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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / October 2005My mom won't test
Hi, My mom is type 2 and will not test her blood sugar. She went to the doctor for sinusitis and was tested there. How bad is 370? Can diabetes be managed without testing? If so, what's the best way to monitor without testing? Thanks in advance, Briseis Well anything 126 or over is diabetic, anything between 100 and 125 is impaired and less than 100 is normal. Diabetics need to treat their blood sugar to keep themselves in the normal range as much as possible. Anything above normal increases the risks of blindness, limb amputations, kidney failure, heart attacks, etc. She is seriously risking her health but remember she is the only person who can do this. Unless she is bed ridden you can't control her. It's always possible that she doesn't fully understand the risks. If that's the problem get her a good book on diabetes such as Gretchen Becker's The First Year Type 2 Diabetes: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed Amazon.com has it in paperback. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1569245460/qid=1128677422/sr=8-1/r ef=pd_bbs_1/104-6346330-0711919?v=glance&s=books&n=507846 Once she has all the information its up to her. Debra > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks in advance, > Briseis > From: "Deb" <DebraCarmichael@bellsouth.net> > Organization: BellSouth Internet Group [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > Well anything 126 or over is diabetic, anything between 100 and 125 is > impaired and less than 100 is normal. My doctor gives the scale as follows: For fasting glucose 126 or over, diabetic 110-125, impaired Under 110, normal For postprandial Under 140, normal Donna Evleth Dear Briseis: your mom's blood sugar testing at 370 is a serious problem. We don't know if this is a fasting blood glucose or just a random test. In any case your mother needs a good diet , appropriate medication and regular frequent testing or she will be getting into very serious trouble. I am wondering how long your mother has been a diabetic? I hope you can use your influence to get her to take her disease seriously so she can get control of her diabetes...Good Luck...Mezzaluna > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks in advance, > Briseis >Hi, > >My mom is type 2 and will not test her blood sugar. She went to the >doctor for sinusitis and was tested there. How bad is 370? Real bad. >Can diabetes be managed without testing? If so, what's the best way to >monitor without testing? Testing often is the only present way to knowing what the BG's are. Wish we had continuous BG testing. _____________________________________________ http://wave.prohosting.com/ugleeeee/ Health Diabetic Software - Free Briseis wrote in message ... >Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Thanks in advance, >Briseis As others have mentioned, your mother's blood sugar is terrible. If she won't test or otherwise cooperate with her doctor, she needs a major intervention in her life, almost as serious as the kinds they do for alcoholics or drug addicts. You need help from a psychologist or the like. Maybe your local hospital has some ideas in that area. Try calling the "Diabetes" department. Sorry, some more bad news: Diabetes is hereditary. That means you, your brothers and sisters, your children and your nephews and nieces may also have the genes which produce diabetes. That means all of you must be alert and be tested often all through your life. (Most adult-onset diabetics have the disease for years before anybody notices. Sorry, that suggests that you be tested now) For what it's worth, the standard advice for folks like your mother, and even folks like you who may have the genes is: 1. Lose fat lb., especially abdominal fat 2. Gain muscle lb. (Ugh but that's the way it is) 3. Exercise every day 4. Restrict the carbohydrate in your diet; eat slowly-digesting carbs; spread your daily quota of carb over several small meals. Good luck. Regards Old Al || Hi, || || My mom is type 2 and will not test her blood sugar. She went || to the doctor for sinusitis and was tested there. How bad is || 370? Very Bad || Can diabetes be managed without testing? If so, what's the || best way to monitor without testing? No Read, http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/Newly%20Diagnosed.htm it will give you some idea. That said, it is nearly impossible to get some in denial to manage their DM. First and foremost the person with the condition must take the lead in managing DM. BJ  Signature"Never underestimate the power of a moron with a conspiracy theory." -- Unknown : || Hi, : || : || My mom is type 2 and will not test her blood sugar. She went : || to the doctor for sinusitis and was tested there. How bad is : || 370? : Very Bad : || Can diabetes be managed without testing? If so, what's the : || best way to monitor without testing? : No : Read, http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/Newly%20Diagnosed.htm : it will give you some idea. That said, it is nearly impossible : to get some : in denial to manage their DM. First and foremost the person with : the : condition must take the lead in managing DM. : BJ Not testing is not a good idea, but it may take your Mom some time to realize the spot she is in. She definitely, needs dietary advice adn rporobably meds, etc. Even without testing whe can improve her blood sugar numbers by both eating a controlled carbohydrte diet and getting exercise, even regular walking can help a great deal. See if she will se a dietician or diabetes counselor who will teash her about foods and managing the disease. If she still won't test, she will have to depend on her MD visits when she will be tested. IF she can sontrol her food intake and get moving, she will improver, not a such as if she tested and used the results of hertesting, but it woudl be way better than nothing and giving up. She needs time to just accept that she has diabetes. Wendy > : || Hi, > : || [quoted text clipped - 33 lines] > > Wendy What age is your mom? There is really no way to test except for monitoring with a glucose meter. But each person has their own ability to choose. We cannot force monitoring onto anyone, unfortunately. Wendy is right, testing is the best way to go. And keeping blood sugar within certain limits will reduce complications. If she won't test, is she still willing to get a blood test (at a lab) every 3 months or so? That will give you an indication of her blood sugar control. A reading of 370 is very high, much too high to remain in the "no complications" range. But it is true that an infection will cause blood sugar to rise, so maybe when the infection is gone, she will have better readings. But she won't know unless she tests her own blood sugar. Would it help for her to know what terrible complications can be a result of out-of-control numbers? Someone in denial will often not be able (or willing) to comprehend the concept of destroying their own body by what they eat, or by the lifestyle that they lead. But sometimes understanding the truth about complications and the consequences of high blood sugars will cause a person to be more motivated to maintain good blood sugars. I hope your mom will take your concern to heart. If you haven't, tell her how concerned you are for her welfare. It is very frustrating for those around her to watch her NOT taking care of herself. I'm sure you care a lot about her and her health. Is she just afraid to prick her finger for a test? That can be overcome quite quickly! Mary Some people need a little wake up shock before they will pay attention. You might ask your mom, as long as she will not take care of her Diabetes, would she be interested in pre-planning the funeral? PJ > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Can diabetes be managed without testing? If so, what's the best way to > monitor without testing? A good diet and plenty of exercise will help. Briesis, yes 370 is very bad. Can diabetes be managed without testing. I personally dont think so, but others may have a different answer. Testing is our best defense in controlling diabetes. It lets us know what we can eat before meals and what effect the food we ate has on our blood sugar after eating. I believe there are urine strips that can aid in testing, but they dont give you numbers. With numbers like she has, she is on a short list for terrible complications. I hope you can help her. Can you do the blood for her until she realizes that it is not so bad. good luck Loretta -- In tribute to the United States of America and the State of Israel, two bastions of strength in a world filled with strife and terrorism. > Hi, > > My mom is type 2 and will not test her blood sugar. She went to the > doctor for sinusitis and was tested there. How bad is 370? 370 is bad enough that if you mom won't test, she better get ready to deal with blindness, amputation, and/or kidney failure. Or she might avoid them by dying of the kind of sudden heart attack that is caused by prolonged exposure to high blood sugars. That's because high blood sugar destroys nerves, including those that regulate heart beat. If your mom's problem is a fear of needles, get a good lancet at the drug store and show her, by using it yourself, how simple and painless it is. Use it on the side of the finger, next to the nail, NOT the pad. The outside pinky is the best place to start. She will be amazed at how easy it is to get used to it. It really doesn't hurt and the lancet makes it very easy to do. If she's afraid of insulin, the pens make this very easy too and it isn't painful. Testing is not painful and once she gets over her fear, she will be able to get control of her health. If you have to develope a chronic disease, diabetes is the best one to get, because unlike cancer, MS, Lupus and a host of other diseases, people with diabetes CAN do things to keep their disease at bay and live long, healthy lives. But testing is where it starts. (I've been testing for going on 8 years now . . . ) -- --Jenny http://www.geocities.com/lottadata4u/ Type 2 Diabetes info http://www.geocities.com/jenny_the_bean/ Low Carb info >Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >Thanks in advance, >Briseis Far too many people take the attitude, "I leave all that to my doctor." and they die a miserable early death. Most of us have seen it happen. -- Grandpa Chuck -ô¿ô- ~ A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle. Love is giving all with no conditions. Love is expecting nothing in return. > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks in advance, > Briseis bad enough to cause complications if it persists. not bad enough to put her into an immediate coma. Dave Briseis <me@privacy.net> wrote in alt.support.diabetes: > My mom is type 2 and will not test her blood sugar. She went to the > doctor for sinusitis and was tested there. How bad is 370? > > Can diabetes be managed without testing? If so, what's the best way to > monitor without testing? Do you have any idea why she doesn't want to test? It might be a more profitable venue to solve that problem than to try and control such high blood glucose levels with wild guesses instead of a simple drop of blood every now and then. Blood testing isn't invented to control your diabetes, but to check if you are in control. If you don't check, you can be either in or far out of control. The risks of uncontrolled or badly controlled diabetes are well known. Good luck. SignatureCeeBee ***Ancient Wisdom in a Crunchy Treat*** > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Can diabetes be managed without testing? If so, what's the best way to > monitor without testing? I had to get my husband to help me at first, then I got to where I could do it by myself without passing out. I had to lie down at first, especially when the nurse did it to me. I laid on the floor of the exam room for a good long time till it quit spinning. I can do it standing up now if I need to. SignatureNo Husband Has Ever Been Shot While Doing The Dishes || I had to get my husband to help me at first, then I got to || where I could do it by myself without passing out. I had to || lie down at first, especially when the nurse did it to me. I || laid on the floor of the exam room for a good long time till || it quit spinning. I can do it standing up now if I need to. One foot or two? :-) Signature"If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging." -- Will Rogers > || I had to get my husband to help me at first, then I got to > || where I could do it by myself without passing out. I had to [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > One foot or two? :-) It really takes two, ever since I was a kid I have been able to walk across an empty floor and trip over the linoleum. SignatureNo Husband Has Ever Been Shot While Doing The Dishes >Hi, > >My mom is type 2 and will not test her blood sugar. She went to the >doctor for sinusitis and was tested there. How bad is 370? out of control. long term it will lead to complications like blindness, heart attack, kidney failure, various forms of nerve damage. and the list only get's worse as it goes on. >Can diabetes be managed without testing? If so, what's the best way to >monitor without testing? No, it cannot be properly managed without testing. For a type 2 there is some leeway in the frequency of testing based on how well one has established their control. But if your mom is getting the 370 on more than just one occasion she need to make changes in diet, exercise and possibly meds and without testing she won't know what changes need to be made and when. >Thanks in advance, >Briseis you should read the newbie section at http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org even though it is titled to the newly diagnosed it applies to all of us regardless of how long we have been diabetic. SignatureMâck©® Type 1 since 1975 http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org http://www.diabetic-talk.org http://www.insulin-pumpers.org "To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public." ...Theodore Roosevelt (o o) --ooO-(_)-Ooo-------------------- "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." Jesus never hated anyone. Wow. I just wanted to thank everyone for your replies -- the concern, the wake-up call, and yep, even ::gulp:: the scare tactics. My mom has agreed to start testing! Yay :) Next, we're devising an eating and exercise plan for her. Exercise is easy -- she has a program she likes. Figuring out the eating plan seems hard. Hopefully, with lots of reading, we'll figure it out. She is not newly diagnosed, but we may as well treat it like that since she's been doing nothing so far but "try and watch her sugar intake." There are some big changes on the way for my mom in how she controls and monitors this disease -- if I have anything to say about it ;) I offered to eat according to her diabetic eating plan, for solidarity LOL...she said that wasn't necessary. I also want to try to get her in a support group, maybe even a virtual one. Too bad this group is out for her -- Usenet is definitely too wild for my mom. Btw, someone asked if her result of 370 was fasting or not. Is only having some sugar-free breath mints considered fasting? Another asked how old she is. She's about to be 55. Again, thank you all so much. I was really touched by the concern shown. Hopefully, with my support, my mom will get this disease under control. Best to you all, Briseis > Next, we're devising an eating and exercise plan for her. Exercise is > easy -- she has a program she likes. Figuring out the eating plan > seems hard. Hopefully, with lots of reading, we'll figure it out. Print it out for her or put a link on her desktop: http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/Newly%20Diagnosed.htm SignatureNo Husband Has Ever Been Shot While Doing The Dishes > I offered to eat according to her diabetic eating plan, for solidarity > LOL...she said that wasn't necessary. You might enjoy it - I now cook low-carb for the family, and add a carby side for anyone who wants it. It often goes untouched, as they pile into my food : ) Good luck to you and your Mom. I'm sure between you, you can crack it! Nicky. SignatureA1c 10.5/5.6/<6 T2 DX 05/2004 1g Metformin, 100ug Thyroxine 95/74/72Kg : Wow. : I just wanted to thank everyone for your replies -- the concern, the : wake-up call, and yep, even ::gulp:: the scare tactics. : My mom has agreed to start testing! Yay :) : I offered to eat according to her diabetic eating plan, for solidarity : LOL...she said that wasn't necessary. I also want to try to get her in : a support group, maybe even a virtual one. Too bad this group is out : for her -- Usenet is definitely too wild for my mom. When I was first diagnosed I had two kids at home, as well as the husband I still have at home. I would prepare meals for all of rus, but arrange the plates quite differently. the non-diabetics had a nice serving of potatoes or rice or whatever starch and a nice serving of protein and non-carby vegetable. I woudl have just a little of the starch and a very generour portion of the vegetable and a nice, but not enormous serving of the protein. If it was fish I woudl take more than if it were beef. We all had a simple fruit dessert. I wasn't eating different foods, just different amounts, so it wsa not a big problem. Now I seldom have a starch with my dinner as I do like a fruit dessert, so use my carbs for that. MY husband, who is not a strchy kind of guy, doesn't mind and makes up for it in he evening snacks whild watching TV. You will work it out and so will your MOther, who will begin to take the lead in her own care. Give her Jennifer's advice to follow and see if she can think of it sa game to see just how she can work around this disease by findinng ways to have foods she likes that she can prepare in a lower carb way so she can enjoy them. For instance, take canned pupkin adn follow the recipe on the can fr the pie filing, using solenda in place of the sugar and bake it without a crust like a cup custard. Delicious and not heavny in carbs. It can be fun finding way to fix recipes so yu can eat them. Kee p us posted and maybe your Mom woudl like to read and post here. We'ed all love to meet her. Wendy Briseis I am so happy to hear that you are getting results. From the way your mother was behaving, I was under the impression she was an older woman. She is relatively young or middle aged if she lives to 110. The 370 imo was a fasting number, sugar free mints dont count. Loretta -- In tribute to the United States of America and the State of Israel, two bastions of strength in a world filled with strife and terrorism. Ask her which she would rather have first: Blindness or loose one or both legs. She won't have much of a choice which one happens first, but both can and most certainly will eventually. Also, with blood that high she could actually not have all of her thinking in order as high blood sugar is often mistaken for dementia as it does affect the brain. Good news is that when the sugar is under control there is no mental loss so it is completely temporary. But the blindness and amputation is permanent!! Test, diet and medicate properly. David > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks in advance, > Briseis One other thing The kidney issue: When her kidneys fail, she will be on dialysis. In between dialysis treatments she will feel short of breath as the fluid builds up in the lungs. So if she enjoys a full breath, she needs to get her sugar under control! > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Thanks in advance, > Briseis |
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