Crossed the threshold a month ago--no surprise after three decades of eating whatever felt good.
There've got to be others on here too. I want this to be somewhere where I can come and ask any questions. The internet's helpful but erratic. And my doctor is terrible. (She's literally the only doctor still taking patients in my small town, and to get a new one I'd have to cut her loose first--risky.)
My frame of mind, after the initial shock, is good. My reading on the blood test that uncovered this was 9.6; after two weeks of drastically altering my diet, it was down to 9.0. Follow two more weeks of that, plus two pills a day, my home readings have been 7.8, 6.4, 6.3, and 5.9. I had another blood test on Monday, which produced a reading of 10.1, but I know that's a months-long average, so I'm taking the home readings to be more current. (Typical example of my doctor's incompetence is the e-mail that accompanied the latest lab reading: "Your average blood sugar is coming down, it is 10.1, this is good carry on." It would have been a lot of trouble to actually check that, evidently.)
Anyway, looking for positivity, and please, no gruesome tales of the worst that can happen (visions that dominated my thoughts the first few days after finding out). Spoke to a friend of my dad's, in his 80s now, and he's been managing it for 30 years.
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 20:32 (two years ago)
my dad got diagnosed a few years ago (he's in his 70s) ... he is doing pretty well for a man who can no longer eat donuts, and he was very fond of donuts.
― sarahell, Saturday, 19 November 2022 20:46 (two years ago)
Oh man--my Achilles heal (pastries in general), as witness a couple of Tim Hortons threads on here.
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 20:54 (two years ago)
Um, heel.
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 20:55 (two years ago)
I got diagnosed several years ago after a lifetime of eating like a college freshman. I immediately cut out soft drinks, cut way back on pasta and beer and ice cream, and quit making homemade bread. The last was the saddest if not the hardest part. I've been treating it with metformin and glipizide and my A1C hangs around 6.3 to 6.5, fasting sugar around 105-110. The most heartening thing has been eye exams over the past years, where the optometrist says he wouldn't be able to tell I had diabetes from a close look at the eyes, no damage at all. Ironically, diabetes sort of gave me my second career as a bartender, when I started studying spirits and cocktail science after m/l quitting beer.
― DPRK in Cincinnati (WmC), Saturday, 19 November 2022 22:49 (two years ago)
ILX0r unperson to thread!
― Meet Me in the Z'Ha'Dum (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 November 2022 23:01 (two years ago)
That's encouraging, WmC. My vision's always been an issue--glasses since grade 4, tri-focals for the past decade--so I don't know what will happen there. I figure I've probably had this for the past 1-2 years, though, and I don't think there's been anything unusual during this time-frame (I've been tested for glaucoma).
"A lifetime of eating like a college freshman"--well said. For me, besides the pastries, it was guzzling fruit juice every summer, pasta and rice, periodic chocolate binges, bread and bagels, and the usual love of cheeseburgers/fries/pizza.
With all the changes the past few weeks, one bit of good news is that I'm less than a pound away from dropping under 170 for what I'm pretty sure will be the first time this century.
― clemenza, Saturday, 19 November 2022 23:15 (two years ago)
Takes me three tries to get a reading every time I do one of these finger pricks. I'm only doing one a week, otherwise this would get expensive fast.
― clemenza, Sunday, 27 November 2022 02:59 (two years ago)
diagnosed with type 2 diabetes 2 years ago. big diet changes (no more soft drinks / fruit juice, way less carbs and far less sweet stuff) and around 10 miles of very brisk walking every day reversed it. all that walking means i can sometimes eat a bit more of the stuff i love but need to cut out than i'd be able to otherwise.
― stirmonster, Sunday, 27 November 2022 22:15 (two years ago)
diagnosed type 2 in March A1C was 8.9 and now after metformin, diet & exercise my last test was 6.1 so I’m getting theredaily fasting finger tests are usually in the 110-120 rangefinger tests feel fucking pointless tho tbh without measuring pre and post meals but doc doesn’t seem to see the need so(my eyesight is a bit of a battle still, as that was what led to my diagnosis, i had a vein occlusion behind my eye brought on by diabetes & high blood pressure that is now being treated w injections but it’s unclear if i’m to do this forever or if it will “clear up”)i’m working hard at building new eating habits, trying not to long for things i can’t eat anymore. enjoying new vegetables and i look forward to daily walks which i never ever thought would happen. did successfully make a sugar-free cheesecake and shortbread which at least scratches my baking itch & helps me through my first holiday without a houseful of pies and cakes. i think the worst part is all the conflicting info online & bored doctors leaving you to your own devices which was def my experience as well. the most helpful mindset for me has been, perfection is not the goal. the goal is just, you know, “better”. even a little bit better is good. don’t eat things you don’t like, don’t punish yourself. it’s not prison, it’s just a new lifestyle. how you feel is what matters the most. and: don’t let numbers ruin your day. idk. it’s a learning process
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 27 November 2022 23:28 (two years ago)
Diagnosed Type 2 in 2003 or so. It came on suddenly; I went to the doctor because I had lost a lot of weight in a matter of a couple of weeks (from 205-210 I dropped to about 175), was dying of thirst all the time, and almost passed out in a couple of meetings at work (TBF they were very boring meetings).
For many years I struggled, because I don't like to exercise — I fucking hate to exercise, honestly — and I like to eat what I like to eat. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but a low-carb diet is out of the fucking question. I do try to eat less bread, less pasta, and less meat than I might if I was feeling super self-indulgent, and that's helped a little bit. Switching from Coke to Coke Zero, and from Snapple to unsweetened iced tea (Pure Leaf or Arizona) has helped, too. I was never a big drinker, so giving up alcohol immediately upon diagnosis (my first doctor told me it would interfere with my medication) was no sacrifice at all.
A couple of months ago I had a genuine breakthrough. I'd been taking 1000 mg of Metformin with breakfast and 20 units of injectable Toujeo insulin with dinner, and my numbers were OK but not great. So I asked my doctor if we could add 25 mg of Jardiance to that, and we did, and all of a sudden my numbers are normal to even below normal. When I test in the morning my glucose is in the 60-75 range, sometimes below that. As I said on another thread recently, it's gotten to the point where sometimes I need to eat carby garbage for dinner in order to make sure I don't wake up with the shaking sweats. But in general, I'm feeling pretty good and optimistic.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Monday, 28 November 2022 00:24 (two years ago)
All very helpful, thank you.
i think the worst part is all the conflicting info online & bored doctors leaving you to your own devices
Big yes on both counts. As I said above, my doctor is useless.
Because I only want good news, I do my one self-reading a week at 9:30 in the evening, three hours after dinner. I know a morning reading will be higher, so I don't do one. Right now, because this is all new, I'm inordinately focused on these readings--I'm sure that will pass soon enough.
My eyesight has been as issue since grade 4; I hope this doesn't hasten bad stuff, but I was probably headed in that direction regardless.
― clemenza, Monday, 28 November 2022 02:29 (two years ago)
I will ask my doctor about Jardiance, but I suspect I already know what the answer will be: "Let me look that up in my book."
― clemenza, Monday, 28 November 2022 02:31 (two years ago)
re readings: it helped me not to think of them as an accusation (which i did for the longest time). this will sound corny but now i try to treat it as a compass? like, this reading is where you are ~right now~ and just make your course corrections accordingly. let it help you
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 28 November 2022 04:00 (two years ago)
sorry that sounds so dumb out loud
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 28 November 2022 04:01 (two years ago)
sounds like good thinking to me
― assert (matttkkkk), Monday, 28 November 2022 04:04 (two years ago)
it’s just, like i found my first 6 months so stressful bc of fluctuating readings, plus my blood pressure was high & i was struggling with those as well and it just felt like every test result & reading was just there to tell me i sucked i couldn’t cope but the stress of that feeling was also helping to keep those readings out of whack it’s so easy to drown in the microfocus & lose sight of the bigger picture. how you ARE getting better, you ARE making changes, you can just get up out of your chair & still live life regardless of whether your reading was high or low. give yourself permission to fluctuate, to course correct, and to just try to do our goddamn best. that’s all we need to do.
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 28 November 2022 04:28 (two years ago)
Type 1 over here. Got diagnosed about 5 years ago, it sucks.
― just sayin, Monday, 28 November 2022 04:46 (two years ago)
xp yes it's important to realise there is a very direct link between stress hormones and blood sugar level! That's one of their main immediate effects.
― assert (matttkkkk), Monday, 28 November 2022 05:31 (two years ago)
Went to the doctor on Wednesday; he actually wants me to get my numbers up a little (aiming for a morning glucose number around 90 rather than 60-75) so I've cut my dose of Toujeo in half, from 20 units to 10. Which means I no longer get to/have to eat cookies after dinner but I am waking up in the target range.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 10 December 2022 12:21 (two years ago)
Good to hear. I'll be doing another three-month reading on Tuesday; my last one, my fourth, was down to 7.5 from 10.1. My home readings have levelled off in the ~5.5 range. I'll have to fight against complacency; I do find myself eating the occasional extra Keto cookie and such now that the initial panic has subsided. The one thing that's going great is weight loss; down to 164 this morning.
― clemenza, Saturday, 10 December 2022 15:40 (two years ago)
all encouraging news, good stuff!!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 10 December 2022 17:33 (two years ago)
The one thing that's going great is weight loss; down to 164 this morning.
Nice! Once I got my medication dialed in properly, and made the accompanying mental adjustments, weight control was and has remained pretty easy. I've weighed roughly 175 (at 6'2") for 20+ years.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 10 December 2022 20:14 (two years ago)
One thing I'm just becoming aware of--who even thinks about these things until you have to?--is the extra sugar in regular 2% milk. It's like all the fruit juice I've been guzzling the past 20 summers: "Isn't that great for my health that I don't drink pop?" As soon as I finish the milk I have on hand, I'll probably switch over to Joyya (knowing full well I'll over-pay for it).
― clemenza, Sunday, 11 December 2022 03:32 (two years ago)
my fourth A1c test today since March 2022 diagnoses (initial was 8 - and subsequent results were 6.1 and 6) today I’m at 5.7 which was a welcome surprise i expected it to higher but honestly i am still learning what does/doesn’t affect it, still a bit mystifying tbh i thought maybe since I wasn’t able to exercise at all the past couple of months due to back problems that that might put me higher, plus christmas brought inevitable carbs that I couldn’t avoid & felt like my diet got a bit lazier anyway, with these results it feels encouraging to finally get something like a win, and i am taking it as a sign to keep doing what i’m doing will f/up w doc to see what they say
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 7 January 2023 02:09 (two years ago)
Good job. I was worried about Christmas too, but got through with good levels (5.3 - 5.5 at home; last three-month was 7.2 but before the holiday) and my weight's down to 162 some mornings, the lowest it's been in three decades. And I'm not as panicky about everything I eat now.
― clemenza, Saturday, 7 January 2023 02:16 (two years ago)
hi-five :D the not-panicky about eating the wrong thing is huge, it’s like you want to go back & hug yourself for all freaking out you did, i can totally relate to that
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 7 January 2023 02:44 (two years ago)
Yeah, getting over food panic was a major step for me. I try to eat healthy but I refuse to eat joyless flavorless food just because it's theoretically better for me.
Perhaps it will help to consider a diabetes anti-role model: Lemmy. When he got diagnosed (which included spending a week in a coma), he took his pills, but other than that his only lifestyle change was switching from Jack Daniels & Coke to Jack Daniels & Diet Coke. I don't think he even gave up speed.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 7 January 2023 03:34 (two years ago)
lmao <3 u Lemmy
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 7 January 2023 03:43 (two years ago)
As long as I can still shoot speed, I'm happy.
I feel like I haven't given up anything in terms of regular meals--or at least I'm loving everything I'm eating, and not thinking about the pizza/cheeseburgers I've given up. With snacks, I've given up a little. The Keto/Good Fats/Good Eats stuff I'm buying does lose a bit, but I've found one really good yogurt (Two Good vanilla) that tastes great and only has 3g of carbohydrates per 1/3 cup.
― clemenza, Saturday, 7 January 2023 04:06 (two years ago)
I've been eating a lot of Healthy Choice microwave dinners — they're meat and vegetables with maybe a little bit of pasta, with optional sauce/gravy that I almost always skip.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 7 January 2023 04:12 (two years ago)
There a couple of those I like, and I always add extra vegetables. I cook lots of fish and chicken, and I found a Thai soup I really like.
― clemenza, Saturday, 7 January 2023 04:20 (two years ago)
Had my last two bi-weekly blood tests, won't go back for three months now. In view of how engaged my doctor is--not at all--I'll be on my own till the spring.
Readings are good: 6.7 then 6.5 for the three-month levels, 5.2 at home last night (lowest yet). Had my first cheeseburger in almost three months to celebrate, probably the worst thing I could do--but added chick peas to my nightly salad as penance.
― clemenza, Monday, 16 January 2023 22:32 (two years ago)
lol yeah my doctors office called after my lab results came in & they’re like “yep everything looks stable ok bye” last 3-month visit i waited in the exam room for 30 minutes for a pointless 5 min “keep doing what you’re doing” consultation so i guess no visit at all is an improvement
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 16 January 2023 23:18 (two years ago)
My doctor's receptionist retired a couple of weeks ago, and she was an intermediary I had some rapport with. Typical: I didn't realize that when we'd been communicating via e-mail, it was her address, not the office's. ("I've just retired...please contact Dr. _______ at the office.) Wouldn't be shocked if my doctor doesn't even have an e-mail address attached to the office.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 17 January 2023 04:53 (two years ago)
Buses cancelled where I was today, so a lot of absent students; it was pizza day, and there was extra for any teachers who wanted some. So I had my first pizza since getting the diagnosis in October. Plain cheese, two small slices--I was fine with that, though there was a little guilt about not limiting myself to one. I probably should have self-tested tonight to see if there was a spike, but it would have been nine hours later, so I doubt it would have shown up anyway. Plus I only like good news.
― clemenza, Saturday, 18 February 2023 06:32 (two years ago)
sometimes not knowing is more manageable than knowing & not being able to do anything abt it. i had a work dinner last week at a thai restaurant. except the catch that i didn’t learn, that no one knew until we all got there, was that my boss was ordering for everyone! for 25 of us. unhinged. random dishes would get passed around unannounced so it was like a game of telephone trying to establish what any dishes were - not great for me but worse for ppl with serious food allergies i just ate like 12 random scoops of various curry & like a teaspoon of rice …. and then made a protein bowl when i got home. not ideal
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 18 February 2023 07:18 (two years ago)
if i could have ordered an actual dish for myself like i had expected, it would have been fine! grr
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 18 February 2023 07:19 (two years ago)
Yeah, I wasn't totally happy with the restaurant (pub, really) my sister chose for her birthday last night--the fish was good, but nothing in the way of vegetables except salad. But you don't want to end up being a drag when it's her night (what I ate was fine)...I've been eating this Thai soup once a week and the food-label numbers are really good.
― clemenza, Saturday, 18 February 2023 13:40 (two years ago)
Just to be clear, I wasn't ambushed like you; we both thought the mains were okay from the online menu, and I think just assumed there'd be a vegetable option on the side.
― clemenza, Saturday, 18 February 2023 13:46 (two years ago)
i had a work dinner last week at a thai restaurant. except the catch that i didn’t learn, that no one knew until we all got there, was that my boss was ordering for everyone! for 25 of us. unhinged. random dishes would get passed around unannounced so it was like a game of telephone trying to establish what any dishes were - not great for me but worse for ppl with serious food allergies
Ugh, this sounds like a nightmare. "Welcome to the mandatory meal! Here's your slice of cake!" "Uh, thanks...?"
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 18 February 2023 14:16 (two years ago)
yeah it was quite stressful
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 18 February 2023 16:46 (two years ago)
Well, the one thing I've learned over the last 20 years is that one bad meal won't kill you. There are definitely times when I've eaten really poorly and felt it (I remember once at work having a bowl of macaroni and cheese, with bread crumbs on top, for lunch and being basically in a coma for the rest of the afternoon) but I can always stabilize my system pretty well by the next day. I've even had days where my sugar spiked for no reason at all — I was eating healthy, getting an acceptable amount of exercise, and it just shot into the 300s for no reason at all, like my pancreas had just decided to take the day off. So, you know, do your best. It'll work out.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 18 February 2023 17:10 (two years ago)
Which is actually something I've been wondering: if your level spikes and then returns to normal, is it like it never happened, or does every spike weaken your system a little more. (And I'm not even sure what I mean by "system.")
― clemenza, Saturday, 18 February 2023 18:08 (two years ago)
No question mark, but there is a question in there.
Based on my own experience, while diabetes does weaken your system over time, the process can be very gradual (like "river water wearing down a stone" gradual), especially if you are doing your best to be healthy. If you're disregarding the disease and eating pizza and snack cakes all day, drinking a lot, etc., etc., then sure, it'll progress faster than it otherwise might — that's just logical. But getting the right medication, eating as healthy as you can whenever you can, exercising (without even being a nut about it), all helps a surprising amount.
― but also fuck you (unperson), Saturday, 18 February 2023 18:27 (two years ago)
Mr. Jaq who has been trying to manage type 2 with oral meds for quite awhile (with occasional very long spates of denial and bursts of keto) is now on a small amount of insulin overnight. Hoping he takes it seriously and is consistent with it. Kudos to all y'all for dealing with it.
― Jaq, Saturday, 18 February 2023 20:12 (two years ago)
keto as an idea offers some useful recipes for me like when i am experimenting w desserts or baking or looking for a no carb option here or there but there is no way i’d ever go down that road as a whole lifestyle rolling the dice on ketosis seems so scary to me & anecdotally v hard to achieve without encountering some p serious complications?
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 18 February 2023 21:41 (two years ago)
After a day of Peg-Lyte and more or less fasting--if you know what I mean, you'll know what I mean--had a reading of 4.9, first one under 5.0.
with occasional very long spates of denial--this is what I worry about most. With me it would be complacency, brought on by good readings like that one, more than denial.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 21 February 2023 22:13 (two years ago)
Which is actually something I've been wondering: if your level spikes and then returns to normal, is it like it never happened, or does every spike weaken your system a little more. (And I'm not even sure what I mean by "system.")― clemenza, Saturday, February 18, 2023 6:08 PM (three days ago) bookmarkflaglink
― clemenza, Saturday, February 18, 2023 6:08 PM (three days ago) bookmarkflaglink
as a type 1, the thing the doctor checks these days (which they can now monitor) is 'time in range' and therefore it seems like the spikes don't matter as much? i'm guessing type 2 would be the same
― just sayin, Tuesday, 21 February 2023 23:56 (two years ago)
Monthly home-test, 7.3--first reading over even 6.5 in a year. Going to hope it's a blip caused by something I'm not factoring in, but I will get on top of it right away in terms of diet; as mentioned above, I've really loosened up on that the past couple of years, and it's never shown up in testing, so complacency sets in.
― clemenza, Sunday, 8 September 2024 02:19 (ten months ago)
(I'll probably do another test in three or four days, just to see if it was a fluke. And no cereal tonight--back to carrots!)
― clemenza, Sunday, 8 September 2024 02:21 (ten months ago)
hang in there! just a little course-correction is all
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 8 September 2024 03:10 (ten months ago)
Thanks--a correction, just like the stock market! I'm confident I can go semi-monk for a few days and fix it.
― clemenza, Sunday, 8 September 2024 03:18 (ten months ago)
<3
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 8 September 2024 04:13 (ten months ago)
Sigh of relief--waited a week, 5.8 (seven of my nine home-tests since March have been between 5.7-6.0). So, while I have been a bit more vigilant this week, I'll put the 7.3 down as a blip, maybe even a false or flawed reading. I still had some raisin tea biscuits, my morning bagels, french fries yesterday, lasagna today. I did make an effort to go back to more vegetables for dinner, so maybe that made a difference.
― clemenza, Sunday, 15 September 2024 03:08 (ten months ago)
quarterly A1C of 5.8 - repeat of last quarter so steady as she goes I guessour local Winco was selling take & bake personal-sizs cauliflower crust pizzas so i split one w MrVeg last night, my first pizza of any kind since my diagnosis! the crust was cauli w mozzarella cheese but augmented w rice flour which i wasnt sure about,l - i didnt have any real spike from so all good there. it was a very very thin crust too, so that helped. cooked up super crisp & was yummo!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 00:44 (nine months ago)
Excellent. I did a home test two nights ago, back up to 7.3. I don't get it, really. I haven't done an A1C since April--think I'll set one up for next week.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 8 October 2024 00:55 (nine months ago)
Going to the doctor on Wednesday. My daily numbers have dropped significantly since I started exercising 5 days a week (light weights and resistance bands) so we'll see whether it shows up in the 90 day average.
― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 01:11 (nine months ago)
fingers crossed for you!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 01:39 (nine months ago)
Geez I am still eating pizza occasionally lol :/
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 03:06 (nine months ago)
But my fasting or 2-hours-later prick tests stay steadily around 6-6.5 except if I am being a twat and have just eaten 2 date scones with butter like I did ysterday.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 03:07 (nine months ago)
My brother-in-law and I were having a good time making fun of my bogus system of home-testing at only the most optimal times, like after two good days in a row and late at night. Things to put on my tombstone: "Was working on a streak of nine consecutive readings under 6.0."
― clemenza, Tuesday, 8 October 2024 03:11 (nine months ago)
At my Sept checkup my A1C was unchanged at 6.4. My willpower is fading and my sweet tooth is getting worse and I asked my doctor if she'd try me out on tirzepatide (mounjaro, ugh what a stupid name) since my insurance refused to cover semaglutide. She was all for it but the ball has been in my pharmacy's and insurance company's court for 2 weeks so I assume it has been or will be refused. A hundred bucks a week without insurance, which I can't swing. I'm just tired of food, tired of thinking about food. Fuck food.
― WmC, Tuesday, 8 October 2024 03:20 (nine months ago)
I can say that semaglutide definitely did for my foodie brain for quite some time. I wouldn't recommend it for a casual user, the stuff is brutal - I had terrible nausea and runs for weeks.
And I hate to say but while it did mostly kill my appetite, I too have developed more of a sweet tooth than I ever used to have (it was non existent til a few years ago). Then again that could also be because Ive cut booze consumption back by about 70%
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 03:25 (nine months ago)
mr veg found these nice dark choc peanut butter cups w only 6g of cane sugar so those scratch my itch pretty well (or as well as i can manage without losing my mind) i have noticed that since i’ve cut down so much on sweets i’m now turning into a salt junkie - i catch myself eating tons of salami & cheese & have to continually try to scale back
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 03:30 (nine months ago)
i do occasionally debase myself for a diet coke & a bag of doritos lol
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 03:31 (nine months ago)
but zero-sugar sweet stuff really makes my sugar cravings go crazy so i try to avoid if i can
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 03:32 (nine months ago)
I'm lucky, I loath the taste of sugar replacements so I don't tend to scarf those down (unlike Barney who drinks a metric buttload of Pepsi Max). I can usually just do a couple of those date/choc/nut blissballs or a few discs of choc melts, or one biscuit. HE can't - if I leave any bags of lollies/bix around he'll just eat them all in one go and I do not understand why his diabeetus isnt ruined from it?! Not fair.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Tuesday, 8 October 2024 04:25 (nine months ago)
Approved for dulaglutide (Trulicity). I have a trip to New Orleans coming up in three weeks, so I'm not going to start taking it until after that. One last gluttonous hurrah. I worry that this is too drastic a measure...we'll see. In the meantime, I'll do some research on what foods will make me feel most pukey.
― WmC, Thursday, 17 October 2024 02:16 (nine months ago)
Heavy, fatty foods. Creams. Cheese. Etc. TBRH I dont recall any one food being worse - it was just "meh. I dont feel like eating".
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Thursday, 17 October 2024 04:25 (nine months ago)
Day 15 of trulicity, no nausea at all but also not a huge amount of appetite suppression. No weight loss yet. Main side effect is a mild laxative effect on shot day followed by constipation the rest of the week. Eating my usual size breakfast, smaller lunch and very little dinner (but starving at bedtime).
― WmC, Sunday, 24 November 2024 15:57 (eight months ago)
hang in there!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 24 November 2024 17:37 (eight months ago)
It's taken almost exactly a year for Ozempic to have a noticeable impact for Mr. Jaq. As he was in the ramp-up phase, there was a shortage so that extended the time he was on the lowest dose. Eventually, his doctor agreed to have him stop insulin injections, and that, combined with now being on the higher dose of Ozempic, has had a solid impact the past 4 months - his weight is down, his blood sugar is staying in the range they want, his appetite (or ability to continually eat) is way down. He's also still taking Metformin (has been for years).
― Jaq, Sunday, 24 November 2024 18:21 (eight months ago)
Good result for my first 3-month since April: 5.8. I was a little worried because of those two 7.0+ spikes at home I mentioned, but back in range.
― clemenza, Monday, 25 November 2024 20:08 (eight months ago)
yay!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 25 November 2024 21:10 (eight months ago)
had my 3 month A1C and came in at 5.9 (october was 5.8)seems like 5.9 is my christmas number, i eat a little more & walk a little less lol but i’m already eating less & walking more again now that the weather is a bit less gloomy so i’ll back to a 5.8 again soon. i’d like to try to get a couple of points lower this year, maybe 5.7 or 5.6 but idk if i can be THAT disciplined and maintain it. we’ll see.
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Wednesday, 8 January 2025 22:29 (six months ago)
Nice! I had my worst home-reading since diagnosis just before Christmas (8.4), but, once I got past the initial shock, I didn't panic. I knew I'd been cheating more and more, plus I spent a couple of weeks chained to the computer and stopped exercising, so I figured it'd just require a little discipline to get it back down. Which I did--6.2 within a couple of weeks.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 8 January 2025 22:48 (six months ago)
I think 5.5-6.0 is the most realistic range I can expect; that's my goal, to keep it there.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 8 January 2025 22:49 (six months ago)
yeah i think that is the sweet spot for me too
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 9 January 2025 03:29 (six months ago)
Going to the doctor tomorrow - not expecting much but shoveling snow has been keeping my fingerstick numbers low, anyway.
― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Thursday, 9 January 2025 03:46 (six months ago)
Yesterday my weight was under 200 lbs. for the first time in about 20 years, so I'm cautiously optimistic about my next numbers.
― I think we're all Bezos on this bus (WmC), Thursday, 9 January 2025 03:56 (six months ago)
nice one!
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 9 January 2025 04:12 (six months ago)
I was told by my endo that anything up to 10 is fine, as long as its not constantly on that. I just tested mine mid-arvo after a lunch ft. potato salad and 2 weeks of frankly shite eating (I'm on holidays dammit) and... it was still 5.8!? Only issue I'm having at the minute is I decided to try stopping the ozempic, and regrettably my appetite's come right back and I've put on 2kg fairly quickly so I *really* need to be more mindful. I have the tools now - hunger or no, I know what to eat and in what amounts so I dont think I need ozempic's pukearama to prop it up. Summer salads and more walking/swimming are on the cards now.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Thursday, 9 January 2025 05:54 (six months ago)
Good reading...One thing I noticed when I got that 8.4; I actually felt ashamed, like two years of real effort were out the window, and I didn't post here. Shame can actually be a pretty good motivator sometimes.
― clemenza, Thursday, 9 January 2025 05:58 (six months ago)
true! but i think we can also place too much personal burden on those high numbers & make ourselves feel ashamed for something that is ultimately a single dot point on a graph be kind to yourself! move forward, do the work but if you slip, it’s ok. keep your chin up
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 9 January 2025 06:29 (six months ago)
Exactly! Agreed.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Thursday, 9 January 2025 07:58 (six months ago)
At my first quarterly checkup with Trulicity in the mix, my A1C was down from 6.4 to 6.0, weight was down 10 lbs. Later that week, my insurance co (Cigna) celebrated this achievement by saying they wouldn't pay for the drug anymore. My doctor appealed and it was reversed -- I got a one-year prior authorization so theoretically I don't have to worry about this bullshit until Feb. 2026. But that took some time so my shot day moved from Sundays to Mondays. And then yesterday I forgot to take it so now it's Tuesdays. I've got to set a more reliable alert.
― I think we're all Bezos on this bus (WmC), Tuesday, 11 February 2025 21:08 (five months ago)
Spent the last 2 months off ozempic and my blood glucose snuck up slightly but also my weight shot up alarmingly. TBF that was also due to holiday-season indulgences (I had 5 weeks off over summer so there was a lot of additional booze, hot chips and so on). So I'm going back on the oze for a bit. Also not drinking any alcohol for Feb (aside from one session last week for a friend's bday). Got an A1C test this week so it'll be interesting to see if its nudged up.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Tuesday, 11 February 2025 21:21 (five months ago)
That's good news x 3, WmC; good luck, Trayce.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 11 February 2025 22:42 (five months ago)
My doctor has assigned me to stick a continuous glucose monitor on my arm for 10 days, so I started it this morning. I didn't want to download an app for my phone so now I have a tiny monitoring device that I need to keep within 20 feet of the sensor at all times, which I guess means carrying it around in my pocket.
― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Saturday, 1 March 2025 15:21 (five months ago)
Good three-month reading: 5.9. Included in this window was the one 8.4 reading at home (just before Christmas) that alarmed me a bit. So I take it that that really was a blip, triggered by something specific that day. My three-months (sometimes four...) going back to March 2023 are 5.7/5.7/5.8/5.9/5.8/5.9, with a decent amount of cheating therein.
― clemenza, Friday, 7 March 2025 16:29 (four months ago)
3 month average result: 5.7, which is great - first time i’ve come down from 5.9 since this time last yeari havent been doing the fingerstick tests at home for a couple of months. i figure if the A1C number is still this side of 6 i dont need to be quite as obsessive as I used to be
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 22 April 2025 22:03 (three months ago)
Wow, that's great. I cut back to home testing every three weeks once my three-months locked in. As always, though, nervous about the next one in a week or two.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 22 April 2025 22:32 (three months ago)
i’m the same way, always get super nervous! i was having stress-dreams that my A1C was going to be super high :/ i can tell myself i’m doing the right things but my subconscious still loves to beat me up i guess idk
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 22 April 2025 22:42 (three months ago)
My doctor has asked me to go back to having a 24 hour glucose monitor stuck to my arm. I'll probably start that next week, on May 1. I'm not seeing him again until July so I'll give him a month's worth of data when I go in.
― Instead of create and send out, it pull back and consume (unperson), Tuesday, 22 April 2025 22:54 (three months ago)
My A1C has been so consistently 5-5.5 since I started meds that I'm considering reducing the dosage of my medications. I'm not even that careful with my diet anymore (which has nudged me up a few kg heh). I think I'm one of those lucky ppl who got type2 identified quickly enough and then did the rapid weight loss well enough that I mightve gone into remission?
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Tuesday, 22 April 2025 23:18 (three months ago)
Quarterly checkup this coming Monday...weight is holding steady, down 3-4 lbs. maybe, so I'm cautiously optimistic that my numbers will be good. I have a glucometer around here somewhere, but don't use it — quarterly testing has been enough. I won't tell my doctor about the coconut cake earlier today if you won't.
― generalism specialist (WmC), Tuesday, 22 April 2025 23:25 (three months ago)
A1C of 6.0 for the third quarter in a row. I guess I've gotten very good at estimating how much food crime I can get away with.
― WmC, Friday, 1 August 2025 15:13 (four days ago)
nice one! i’m pretty much the same boat.
― werewolves of laudanum (VegemiteGrrl), Friday, 1 August 2025 15:14 (four days ago)