[Diabetes-Talk] Impacting your Diabetes in a Positive way to get better results

Sat Oct 5 22:22:00 UTC 2019

Hello Jamie,

I appreciate what you have had to say here. I am really learning a lot. 
But it's also helping me not feel so alone.

What kinds of cheddar cheese do you eat?

I mean, do you think that certain brands are better than others?

Also, when it comes to those biscuits, can you enjoy any flavor of them?

I have heard of them. But I haven't ever tried them.

And what exactly is a basal rate? I have heard this mentioned. But I 
don't know what it is.

I do not have a Dexcom. But I do have the Lebra system. I don't think I 
spelled that correctly. I love it though. It has been a huge game 
changer for me. I am much better at checking my blood sugar now.

Thank you, and have a good evening.

Terri

On 10/5/2019 1:20 PM, Jamie Gurganus via Diabetes-Talk wrote:
> Bridget,
>
>       I agree that diabetes control is a constant challenge.  I, for example, eat the same exact breakfast every morning (one slice of cheddar cheese, a package of Belvita breakfast biscuits that have 32 grams of carb and a cup of coffee)  Some days, my blood sugar is great, others it goes really low or spikes to over 200.  It is sure a mystery why the same food will effect my blood sugars differently on different days.  And, it is not due to different activity levels either.  I go to an exercise class every Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings  and am busy doing similar exercise on Tuesd/Thursdays that I am home.  I keep myself under tight control, so a high for me is anything over 180.  I keep my Dexcom set at 160 for the high alert and the default for the low.  My last A1C was 5.4, which is pretty low.  My doctor changed my basal rates, since he thinks I run too low at times.  Not being able to feel my lows at all concerns him, so he wanted to up my basal rates at night.  I may change it back the next time I see my educator, since I now run too high at night.    Needless to say, the Dexcom wakes me several times a night, and I don't get that much sleep as it is.
>
>
> Take care!
>
> 					Jamie
>    
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Saturday, October 5, 2019 1:00 PM
> To: 'Diabetes Talk for the Blind' <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter <bkpollpeter at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Diabetes-Talk] Impacting your Diabetes in a Positive way to get better results
>
> I love exercise and have made a long-life habit out of it. I love everything from dance to swimming to cross training to yoga to running to simply walking around the neighborhood. For those without mobility issues or other health-related issues impacting mobility, exercise is a great thing we should all find ways to engage in. And the more we do an exercise, generally, our body adjust to it, making it easier.
>
> However, people with true mobility issues and health concerns cannot always just simply get up and move. We can't be dismissive of people who can't easily exercise. And for some, it's not a matter of adjusting to a physical activity; it's truly difficult at best, tedious and painful at worst. Exercise doesn't solve the problem for everyone.
>
> And speaking as a brittle type 1 diabetic, I exercise every day; sometimes, more than once a day. On average, I spend 1 to 3 hours a day exercising. And while I have good control over my diabetes, as a brittle diabetic, I can do the exact same things every day-- eat the same foods at the same time, exercise at the same time for the same amount of time, drink water, etc. and get very different results in glucose levels every day. So diabetes management is not a one-size fits all disease. Despite daily exercise, and I can do pretty intensive work-outs like Crossfit, and my A1-C sits around 6.7 but my BGs fluctuate constantly. It can be very frustrating.
>
> So certain answers don't work for everyone or work in the same ways. I think we have to be cognizant of this.
>
> All that being said, I think incorporating activity in some capacity in our daily routine is a must. And until you try, you don't know if it will get easier or not.
>
> Bridgit
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Diabetes-Talk <diabetes-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Dr. Denise M Robinson via Diabetes-Talk
> Sent: Saturday, October 5, 2019 8:51 AM
> To: Diabetes Talk for the Blind <diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Dr. Denise M Robinson <deniserob at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Diabetes-Talk] Impacting your Diabetes in a Positive way to get better results
>
> Hi Terri and all those who want some suggestions on how to improve the life of a diabetic.
>
> First, making food changes is incredibly difficult as you mentioned Terri.
> Just keep working on it as it will make a massive difference in your overall health as you progress through life.
>
> When blood sugar is high--sugar is like glass moving thru those veins, hence all the issues diabetics have the longer they live with it.
>
> Now, the part of hope. I have been a type 1 diabetic for 41 years and here are the tricks I have come up with as just eating great is not enough--though helps tremendously.
> Exercise solves a multitude of issues. When we eat poorly or just eat--go out for a walk afterward. Exercise covers a multitude of sins as the saying goes. We eat and depending on what we eat our blood sugar goes up either slow -i.e eggs or extremely fast--i.e ice cream. Going out for a walk immediately makes it go down because you are burning up that sugar. Or just exercise in the house--lots of options here but get up and get moving.
>
> I love fruit but it goes to sugar in your body in minutes versus straight sugar goes in in seconds--hence if you get low blood sugar we drink juice--fast liquid sugar to get blood sugar up. The point, both increase blood sugar quickly
>
> Ok--here is the big help--Kefir. Most likely have never heard of this so read about it here. Kefir <https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/9-health-benefits-of-kefir> I make my own to always have fresh but you can buy it too. I drink it several times a day and lets say I want to cheat with a cookie, I drink it first and balances the cookie out so it does not spike my sugar--but I also move after a cookie. Most people also do not realize that if you are constipated--as in do not go every day--couple times a day, that fecal matter increases sugar and A1C. Kefir also helps make you regular.
>
> Last--I have learned to love exercise--yes, it took me time to get to the point but if a diabetic does not move--we will lose body parts and be and feel ill all the time and die  slowly--and it is just not fun. This is not a simple disease--it takes work but if you work it--it will go well for you--minus the constant shots and checking of blood which is a body pain--but keeps us going--I now have a dexcom 6 sensor which is life changing for checking sugar--I still check it about 18 times a day but now I can look at a monitor instead--and it connects to an iphone
>
> You do not need to be ultra exercise person--just go for a walk--with a loving partner is even more fun and have a great conversation along the way--and drink that Kefir
>
> * Dr Denise M Robinson*
>
> *Denise M Robinson, TVI, PhD*
>
> Specialist-Technology/Blind Skills | Teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired
> 425-220-6935 | www.yourtechvision.com
> *Life* isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...it's about learning to
> *dance* in the rain!
>
> [image: TechVision Logo]
> “Helping the visually impaired see their world changed through technology”
> "While they were saying among themselves it cannot be done, it was done."
> --Helen Keller
>
>
>
>
>
> On Sat, Oct 5, 2019 at 9:16 AM Terri Stimmel via Diabetes-Talk < diabetes-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>> Hello everyone,
>>
>> First of all, I am very thankful for the support all of you offer
>> here. It is very much appreciated. I know I don’t respond back a lot,
>> to replies I get. I intend on doing so. But I get caught up in a lot of mail at times.
>>
>> As my subject says, I am starting to feel a sense of panic, when it
>> comes to my diabetes. At my last appointment, which was just a couple
>> of weeks ago, I learned that my A1C was 9. I forget what they said
>> that my average blood sugar was. But I believe it was over 200. They
>> raised 2 of my medications, and this is not at all what I wanted. But
>> I know it was necessary. Here is what I take. I might not spell the medications properly.
>>
>> I take point 5 of Ozimpic, once a week. I now take 70 units of treceba
>> every morning. And I take 20 units of Novolog with every meal. But I
>> have more insulin, depending on what my blood sugar is. For example,
>> if it’s 150 to 200, then I take an extra unit.
>>
>> I think I have mentioned this before. But I am totally blind. I have
>> had diabetes for about 11 years now. I am 43.
>>
>> I live with my wonderful boyfriend, who also has diabetes, and who has
>> probably had it for about 10 years or so. His diabetes may have
>> affected his vision, as he has very limited vision in 1 eye, and none in the other.
>>
>> Neither of us really cook. We purchase food together, as it is more
>> affordable for us to do this. We are both motivated to change how we
>> have been eating. Although, I feel I am a bit more motivated. We talk
>> about it a lot. But I also feel that if 1 of us mentions eating a
>> snack, like ice cream, we kind of play off each other. In other words,
>> I don’t feel neither of us have very good will power.
>>
>> This last time we ordered groceries, we did purchase a fresh fruit
>> bowl to enjoy. We also got some of those fruit cups. Even though those
>> might not be the best things. We also purchased some of those steamers
>> you can prepare in the microwave. 1 has broccoli, carrots, and
>> cauliflower in it. The other is broccoli with cheese sauce.
>>
>> I would like to do some cooking for us. But as I mentioned before, I
>> haven’t cooked much, in years. Standing is difficult for me, do to
>> physical pain. I also get tired easily. My boyfriend has talked about
>> attempting to cook some. But so far this hasn’t happened.
>>
>> Last night, we ordered from Pizza Hut. We got 4 different types of
>> boneless wings, they were all 8 counts, and we got 2 orders of the
>> garlic cheesey bread. They come with 5 long pieces each, that can be
>> separated in half, to make 10 pieces.
>>
>> We got Hawaiian tarioky, honey barbecue, spicy garlic, and garlic
>> parmacian. I had all 8 of the spicy garlic, 3 of the Hawaiian, and 3
>> of the honey barbecue. Then I had 4 whole pieces of the garlic cheesey
>> bread. I drank water. Needless to say, I was quite full. We ate at
>> around 5. I didn’t eat anything else until around 8. That was a
>> fun-size pack of skittles. I drank water the rest of the night.
>>
>> Well around 7 this morning, when I tested my blood sugar, it was 257.
>> In a way, I was surprised it was so high. I did take my insulin before dinner.
>> If I remember, it was around 200, before dinner. But I can’t remember
>> exactly.
>>
>> This is very hard on me, because I know things need to change. It
>> doesn’t feel the small changes are making a difference. But maybe it takes time?
>> I don’t exercise. I know I need to do this as well. I actually want to
>> do this, more than attempting to eat better. But my physical
>> limitations actually make this quit difficult. The pain can get so
>> intense for me, just when standing, and trying to walk.
>>
>> While my boyfriend is very supportive of me, I feel I don’t have much
>> support in this area. We both talk a good game. But that seems to be
>> about it. Plus, he thins if his blood sugar fasting is at 200, that
>> this really isn’t a bad thing. I disagree. Ijust feel at a loss. But I
>> also know that a lot of this is on me. So then I feel depressed. When
>> I learned what my A1C was, it was all I could do not to cry.
>> I don’t want things to get worse. And I don’t want to keep having
>> increases in my medications. This can not be a good thing.
>> My boyfriend says that how we eat is not the only thing that can
>> affect our diabetes. He says that genetics plays a part in it as well.
>> Does anyone know if this is true, or not? What if I start exerciesing,
>> and changing how I eat, and none of it really makes a difference?
>> Also, how offten can you have a cheat day? Is it once a week, or once
>> a month? Or does that just depend on the person?
>>
>> Thank you for listening to me ramble. I really appreciate it. I am
>> just sad and frustrated over all this.
>>
>> Thank you,
>>
>> Terri
>>
>> Sent from my iPhone
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