I'm a newbie

Hi Carrie, welcome to the Diabetes forum.  I'm sorry you've been through the mill with the flu and all.  Yes, your blood tests are out of range for normal blood sugar.  You've lost 20 lbs in the last 6 weeks but was that because of being sick?  Or, could it be related to diabetes?  Maybe. Your other symptoms could also be related to diabetes in some way, either high or low blood sugar.  So it seems to me it's a puzzle and I would suspect that your doctor would need another blood test or two to determine if you are type 2 or becoming a type 1.

As a type 1, a person doesn't make his own insulin anymore and needs insulin shots.  As a type 2, a person still makes his own insulin though maybe not as much as before and will probably start on oral medication and a change in diet and lifestyle if needed.  Both types benefit from a low carb diet and more physical exercise.  Low-carb doesn't mean no carb.  It does mean cutting back on all bread, other flour products, rice, potatoes, anything made with sugar (or honey).  You would be testing your own blood sugar with a meter when you get up in the morning, before a meal and a couple of hours after a meal to see how your blood sugar reacts to the food you eat.  This is why keeping a daily log of your food and activity (with time, amount, etc.) is important.

Being 5'3" and 125lbs doesn't fit the type 2 image since that 'type' would be overweight.  However, a type 1 might be losing weight for no reason and people do become type 1 later in life, not just as children, so this is one reason to ask why you lost the weight.  To determine if your pancreas is still producing insulin, you might have a blood test called the c-peptide.  This shows how much insulin is being made, if any, and it might be ordered if there's any doubt about your being a type 1 or type 2.  Another type is now called 1.5 or LADA which is when a type 2 slowly becomes a type 1.  These tests are important to know if you're producing insulin so the doctor knows the best treatment.

So, be proactive when you see the doctor tomorrow and ask about what tests you took and should take and how he knows which type you are.  Ask why he thinks you lost so much weight - was it from being sick for could it be related to diabetes. 

If your depression, tiredness, etc. is related to blood sugar (either high or low), you can help yourself by eating balanced meals, not skipping any meals, eating a portion of protein and vegetables at each meal and keeping away from high sugar and high carb snacks - all this is in trying to keep your blood sugar levels even.  (And if you think about it, it's how we have always told our kids to eat!)  Unfortunately, lots of snacks and drinks have plenty of sugar content and this can really throw your blood sugar off with both highs and lows, producing shakiness and fatigue.

Also, here is a site that you can browse through for more information:  http://www.bloodsugar101.com/

And here are some questions related to type 2 prediction:  Are you overweight?  Are you sedentary?  Do you eat a lot of carbs?  Are there family members with type 2?  Did you have gestational diabetes?

Let us know how everything goes with the doctor.  I understand there will be lots of questions and I hope you can find answers here! 

 

Gosh, you know that I'm not a doctor and can only give you information that I've learned myself or experienced.  I had to look up hemochromatosis and found there's a connection to diabetes when the condition affects the pancreas over time.  If that's your case, it might very well be diabetes as you were told.  Also, if that's your case, then you do need to ask the doctor to what extent your pancreas is affected and if you are still producing insulin.

Some of your symptoms seem like hyperglycemia, so the faster you and your doctor can get this figured out, the better for you.

Having a parent with type 2 increases your tendency toward type 2 but the hemochromatosis adds another dimension - maybe making the pancreas burn out faster. 

One of the articles I read mentioned anemia with this condition but that totally confused me since you're supposed to have too much iron in your blood.  That seems contradictory.      Anemia can skew the A1c, making it lower.  This happened to one of our mods here on another forum, so even an A1c result may not be accurate for overall blood sugar health.

But, again, no matter what blood sugar problems you are having, no matter what type you end up being, eating regularly, not skipping meals, cutting down on carbs and having a meal with a protein and a few vegetables and maybe a salad should help keep the blood sugar more level.  And ask the doctor if this eating plan is ok.

Can't wait to hear about your doctor's visit.  I hope you can stay well until then!

Yeah, if anything makes the pancreas stop producing insulin, you'd be a type 1.  Then, that would mean insulin shots to replace what you don't produce yourself. 

If that is the case or if you're a type 2, one of the best books that discusses all aspects of diabetes is Diabetes Solution by Dr. Richard Bernstein.  He is a type 1 and is in his 70's.  The books explains everything you'd want to know and also includes a section on food and recipes.

Dr. gave me a list of tests to take which I will go have done tomorrow. No diabetes treament yet as I'm borderline, but I'm keeping a log & will have empirical evidence when I go back. I was insistent & he was equally stubborn,no treatment. Do you think this has to do with insurance?? He is generally slow to treat anything & I've wondered if insurance company, BCBS, measures this?

He did prescribe Buspar for anxiety & Ambien for sleep. Is this common? I don't see it in any postings? This will give me some short term relief but I feel I must prove my consistently high blood suagr with more history to be treated.

Still struggling with dizzyness & feeling faint, but now on a low carb diet. I notice my blood sugar drops into the 120 range (from 200s all day) at night? After dinner & I feel better?? Any thoughts?

I am metering like crazy!

Thanks,
Carrie