Any Diabetics On This Board?

[Targa Me]

Hello Everyone,

I have a question for you if you're a diabetic (type 2). Are you or have you ever experienced a numbing sensation?

My last A1C was 7.1, I didn't think numbness would be an issue so soon.

Thanks.
Larry

[scottmandue]

Yes, I'm a type 2

By numbing I presume you mean feet/toes and hands/fingers

Yes I have experienced it but no it is not good, you should talk with your doctor ASAP.

Do you have a blood sugar meter? If you don't, get one ASAP, they are cheap (most doctors can get/give you one for free)

I will check but 7.1 seems high

Besides the obvious sugary sweets are bad for you but carbs are just as bad... get on a low sugar low carb diet and you should live a long happy life.

And you should be on some oral meds (I'm on metaformin and actos -[sp])

Bunch of other sweet guys on this BBS (diabetics you weirdos!) you should get a lot of responses here.

[Targa Me]

Actually the numbness I feel is on my right outter thigh and sometimes my right forearm.
I'm on oral med but maybe need to increase the doseage.
Have a doctor appointment next in a week and a half.
I've eliminated almost all the sweet stuff although I'm struggling with the milk and cookies.
I've reduced my beer intake and trying to be careful of all other carbs.
I have a meter and use it regularly.

[crownarch]

Type 1 or type 2 diabetics both experience numbing and burning and it can occur anyplace in ones body. You need to know that every diabetic experiences their disease differently. That is why doctors tell you that you need to learn how to manage your diabetes as your doctor can only provide you direction. You should learn how to count carbohydrates in the foods you eat. Definitely no on the cookies and milk. The greatest favor you can do for yourself is buy the book "Diabetic Solution" written by Dr. Richard Bernstien which will open your eyes to the truth about the disease and what you need to manage it. I know, I wear an insulin pump, and if you don't manage your diabetes early on you will end up being a type 1 diabetic. A 7.1 A1c is not bad but, nothing to brag about. Sorry to spring the truth on you.

[Targa Me]

Thanks for the input, Crownarch.
I prefer to hear the ugly truth vs being surprised.

[crownarch]

Don't ever be embarrassed for having diabetes as we didn't elect to get this disease. Everyone around you should know your diabetic in case of emergencies. Also, watch foods that claim "sugar free" as that is only an indication of not containing table sugar. Learn to read food labels on foods you eat. Anything ending in "ose" is bad for you as in fructose, glucose, etc., and the worst....."corn syrup".

[Mark Henry]

Get rid of anything from corn syrup and sugars, watch carbs (low carb diet), minimum 3 to 7 hours exercise per week.
7.1... if you are overweight and if you got serious about changing your habits, you probably could regulate yourself for a long time with just diet. Takes research and commitment.

The alternative of letting poop go all to hell, banking on insulin, will one day leave you blind and they will be chopping bits off of you till you die.
My aunt went this route, and I have a friends wife that's going to do the same...not a pretty sight.

[recycled sixtie]

Although I do not have diabetes I believe that exercise helps. Walking, running etc.
Consult a doctor first though. Sorry to hear about your condition.

[Targa Me]

I don't want to go blind (been seeing the eye doctor), nor do I want them to start cutting off parts from me.

I'm new to the "watch what you eat" idea. All my life I have been eating and drinking anything I wanted.... not any more.

I started exercising, riding my mountain bike 30 minutes a day... to start.

[Tobra]

Good job. Sugar levels matter, too high is not good, too low can be deadly. Sugar is what your brain runs on. If it goes too low, your brain stops working, which is very bad. Important suggestion:

ALWAYS carry a little something with sugar in it, hard candy, glucose tabs, whatever. If you are feeling shaky, headache, sweaty, just not right, chew it up and eat it, then check your blood sugar. If you are too high, going from 400-450 is not that big a deal. If you go from 50-100, you just saved yourself a trip to the hospital.

The A1C(glycosylated hemoglobin) measures what percentage of your hemoglobin is bound to sugar. The red blood cells live about 90 days, hence the A1C is directly proportional to what your average sugar has been over the last quarter.

The numbness you describe is not consistent with diabetic neuropathy really. Do you have any back problems?

If you want to be motivated to control your diabetes, go to a dialysis center and look around at those poor souls. If you ever start to lose your resolve, go back for a little refresher. Go take a nutrition class, get a foot doctor too, I can maybe hook you up with one if you like, the foot doctor, not the nutrition class.

[Instrument 41]

Type 1 diabetic. Been on the insulin pump for about a year. Almost blind in left eye after a vitrectomy surgery. The numbing sensation your describing doesn't sound like its related to diabetes. More than likely you'd have the burning, feel like being stuck with a pin kinda pain. 7.1 A1C not too bad, could be better. I've had this crap for about 25 years. I don't care what people say, its still a pain in the ass, no spontaneity, always taking meds, watching your levels, a freaking slave to it and the diabetic supply companies. if you have it take heed, stay on top of it. Its better to give up a few comforts now (foods you like to eat) to avoid a life time of dealing with the disease.

[tweezers74]

Originally Posted by Tobra

Good job. Sugar levels matter, too high is not good, too low can be deadly. Sugar is what your brain runs on. If it goes too low, your brain stops working, which is very bad. Important suggestion:

ALWAYS carry a little something with sugar in it, hard candy, glucose tabs, whatever. If you are feeling shaky, headache, sweaty, just not right, chew it up and eat it, then check your blood sugar. If you are too high, going from 400-450 is not that big a deal. If you go from 50-100, you just saved yourself a trip to the hospital.

The A1C(glycosylated hemoglobin) measures what percentage of your hemoglobin is bound to sugar. The red blood cells live about 90 days, hence the A1C is directly proportional to what your average sugar has been over the last quarter.

The numbness you describe is not consistent with diabetic neuropathy really. Do you have any back problems?

If you want to be motivated to control your diabetes, go to a dialysis center and look around at those poor souls. If you ever start to lose your resolve, go back for a little refresher. Go take a nutrition class, get a foot doctor too, I can maybe hook you up with one if you like, the foot doctor, not the nutrition class.

This. A nutrition class is invaluable. Your body doesn't uptake sugar like everybody else does. It takes a lot of practice to balance sugar/carbs, fats, and proteins. Exercise plays an important role because it helps your body use that extra sugar floating around since your body can't take it in. When I was first diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I thought I had a good grasp on the disease since I was a nurse. Wrong! The only way you are going to fine tune your diet is with a diabetes specialist or nutritionist. I didn't know that grapes, watermelon, and many fruits were banned from my diet because of the high sugar content. Start to learn about glycemic index and how to use it to your advantage. There are ways to have certain "sweet" food if you know how to balance it with fat or protein to slow down the absorption.

At the beginning, all I ate was cottage cheese and veggies because I had no idea what to eat. No corn, no potatoes, no pasta, no bread. What was I supposed to eat? That's why you need to educate yourself on your diet and how to incorporate some of these foods the right way. My mom is a diabetic and has been able to control it with just exercise and diet. She DRASTICALLY changed her diet. It can be done but it isn't easy. I have to admit it was a pain during the time I had it (during two pregnancies) but that is why I try so hard now to keep the weight off and make sure I stay active and healthy. Trying to keep diabetes away as long as I can. Sucks even more if you are a major foodie like me.

And things don't always get cut off... Sometimes they just fall off. True story. I was transferring a patient from the gurney to the bed with another nurse and the patient's toe fell off. Their feet were black and already dead but that's beside the point. THEIR TOE FELL OFF! We had a lot of diabetic patients getting admitted here in AZ because they burned the soles of their feet on the hot asphalt and didn't know it. They couldn't feel it.

Keep yourself healthy...

[Tobra]

When my wife was working on the med/surg floor, she was doing a dressing change on a woman one of the vascular surgeons and done a lower extremity bypass on. A toe came off with the gauze, and she did not know what to do. She called the surgeon and told him about it, what should she do with the toe? "Put it under her pillow, maybe the toe fairy will come." What? "Sorry, just send it to path lab and I will check it in the morning."

Treat your feet like you would for a baby. You would never give them a bottle without checking. Always check your bath water with your forearm, like a baby bottle.

[GWN7]

There is some good news for type 2's (I'm one). There is research being conducted that puts type 2's on insulin for 6 months (and longer). This allows the pancreas to rest and heal itself. No cure for the damaged small blood vessels yet.

[Targa Me]

Tobra, I don't have a back problem. I'll check with my GP and see if she can recommend a foot doctor, if not, I'll look you up for a referal.
Also, thanks for the tip on the sugar snack. I'll keep something with me from now on.
Tobra and Tweez, I'll find me a nutritionist to help me figure out this food thing.
GWN7, it sounds promising, but in the meantime I'll really watch what I eat.
Everyone, thanks for your input. Keep the suggestions coming.

[stuartj]

Originally Posted by Targa Me

Tobra, I don't have a back problem. I'll check with my GP and see if she can recommend a foot doctor, if not, I'll look you up for a referal.
Also, thanks for the tip on the sugar snack. I'll keep something with me from now on.
Tobra and Tweez, I'll find me a nutritionist to help me figure out this food thing.
GWN7, it sounds promising, but in the meantime I'll really watch what I eat.
Everyone, thanks for your input. Keep the suggestions coming.

Type 2 is called the 'lifestyle disease' and its described as epidemic in developed countries, mostly because we eat too much of everything and we are fat. The rise of diabetes is coincident with the rise of highly processed foods.

Lifestyle change. Eat well, eat in proportion, lose weight and work on fitness.

[StevoRocket]

Always wear shoes that protect your feet fully and are extremely comfortable with no pressure points which could cause blisters etc.

And always means even in the house, even in the garden and as soon as you get out of bed.

You cannot risk damage to your feet that you may not even feel.

[StevoRocket]

Also, take an annual eye test which specifically looks for damage caused by diabetes.

[Tobra]

Get in the habit of checking your feet closely when you remove your shoes for signs of irritation. I tell my neuropathic diabetics to wear white socks, easier to spot drainage from a blister or ulceration. Neuropathy comes on slow. You don't notice it a lot of the time until you see something that looks like it ought to hurt but doesn't. Buy your shoes late in the day. Your feet tend to swell over the course of the day, and you want shoes that are not too tight.

Wear good leather shoes, not flip flops or crappy canvas shoes.

Watch your cholesterol. Something about diabetes makes you prone to atherosclerosis. I have a few theories on that one.

If you smoke and are diabetic, you would be better off shooting yourself in the head. Diabetic smokers get pieces cut off and die a little bit at a time. Cigarettes kill diabetics, but it often takes a few horrible years for it to happen.

[Skytrooper]

Yup, I have been a Type II Diabetic for 12 years. It was a contributing factor to my early retirement from the Army. Your A1C is just outside the parameters. The sawbones like it to be less than 7.0. Between diet exercise and medication I can keep mine around 6.5-6.6. If I travel a lot, which makes it tougher to regulate my intake, my A1C will rise.

As many have already stated it is very important to get your numbers lower and to stabilize them early on. The results if you don't are tragic (blindness, amputation, etc). Consulting with a dietician is critical to understand what the different foods will do to your levels. Life doesn't have to be boring because you have diabetes, you just learn to trade off different foods occaisionally.

Good Luck and keep us posted on how you are coming along. You are not alone.