I don't know what is going on. I was feeling shaky and hypo. Luckily I had brought my meter to work with me, having had a similar previous experience but without the meter. I tested, and was sitting at 3.0 mmol (54) . I told myself not to panic, and tested another finger - 2.9 mmol (52.2).
Okay, now I am panicking. Why is my sugar so low? I haven't been this low for a long time - even when I was on insulin. I'm not diabetic, according to the very good endo. I haven't taken any insulin for weeks…
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Added by Megan Skelly on January 20, 2009 at 1:00am —
5 Comments
My mom phoned my grandmother to wish her merry Christmas. We don't have much to do with that side of the family, since the divorce. But, that is where the D-genes come from. My mom was telling her about how I'm not diabetic any more, and my gran mentioned that I have an aunt with D too.
So that would make it:
Grandfather
Aunt
Cousin
Me
with D in South Africa.
In Ireland, my grandfather's brothers. In Canada, two aunts and a cousin (I think, I get vague here).
So, although my D has officially…
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Added by Megan Skelly on January 5, 2009 at 7:25am —
2 Comments
I'm in shock. I don't think I'm ready to believe it. I'm not diabetic any more. The test results came back normal. The doc thinks it was secondary diabetes, due to the cortisone and infections I had when diagnosed.
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Added by Megan Skelly on December 18, 2008 at 11:10pm —
8 Comments
I feel like diabetes has turned me into a child. I need to learn how to do basic things again. Today, I'm learning how to have the flu!
Yesterday I started feeling groggy. I nearly fell asleep in the car, because I was too tired to get out of it and walk into my house! I had a sore throat. My sugar levels are higher. This morning I woke up with dripping nose and yellow mucous (always delightful). My body has been aching. I'm the only secretary at work at the moment, so I can't take any sick lea…
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Added by Megan Skelly on December 12, 2008 at 5:43am —
4 Comments
On Monday I had a bunch of tests done at the lab. They were to check my thyroid, kidneys and liver functioning. They're also doing the HbA1C - my first ever! - and checking my calcium levels and cholesterol. In addition to these, they're testing for GAD and IA2 antibodies and c-peptide production.
It's only Wednesday, and I'm already nervous about the results. I have an appointment with the endo to discuss them on the 18th - 8 days time. The endo said though that if the GAD and IA2 came back po…
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Added by Megan Skelly on December 10, 2008 at 6:08am —
8 Comments
I am happy. I feel relieved. I have found a doctor I can work with! It was almost as if he had read my rant on what I wanted from a doctor/patient relationship. He listened. He let me ask questions. He was thorough and did an examination of my body - right down to asking me about my pubic hair (!?! Does anyone have any ideas what that was about? He wanted to know if I have pubic hair growing down my thighs). He's doing all the tests (I didn't even have to bug him for them). He's even doing thyro…
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Added by Megan Skelly on November 27, 2008 at 12:44am —
5 Comments
I have a bad case of the pre-endo nerves. I know it seems stupid to be nervous for a smallish thing like meeting an endo, but it's a big deal for me. I have a lot of expectation attached to this appointment, and I'm afraid I'm going to be terribly disappointed and that he's going to tell my that my current quality of life is as good as it's going to get. I'm afraid he's going to think that I have all the hypos because I'm abusing my insulin, not because my body dumps out insulin about 3 hours af…
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Added by Megan Skelly on November 24, 2008 at 5:24am —
3 Comments
When I was diagnosed, these are some of the stories I was told about diabetes:
1) Your grandfather had Type 2. He was diagnosed young (like my cousin and I). He put it down to drinking too much Coke, which he did when he owned a corner shop. He used insulin, and travelled with it in a cooler bag. He always ate a sandwich just before he went to bed.
WHAT WAS NOT SAID: Your grandfather died from a stroke and jaundice. The doctors thought it was all related to his diabetes. You shouldn't have dran…
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Added by Megan Skelly on November 19, 2008 at 4:55am —
8 Comments
At the moment, life is going pretty well for me. There have been some exciting developments:
1) I have an appointment with an endo! He comes personally recommended too! I will see him on 26 November. They asked me what type of diabetic I was, and I said I wasn't sure, and the lady I spoke to said well then I'm doing the right thing by seeing the endo. I'm so happy that I will be seeing a doc and hopefully getting the right tests done.
2) I bought my mom her first Christmas present! I saw somet…
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Added by Megan Skelly on November 13, 2008 at 1:09am —
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I'm resigning from my job! While resigning comes with its own set of worries (like how will I pay for my medical supplies?), the main thing I am feeling is relief. I need some time and space to get my life back, to destress and clear my head, and to start having some fun again. I was really scared to do it, but the decision has now been made, and I'm feeling at peace with it.
So, what lies ahead? I'm still waiting to find out if I will be getting a bursary to be a full-time student next year. I…
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Added by Megan Skelly on November 10, 2008 at 1:04am —
2 Comments
That's it, I'm done! I woke with a bg of 6.9 (124) this morning. I decided to take a unit of insulin before breakfast, and waited fifteen minutes before eating for my sugar to drop. I ate a sandwich - 2 slice of low GI bread and a meat spread. Two hours later my BG was 10.3 (185). I decided (unwisely, it turned out) that I needed another unit of insulin. An hour and a half later, I'm sitting at 3.6 (65).
I can't take this rollercoaster any more. I'm up and down, I can't function, I can't think…
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Added by Megan Skelly on November 7, 2008 at 2:51am —
4 Comments
1) Should I be worried with a one hour postprandial reading of over 11? My doctor said I shouldn't, but I felt like hell.
2) I feel bad whenever my BG goes over 8. Am I alone in this?
3) Does 3.9 count as hypoglycemia? My first dietitian and doc said anything under 4 was hypo, the second dietitian said 3.3-3.6 was normal and I shouldn't worry about it.
4) What is a good average BG reading? According to Sugar Stats, my average daily BG is about 5.7 - although yesterday it was 6.6. I think this is…
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Added by Megan Skelly on November 5, 2008 at 12:01am —
2 Comments
Today I start my new medication - the birth control pill, Yasmin, and Glucophage. The pill will help to regulate my periods, which will in turn help me to regulate my blood sugar. The glucophage is a trial run for a month.
When I spoke to my doctor yesterday, he agreed that my current insulin taking wasn't working. He noticed all the lows on my logs, and suggested that we give glucophage a trial run. I'm really glad to be changing my medication, particularly as he said that the glucophage would…
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Added by Megan Skelly on October 31, 2008 at 10:14am —
2 Comments
Today I get to see the Diabetes Doctor (not his official title). I'm primed with my list of questions to ask. I have printouts of my logs and graphs from my One Touch software and Sugar Stats. And - I'm as nervous as all hell. I'm plain ol' scared.
It's not because of my doctor. He's been very pleasant and patient with me. It's because I don't have a diagnosis, and it's becoming a major issue for me. It's the first thing everyone asks me. My dietitian doesn't know how to feed me because I don't…
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Added by Megan Skelly on October 30, 2008 at 2:18am —
2 Comments
My initial hypothesis concerning my medication was proved to be false yesterday. This means that I need to carry on testing to discover what leads to my late morning lows.
The hypothesis I'm testing today concerns food. This morning I had three slices of bread for breakfast, instead of my usual two. I want to see what effect it will have on my 11am hypo. If it does have an effect, it will indicate to me that the hypo is definitely food-related.
Future tests will include:
* reducing breakfast c…
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Added by Megan Skelly on October 29, 2008 at 1:49am —
2 Comments
When I first started experiencing my regular morning hypoglycemia, I went to the doctor and asked him if the Cipralex I was taking could be causing it. He said no. Now, I am beginning to wonder if he was correct.
If I was experiencing reactive hypoglycemia, it would be unlikely that I would only experience it in the mornings. After all, I eat lunch and supper too! I've eaten larger meals for lunch and supper at times, and have not experienced the same 4 hourly post-prandial hypo.
If it was a r…
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Added by Megan Skelly on October 28, 2008 at 12:24am —
1 Comment
When I was diagnosed, the only other person I knew of in my family with D was my paternal grandfather. All I knew about it was that he took insulin, and had to have a sandwich before going to bed.
After my parents got divorced, I lost touch with my dad's side of the family. I recently found some of my cousins on Facebook, and added them as "friends". This morning I had a bit of a brainwave - I sent them a message asking if they knew of anyone else in the family with D. Apparently one of my cous…
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Added by Megan Skelly on October 22, 2008 at 3:45am —
5 Comments
After my sinus surgery, I couldn't exercise for 3 weeks. Last weekend was my first opportunity to do so, and I grabbed it with both hands. Saturday was a lovely, sunny and warm day, so I decided to go for a walk in the hills around the dam.
I didn't want to have to eat specially before exercising, so I figured I would do it an hour after lunch. I let my sugars run a bit high, so they were 6.2 (112) before lunch. Before the walk, they were (6.3) 113. This is in the range that my dietician told m…
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Added by Megan Skelly on October 20, 2008 at 7:47am —
1 Comment
I went to the doctor yesterday, and I'm still confused. He said, based on the letter from my other doctor, that I am definitely Type 2. On the other hand, the other doctor didn't say that to me, based on the same information. I'm struggling to accept this. A lot of my struggle with this has to do with the perception that people get diabetes because they are lazy and overweight. I can accept at an academic level that this is not the case, but I still don't want to have to tell people I'm Type 2 a…
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Added by Megan Skelly on October 16, 2008 at 5:49am —
5 Comments
I was diagnosed on 6 April this year. I was drinking and urinating, and my eyesight went blurry. I was exhausted, had sore legs and feet and was panting quite a bit. I had been on cortisone the previous week to help clear up my allergies. The doctor visited my house on Sunday morning, did a check up and then a urine test. He said it light up with a full house. I had a urinary tract infection, and diabetes. I was rushed off to hospital in East London. My sugar stayed high for quite a while, and t…
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Added by Megan Skelly on October 14, 2008 at 6:34am —
2 Comments
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