Diabetic Life

well I survived my first year

2009-06-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

I have officially been diagnosed as a diabetic for a year now even though I had been diabetic, and of course pre-diabetic for many years before my diagnosis. I am still learning new things about how my body handles this disease and I am sure I will continue doing so until they put me in the ground.

One thing I have noticed is that my body tells me when my blood sugar gets above 200 because I will have to go to the bathroom just about every half hour until my blood sugar comes down. I found this out by accident and testing my blood sugar I defiantly would not purposely let my blood sugar get that high just to see how I handle it. But in ending good luck to everyone else going through the same battle I am, keep up the good fight.

no insurance update

2009-06-04T00:46:00.000-07:00

well, I don't feel any different without insurance than I did with. My doctor probably wouldn't be happy with how I am taking my medications though. I have about a month and a half of 500 milligram extended release metformin tablets but I don't take them unless I know I am going to eat something with a bunch of carbs or sugar in it. I don't know though because other than constantly going to the bathroom, and being really thirsty, I didn't feel any different before my diagnosis.

I am struggling with my weight again, am now 295 lbs which is alot bigger than I was and I can feel my cloths fitting tighter again which sucks. Soon I will be back on P90X though it was a good workout I don't know if I lost weight doing it but since it's "exercise" it should help regulate my blood sugar now that I am not really on any medications for it. I am also going to splurge my money on trying out Nutrisystems for men diabetes program. It will take care of my diet and should really help my sugar levels.

All in all though it still comes down to me being my own worst enemy. I have almost no will power which sucks because that has caused most of my diet and sticking to exercise problems. I know that's a cop out because its my own damn fault I'm fat but saying its my will powers fault almost makes it seem like the blames not my it's that darn will power.

new turn sucks.. oh well

2009-05-07T09:24:00.000-07:00

So I only have a few days left of insurance which is great because the state only gives you 30 days notice when you are no longer eligible for their insurance. After some experimenting with a regular diet and no exercise my blood sugar will hover around 170 and with a strict diet and very minimal exercise it is around 100 which is good so I can get by without meds and not die... YAY! my pills will keep my blood sugar around a hundred or lower but I only have those until they run out. What this will mean for the blog though is I will be sharing some alternative ways of lowering blood sugar without the assistance of my metformin, so hopefully I'll be able to get back to you all soon with some different news.

Russel Stover

2009-04-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

I try not to endorse brands or sound like a commercial. My goal is to share my experience with others. Because your mileage may vary my experience might give you an idea on what might work for you, but it won't tell you what will help you manage your diabetes. I wanted to state that up front because this might sound like I am trying to promote this product.

The Easter bunny hasn't been gone for two horribly long and I just realized that this could very easily be a diabetic friendly holiday. I am not going into how much to eat or moderation, but as a kid Easter was cool because of candy, so that IS what I am going to talk about. Last Christmas I encountered some of Russel Stover's brand sugar free candy and was surprised that it really did taste like candy.

When I saw them again at Easter I read the box of a chocolate bunny and found out that they used a sugar alcohol that is supposedly broken down in your body as a very complex carbohydrate that should not raise blood sugar levels very much. Thats just what the box said but it tasted like chocolate and didn't spike my sugar levels so I guess it's ok. I did find that the chocolate tastes a bit 'darker' than plain regular milk chocolate but I like that so it didn't bother me.

I went to their website and found that Russel Stover pretty much offers a sugar free version of everything they make, not just chocolates but jelly beans and cereal bars. This being said I have to give my props to them for keeping up to date with sugar free foods, and can say that next holiday season I will be buying thier brand of choclates to give out.

Update

2009-03-04T04:18:00.000-08:00

Well my opinion on the P90X excercise program is overall positive my only complaint is that I am not in shape enough to do all of the exercises but it beats doing Tea-bo or Turbo Jam. The videos are a bit on the long side usually around an hour and theres definatly enough activity to keep your heart rate up the whole time.

Equipment and space needed is minimal the infomercial didn't lie. I do all of the exercises in a space that is about six by ten between the couch and the tv. The only equipment I have is two twenty pount dumbells a pullup bar and partway through I decided a yoga mat would be more comfortable on the hard floor.

If you are as out of shape as I am progress and results are almost emediate. The first workout I tried I couldn't finish the whole thing I was winded and sore and doing pushups in sets of one. severals days later I got around to doing that same workout and it was still hard and I was out of breath pretty much just from doing pushups and modified pullups but I could finish the workout with doing sets of ten instead of one.

After about a week or so I was slowly getting into better shape I could perform more of the exercises. It wasn't like I was seeing weightloss or muscle gains but I can definatly do a lot more pushups and I'm getting closer and closer to doing a real pullup.

One of the other redeeming qualities of this program is that by buying the whole set of workout dvds the package you get comes with three different workout programs a lean, regular, and extreme. Personally I decided to do the lean program in a effort to get more weight loss and cardiovascular benifit. Then move on to the regular P90X.

Exercise :(

2009-01-29T05:38:00.000-08:00

Well riding the bike has done great for my blood sugar levels but im still fat, out of shape ,and lazy.... AT THE SAME TIME! Unfortunatly I think I may have fallen prey to the gimmicks of fitness comercials because I just broke down and ordered P90X in the hopes of getting into better shape, and keeping my blood sugar in check. The commercial looks like its freakin sweet and I know a lot of cops in my area who swear by it and I have seen their results but if its anything like the horrible time I had ordering over the phone I'm sending it back!
As always I will keep people posted and if it actually works I might even put pictures up. Don't bet on it though because when your my size and lose a bunch of weight your still a fat hairy chested man, but maybe my cup size will be a little bit smaller :) I am not sure if thats good or bad because then I won't get as many tips dancing... OMG that one went way over the edge and I'll stop there before I have to have a warning popup on my blog stating it's for mature readers only.

A great diabetic treat

2009-01-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

I recently tried some of Russel Stover's sugar free candy, and I have to say that they tasted really good, like I would eat them if I weren't diabetic good. The triple chocolate mousse and vanilla flavors are awesome. I would suggest these to anyone looking for a sugar free candy.

Update

2009-01-13T17:47:00.000-08:00

Hello friends I am truly sorry about taking so long to update my blog but I have been caught up in a lot of things and like always life seems to get in the way.

I have been up to quite a few things since my last post and I have amazing news and whether you care or not I'm gonna tell you. I am now completely off of insulin and my last A1c was 5.7 and I lost 5 lbs. Unfortunately the holiday season has caught up with me and it will probably be back in the 6's next time but I'm getting back in the saddle and hitting the exercise again to keep it down.

For those of you that don't already incorporate exercise in you diabetes management I just want to tell you from personal experience that it helps your blood sugar levels and subsequently your A1c ALOT! I didn't hit the gym for hours either all I did was ride a stationary bicycle fro 30-45 minutes a day five days a week. I didn't really make any changes in my diet I just added that little bit of exercise and because I am lazy I would ride the bike while I watched TV since it was either sit on the couch or sit on the bike I figured I might as well ride the bike.

Twitter

2008-11-20T11:22:00.000-08:00

One of the tools I use to keep track of my blood sugar levels is twitter. It is a type of mini blog that lets me throw up a quick post of what my blood sugar is and what I am doing. I would encourage any diabetic to use it as I do.

http://twitter.com/mcwalker my twitter profile

http://twitter.com the twitter website

matthewcwalker@hotmail.com any questions comments or suggestions feel free to contact me using the subject diabetes blog to catch my attention

watch your labels.

2008-11-19T13:38:00.000-08:00

I post under the name ofcemtwalker on the message boards of diabetes.org and we were talking about eating oatmeal. It was suggested to add peanut butter to it and it tastes like peanut butter cookies, what I should have done was checked my labels before I cooked it. My blood sugar was 92 before I ate it. I cooked one cup of rolled oats and added two tablespoons of peanut butter to it (it needed more for flavor but oh well) My numbers were not pretty after and if I had looked at my label I would have not eaten as much as I did.

Between the oatmeal and the peanut butter this is what my breakfast came to.
480 calories
21g fat
61g carb
8g fiber
2g sugar
18g protein
150mg sodium

all in just one cup of rolled oats and two table spoons of peanut butter so my advice to all of you is to check your labels to find any of those hidden carbs and sugars you didn't know were there.

ugh....

2008-11-16T17:16:00.000-08:00

I definitely do not feel like exercising right now. My blood sugar is 90 two hours after eating dinner, not my most nutritious meal I just threw some stuff together, Kraft macaroni and cheese and spam mixed together. I think I might have over compensated a little bit with my insulin I took 13 units instead of 8 because I know the mac and cheese was going to spike my blood sugar.

I don't know if I am losing weight or not it was about a week ago I weighed three hundred even, but as I write this I'm thinking about every time that I 'cheated' on my diet i don't think I want to step on the scale tomorrow I will do it next Monday to give me at least two weeks and hopefully I'll have the willpower to stay on track this time I am hoping for 298

A grain of salt and YMMV

2008-11-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

Well as all you diabetics know your diabetes is your own. What works for you does not always work for the next person and vice versa. I was doing some research online to see if incorporating protein powder into my diet would be a wise decision or not (don't be like me always consult with your doctor or nutritionist before making any change in your diabetes management) and the first article I read is on Wise Geek and the protein powder claims that if taken in the morning to start your day can help regulate blood sugar levels.

Is it true, I don't know I could not find any validating information or that site or any other. So especially with the holidays coming up managing our big D is gonna be rough anyway always take advice from anyone or anything with a grain of salt and remember your Mileage May Vary.

I am tempted now though to see if taking a protein powder in the morning has any effect on blood sugar levels I would beware another study coming up in the next few months!

French Onion Soup

2008-11-11T06:06:00.000-08:00

(recipe taken from Dlife.com)
Classic French Onion Soup

Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
40 minutes
Difficulty:
Easy

Nutrition Facts
Makes 8 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories
215.5
Total Carbs
43.1g
Dietary Fiber
3.7g
Sugars
16.2g
Total Fat
0.9g
Saturated Fat
0.2g
Unsaturated Fat
0.7g
Potassium
376mg
Protein
8.3g
Sodium
399.5mg
Dietary Exchanges1 1/4 Starch, 4 Vegetable, 1/4 Very Lean Meat

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Onion, sweet, fresh , 6 cups (spanish onion ) 2 medium garlic cloves , minced 1 tsp sugar 6 cup low sodium vegetable broth 2 bay leaves 1 pinch salt , to taste 1 pinch white pepper , to taste 8 piece Bread, French, small slice , toasted 8 tbsp Cheese, mozzarella, fat free, shredded (or swiss)

Directions
1 Add onions and garlic to lightly greased Dutch oven and cook, covered, over medium low heat until wilted, 8 to 10 minutes. 2 Stir in sugar and continue cooking, uncovered, until onions are lightly browned. 3 Stir in broth and bay leaves, heat to boiling. 4 Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. 5 Discard bay leaves, season to taste with salt and white pepper.6 Top each bread slice with 1 tablespoon cheese, broil 6 inches from heat source until cheese is melted. 7 Top each bowl of soup with a Bruschetta.

Allergic to Actos

2008-11-10T12:40:00.000-08:00

Well the doc put me on Actos to help facilitate my transition from insulin to pills to manage my diabetes. Unfortunately I am allergic to Actos. I started taking the pills and I would break out in hives and get itchy and start sweating. I would self medicate with some benadryl and it would go away. I missed a few doses of Actos and I did not get the hives. when I started taking it again the hives came right back, so I guess I am no longer going to be taking the Actos the Dr. only told me to discontinue taking the pills and he would see me in my follow up appointment.

November is Amercian Diabetes month

2008-11-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

Well the title says it all, November is American Diabetes month, which also brings an end to my poll. Of the twelve people who participated I was surprised to find the seven of them do not have diabetes themselves, and one had absolutely nothing do with diabetes, not even knowing a freind or relative with the disease.

I think that is great I get a chance to do my part and raise diabetes awarness. I can't speak for type 1 diabetes but a large protion of type 2 diabetes is completely preventable. Regardless of what type of diabetes someone has quality managment of it can reduce health risks and symptoms that the disease such as nueropathy, circulation issues, decreased kidney and liver functions, etc.

exercise is worth it

2008-10-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today after a breakfast of left over sloppy Joe's my blood sugar was 150 two hours after eating. My diet got even worse I had four sugar cookies. before lunch I decided to go jogging to help counter act my bad diet, even worse I have been really lazy and not doing all of my novalog injections.

I jogged a mile and a half in a pitiful 22.40.63 that's like a 15 minute mile. I came back home and was planning on having lunch but got distracted with working on my car. so an hour after my jog my blood sugar was 99. I get into the habit of making excuses like well I'll eat these carbs but I will exercise later and take more insulin and make up for it.

Exercise is good for you no matter how you do it regardless of whether or not you are a diabetic but it is absolutely essential for diabetics to get exercise to help regulate blood sugar and promote a healthy body to avoid future complications such as DKA, neuropathy, blindness, liver and kidney damage.

Diabetics need both sides of the coin though, in a way this blog helps keep me honest because I should be eating better and taking all my shots like I am supposed to, so do not be like me, take your medications like your doctor says and start incorporating exercise into your daily routine. If I had done that from the start I might not have diabetes right now.

new med, actos

2008-10-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

The doc has added Actos to the growing list of medications i take. I hope this is the last one because my pill holder cant hold anymore pills at a time than I have crammed into it now. On a side note I have been having the darnedest time getting a prescription written for more diabetic supplies the doctors are giving me more pills galore and I have three extra vials of Lantis in my fridge along with six disposable Lantis pens but no pen tips for them I just cant seem to get my doctor to write a prescription for more u-100 syringes, test strips and lancets.

Results from Dr's appointment

2008-10-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Well my blood lab came back and my A1C is now down to 6.8 which is a lot better than 11. This blood test also finally gave me the answer I was looking for, yes I am in fact a type 2. My body produces normal amounts of insulin I have just developed a resistance to it.

I am up to four pills of metformin a day and I have just started taking actos. My goal is to eventually get off of insulin all together and with taking the actos if I start bottoming out docs orders are to slowly start lowering my 40 Lantus units in the morning so it seems possible to eventually be off of injected insulin.

In case anyone is wondering I just checked my blood sugar and its 96

Meds taking effect

2008-09-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

I am into my fifthweek of taking Metformin XR 500 mg. I am taking three pills daily and soon will be up to four pills. I can already see where it is helping to keep my blood sugar in a healthy range. Before I was taking it if I wasn't super strict with diet and exercise my numbers would shoot high and stay high, now even if I miss an insulin shot, or have a high carb meal my numbers stay fairly well normal.

I also managed to avoid the gastrointestinal problems that I have heard can be a side effect of metformin. It has worked well for me, and I would suggest speaking with your doctor about oral medications to help manage your diabetes they have done very well for me in keeping my numbers inline.

It doesn't slow me down

2008-09-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

It has been over a week since my last post, because my personal life has been to busy for my to have as much time on my computer. I realized today that that is a good thing.

Diabetes has been a bump in my road, and will continue to be but that does not mean that it rules my life. I work several jobs I am a security officer, emt-b for two rescue squads and the animal control officer for the town I live in. I am also training my dog to be a SAR dog. My life is busy, and is just now as busy as it was before I was diagnosed. I still have to check my blood glucose levels and maybe say no to some of the sweets I used to eat a lot of but this disease only caused me to miss a few steps and now I am back on track.

I would encourage everyone to be like me, control your diabetes don't let it control you. Theres nothing you can't not do after your diabetes diagnosis that you could before... Nothing! Go live your life to the fullest!

Clarifications

2008-09-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

There are a few things I wanted to clear up. One is that I felt a was a little amiss in not mentioning what meds I was taking when I let out the first issue of the exercise study. I am taking forty units of lantis every morning along with a base of eight units of novolog plus my sliding scale with every meal and when I go to bed. I am also taking two 500 mg metformin xr, one niaspan, one lisinopril, one baby aspirin, a multi vitamin, an omega three fish oil and finally a cinnamin plus cromium pill.

A also felt like I should have specified more in my post about alcohal in diabetes, yes alcohal can cause a drop in blood sugar and by the positive effects I was speaking about wine, I can't see beer being good for you. I meant the cardiovascular and antioxidant effects of wine only, other alcohalic drinks may be good for you but I have not studied them. Don't just take my word for it a healthy level of skepticism and a willingness to do your own research is good. here is a link that shows some of the health benefits of wines
http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/8-health-benefits-of-drinking-wine as always drink responsibly and consult your doctor before making any changes in managing your diabetes.

Exercise study results

2008-09-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Over the course of five days I took my blood sugar reading before riding a stationary bike at moderate speeds for half an hour then after a cool down I took my blood sugar again and recorded the difference in the starting and ending blood glucose levels.

09/05/08 BGL 210 before, 108 after for a 102 point difference
09/06/08 BGL 91 before, 80 after for an 11 point difference
09/07/08 BGL 163 before, 101 after for a 62 point difference
09/08/08 BGL 112 before, 81 after for a 31 point difference
09/09/08 BGL 181 before, 110 after for a 71 point difference

This gave me an average starting BGL of 151.4 an average ending BGL of 96 for an average drop of 55.4 points. There seems to be a correlation between the starting blood sugar and the ending blood sugar, the higher the starting blood sugar is the more of a difference there will be in the end than if the blood sugar was low to begin with. A conclusion can hardly be reached after only five tests, with no control taken for a half hour of no activity to see what my body does on its own.

Alcohol and Diabetes

2008-09-09T06:43:00.000-07:00

Alcoholic drinks that contain sugar or carbohydrates are processed by the body just as food eaten that contains sugar and carbohydrates. Your body will break these down into sugars to be used as energy by your body and in turn raise your blood glucose levels. This can be found in sugary drinks such as cordials and some wines. Alcohal also has a blood glucose lowering effect so drinking can cause your blood sugar to bottom out. This can be dangerous because your actions may be taken to be intoxicated when really you are hypoglycemic. You should never drink on an empty stomache, food will slow the absorbtion of alcohal into your system and eating will raise your blood sugar to counteract the drop the alcohal will cause.

Most wines contain a chemical known as resveratrol, this can be found in grape skins. Resveratrol has shown beneficial effects on experiments with mice and rats including lowering of the blood sugar, anti-cancer and infalmatory as well as some other possible pro cardiac related effects.

People taking medications from the sulfonylurea family should avoid alcohal because it could cause nausea, vomiting, flushed skin dizziness, ad others. The sulfonylurea medications include metformin, glipizide and many others. Drinking responsible amounts of red wine on a regular basis has been shown to lower peak blood sugar levels and porvide other previously listed health benefits, but I would strongly urge you to consult with your doctor before includeing wine into your daily life.

Meter keeps you honest

2008-09-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

Lets face it we all at some point in time get fed up with having to check our blood glucose levels. It is just a pain in the behind. First you have to get your lancet ready and find a safe place to dispose of your old pin. Then you have to turn your meter on, get a strip out and put it in the meter. Then you have to clean your test site with an alcohal swab and prick your finger. Then squeeze out enough blood to fill your test strip. Then you have to wait for your meter to tell you your blood glucose level. It can get old real quick.

Unfortunately checking your blood sugar levels is a nescisary evil. It helps you manage your diabetes better so that with luck you can avoid complications in the future such as going blind or limb amputation. Not a fun thought and your meter is your tool to control your blood glucose levels and avoid that.

Checking your blood sugar will allow you to plan your meals ahead to avoid spiking your blood sugar high and will keep you honest. You can fool yourself into thinking doing house work was really good exercise but your meter will tell you if it effected your blood sugar as much as you thought. As Wilford Brimley would tell you if you have the beetis "Check your blood sugar and check it often."

It has happened to me before around a mealtime I check my blood sugar and it will tell me how many carbs I can 'afford' to eat and will tell me what foods spike my blood sugar. As well as checking blood sugar after exercise will tell me how the activity effected my blood sugar. It might get annoying somtimes but checking your blood glucose levels just might keep you from slipping into diabetickietoacidosis

Your Mileage May VARY

2008-09-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

When I talk about what will lower and help manage blood sugar it is based off of my own education and experience. I am not claiming to be medical consultation and the purpose of the blog is to increase awareness and education about diabetes, not just the disease but having to live with it as well. Take the information in these posts for the grains of salt that they are.

I want to stress that I AM NOT A DOCTOR, my medical education is limited to my training as an emergency medical technician and since my personal diagnosis with diabetes I have chose to specialize in diabetic emergencies in my pre hospital care field. There is a common saying on most diabetic message boards that your milage may vary or YMMV because what works for me as a diabetic may not work for you. You and only you will be able to figure out what works for you and how to best manage your diabetes.

From one 'log' to another

2008-09-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

Well I polished off my first vial of Humolog and the pharmacy refilled my prescription with Novolog. I am hoping I won't notice a difference since they are both fast acting insulins but one does have a quicker peak time than the other. I guess from here on out as long as I'm on insulin I will be taking Novolog because that is what my insurance company will pay for.

Exercise study started

2008-09-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

I mentioned earlier last month about some upcoming things on my blog. One was the recipes which I have already posted several, but the other is the exercise study which I have started but as of yet have not posted anything on it.

I am curious just how much of an effect exercise has on blood glucose management. What I am doing is before I ride my exercise bike I take a blood sugar reading, then I ride the bike for half an hour and check it again a few minutes later to see the difference.

I don't precisely have a hypothesis for this but what I am looking to achieve is to see how much exercise effects my personal blood sugar I plan on doing this with not just the half hour periods on the bicycle but also fifteen minute and hour long sessions.

What this might be able to do is prove whether or not small amounts of activity have a positive effect on blood glucose levels so that maybe someone can't take a full hour of exercise in a day but that small intervals might be more beneficial than nothing at all.

No more KFC

2008-09-05T08:02:00.000-07:00

Last night I got home from work at around nine at night, and the house was shut down everyone else was already in bed. I checked my blood sugar and it was 89 and I was starving so reached into the refrigerator to get my insulin and I saw a KFC box with name written on it, literally in black sharpy.

I looked in the box and cringed when I saw what was in it. A regular KFC type dinner a chicken breast, a drum stick and a biscuit on top of a ton of potato wedges. I knew this was going to be a bad night for my blood sugar. I know its bad and frowned upon, I think, but I took extra insulin knowing that this was a carb heavy meal I took 15 units instead of 8.

I fell asleep not to long after eating so my dinner insulin ended up being my bedtime insulin as well. I woke up this morning and my blood sugar was 139 after twelve hours and seven extra units of insulin so I am afraid to know what I peaked at last night.

I don't foresee very many more KFC meals in the future it destroyed my blood sugar, as well as looking at it just made me think 'Oh my god how high is this going to spike me'.

Maybe a little early for Diabetes month

2008-09-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

In my ignorance I never realized that November is American Diabetes Month. It may be a little bit early seeing as it is still two months away but people who live with diabetes whether they have it or not have to deal with it everyday it does not just come around for a month once a year.

In an effort to get to know my readers a little bit better I have added a poll on the top right of the side bar that asks your involvement with diabetes whether you have it or not feel free to add your voice and please feel welcome here. In honor of diabetes month the poll will be up until November first when diabetes month begins.

Also I know I was in shock when I found out that there was an entire month dedicated to this disease. I never knew it was as large as it was and I find it difficult to truly grasp the impact that it has on so many lives, it is more than just people who have diabetes.

Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal

2008-09-03T19:54:00.000-07:00

I think oatmeal may be my new wonder food. If you can get over the taste of plain oatmeal it is a very healthy food that works with your body, and I could write a whole article on the health benefits alone. Oats are supposed to help maintain blood sugar levels, I'm assuming this is only good if you already have them under control, and could have cancer fighting abilities.

They lower LDL cholesterol which is the bad one without lowering the good HDL along with it. They are a great source of fiber both soluble and insoluble. This maybe where it helps maintain blood sugar because soluble fiber slows the digestion and breakdown of starches in your body.

Oatmeal can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. The most basic recipe is to take one part oatmeal to two parts water. The water can be boiling or you can microwave the mixture. It can be eaten plain like this or you can substitute milk for water. You can add almost any fruit to it, or mix the dried oats in with yogurt. You can also add Cinnamon to it which I will go into later about the health benefits for diabetics.

Ingredients

1 cup oats
2 cups water
a small handful of raisins
ground Cinnamon, not Cinnamon sugar

In a pot bring the two cups of water to a boil, then add your cup of oats. Turn the heat down to low and simmer until the mixture thickens, for lack of a better example oatmeal consistency. Add Cinnamon to taste and stir in the hand full of raisins. Be careful at this point the oatmeal is very hot. Enjoy.

Dawn Phenomenon

2008-09-03T07:49:00.000-07:00

I have been complaining about my numbers when I wake up in the morning being just the same or higher than the night before when I took insulin to go to bed. Doing some web research it turns out this may be what is known as dawn phenomenon which is caused by a release of hormones while you are sleeping.

One of the hormones your body releases is glucagon which is produced in your pancreas and made to increase blood sugar levels. Also your liver will release sugar into your system through out the day and while you are sleeping. As well as if you have a drop in blood sugar your brain will signal the liver to produce sugar as an energy source for your body. This is a rebounding effect from a drop in blood sugar and can result in hyperglycemia.

People who do not have diabetes will release more insulin into their body to counteract the rise in blood glucose levels. However for people with diabetes who do not produce enough insulin or are insulin resistant their body cannot compensate as well and the result is a rise in blood sugar levels.

The Glycemic Index

2008-09-02T16:48:00.000-07:00

Carbohydrates are just sugar, so to speak. There are actually several types of carbohydrates monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides including starches, glycogen, and cellulose, but I'm going to sum them up into simple and complex carbs.

Simple carbs such as table sugar, non-diet sodas, and most anything made from white flour such as breads and pastas get turned into sugar by you body much quicker than complex carbs. complex carbs like soybeans, brown rice, broccoli and cauliflower take longer to be converted into sugar.

The glycemic index is what measures how fast or slow a food raises your blood sugar. Simple carbs are turned into sugar quickly so they are high in the glycemic index because they raise your blood sugar fast. Complex carbs are low in glycemic index because they take longer to convert into sugar and raise your blood sugar slowly.

Hopefully this can be just one more tool to help you manage your diabetes and keep your blood glucose levels under control.

I just can't remember

2008-09-02T12:35:00.001-07:00

One of the hardest things for me is just remembering all of the new things I have to do now. Before I was diagnosed a bottle of multi-vitamins would last forever because I just would forget to take them. Now I have to take a bunch of pills and shots several times each day.

My biggest thing is that my schedule is so busy it is not uncommon for me to miss a meal and I have to test my blood sugar take a pill and a shot before each meal and sometimes I just cant do that I forget or I don't eat. I know my liver will produce sugar to makeup for that but I am not supposed to rely on that everyday. I'm just to forgetful and I can't get into a routine because my schedule varies to much.

The surprising thing though is that my blood sugar doesn't get out of wack at all if I miss a meal or if I binge and eat to much carbs or something my blood sugar stay just fine. This is just another irritating bump in the road to me figuring out how my body is going to handle this.

Feeling the lows

2008-09-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

When I was first diagnosed my blood sugar was close to seven hundred and I was placed on an insulin drip and over the course of three days they brought it down into a range where I could go home. I didn't feel any different at the extreme high and even when my numbers were in the mid hundreds I felt no different I just didn't have to go to the bathroom every half hour and it actually was every half hour I went to the bathroom before I left for the hospital and the by the end of the twenty five minute drive I had to go to the bathroom again.

Lows are a different story, I have gotten to the point know where I can tell when my body is telling me I have low blood sugar. It presents with a few different signs for me. One is a slight headache at the base of my skull that throbs when I move, and it makes me want to do nothing but lie down and go to sleep. I get irritable also when I am low, I couldn't tell you about the highs because since I came home from the hospital it has not been over three hundred. My most tell tale sign is that my hands will get shaky like they are quivering and I really have to focus to get my fingers to do what I tell them to.

Right now I really wish they would tell me what type of diabetes I have today was a really bad day as far as diet and exercise has gone. In the morning I forgot to take my pills and started eating before I took my insulin. Okay I said to myself I will just take it when I'm done but my mind started to wonder and I forgot all about it. I was working on my computer at the time and it just slipped my mind. So no pills and no shots and breakfast was an entire sleeve of Ritz veggie crackers and salsa.

For lunch I was making seafood salad, the recipe I posted on here and decided that some boiled eggs would be good. I made the salad but never got around to eating and I ate four hard boiled eggs, I love those things. realizing that I have not taken any form of insulin today I took eleven units of humolog. I didn't check my blood sugar because i was afraid of what my numbers would be so I took my eight base units and added three.

Now I sit here typing this my hand are a bit shaky an my blood sugar is 86 still an hours or two until supper but I think I can live of the fat of land till then.

I feel like im trapped

2008-08-31T18:47:00.001-07:00

As you know my battle with diabetes has not been going on for very long, but lately I feel like I am trapped in my little diabetic cage. I used to have such a hectic schedule that if i was actually home i was really only there to sleep. I worked nights as a flagger and weekends I was an EMT during the day I would be an animal control officer, and then I was hospitalized for three days. That's when they first told me that I was diabetic.

My friends and co-workers the one that I have told at least still expect me to be the same guy that I used to be, and I am just not. I was stupid in my younger days and at one point held the record at Denny's for the most cokes drank in one sitting. I just can't do that anymore I have to consciously think about everything that I put in my mouth and take insulin injections before every meal so going out or eating away from home just does not appeal to me at all anymore. I just seems like the diabetic weight on my back keeps getting heavier.

It seems like everyone else can live off of pizza and soda and have no worries about there health. I look at food and it just all seems unappealing because I am always asking "Oh god if I eat that what is it going to do to my blood sugar?". My personal life is going to hell, what woman is going to want a man with diabetes. I feel guilty at the thought of having children I used to want them but now i would be worried about passing it on to them, is it fair to them to set them up for this disease.

Seafood Salad

2008-08-31T07:10:00.000-07:00

This is a good seafood salad dish that I make with imitation crab just because the real seafood is too expensive.

2 cups crab (or imitation) and or shrimp
1 1/4 cup diced celery
1 small red onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon mustard (Could be dry, or Dijon)
a pinch teaspoon salt
a pinch of cayenne pepper
a pinch of garlic salt

If the seafood pieces are large cut them into small pieces.
In bowl, mix seafood, celery, onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, salt, garlic salt, and cayenne.
Stir well to coat the seafood
Cover your bowl and refrigerate
When the salad is chilled enjoy.

This could be served in several ways. You could put it on a sandwich or wrap preferable low car or whole wheat. Or if you really wanna cut carbs it is good wrapped in lettuce, that would make a good appetizer seafood lettuce wraps with the little toothpick through them. It could even stand alone or as a side dish.

Back from the fair

2008-08-30T20:56:00.001-07:00

Well it was more interesting than I thought. Not only did I not eat any fair food at all I didn't really eat any food at all. I got there at eleven in the morning to start my duty shift, and at around two thirty I go to the ATM to pull some money to get lunch. I opened my wallet to get my ATM card and its not in my wallet, and I realize that I don't remember taking it out of the ATM machine at my bank last time I was there.

I forgot it was Saturday so my bank wasn't open to see if my card was there, but I don't realize this until I get there. I go back to the fairgrounds and try to use the cash advance option on my credit card but I could not remember my pin number. So all day from eleven to eleven I lived off of cups of coffee with real sugar and gummy fruit slices. The weirdest thing though is that my blood glucose level stayed between 100 and 160 with me missing two doses of insulin.

Manning the first aide station kept me busy enough though. Teen girls who wore flip flops that now had bilateral heel or foot blisters, or small children who fell and needed an ice pack. It was fun and I will be there again on Monday for my primary rescue squad and there again next Sunday with my secondary squad

Darn Self Control

2008-08-30T07:41:00.000-07:00

Today one of my rescue squads is providing all of the EMS coverage for the state fair. I will be there for twelve hours today just surrounded by all of the sights and smells of the yummy artery clogging fair food. With any luck I my will power will hold and I can go without spiking my blood sugar in the three hundreds. The only problem is that it is tasty to eat the grease dripping blooming onion dipped in ranch dressin or the entire footlong philly cheese steak. Plus the fried oreos, twinkies and ice cream the have. my mouth is watering already this can't be good. Wish me luck

Unhealthy Food

2008-08-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Being a diabetic you are supposed to watch what you eat. Limit the sugar reduce the carb. Switch to complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and wheat bread. stay away from white bread and anything you once thought was delicious. You will find yourself eating a lot more vegetables and have to stop yourself when you find you are talking dirty to that brownie.

I was doing some diet research when about what diabetics should and should not eat. Whole green salads kept coming up on the top of the healthy food list and then I came across a food item the no one should eat ever. Looking at it gave me hyperglycemia and eating one would probably put me in a coma or give me a full blown myocardial infarction. I just felt the sudden urge to share with you all the Satan spawn of foods. The Krispy Kream Cheddar Bacon Burger. I know its bad for you but if only it didn't look so delicious.

(picture taken from http://www.slashfood.com/2008/08/28/krispy-kreme-cheddar-bacon-cheeseburgers-at-the-google-cafeteria/?icid=100214839x1208331854x1200495539)

Step Out Walk for Diabetes

2008-08-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows that the relay for life is a walk to raise money for cancer research. Many diseases and conditions have walks to raise money and awareness there is a walk for cerebral palsy, Alzheimer's, and our very own diabetes. I feel as a diabetic myself that it is my responsibility to not just help support those like myself just trying to cope with the disease but to also do my part to help someday find a cure.

The American Diabetes Association or ADA has its own walk. The Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes. 23.6 million children and adults in the U.S. suffer from diabetes. The are events all over the country the website allows you to search by state, and if there is not one in your area there is information on how to sponsor your own event.

"By taking part in this event, you'll be stepping out onto the streets to help change this growing epidemic. Here are a few more reasons you should take pride in participating in Step Out: Walk to Fight Diabetes:
About one in 10 American adults now has diabetes.

Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death by disease in the U.S.
One out of every three Americans born today will develop diabetes in their lifetime if present trends continue.

Nearly 5.7 million people (nearly one-quarter) of the 23.6 million children and adults in the U.S. living with diabetes are unaware that they have the disease.

It's Not a Walk for Heart Disease, Stroke or Kidney Disease. And Yet It Is.
Diabetes can, and does, lead to a wide range of other serious health complications. By participating in Step Out, you're not just walking and raising funds to eliminate one disease. You're also battling cardiovascular problems, kidney failure, blindness, lower limb amputations, and much more" (Quote taken from http://stepout.diabetes.org/site/PageServer?pagename=OUT_www_home)

For more information go to any of these links

Step Out Walk to Fight Diabetes

American Diabetes Association

Aargh! The numbers are relentless

2008-08-28T19:12:00.000-07:00

I don't get it, and sometimes I think that I will never have my numbers under control. I check my blood glucose levels at 8:30 in my left middle finger. Then again at 10:00 before i take my night time insulin injection I checked it again using my left pinky finger and it was 114 after an hour and a half without eating or drinking anything. Just as some background information my blood sugar was 161 at 4:45 before dinner.

Moments like this frustrate me the most because I don't know why my numbers are going up. I also get really nervous when numbers read like this because the doctors still have not been able to tell me whether I am a type 1 or 2 diabetic yet and this scares me that it might be type 1.

Apple Bacon Chicken Salad

2008-08-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

A sweet and salty chicken salad.

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
1 apple, cut into ¼ inch slices
¼ cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 strips bacon
salt and pepper
vegetable or olive oil
one bag of pre-made salad mix

1) Coat you pan with vegetable oil and lightly brown apple slices. You don't want them to be too soft, just so you can easily put a fork in them, once they are there set them aside.

2) Add a little bit more oil to the pan. Coat both sides of your chicken with salt and pepper and place in the pan. When the chicken is cooked most of the way through turn the heat down slightly and add the wine and the other liquids. Simmer the mixture until the chicken is cooked all of the way through.

3) In a separate pan cook eight slices of bacon

4) In a salad bowl place the pre-mixed salad of your choice. Arrange the apple slices across the top. Place chicken breast on top of the apple slices. crumble bacon bits over the salad. Drizzle the reduced pan sauce over the chicken and salad. Finally enjoy.

Serves for and provides a low carb, low sugar meal that is both Delicious and good for you. This recipe can easily be changed to suit any taste, for example forgo the pan sauce and add a light ranch dressing and some sliced hard boiled eggs and raisins. Feel free to experiment.

what is diabetes

2008-08-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell diabetes is a disease that effects how you body uses food for energy. The food you eat is broken down into a sugar called glucose that is carried by your blood cell's to be used as energy by your body. In order for the glucose to enter cells and be used for energy insulin must be present. Insulin is produce by an organ call the pancreas. The pancreas automatically produces enough insulin for you body to use the glucose in your blood .

Diabetics either do not produce enough or any insulin in the pancreas, or their body does not effectively use the insulin. As the bodies blood glucose level rises the excess is passed through the body in urine.
Type 1 diabetes is where no insulin is produced and insulin has to be taken daily. People with type 1 diabetes often wear insulin pumps that constantly inject insulin into their system. Type 2 diabetes is where the pancreas either does not produce enough insulin or where the body has built up enough of an insulin resistance to not use it effectively. both types of diabetes has to deal with managing the bodies blood sugar. High blood sugar is know as hyperglycemia, and low blood sugar is known as hypoglycemia.

Managing diabetes relies heavily on diet. Eating foods high in sugar increases the bodies blood sugar, but so does carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates are foods such as white bread and are broken down into glucose by your body quicker than complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, and wheat bread. Since glucose is used by your body for energy, physical activity and exercise lowers blood sugar.

a glycated hemoglobin test or A1C can be used to see how blood glucose levels are being managed overall. Glucose attaches itself to blood cell and does not leave. Blood cells live for about three months and an A1c test is seeing the amount of sugar that has attached itself to the blood cells. The A1C tests checks the overall level of glucose in the blood stream it is not a replacement for daily blood glucose checks.

In a nutshell this is a quick rundown of diabetes.

The daily grind.

2008-08-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

Everyday I start my morning off with checking my blood sugar level. The I go into the kitchen and grab a strip of syringes off of the top of the refrigerator and tear three off. I grab my Lantus and Humolog from the butter thing inside the fridge and put everything on the counter. On the door like a children's drawing I have my sliding scale posted.

my needles are small, only thirty units max. This presents a small problem because I have to take forty units of my Lantus so I take two twenty unit shots. After I have my humolog which is eight units plus the sliding scale.

Once I'm done with my injections i get to take all five of my pills. Metformin, niaspan, lisinopril, an ecotrin coated aspirin and a multi vitamin. The doctor has me working up to four pills a day of metformin so eventually I will be taking eight pills in the morning. I don't know if I will have room for breakfast after that, but I have to eat because I already took my insulin.

The pills I can deal with but I am tired and frustrated at being a pincushion before the end of the day I have two lantis injections, four humolog injections and a minimum of four finger sticks for glucose checks Everyday. I just wanna go back to being a non diabetic where I didn't have to take so much personal responsibility for my health and well being. I am sure there are others out there that share my frustrations.

Twitter Account set up

2008-08-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

Yup thats right I'm on twitter now. You can find out about updates and what I'm up to at https://twitter.com/mcwalker Ill keep it posted with my blog updates and sugar log.

What to look foreward to

2008-08-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Very soon I will be adding a few things to my blog. the first of which is that I have been struggling with blood sugar levels so i am going to begin posting diabetic recipes and how they effect my blood sugar levels.

Also every doctor has been telling me that exercise will be a large factor in how well my diabetes is managed so I am going to begin a study in how exercise effects my blood sugar levels to find what is going to be most beneficial for blood sugar management.

I'll do my best to keep everyone posted.

More meds

2008-08-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

I had a doctors appointment today and they still don't know what type of diabetes I have yet. iv'e got an appointment five weeks from now for a peptide test to see if my pancrease is making any insulin at all.

Tomorrow I'll be starting my Metformin XR, my doc has me starting on one pill a day for two weeks then two pills for two weeks, then three and then four. All that on top of my 40 units of lantis, 8 units plus sliding scale of novolog and a pill a day of lisinopril, and niaspan.

With any luck I will be off of insulin soon. It is really making it hard to lose wieght. I dropped twenty five pounds when my sugars were out of control but now on the insulin its creeping back on me.

(As im writing this my scalp is tingling so im gonna go check and see what my blood glucose level is. It was 190 I guess I over did the carbs a little at Ponderosa's Steakhouse. still working on that self control)

Ooops.

2008-08-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

Well after my appointment with the endocrinologist they sent me home with pens to try instead of injecting insulin with a syringe. I don't mind the pens and they suit my hectic lifestyle better than the needles but I have to say to everyone is that if you go somewhere make sure you bring the needles for the pens. I left for my Saturday night rescue shift which is about an hours drive away and brought my dinner, and glucose pens with me because I have to take insulin before I eat and before I go to bed. well I forgot my pen tips so I couldn't take my insulin. needless to say the next day in the morning my blood glucose level was 245. So in hindsight just as a reminder remember to bring tips to your glucose pens if you travel anywhere.

Introduction

2008-08-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

It was a tough realization when the nurse in the emergency room looked at me and asked "how long have you been a diabetic?". I was diagnosed as a diabetic on August 10Th 2008.

I didn't want to go to the hospital and i was working a shift on the local rescue squad. I was complaining of constantly going to the bathroom every thirty minutes or so and just for giggles we decided to check my blood sugar. It just registered as 'HI' on the glucometer. So we decided to hook me up on the cardiac monitor where it said my rhythm was fine on a three lead but my blood pressure was 176/118.

After that I was given the option of driving myself to the hospital or I was going to go in my own ambulance. I drove, and it turned out that I was severely dehydrated, my electrolytes and potassium were so low they put my on an IV drip of both. When my blood results came back from the lab my blood glucose level was 678. That's when the nurse asked me the question.

It hasn't been too long since I was diagnosed and the endocrinologist still isn't sure if I have type 1 or type 2 diabetes yet. I'll keep you posted as I go.