Type 2 Diabetes - Looking For Advice

[tvguy]

Your doctor CAN see your A1C ... it's not practical for him or her to see your glucose blood sugar numbers over months. Doesn't mean they don't matter.

My Primary Care Doctor wants a log of my home blood sugar readings along with my blood pressure and pulse readings at every visit, in addition to doing an A1C test.
I do think my Primary Care Doctor has a much lower standard for what he considers "acceptable" for A1C. He put me on medication when my A1C hit 6.3 I have seen Specialists, and they seem to think that is a little early, with of them say that 6.5 is a more acceptable level to start medication. And if you listen to the ads for Type 2 diabetes medicines they claim to be successful at getting A1C into the 7's, which is far higher than I am.
As for my home tests. my Primary would go through the roof if my readings were 200 or higher.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

 

[tvguy]

View attachment 734993

This illustrates why it can be confusing. This is from the Diabetes Council, but the American Diabetes has slightly different numbers. 5.7 is pre-diabetes by their standards, where the one you posted is 5.9.
https://diabetes.org/diabetes/a1c/diagnosis

 

[Pea-n-Me]

This illustrates why it can be confusing. This is from the Diabetes Council, but the American Diabetes has slightly different numbers. 5.7 is pre-diabetes by their standards, where the one you posted is 5.9.
https://diabetes.org/diabetes/a1c/diagnosis

Those are essentially the same. But yes, there can be slight variation.

Earlier in the thread someone said 7-something was pre-diabetic, but it’s not.

 

[MrsPete]

Yes, this and that group have different thresholds for acceptable numbers, etc. My doctor, who is a Diabetic Specialist, say he wants his patients in the 5s. He's one of those "tough love" types.

 

[EACarlson]

His number was 7.something (I don’t remember exactly)

I wouldn't be surprised if a 7 is improved greatly just by changing diet and exercise. When I was diagnosed in 2009, right after I got back from my honeymoon at WDW, my A1C was 11.

My doctor put me on the Keto diet to get my carbs "back on track", but he admitted it isn't something he'd want me to do long-term. I was allowed only 30 carbs per day; it worked, but I honestly spent every minute of the day thinking about how many carbs I'd had, planning what I'd eat for the rest of the day, and I was always a little hungry. I did it for 10 weeks and didn't cheat a single bite. Again, it worked, and I lost 20 pounds in the process. Now -- as long as I maintain -- I don't need to go that extreme again.

Absolutely true. I had a crash the other day ... passed out, in fact. I'd not eaten, and we were delayed waaaay longer than expected at a restaurant. I woke up lying on the floor in Red Robin's waiting area, and I thought to myself, "This is inappropriate. I'll just stay a little longer." In all honesty, my body gave me plenty of warning about what was about to happen ... but I foolishly thought, "We'll be seated in a moment, and I'll drink a soda immediately." I broke the rules; I paid the price.

Fortunately my RN daughter was nearby to help me. She advised me to keep ketchup packets in my purse, saying a bit of ketchup under the tongue will shoot a bunch of carbs straight into your system and give you an "oomph" that'll last long enough for you to eat something real. You can also put ketchup into the mouth of someone who's unconscious /could not drink.

So true! That's why it's important to have a glucose meter /monitor your own responses to various foods.

I've never passed out but have measured glucose levels in the 40's on multiple occasions and had to force myself to stay awake while driving home. Now I always have glucose tabs within 10 feet when I'm doing things like working outside all day or walking all day like at WDW or the SD zoo.

This reminded me... according to the nutrionist I saw, ignore the food displays that say "0 carbs" or "4 carbs" or "low carb". Those are going to be "net carbs". The nutrionist said, read the label for the amount of carbs and go by that. YMMV.

Different nutritionists and different diabetes educators will tell you different things about which number to pay attention to. My Dr that diagnosed me was listed as one of the top diabetes docs in the country. He told me count every carb.

A stupid question from someone still relatively new to this...

How long does it take for blood sugar to leave your body? So let's say you just have a "terrible" day... breakfast is donuts and poptarts, lunch is pizza and breadsticks, and dinner is pasta, a "sugary" drink, and dessert. Obviously your blood sugar will be sky high. BUT, how long until that "terrible" day (or meal, whatever) is "out" of your system? A day? Two days? A week?

I'm guessing the answer, like it seems to be with everything related to diabetes, is "it depends".

It depends, but sometimes glucose will sit in the liver for quite a while and give you some weird spikes that you can't explain. When I'm bad while out of town or over Christmas, it usually takes a couple weeks before I feel like I've got it handled and things start making sense again.

My Primary Care Doctor wants a log of my home blood sugar readings along with my blood pressure and pulse readings at every visit, in addition to doing an A1C test.
I do think my Primary Care Doctor has a much lower standard for what he considers "acceptable" for A1C. He put me on medication when my A1C hit 6.3 I have seen Specialists, and they seem to think that is a little early, with of them say that 6.5 is a more acceptable level to start medication. And if you listen to the ads for Type 2 diabetes medicines they claim to be successful at getting A1C into the 7's, which is far higher than I am.
As for my home tests. my Primary would go through the roof if my readings were 200 or higher.

I have a OneTouch meter that syncs with my phone, this allows me to send logs directly to my Doc and it syncs with my Fitbit.

The biggest change to me was going from fully leaded pop to diet. Once I got used to that, the biggest hurdle I have now are potatoes, in all forms.
Everyone has different reactions to foods. My FIL drops like a rock if he eats pasta, I go up. If I have one beer my sugar level goes up, if I have 4 it drops.
Don't get discouraged if things don't change instantly, I've been on 4 different diabetes pills plus 5 different insulins in the 13 years I've been diagnosed. Now I think I have something that works well for me and I don't have nearly the lows or highs I used to.

 

[CamillaF]

My husband was pre diabetic (2 points from diabetic). We started walking every morning for an hour. He has cut out all added sugar, beer, and we eat pretty healthy. His last check up he was nearly back to normal.

Salmon- We eat salmon at least once a week. We live in Washington and I grew up eating it. I even have worked in fish canary's'. There are lot's of great ways to cook it. I always make a rub (garlic, melted butter, salt, herbs, mustard) cover the salmon. I bake a filet on a cookie sheet at 400 for about 10-15min. Our go to dinner is Salmon, Rice, Green Beans, and Garlicky Kale. Good luck!

If your not used to cooking veggies "vegetarian cooking for everyone" by Deborah Madison is a wonderful cook book. I eat everything but contribute this book to knowing how to make soup stock, and delicious veggies.

 

[Buzz Rules]

So….my DH was just recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and it’s time for him to start eating better.

First….does anyone have any advice or words of wisdom with this?

Second….one way to eat better is to start eating Salmon, but I have literally never cooked salmon in my life. There’s tons of recipes online, but I’m coming to you for simple easy recipes. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Also, what do you serve with it? If anyone has any good side recipes that’s good for type 2 diabetes I would appreciate you posting them.

Third…..Can DH treat himself sometimes to some treats or no?

I’m feeling like a fish out of water with this and it’s important to me to help him as much as possible. If he can’t eat something, then we both don’t eat something - I wouldn’t eat something he can’t have in front of him - it’s just not something I would do.

Thanks for your advice, wisdom and suggestions

 

[Buzz Rules]

 

[Buzz Rules]

https://spainonafork.com/spanish-chickpea-and-cod-stew-potaje-de-vigilia-recipe/

https://spainonafork.com/one-pan-rice-with-tuna-and-chickpeas-recipe/

 

[Buzz Rules]

https://www.themediterraneandish.com/grilled-lettuce-salad/

 

[mommajo143]

Ask his doctor if he can prescribe a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) He will be able to get immediate feedback about how each food affects his blood sugar and can adjust his behavior based on that knowledge.

the CGM is only covered by insurance / Medicare if you are IDD. And even then they can be a pain to get approved...with an A1C in the 7s chances are OP's DH is not going to qualify.

 

[mommajo143]

Well, taking the thread a little off topic here, don't me. I am traveling this summer for the first time since being diagnosed. Meals and snacks have always been a big part of our disney trips. I have managed to lose 50# and get my sugars in control since being diagnosed. I do walk daily, but obviously NOTHING like you would do on a typical trip. besides carrying and eating my go to snack of PB Crackers what can i do to A) manage my sugar and prevent big dips and B) what GOOD FOOD can i possibly have, in moderation, that you all love? And dont tell me "cheese" or "meat" because thats what i live off now and i honestly dont really like either all that much.

 

[china mom]

the CGM is only covered by insurance / Medicare if you are IDD. And even then they can be a pain to get approved...with an A1C in the 7s chances are OP's DH is not going to qualify.

I have heard that is the case for Medicare but in the case of health insurance, it depends on the insurance company. I am T2D on tressiba and my A1C was pretty high when prescribed the CGM (I date not admit how high). I have been consistently 6.5 ish for the past few years and insurance continues to pay.

DH is very recently diagnose T2D only on metformin and his initial a1c was around 7, I think. He got his CGM prescribed and insurance approval about two months after diagnosis.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Well, taking the thread a little off topic here, don't me. I am traveling this summer for the first time since being diagnosed. Meals and snacks have always been a big part of our disney trips. I have managed to lose 50# and get my sugars in control since being diagnosed. I do walk daily, but obviously NOTHING like you would do on a typical trip. besides carrying and eating my go to snack of PB Crackers what can i do to A) manage my sugar and prevent big dips and B) what GOOD FOOD can i possibly have, in moderation, that you all love? And dont tell me "cheese" or "meat" because thats what i live off now and i honestly dont really like either all that much.

IME they aren’t too hard to get. But it might depend on insurance and other factors.

ETA Congratulations on your amazing weight loss, btw! Why not do a grocery order and buy a styrofoam cooler if you have to and eat some meals in the room. (Not sure where you’re staying and whether you have access to a kitchen, but if not, it’s still doable.) For breakfast or a snack Chobani yogurt is high in protein, you can get the low sugar ones. See if they have any hard boiled eggs. You could get some sliced turkey and ham and whole wheat bread with some mayo or mustard. When out is there a way to split meals? Good choices of meat and/or vegetable, but if you want to have pasta or rice maybe keep the portion small. They have apple slices and grapes instead of fries at many quick service places. Sharing of other things can be good, of course you’re going to indulge in some sweets. A few bites rather than the whole thing will help. Lots of water, which helps process the sugar. Sugar free drinks or desserts when possible. I think there are more options than there used to be around the parks. Remember when you get home to get right back on track. And enjoy your trip!

 

[china mom]

Well, taking the thread a little off topic here, don't me. I am traveling this summer for the first time since being diagnosed. Meals and snacks have always been a big part of our disney trips. I have managed to lose 50# and get my sugars in control since being diagnosed. I do walk daily, but obviously NOTHING like you would do on a typical trip. besides carrying and eating my go to snack of PB Crackers what can i do to A) manage my sugar and prevent big dips and B) what GOOD FOOD can i possibly have, in moderation, that you all love? And dont tell me "cheese" or "meat" because thats what i live off now and i honestly dont really like either all that much.

Breakfast will be your nemisis. There are no carb friendly quick service breakfast option. Well, maybe there are, but I have not found them yet. I even went to first aid and guest services to ask them if they knew of options. I would plan on bringing a healthy snack to get you through the morning.

Once I have conquered breakfast, I just limit my portion sizes and try to steer towards the proteins as much as practical but I do not totally deprive myself of my fun foods. You will be getting much more exercise and that will make a difference. Lows are an issue so I make sure to monitor and try to stay ahead of that.

My doctor always tells me that a few highs once in a while will not affect your a1c since it is a 3 month average. But a low can be a big problem.

 

[Living42Day]

Well, taking the thread a little off topic here, don't me. I am traveling this summer for the first time since being diagnosed. Meals and snacks have always been a big part of our disney trips. I have managed to lose 50# and get my sugars in control since being diagnosed. I do walk daily, but obviously NOTHING like you would do on a typical trip. besides carrying and eating my go to snack of PB Crackers what can i do to A) manage my sugar and prevent big dips and B) what GOOD FOOD can i possibly have, in moderation, that you all love? And dont tell me "cheese" or "meat" because thats what i live off now and i honestly dont really like either all that much.

This is probably not good advice, but I wouldn't really sweat having to follow eating well while on vacation. Eat what you want, just test frequently (morning, noon, night) to make sure you are not going into too high/too low. My mom has done this and she does fine while on vacation. A week of bad numbers is not going to make/break your A1C. As long as you are testing in a safe limit, I think you should be just fine.

 

[mommajo143]

Breakfast will be your nemisis. There are no carb friendly quick service breakfast option. Well, maybe there are, but I have not found them yet. I even went to first aid and guest services to ask them if they knew of options. I would plan on bringing a healthy snack to get you through the morning.

we have reservations at POR but seriously considering flipping to the Drury that just opened in DTD for the free breakfast ~ eggs and cheese or eggs and sausage are what I have most mornings at home and having that available and FREE would get me off to a good start … just worried about their transportation system… we have always stayed at a Disney hotel & used the Disney transit system to get a round..,

 

[LuvOrlando]

Well, taking the thread a little off topic here, don't me. I am traveling this summer for the first time since being diagnosed. Meals and snacks have always been a big part of our disney trips. I have managed to lose 50# and get my sugars in control since being diagnosed. I do walk daily, but obviously NOTHING like you would do on a typical trip. besides carrying and eating my go to snack of PB Crackers what can i do to A) manage my sugar and prevent big dips and B) what GOOD FOOD can i possibly have, in moderation, that you all love? And dont tell me "cheese" or "meat" because thats what i live off now and i honestly dont really like either all that much.

I found a few blogs etc that tell you where to go and what to get at Disney, I got this info from one of them but they seem to have lots of good tips.

Dining with Diabetes in Disney World​

Special.Diets@DisneyWorld.com; or call them at (407) 824-5967