Medic Alert Bracelet ?

                I suppose that now insulin has been added to the mix one should ware a Medic alert Bracelet, Correct? And why would that be important?

If you have a problem with ANY condition you need a Medic alert bracelet

Thank You
I'm not one to talk about myself but since the up grade in meds (keeping me in the so called normal range) I've felt it might be a good idea.

Do get a medic alert necklace or bracelet. I too wondered if my necklace was really necessary until a  year ago I had a bad fall, was in much pain and could barely answer questions, and the peramedics read my necklace, got all the pertinent information about my diabetes and arthritis and high blood pressure, and I was in Emergency in just a few minutes. X rays showed I had a broken shoulder, broken so badly I had to have a total joint replacement. But having the means for the emts to find out all my medical history just about saved my life. So my necklace is well worth it.

Well, Im going to take the contrarian point of view and say if you are type 2 diabetic and not on regular insulin shots you don't need a medic alert bracelet.  A medic alert bracelt is there to let the emt's and the hospital staff know of conditions that could be life threatening if they are not taken into account during emergency medical treatment.  The vast majority of Type 2 diabetics are not going to die if their condition is ignored in the treatment of life threatening injuries. 

For insulin users that suffer from Hypoglycemia, I would say a medic alert is probably in order! Additionally, you rely on insulin injections multiple times a day to keep out of trouble and someone should know this!!

My 2 cents worth

  Warren

COME ON!!! When was the last time any of you type 2 people had a blood sugar reading in the mid to low 50's???  If you have had that, then shame on your doctor for WAY over prescribing your meds!!!  But my blanket statement holds.  SERIOUS hypo will begin to occur when you move into the 50's and I doubt any type 2 that isnt taking insulin has been in the mid to low 50s more than once.  Insulin people can have these numbers for a variety of reasons but the vast majority...lets say 98+% of those type 2's on oral meds should never see numbers this low (at least not once they've gotten their initial dosage right). MOST type 2's fight just to see 100!!!!

Jeannie, you're a type 2 on insulin...how often have you seen a mid 50's or lower number???

 Warren

Blastit,
Not to be argumentative here, but I've never seen a 53, am on insulin as well as metformin and my A1c is 5.6. If you are getting lows like that with an A1c of 6, you need to have your meds adjusted or you need a dietitian looking at your food plan. Those types of lows can be dangerous and you should not be encountering them once a month, let alone twice a week. Especially at your age!!! Your diabetes meds in combo with your exercise and food plan should optimize your sugars at a steady level without a lot of highs and lows. Both are hard on your blood vessels and organs.

I also believe that anyone who feels the need to wear a medical alert tag somewhere on their body should do so. Emergency rooms are scary enough on a good day but if you are unconscious it's nice that they figure out it's low blood sugar and not something else. Just my 2¢.

If I could be of help please let me know. I would be happy to try to help you straighten out your food plan. For myself, I have found that leaving the grains and tubers out of my food plan keeps me level, avoids lows, and best of all I'm losing pounds and inches. This means no rice, wheat, corn or potatoes (or anything made from them) most every day. I have had two ears of corn this month because if you can't have corn on the cob and you live in Michigan, life isn't worth living. (LOL!)

Last Sunday I had donuts at my daughter's house because that was all she had for breakfast, but I usually start the day with two eggs and a slice of cheese with a piece of fruit and coffee. The fruit is the thing that gives you micronutrients and keeps your appetite happy. I use oranges, strawberries, sliced melon, all the good vitamin C fruits and no juices.

Lunch is usually left over meat from dinner or deli style cold meat (turkey, chicken, ham) along with some salad greens, raw collards, raw beet greens, raw spinach, raw zuchini, cucumbers, radishes, just about anything that grows and can be eaten raw goes into my salads. I use about a tablespoon of ranch dressing and then about two tablespoons of olive oil on my salads. This gives you the fats you need to be able to absorb the vitamin A in the greens. I also make tuna or chicken salad with real mayo and serve it over a big fat sliced tomato.

Dinner is meat cooked on the grill most nights, sautéed vegetables in olive oil with chopped garlic from the jar. More salad and fruit. What I don't eat in 'starches' I make up for in vegetables. I have planted a ton of spaghetti squash and will be eating that with sauce and cheese all fall.

NIghtime snack is usually a banana with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or once a week I have a small ice cream cone with real icecream. We need the fat in the icecream to slow the absorption of the sugars and the cream has a high satisfaction factor as well. Some nights I munch on nuts or may eat a couple of sugar-free popcicles if it's hot out.

I will admit, eating pot roast with just carrots and salad feels weird, but I've been doing this since April and having great success with it. I'm eating no noodles, pasta,pancakes, toast or any of those other things that 'fill out' a meal. I have been able to drop my Avandia and have lowered my metformin from 2000mg a day to 1000 in the am and 850 at night. Also, have cut my Lantus insulin from 15units to 12. The long acting Lantus is the thing that is keeping me level, I believe. I buy it at Sams and it runs me about $80 a bottle, but I use a bottle until it is gone, and don't discard it after 28 days (with my doctor's permission.) I'm using about 4 bottles a year.

That's all I can think of right now. Hope this helps you.

OMGosh! My fibrofogged brain just remembered something. Is glipizide the stuff you take 1/2 hour before a meal and when you get a low you feel like you are falling down a well? I took something early on in my diabetic diagnosis and it was pure HECK! If that's the stuff that blastit is on he needs a different med. That stuff was AWFUL!!!

hi again I take three five mg glyburide tablets a day, one per each meal and 500 metformin at breakfast and at dinner time. I am thinking perhaps I should drop the dinner time glyburide as the lows always hit me around two or three in the morning. My diabetes nurse practioner suggested a half tablet of glyburide but that does not seem to do it. I should not be experiencing lows almost every other evening. My primary care doctor is just not much help. I am slated to see my nurse practioner as soon as I have some blood work done, but finances have sort of put me on hold for a time until my son pays me back what he borrowed. Usually I am very prompt at keeping my doctor's appointments so will do so the middle of this month. I am so sick of low blood glucoses.

You hit the nail on the head, I have been with my gp for ages and for the last year have been really dissatified with him in regards to my diabetes, for run of the mill stuff he is fine. There are four other doctors in his staff so perhaps its time to switch to a younger, more modern thinking doctor. I am definiutely going to see my nurse practioner soon I promise. I was loath to change doctors as I wondered if he would be resentful seeingme going to one of his colleagues but you are right, its my health that is at stake, not his. he gets upset when I want to have my a1c done every three months, he wants to do it twice a year. Not good enough. thanks so much for your help. As regards to exercise I have been negligent, you see last year Aug 25th I fell and broke my shoulder, smashed it so badly I had to have a total joint replacement. was in hospital five days, and care house for twenty. Came home with a quad cane and a stupid fear of falling again, this hang up has made my best intentions sizzle away because I find myself practically vegetating instead of going for the walks I wanted to go on. If I can walk to trader Joes, two blocks away and back, a twenty minute walk I should be able to go a bit further. I keep this horrid picture of my fall in my mind, which is not helping anything.I simply tripped,could not get my balance, and fell onto my left shoulder. I still have very limited use of my left arm. But it is time to get over it and move on to better health. so you say even a little walk every day will help.

Thanks so much Sandy.I am so glad I joined this forum, everyone is so helpful and it helps me to know that I am not alone in this struggle to balance my life. I will seek out these exercises places, appreciate this so much.

No but I can join a gym close by that has a Silver sneakers program for senior citizens courtesy of my hmo so that is a great idea, they have a pool and it doesnt cost me anything except bus fare to get down town which is really cheap.