Checkup is coming up... nervous.... just a rant.

My checkup for my diabetes is coming up on Friday. I'll be getting my bloodwork done to check on the cholesterol and blood sugar. I'm starting to panic, because I'm not really thinking my numbers have been low enough. I was just diagnosed in April, and I know I have to totally change my life, but I guess I'm in some denial here. I thought I was doing pretty good but now I have my doubts. I was looking online and it says FBS should be under 100, and mine is rarely that low. Sometimes it's REALLY high in fact (in the 120's). My "averages" on my meter says: 30 day average 108; 14 day average 106; this week average 110 (I am not really counting this average, because I'm running low on my test strips and haven't been testing as often this week). I just know my tests are going to come back with some bad news.... . Just wanted to tell someone... I'm kind of freaking out!

bear

tangerine bear said...
[img]/community/emoticons/confused.gif[/img] Hi all,


My checkup for my diabetes is coming up on Friday. I'll be getting my bloodwork done to check on the cholesterol and blood sugar. I'm starting to panic, because I'm not really thinking my numbers have been low enough. I was just diagnosed in April, and I know I have to totally change my life, but I guess I'm in some denial here. I thought I was doing pretty good but now I have my doubts. I was looking online and it says FBS should be under 100, and mine is rarely that low. Sometimes it's REALLY high in fact (in the 120's). My "averages" on my meter says: 30 day average 108; 14 day average 106; this week average 110 (I am not really counting this average, because I'm running low on my test strips and haven't been testing as often this week). I just know my tests are going to come back with some bad news.... [img]/community/emoticons/sad.gif[/img] . Just wanted to tell someone... I'm kind of freaking out!



bear [img]/community/emoticons/sad.gif[/img]

One carb-a-thon won't affect those numbers- you can be sure of it. I'll bet your lipid profile improves this time around with your new emphasis on good nutrition.  Do you exercise? I find that the better I exercise, the better my numbers are.  I have been walking the treadmill  for 3 short bursts a day (3 X 10-15 minutes @ 4 mph) for the past 3-4 months and I think it contributes to the stability of my BG levels.  (I also do a longer ride on my lifecycle 6 days a week (9-10 miles) This is more for stress relief (I used to crunch on chips!) than BG control - but every little bit helps.

I eat more carbs than many here. I couldn't do this until I started to exercise this way. If I succumb to a carb-a-thon (I love Chinese food too btw- those little sushi rolls with the avocado, rice and cream cheese, fried cream cheese wantons- you get the idea), I follow it with a long walk (around a whole mall- inside and around the stores)- this keeps me from spiking- the grease in the Chinese food slows down the carb effect and the walking helps me to absorb it for needed energy as it gets released into the bloodstream. You might try and see if that works for you- then you won't be likely to feel guilty. 

I try not to brand any food as good or bad. It sets me up for failure. I give myself permission to eat everything, so nothing becomes too tempting to refuse.  I walk around the farmer's market and Whole Foods on Saturday and sample everything they have out that appeals to me- right down to the desserts and gelato- I keep track of everything that I sample with a carb approximation - last week all my little bites added up to my lunch- but boy was I mentally happy - and no spikes and lots of exercise. 

Keep thinking positive thoughts about your results-and don't allow your doctor bully you- you're doign all you can- it's his/her job to help you achive your health goals not lecture you like a child!

sandy

If I am in the middle of a writing project, I work at home, so it's easy for me to use the treadmill on my breaks, but I also work it in when I'm in the office.

I have the chairdancing audiotapes- I do them at my desk.  I pace around the office or my desk while I am on the phone (some days this adds up to 2 or more hours!). I walk during my lunch break- either outside (good weather) or around the perimeter of the warehouse (bad weather). I have a number of desk workouts that I found on the Internet.  If I am at a tradeshow or teacher convention- I make sure to walk back and forth across our display area, back and forth to the show from the hotel (where feasible). I only stay at hotels that have a 24 hour exercise room.  I fold laundry or iron at night while I watch TV. I get up 30 minutes earlier than I used to and vacuum, dust, weed etc.  It's not hard to increase the number of minutes you exercise or the number of steps you take each day- you just need to look around for the opportunity to do something other than sit. It doesn't have to be strenuous or be lengthy.

And I do look forward to riding the exercise bike- I have an iPOD shuffle that I've programmed with different paced music. If slow music pops up- I pedal slowly, fast music and I pedal faster. I write it in my daytimer just like any appointment.

I really do feel more energetic, more hopeful and more clear-headed than I have in a long time. 

sandy

Bear, good luck with your visit tomorrow.  I know you were newly diagnosed in the spring and have been trying out different food to see how your blood sugar is, etc.  Don't stress out.  You're ahead of the game at this point knowing all that you know from the forum.  I want to say one thing if you don't mind.  When I was diagnosed a year ago as "border line" again, I didn't do anything about it.  I told the doctor I would watch my diet, but I didn't.  I did halfheartedly start exerciseing though.  In the fall, she prescribed the monitor and I was still in kind of a denial though I did join this forum and spent literally hours and hours reading all the past threads back a few years.  And I searched online for everything written on diabetes, even the strange, off-the-wall sites.  I took notes on everything!  In January when I saw her and I had 6.6 A1c and high cholesterol, she was going to put me on Lipitor and I told her to give me 5 months.  I changed my diet and started an exercise program that's almost daily and I improved my numbers by May.  A1c down to 5.6.   I attribute that to low (very low) carb and exercise.  Fear is a strong motivator because my mom had her leg amputated to her knee due to diabetes before she died of a heart attack at 73.  She did not eat right and didn't exercise and I'm not going the same way she did.  

You can improve your readings by doing everything you've read about here on the forum.  It worked for me.  I needed to lose weight, still do, and that's helped.  My numbers are much better, not perfect, but a really great improvement, so I know you can do it too.

Good luck with your tests tomorrow.  And make yourself a promise to do what you can for your health!

Lanie 

Thank you so much for your kind posts. Jeannie, the kind things you said put a tear in my eye. Thank you so much for that.

Well, doc checked me out BP is nice and low, lost about 3 pounds since last visit, she checked out my feet... said they are fine (but after Ruth's post... eek... I'm not sure the foot test was enough!)... checked my averages on my meter. She said I seem to be doing great so far, but of course we won't know anything for sure until the blood/urine test results come back. (I told her "I should be doing good... I haven't SEEN a potato in 3 months".... that gave her a good laugh!) Now it's just wait and worry time LOL. Hopefully I will be doing the happy dance...

Love to all,

Bear