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Posted 6/20/2008 3:58 AM (GMT 0)
I used to go on the anxiety board, but haven't in awhile now...and I have visited here a long time ago...anyhow, I finally went to new doctor and was upfront in admitting that I have diabetes. I have totally ignored it for years now. Yes, I know some of you may already be shaking your heads and "tut-tutting" me, but so it goes.

They checked my blood sugar and it was 214. Yep. The speech began and I was reminded of how my toes could fall off and my eyesight could go and how my body organs were being strained and etc., etc., etc. My mom was sitting there listening too and nodding her head and cried a little bit after the nurse left the room for a moment, saying as how I was killing myself and how worried she was. Well, if I hadn't been willing to try and start getting it under control, I would've avoided the doctor's visit altogether! :-)

I was given a glucometer and am to check my sugar once every morning after rising and also every other day I'm to also take it 2 hours after eating lunch or dinner so the nurse can average out my sugar level. Oh, I was also put on Metformin 500mg 2x a day. I didn't take my sugar this a.m. cuz I had to get my sister to come over and figure out the monitor! She's a LPN and even she took about 10-15 minutes to get everything in order with it. Now I'm hoping that I can do it myself tomorrow...I'm so afraid that I'll make a big mess of it or forget all the steps...!!! tongue

I am still having my head spin with all the loads of info they threw at me! Boy! It's a LOT to remember! But for now, I'm avoiding all soft drinks (WAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!). I'm keeping my carb intake low. We went to store and mercy how good those doughnuts looked! Sigh!

I am the sort of person that CAN have willpower, but I have to set my mind to it and that's what I've done. I'm 43 and weigh over 255 lbs...shudder! I'm thinking that if I lose weight, it will help the diabetes come under control better, soo lose weight I must.

Anyhow, I am committed to doing this and hope you welcome me here. I am trying to keep my chin up, but I miss my colas and sweet tea more than anything else! I can't do Splenda or Equal because of my anxiety disorder and I hate saccharin and sugar twin. All day I've drank nothing but water. Will this truly get easier, that is, will I miss the sweet drinks forever or will I become so accustomed to no sweetened drinks that I won't miss them? anybody know?

Thanks!

janetlee

Posted 6/20/2008 2:45 PM (GMT 0)
I use Stevia to sweeten. It's a natural sweet leaf herb from South America. It has two components- sweet and bitter. If you use too much- it's gross, but just right and it tastes like real sugar. You can get it in Whole Foods or most health food stores (even my Walmart has it and Koger too). I think the liquid tastes the best, and you can add it one drop at a time to control the sweetness.

I grow my own Stevia plants too- I got them at the local nursery in the herb section.

I steep the leaves to make sweet syrup to make my sweet tea according to the old time Southern method.

Once you get used to NOT eating overly refined processed foods, you don't miss them.

I recently was offered a donut in a social situation where I would have offended my boss's boss's wife - herself a diabetic who should have known better. She is also well aware that I am a vegetarian and always makes a fuss about that. She personally tracked me down with this offering on a plate- I need my job and my boss needs his job- so I took it, smiled and thanked her- she wasn't done with me yet- she verbally asked me to taste it and tell her how much I liked it. I took a bite (my first bite of donut in over 2 years) - it tasted greasy and gross- really greasy and gross- and that's all I could taste. Everybody else was going on and on about how wonderful these donuts were (a local delicacy) and how they had a secret ingredient and expected me to swoon in fits of ecstacy I guess.

I faced her down and said- " hmm, I detect the taste of LARD, that was my grandma's secret to making light, crispy donuts. Lard on the inside and fried in lard- and I can't eat lard as a vegetarian- Oh my- I'm sure you didn't mean to make me sick- it's a good thing I only had this little bite."

Really- the thing didn't taste as wonderful as my memory of krispy kremes. You know what's great? I brought in my first grape tomatoes from the garden yesterday- now they were sweet- clean and sweet, not greasy and sweet. And I grilled my first home grown zukes yesterday too- swooned in fits of ecstacy- ate them until I almost burst- and woke up to my lowest sugar in weeks -81.

Sweetest of all.

Good luck- you can do this!

sandy

 

Posted 6/20/2008 2:48 PM (GMT 0)
Janetlee,
You could be my little sister. Been right where you are... much higher sugars... had to go on insulin. I'm 56 now and the eye changes lost me my Eagle Eyesight and got me into glasses to drive.(sigh!) You will do fine. The testing becomes easier and you will get this all figured out with the helpful peeps on this board.

Ok, here's your homework for the week. Find some STEVIA for sweetening your tea and such. There are quite a few posts about it and the link to all of them from the site search engine is

Stevia Posts

Many of our regulars swear by this stuff and it is all natural. Hope this helps... and hang in there girlfriend. You can do this. We will help.
Posted 6/20/2008 5:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Y'all!
I do know about stevia. I actually have some in the kitchen. smile
I hope I get used to it..I'd tried it before and didn't care much for it, but now that I need to break up with Mr. Sugar, maybe Mr. Stevia will offer me some comfort while I'm on the rebound!
I did manage to take my reading this a.m. and it was 158. I WILL get it down eventually...just wait and see, cuz If being "good" with my diet of no sugar and low carbs makes a difference, well, it'll have to come down! LOL!
Gelchick, shame on the woman that gave you the donut...she'll get her comeuppance one of these days!
Jeannie, thank you also for your encouragement!
janet
Posted 6/20/2008 9:01 PM (GMT 0)
Janetlee,

I really do suggest you trying the liquid stevia- you can add it dropwise- you'll see that it's great until you add just one too many drops-lol

As for the Donut lady- she tried to put me on the spot, I have no idea why she likes to do this to me- but it worked out to my advantage. Lots of times (because I frequently give training sessions and workshops, and work conventions for my company) I am in situations where donuts, pizza and my old favorite foods are free and abundant without a piece of fruit or bottle of water in sight. I always stay away, but I get mad because I can't be 'normal' (whatever that means) any more.

Donuts were one of my favorites until that party. I never would have realized how much my tastes have changed otherwise. I'd still be lusting after a memory. I think that a lot of my food memories are just that, memories that have grown 'sweeter' with time. Donut lady generally disagrees with my approach to diabetes control- that's part of it- my husband thinks she's jealous that I get free trips with her husband-lol - I'll keep mine- he's a keeper.

sandy

Posted 6/21/2008 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
I will try to get some liquid stevia! Thanks for the suggestion! smile
jl
Posted 6/21/2008 5:11 AM (GMT 0)
hi janetlee,

I remember you from the a/p forum, I'm an a/p vet myself. I just wanted to say hi and let you know you're not alone. I was diagnosed with diabetes a year ago in April, and it's an ongoing challenge for me. (((hugs)))

bear
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