Re: Went to the Doc today...

Chris,

A couple thoughts:

1. As you sustain your good blood sugar numbers, take some time to let your doctor and the nurse know exactly what you have done to achieve them. When I first did something similar, my doctor assumed I could not maintain it. Three years in, she asked me with real interest for the details of what I was doing.

2. The tingling in the toes first thing in the morning is problematic. I finally went to an orthopedic doctor to find out what was going on in my own foot a portion of which which had gone numb after weeks of "first thing in the morning" pain. He did a bunch of tests and said it was, in fact, a form of tarsal tunnel syndrome which is the foot form of Carpal Tunnel. I had been suffering numbness in my big toe in that foot on and off for years which my endocrinologist said was probably from my crushed disc, but this doctor said it was the same nerve being squashed by swollen tendons. He prescribed heel cups, icing and would have given me a cortisone shot except that I have a history of dreadful reactions to cortisone shots and wouldn't take it.

3. As far as blood tests go, you're getting the essential ones with your meter. While you are actively losing weight your cholesterol profiles may temporarily worsen as the fat is floating around your bloodstream on its way out (or so the doctor explained to me.)

4. Re the weight loss. Don't worry about loosing too fast. In fact, I'd suggest that you lose as much as you can as fast as you can because, trust me, after a month or two it almost always slows down! Not only that, but if your weight loss comes from cutting carbs, you are in a "beginners luck" phase now that will never come again, because your metabolism seems to wise up to the new trick and will never again drop weight in the dramatic way that first time low carbers experience. This is a Known Thing. (And no, it is not just the water weight coming off swiftly. I was able to drop 20 pounds in 6 weeks the first time I low carbed but only a pound a week ever after that--even when starting from a non-dieting state--and that was on very good weeks.)


Chris J. wrote:
I've just returned from my second post-diagnosis visit to the Doctor. 

Their procedure is that a Nurse takes me into a room, and gathers some
info, and takes my BP. She asked me what my BG's were, and I told her.

Her response? She double-checked my file, and muttered "That can't be
right." She asked if she could see my meter. I handed it to her, and
she hit the memory function that gives a 14 day average (119). She
asked when I was testing, and I told her. She said that it was great,
especially as I had been so high at first.

The Doc came in, looked for herself, and said "that's fantastic". The Doc asked how my insulin usage was, and I told her I hadn't had
any in 10 days, due to low BG's. She then said we could skip most of
the rest of the appointment as her plan had been to discuss additional
meds and other strategies to begin to get me off of insulin.

All that, I must say, made me feel really good.

Some other news is that my weight loss has, in the last week, tapered
off to three pounds a week, and she suggests I cut that back to "one
or maybe two".

My back wound is still healing, but "doing very well".

She did put my on ACE inhibitors, one pill per day, telling me it's
mainly to protect my kidneys (my BP is fine, and so are my kidneys so
far). She also gave me several month's supply from her "free sample"
collection. Oh, and 25 test strips, too! I was very grateful! She's
also going to try and get me some free samples of Starlix.

Now, for the stuff that has me scratching my head; She canceled my
upcoming blood tests, postponing it (and my next appointment) until
November! I haven't had a blood test since the day I was diagnosed,
almost three weeks ago.

She hasn't mentioned anything about sending me to an Endo, or a
cardiologist, or a podiatrist, either. (she does know I get yearly
retinal exams).

But, all in all, I'm delighted with the results of today. Thanks,
everyone, for all the help you have given me in getting this far. 




--
--Jenny

http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/   Diabetes info
http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/  Low Carb info
.

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