Byetta

I had trouble with my morning number being my highest and they told me the late night snack was NOT TOO BE MISSED! From dinner to breakfast is too long to go without anything.

As far as "forgeting your needles".....I got a really nice FREE travel pouch from the Byetta web site. Its a pouch that holds all you supplies and 2 gel packs to keep your medication cold. Best of all it was FREE! Check it out byetta.com!

Keep up the good work, it will all pay off in the end!

JoAnne

Peter,
You can also put the pen under your arm pit and it will warm to body temp in about two minutes. I do this with my insulin.

Flute,
You might want to check the byetta website especially the part with the frequently asked questions (FAQ). There is a lot of good stuff in easy to read format for byetta patients.

As far as your weight loss, the two pounds are the result of your eating pattern for the past few weeks, not just yesterday's meal so you may gain a bit in a few days from your Mc Donalds meal. Also, chicken nuggets and ice cream, although a bit high in carbs aren't all that terrible (and much better for you than a candy bar and a can of regular soda). I include chicken nuggets and ice cream in my food plan (although I don't have a sundae, I do have small ice cream cones.) Both have protein, fats and carbs. Next time could you have the nuggets and a side salad? When you get home you could make a small, one scoop ice cream cone for yourself and count the carbs in it toward your meal plan. Just a suggestion.

Has your doctor sent you to your nutrition class yet, Flute? If not, call the office and ask for one if it's covered under your insurance. If not you might want to check out some basic nutrition books from the library or check with your county health department for food plans available. You can also search online for diabetic food plans. The secret to meeting this disease head on is education and the more you learn about your food plan the more you can choose wisely.

I can see that you are trying to get this thing under control and that's a great step in the right direction. Part of your established eating patterns may come from actual hunger for the correct nutrients and wanting to satisfy that hunger. By learning what food choices are good for you and what to purchase at the store you will be able to plan your meals with better results. As I'm typing this there is an ad next to the post for some books from Amazon.com for new diabetics. Investing in one of those books, for example, would probably help you with your food plan for a good long time.

Question: Are you taking a multivitamin, Flute?

Has she given you a daily/weekly food plan? Has she taught you about carb counting and portions and serving sizes? If she hasn't you should ask to see her supervisor and request a new instructor. You are trying to save your life here... This diabetes isn't going to go away. She needs to give you the tools you need to plan your food intake every day. You need to know how to shop and how to prepare foods so that they are the best for you.

I guess it's kind of like flute lessons. If you had a teacher who played beautiful flute melodies for you but never showed you any fingering or how to understand music theory or proper breathing techniques it wouldn't do you much good. You need all the information to be able to play the flute. Same with this. You can't put a meal plan together if you don't know the components and how to put them together in a meaningful manner.

There are some really good diabetic food plan books out there and you might want to get one for yourself, especially since your food needs will change as you lose weight. Your nutritionist will be able to help you calculate your caloric need in carbs, proteins and fats at your different weights as you lose. She can also help you stay in good shape as you do this. You want to keep yourself healthy so you can have healthy children if you want them and you also want to take care of your bones so you don't get osteoporosis.

Ask her for a food plan and how to integrate it into your grocery shopping. She should be able to help you with that.