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Permalink Reply by Sohair Abdel-Rahman on August 29, 2008 at 10:28am

Lee Ann is right, ADA,did not consult us about the new classification for diabetes. It is confusing
( Type1a, autoimmune ( positive antibodies
Type1b, non autoimmune ( negative antibodies

Type2 insulin resistance, mainly
Gestational diabetes
Other rare genetic causes,MODY and others
Secondary diabete ,cystic fibrosis

Type 1 depends on insulin to live
Other types may need insulin for better control

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Permalink Reply by Jenny on August 29, 2008 at 11:25am

And, another note, if a type one gains weight and stays sedentary, they will have insulin resistance and require the use of other injectables like Symlin. Losing weight and more exercise can help in the exogenous insulin working better for us.

It isn't that we become 'Type 2', but we are similar to a type 2 in the struggles of BG control and weight loss. Needing more insulin, other meds which re given to type 2's aren't given to us, but we can use Symlin to delay the rush of glucose to our blood. I've lost 13 lbs, and was able to stay on Symlin, but reduce insulin requirements for the day.

My mom was able to toss all her type 2 meds when she lost 15lbs. When she gained it back and more, she went onto insulin.

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Permalink Reply by Danny Weems on August 29, 2008 at 1:08pm

My mother was diagnosed T2 in her 30's. At first she tool sulfanylureas then metformin. she carried a little weight, but not much. She was at the high side of normal. She didn't look obese, just healthy. In her 60's the doc wanted to put her on insulin, but she was needle phobic and refused despite our urgings. In her 60's, her feet and ankles were turning dark and she stopped telling me about her doctor's visits. She had severe circulation problems and neuropathy. At 66, her kidneys failed and she was on dialysis. She died of complications 1 year and 3 days later.

Because I knew the symptoms from my mom's experiences, I knew what was wrong when my thirst increased and my mouth was so dry I could stike a match on my tongue. I was in my 30's. I hated going to the doctor, so I took matters into my own hands and changed my diet. If something exacerbated my symptoms, I eliminated it. Eventually, I eliminated sodas, candy bars, bread and potatoes and everything els in moderation. I had stumbled onto the adkins diet by trial and error. I took no pills. My weight was in the 160's......I was slim.
In my early 50's, I was rebuilding some apartments in Houston, tx and stepped on a nail. It became infected. I bought antibiotics in mexico, but could not eliminate the infection and two years later I noticed fiery red streaks radiating up my leg. Blood poisoning was setting in and I made the trip to the VA in Kerrville. They operated to remove the staf infection and diagnosed me officially diabetic., hypertensive and hyperlipidemia. I'm on drugs for it all including insulin. My pancreas makes bout 20% of normal output.
Anyway, what this all means is a type two will progress despite diet and excersize. Nobody knows why someones imune system will attack istself. noone knows what causes T2. We all know the symptoms. A t1 is inicially characterized by rapid weight loss leading to DKA if un checked. T2 is iniltially characterized as weight gain, but not always..
At diagnosis and untreated T1 is lucky to live 5 years uncontrolled. A T2 might live 25 years. I am glad I am on meds. When I exert myself, I no longer feel the pressure on my chest. I generally feel better and sleep better.
Sorry to talk so much.

Take care of yourselves. Life has a lot to show us
peace
danny

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Permalink Reply by Noturningback on August 29, 2008 at 2:25pm

"Anyway, what this all means is a type two will progress despite diet and excersize."


Perhaps I misunderstood but, if tight control is kept on BG then diabetes doesn't necessarily progress. Of course, diet and exercise alone doesn't always give tight control - medications may be required.

Reference: http://www.bloodsugar101.com/

~Danielle

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Permalink Reply by landileigh on August 29, 2008 at 7:36pm

there are 4 types of Diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, Gestational, and Other. You can find an excellent description of the types from the UCSF Website Diabetes Education Online

and the Etiologic classification of diabetes mellitus –
based on American Diabetes Association criteria HERE

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Permalink Reply by JDavid on August 29, 2008 at 9:10pm

MY history is rather long, twisted and unusual to say the least.

I was Dx'd (of sorts) with diabetes when I was hospitalized for diabetes after drinking about 2ox of coke and my wife had to call 911. I had recently had a sore throat (my doc refused to see me for follow up, "just a sore Throat" he said. So my intro to teh world of diabetes was more typical of a type-1. I even had a honeymoon of sorts, then ended up on insulin after ust over a year.

PROBLEM, I was too young for T-2 and too old for T-1 and did not know my mother was a needle diabetic, or even diabetic.

When I was 14 I MAYBE(?) had pancreatitis in the hospital not sure, but I do remember the docs saying it was not an apendasitis. A comment was made to me that I would end up on shots. To me that was a SHOCKER and wanted to hear and know NOTHING about the subject, maybe I should have, but hey I was 14 and recovered....or did I?

After that whateveritwas episode when I got sick, I GOT SICK and tool longer to recover. I had hepatitis and was hospitalized for 5 weeks, home 2 weeks and then back to school, while everyone else was back to work/school in just 2 weeks (go figure).

In the Navy I was admitted and re-admitted a couple more times before recovering from a simple URI, well maybe not so simple/typical. A little over a year later I was written up for Captain's Mast for failure to seek medical treatment upon admision to the hospital for pneumonia. The sick bad doc had GOMERed me (kicked me out for 10 days, then got mad one morning and marched me down to Xray saying he was going to PROVE there was nothing wrong with me, then called for an ambulance.

In the meantime several possable diabets related issues developed, a sudden vision problem (3 main possable causes, one being diabetes and the other 2 no history of) and others, well before I was Dx'd, even before joinning the Navy.

I have a request in for my Navy medical records and just this past week requested (if available) medical records of my hospitalizations when I was 14 and 15. If nothing else they may shed some light on WHY my diabetes is not quite T1 nor T2 and been a GOMER ever since boot camp.

BTW I keytone at BS levels typical of a T1, not like a T2 except maybe a little slower than many T1s.

(*&*( GOMER

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