diabetes--what the f@%#*

I mean come on
How do you just all of a sudden get Diabetes
It is not in my family
Is it punishment for not smoking or drinking for 10 almost 11 years
The last fun thing I had was food, and now that has been taken from me
In the long run it will help me and the whole family get in shape
But for now I'm kinda depressed, mad, sad, and for all intensive purposes emotionally unstable
All kinds of new crap to learn
"Lifestyle change" no SHIT
Anyway, guess I better "Simah down now"
Words of wisdom anyone
This must be Bong's fault ! !
I need a drink:( :( :( :( :::::;;;
I need a hug

man Bax, I'm really sorry to hear this.:cry:
HUG

I don't know much about it (maybe Humu or SCD?) but if you need anything, we're here for ya!

[ Edited by: laney on 2005-02-04 18:22 ]

Bax, I'm so sorry, this must be quite a shock to deal with.

Have you seen this thread?

Are you a Tiki-betic?
http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=2391&forum=6

Type 1 or Type 2? Regardless, while this does mean a bit more deliberation in the care you take for yourself, these are changes that will become second nature with time, and you have the opportunity to find yourself in better shape than ever. While you learn the ropes and get your body in fighting shape, it will be easiest to live by a bit of a regimen, but if you take the time to learn about diabetes and what your body needs, you may be able to let some of that flexibility back in again.

If you (or your family) would like to bend my ear about it the next time we see each other, I'd be more than happy to chat. And give you a big hug, though I think that it always ends up being you giving me a hug no matter how hard I try. :)

Bax, I'm sorry to hear this bad news, Shelley and I send all our best. Truth be told, my friend, you bestride the world as a colossus, you are bulletproof, a man among men. In the the long run, may this be a speedbump and not a roadblock. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Mahalo,
Al

Baxdog

That's rotten news & particularly harsh when it comes out of the blue like that. I know that's what happens with diabetes sometimes, but it just doesn't seem to make sense.

I've a friend who turned to me while we were sitting in a restaurant and said, "Did you just see that?" I said, "No, what?" And he replied, "I just injected myself with insulin". I guess what that shows is that it all gets easier to deal with as time goes past.

Anyway, no doubt the first few weeks of this will be the toughest, so my thoughts are with you.

Trader Woody

Why does shit happin to the nicest people?
Bax!
You are definitely a survivor, so this is obviously another bump in the road.
You should come out with a sugar free Orgeat and you’ll definitely make some money out of this ordeal. :)
Only the best to ya and hang in there!

Keep a good thought-know that the more people that know about this,the more people can send good thoughts your way.I'm thinking them for you right now.

Bax I'm sure you will be able to deal with this with all our help. You know we are all behind you 100%. It's a bitch when you find out something like this and takes a little while to get used to the fact that changes are coming and that you Will survive. The big "Why" question is always there and Never answered, but the rest of the questions we have covered.
Good luck and don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.
We Love ya

Sweetest Baxdog

I, like you, got hit with this crap out of the blue about 11 years ago. IT'S NOT FAIR!!
I also had quite smoking, cut way back on any drinking, playing ball 3-4 nights a week, in other words doing all the things that I should be doing. Spent a lot of time wondering WHY?. Spent even more time bugging the doctors to find out WHY? After the next four years I finally just said, I got it. The first year or two I was very rigid with myself with food, medication, lifestyle. Did not seem to work well for me in the long run. Later I made the decision that I would not deprive myself of at least my annual margarita. While still fighting the battle every day, I remind myself that this is JUST A CONDITION, not who I am. I make sure that when I indulge it is within reason and is with the people that I care about. The food things are just a habit that everyone should work towards anyway. Not always easy but something that can be integrated into the process of living. As someone who seems to be an active, healthy guy this should not be something that should get you down. Keeping up your always sparkling attitude , surrounding yourself with your loved ones, and enjoying life to the BAX, that's the way to make it through this little bump.

Let me know if I can help. Call me anytime.

That all around sweet guy

Trustar

dogg... you will survive.
we're behind you -
you are a force of nature.

all the best, j$

I got a big hug for ya you vanilla gorilla!

Sorry to hear this Bax. The Pineapples thoughts and best wishes are with you.

A little history in the looking back department.
May 8th 2005 will be 11 years of no drinking and no smoking(blah blah blah)
My weight over these years has gone up and down, mostly up(according to the Diabetes weight chart I am a hideous troll)
Regular doctor visits, "a little high blood pressure and you could eat less".
My Cholestrol has always been +- 170, can't explain that.
So 21/2 years ago I have Carpel Tunnel surgery, great results, blood work the same.
BUT now I'm on high blood pressure meds and my thyroid is effed up too.
OK no real lifestyle change, then 1.5 years ago I could not stay awake in the afternoon.
Sleep test shows that I hold my breath while I sleep 50 times an hour(Apnea)So I have my tonsils removed my punching bag removed and roto-rooter was called in to ream out my sinuses(very painful but would not trade the results for anything)
Allright, blood work still the same!
So the day I started this thread was a super low bummer day.
My blood work came back from my physical.
Chlorestrol 600 Triglycerides 2000 Glucose 364
My wonderful Doc. leaves a message on my cell "call me I have bad news" I could not get in touch with her for 14 hours(torture)
Diabetes type II(sorry sugerless Caddy Daddy)
Then I totally change the way I eat, one week later Sara and I go to our first Diabetes class thru Hoag Hospital and I get my new meter. They tell me I should blow a 135, well first I get a Hba1c test and blow a 13.5 (not so good)glucose reading 326 then over the next 2 days my glucose goes 253,339,182,300
I'm on the new meds, I think I am eating right so I break down.
I failed my work I failed my family and friends I am just a complete failure.
I mean what the eff is going on, I take care of everyone, work, family, friends and now I need help (I don't know how to except this)
So I post when I calm down a little bit, and low and behold with a little more time and the love of my TC family traveling thru the airways I feel much better. Thanks BONG!!
I thank each and everyone of you for your kind thoughts, I thank my wonderful wife and kids who are closer to me now than ever before.
I know I will get thru this, and those of you who know me know that I will go over board trying to be better.
My keyboard is all wet with tears (sniff choke gasp wheez)

Thanks again and now back to your regular programming(sp)

The Dog loves you all

Sorry to hear that Bax - our best wishes are with ya....

George Carlin's Views on Aging
I think he's got it.

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five!

That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.

Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.

And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay " them " .

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

And if you don't send this to at least 8 people - who cares?

But do share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day.

It's just a good thing you're...thebaxdog! Something like this would burn a lesser man down. Seriously though Bax, I've been flirting with this disease myself for years (and I still drink and eat my fried lard extra-crispy). Speaking of that Carlin age thing, I felt blessed when I "made it" to 50. My dad dropped dead of a massive heart attack when he was 49 and felt like I was following in his footsteps. He ignored all his doctor's warnings to lose weight, quit smoking, change his diet, cut back on the booze, work less hours, etc. At his funeral my Mom saw to it his last request was fulfilled. They played Frank Sinatra's "My Way" as the closing to the service. Don't worry Bax, you're gonna be awright (I'll stake my reputation on it).

Baxdog, diabetes out of the blue has got to be a bummer. Way worse than my lactose intolerance.

I stopped drinking Jan. 1, 1986 out of legitimate fear of being a horrible Mommy. When my little bird flew the coop last year I thought it might be safe to drink again.

I drank again for 4 months and the craving started to get out of hand. My behavior wasn't bad except for one wierd incident. My neighbor's cockerspaniel often escapes thru a hole in the fence. I have a fuzzy memory of chasing him thru the neighborhood one night and putting him back over the fence.

The next morning I saw where I patched up the hole in the fence with yarn. Lord, I had become the crazy drunken neighbor lady I used to fear as a child!

Anyway I went back on the wagon and got a job working with wonderful little people that is easing me thru the empty nest syndrome. It's not all roses & sunshine, but better than it could be.

[ Edited by: kctiki on 2005-02-06 20:25 ]

KC, you will of coarse teach me the art of
FENCE KNITTING
Knit one hammer two

I to think once in a while
Hey I have really grown up now and I should be able to control a drink or two now and then.
I even watched my Mom do it, and she controls herself fine.
But I know my adickhead personality OH i mean
Addictive, extremest(sp)personality
And in two years I would be back to bottles under the seat of my truck for the ride home from work. No thank you, been there over did that ! ! !
Anybody I know from my drinking days is OH so happy that I stopped.
And this Diabetes thing is a bummer, but right now the whole family is starting to think DIET and EXERCISE
Things that piss me off about it
NO or very little red meat
NO going barefoot
BUT
Walking with my wife for an hour
PRICELESS
Thanks again
The Dog

Holy Moly Bax!

364 blood glucose huh? Yeah, it's high. I was almost at 500 when I finally got into the doctor to find out why this "fatigue" and endless thirst wouldn't stop. Like Humu said, this will be a learning process to find out what does and does not work for you. You said that you are currently a Type 2 diabetic. Most Type 2's can control their levels with medication. I am a Type 1 (insulin dependent aka I take shots!), so hopefully you will not need to get to that point, since it's a bitch! But hey, I gotta do it if I want to live!

I will be more than happy to go over, in detail, everything that I have learned, as well as done wrong, in keeping control of my blood sugar level. Those that know me very well will know that I am quite anal about keeping a good level (I test 10+ times a day), although there is an occasional high/low that can occur. I take 2 different insulins with multiple shots taken throughout the day.

Keep in mind that the medical community is going by alot (and I mean ALOT) of old information taught in schools. For example, 99.9% of doctors will tell you to test 3 times a day. HA! 3 times a day?? Are they crazy? You eat breakfast, you drink something, you have a snack, you excercise, you sleep, you have lunch, etc., etc, all of these various times will affect your level, not to mention if you ever get angry or frustrated, that too will have an affect on your blood sugar levels. You need to test, test, test! Slowly, the medical community is coming around, but again it's s-l-o-w. The newest diabetic testing device commercials finally have a set of (girl) twins that say "we test 10 times a day". That floored me since it was the first time that it's been publicly acknowledged that you SHOULD test many times a day! Anyway, I could ramble on and on. Call me and I'll do the ramblin' on the phone for you.

As for the frustration and anger you are feeling...been there, done that. I know you can deal with it Bax. We are all here to help you with it.

Don't worry Bax, you will get through this just fine. You can still have a sweet treat now & then, you can still have your "bad foods" now & then. Just think and practice "moderation", and you'll be A-OK.

Email me direct with any and all questions you have. I'm there for you 24/7!

Love ya man!

[ Edited by: SugarCaddyDaddy 2007-07-30 01:07 ]

Maybe the best Diabetes site going:

http://www.mendosa.com/

The nutrition parts are nearly perfect.

There was a recent study from somewhere that concluded that 80-87% of Type 2 Diabetics can have full glucose control if they are strict enough with nutrition, exercise, and weight control. I know that's easier said than done, but at least gives good motivation.

Best wishes.

Hey Bax, I'm really sorry to hear about this. Try and keep your chin up. Medical advances in this disease have been pretty staggering over the past decade. Most people, with some dieting and certain precautions, end up living a normal healthy live. There is a positive aspect to this that most people tend to overlook. You now have a solid and motivating reason to start eating the right things and exercise more. In a few months, you'll probably be much healthier and, in turn, feel much better than you do now.

My aunt has had diabetes as far back as I can remember, and she has no complaints.

UPDATE
Well, things are going quite well at the moment.
I am exercising as much as possible.
I eat about a fourth of what I was eating.
In 3 and 1/2 months I have gone from 267 to 234 and still losing.
I am donating my size forty pants to the Cub Scouts for Pup tents.
Attitude is running high.
My Wife is the biggest help ever.
My Kids are SLOWLY learning to eat better.
All in all I would not wish this on anyone, but so far all changes for the better.

Once again
Thank you one and all

The road is the same
But the pavement is new
The gas tank is full
Everyday we push through

If anythihg at all happens to Bax, I'm checking out of this day job called life...

I have no doubt that you will find the best in any situation.

Wishing you and your family huge success.

Bax,

Be carefully about trying to give things up all at once. It will only lead to binges. Just check your blood sugar and readjust your insulin as necesssary. Eventually you will settle into an eating habit that works for you. Btw, one bagel will spike your sugar level more than 3 candy bars. Opt for the English muffin instead.

Don't you just hate these pesky life-changing events? I know I do. My mom was also diagnosed with the same some years ago. Her weight had been up and down, not to mention her ever-present hypertension and stress did not help. Luckily they caught it early and she is not on meds for it (but is for everything else). Meanwhile, my sister started taking her to the gym and she really did great and has lost so much and is still slowly continuing. But as mentioned before, that's just a part of it. I have to constantly stay on top of her to keep the salami and sweets out of the house. And having a supportive family can make all the difference. If my vibe from Sara is correct, she'll do whatever it takes to help her honey get more healthy and find ways to adjust. Then you'll not only be healthier yourself, but your experience will end up being a positive influence on your whole family and they'll have dad to thank for it later in life. It's a tough discovery with some hard adjustments, but you've licked some pretty big things in your life already. You've got a pretty good track record for stick-to-it-ive-ness. I believe and have faith in you, Bax. My good thoughts are sent your way.