c Now" test. Unfortunately, you misunderstood its accuracy. It is NOT 99.5% accurate. It is accurate to within .5% of an A1c percentage. So if you test at 6% on the A1c Now, the corresponding lab result will be somewhere between 5.5 - 6.5%.

This was checked out very thoroughly by many of us on the old alt.support.diabetes newsgroup.

The company markets this test in a very confusing manner. I tested it against lab value twice myself and both times it was off by .5% Both high, BTW, so your A1c may be better than you think.

I tell people not to waste their money on it. If you are testing with your meter after meals, you will have a much better idea how your blood sugar is performing. The A1c is mostly for the convenience of doctors who are too lazy to look at blood sugar logs.

In addition, natural variation among individuals as far as red blood cell life and density can result in readings that bear little relationship to real blood sugars. The A1c is useful in large population studies, but not so much for individuals.

I have a friend who gets A1cs in the mid-6s, for example, who has eaten very strict LC for over a decade and wore a CGMS for weeks to see where her highs were. There weren't any--her fastings are around 70 and her "spikes" were up to 110. But she appears to have very long lived red blood cells which will raise A1c too.

[chiody]

Thanks for the clarification on the Bayer A1C monitoring system and accuracy. I looked through "their" press releases and recalled the .5% number and interpreted incorrectly. FWIW, I keep logs of BS and with the discrepancy of the "conversion" charts internet wide, I used the Bayer results as just another source to see "where I'm at." I'm glad to hear others have extensively compared results and this system tested high by a bit. That's better news for me, thank you very much.

I only purchased 2 of the kits and have still one more test (2 per kit) I'll run after the New Year as Winter is the most trying time to stay healthy, at least for me.

I've looked at your site extensively and find it a great source for information, objective, and easy to understand deriving accurate information quickly.

[Blood Sugar 101]

One of the things that most impresses me is how many people I hear from who have been diagnosed with Type 2 for as long as 20 years who are able to get back into complete control only by cutting carbs.

I wish I was one. But what gave me the realization that I didn't have Type 2 was my years of associating with people my size on the newsgroups who could eat twice as much carb as I do and get far, far better blood sugars.

But it is good to know that for so many people diet alone really will do the job, though ironic that I've spread the word to so many people who have been able to go completely drug free while I personally only do well on the insulin/met combo with a non-ketogenic carb intake.

[chiody]

Now that is a great fact to know, for many years monitoring our circle of friends yielded poor results as they all chose not to change much in terms of "lifestyle" to put it kindly. Frankly with my levels rising so quickly along with the terrible symptoms, I was overwhelmed with joy how quickly VLC solved my immediate predicament.

I'm not all that familiar with T1 development and current physiological actions, you are the expert in this respect as one can see how well you're coping with the triple regimen plan.

What I am at arms with is how exactly to inform without being overwhelming about LCing. With my success controlling in the beginning I was very enthusiastic and wiling to discuss at least my anecdotal experience with several newly diagnosed T2's. To my dismay, over the years, every one of them continued on doing little to change with dire consequences of the most extreme nature.

For the short month I've been here, finding your site has been "the shot in the arm" I needed, a platform to jump off and pass on the good word I'm hoping...Thanks for all your effort and hard work!

[Blood Sugar 101]

Originally Posted by chiody

I'm not all that familiar with T1 development and current physiological actions, you are the expert in this respect as one can see how well you're coping with the triple regimen plan.

Just to make it clear, I'm not an expert in Type 1. What I have is one of the rarer forms of Type 1.5, but the doctor still codes it at Type 2 on forms. What I have is not autoimmune in nature, and I have living beta cells, they just have a flaw which keeps them from secreting in response to rising blood sugar from food. They do secrete basal insulin.

Before my diabetes diagnosis I and my kids had already suffered some serious doctor-caused medical disasters due to ignorant doctors who misdiagnosed other conditions and prescribed damaging drugs. So when I was told I had Type 2 diabetes my tendency was to distrust everything the doctor said and do my own research.

However, most people trust their doctors--much more than they trust anyone no matter what they claim to have experienced in their health. Plus, there are so many people out there promoting truly useless cures, supplements, laying on of hands etc, that this also inclines people to ignore friends who claim to have found miraculous sounding solutions.

I see this a lot as when our extended family gets together there are several self-appointed "health" experts who claim that this or that herb completely healed them of a long list of extreme conditions (many invented by the people who sell the herbs.)

So I understand completely why people don't get the message we'd like them to get about how to control diabetes. But I also grieve at the unnecessary havoc their high blood sugars wreak on their bodies when they do exactly what the doctor orders.

Fortunately, the information about how to control diabetes is pretty easy to find on the web and people are finding it. The situation ten years ago was far more dire.

[SmileySue]

You made me cry!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ......very happy tears though!!

What an amazing journey. I am so happy for you for all you've been able to accomplish. What an inspiration!

[Sanandlou]

FWIW, many of my friends work in the health care field and are aware of many new cases of fellow T2 diagnosis over the years. To date, not a single one has decided to change habits and have chosen traditional routes with medication/diet recommendations. In every case I've followed, it has been a downward spiral to say the least. I just wish more would take T2 more seriously and make the "lifestyle changes" that can affect this debilitating disease.

Your story is incredible as is your determination. I want to applaud you for what you've done for your children. My father died at the age of 55 of a massive heart attack. That was after a kidney transplant, double leg amputations, cataract surgery, and a MONSTER of a pharma bill (including 2-4 insulin injections per day). I was dumbfounded some years later that we did not HAVE to go through all this, that diet and exercise could've changed out lives. BRAVO to you!

[chiody]

Thanks for the supportive comments, One of my son's actually declares, "Excuse me if I want my dad around," when I even look at off regimen food.

Both of them are such good boy's....can you tell I'm proud?

[vli1127]

chiody, which one is you in the pic?

[mickyzzzzz05]

Great detailed story. I think it will be both motivational and inspirational to many who are dealing with some of the same problems that you have.

thank you for sharing

[chiody]

Originally Posted by vli1127

chiody, which one is you in the pic?

I'm the "spider clad" guy on the left....

[Cathieinut]

That is quite the story and you are blessed to have the determination to do what you need to do to get and stay healthy.

As a T2 and a well into middle aged woman I wish I had known what I know now about diet and exercise to deal with Diabetes long long ago. Maybe because of the addition of female hormones and the joys that come with that, LOL, I have to take a pretty high does of metformin but I am happy that it is working along with LC living.
No biking for me but you should see me in Zumba class! LOL

Congrats and thanks for giving us a peek into your life.

[dasiey]

wow your story is really worth reading. A real eye opener. thanks for sharing.
I to love riding my bike. And I am very lucky I have a bike trail right in my back
yard. its about 26 miles round trip. But they are working on it still. It will be a
lot longer in the near future. It is awsome.

[chiody]

Originally Posted by Cathieinut

That is quite the story and you are blessed to have the determination to do what you need to do to get and stay healthy.

As a T2 and a well into middle aged woman I wish I had known what I know now about diet and exercise to deal with Diabetes long long ago. Maybe because of the addition of female hormones and the joys that come with that, LOL, I have to take a pretty high does of metformin but I am happy that it is working along with LC living.
No biking for me but you should see me in Zumba class! LOL

Congrats and thanks for giving us a peek into your life.

Congratulations with the successful LC'ing plus Met regimen. And your wt. loss is phenomenal to say the least beyond 50% of your goal.

Keep up the effort with Zumba, my SO has been doing it for years and it sure looks fun, kinda of like the "Jazzercise" type of sessions with more of a dancing edge, it certainly will keep your "rhythm" in tune.

I really believe keeping the LC lifestyle with some form of exercise (doesn't have to be as extensive as mine) to add variety daily if possible, are the key's to a successful life of complication free T2 living...well beyond your mid yrs. well into the golden years.

Keep up the great work!

[maxell]

Thanks for your inspiring story. I too have embarked on a low carb diet a la Dr. Bernstein. I started it only a month ago and I've dropped about 23 pounds. I used to weigh 208. Now I'm around 185. My doc thinks I'm being too "extreme" and feels that those who follow "Atkins type" diets eventually crash and gain all of their weight back. I disagreed but it has not been an easy journey, trying to convince my doc and the mainstream that what I'm doing is sensible.

I initially started with 50-70 carbs. Became very weak, almost dizzy, and had constipation. Upped it to 100-110 carbs per day. Felt much better. I think I can cut the carbs from here incrementally over a longer period to flatten the adaptation curve to something like 65 daily. My BG at this level is still 95-125-95 (pre-pp1-pp2). I would like to more tightly control my BG: 85-110-85. I'm sure I can do that with 65 carbs.

So what's VLC: sub 100? sub 75? Does 110 carbs still qualify as low carbs? The ADA (or another official body) still recommends 300.

[chiody]

VLC is "very low carb" and is just my regimen.

What is pertinent is you have found what WORKS for you alone. Use your meter, lab results, and knowledge lead the way to prevent complications for T2 diabetes.

Increasing your carb intake was a good idea but remember, the transition to burning fat all the time is something your body has never done before. I too experienced severe weakness, especially when exercising at first.

Your results speak for itself and the BG levels are great as is. They will come down with time though.

Regarding the ADA, if you follow historically what they preach, then LCing is NOT an option to consider. There has been mention that as of late (2008), they actually have advocated a regimen of eating less than 130 carbs/day, but I've yet to see support and promotion by "party line mainstream" members.

Congrats on a great start, you are on the way to a new lifestyle of success and freedom from the complications of diabetes!!!

Keep up the great work!!!

[Blood Sugar 101]

Maxell,

I did a Bernstein-like diet for three years. My endo told me the same thing, and I have to report it turned out to be true for me when a year of intense stress (9/11 and a cancer diagonsis) pushed me off the diet.

The good news is that when I went back to LC after a year long crash I was able to learn from other people who successfully controlled their diabetes how to make it work life long. I am now 6 years into maintaining a 5% A1c and weigh 30 lbs less than I did at Diagnosis (and 10 lbs less than I did during my Bernstein years.)

I now pursue a slightly more moderate approach based on this technique which was pioneered by folks on the old alt.support.diabetes newsgroup:

How to Get Your Blood Sugar Under Control

I wrote up some tips here:

A Diabetes Diet is Different from and Easier than a Weight Loss Diet

My advice would be to stick to the Bernstein plan as long as you are comfortable on it. If you start having repeating food dreams, or feelings of deprivation or dropping energy levels, try the more moderate approach.

Dont' be afraid of using metformin or meal time insulin if you need them. One reason Bernstein did not work for me long term is I turned out not to be a traditional Type 2 so I was getting higher than normal blood sugar even eating 6-12-12. My doctors wouldn't give me insulin because the A1cs were in the 5s but I ended up very hungry because of the fluctuations.

[Stevie Renee]

Chiody,
I have enjoyed all your posts here at LCF. I am glad you are here. I am also thrilled for your success. Way to go