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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Diabetes / October 2003newbie (scared, shy, honest, very private)
I waded thru all the postings that my server had stored for AHD and ASD and MHD ... close to 2000 ... mostly from ASD ... took me 4 days, almost nonstop, sticks about every 2 hrs, eating something as often ,,, was like being inside a cross between a cloths dryer and a kaleidoscope !!! I'm spin dizzy and comfrused. I hope it is OK to post this to all three (this one time) ... As I will probably lurk in all of them. I don't plan on revealing much about myself as I am very poor, have not been diagnosed, and do not want to be diagnosed until I can find some insurance. (and if I have learned anything from the past 4 days about SOME of the people in here ... what I just said is enough to start a Dresden style fire storm along the lines of YOU MUST GO TO A DOC... etc;.) Before you even start ... (1) Do try to have some compassion for a unique individual, (me), and even though I may be totally misguided ... YOU do NOT have the RIGHT to dictate to me ... so unless you believe in coercion ... please don't tell me that I SHOULD or MUST or OUGHT etc. to do 'this' or 'that' ... I will NOT respond ... If you try too hard ... I will tell NewsRover to block you without even informing you. I DO respond to logical argument and reasoning and gentle persuasion, when I perceive it is done with caring/affection/concern/love AND it meshes with MY conscience. BTW: (a quick aside) Lord Acton coined a Diction, which I rewrote (I'm a ghost and technical writer, freelance, and need more work, so .... please ... ) ... anyhow the revised version goes like this: The FALSE belief that one person can or does have POWER over another person or persons ... CORRUPTS the person holding said belief ... And, if said belief includes ABSOLUTE POWER, its holder IS CORRUPTED ABSOLUTELY !!! (2) Do respect my privacy, as if it were you own most heart held possession. I have no idea what you all can find out about me, (but I have a clue from some of your anti-spammers' recent posts) ... I haven't the skill to even try to hide or confuse what my OS (win98) or news reader (NewsRover) makes available to you. So I just have to trust you from the get-go, I hope you're up to it. I know that almost all of the above is 'ground rules' instead of 'on topic' ... but I HAD to say it (I am scared, vulnerable, confused and alone except for my cat) ... NOW: do I understand correctly that questions of a medical/tech nature should be made to AHD and supportive/social items should be posted to ASD ??? Then what's to be posted to MHD? My sister is type 2, 10 days ago, she fed me lavishly, I downed about 3 cokes, ice cream sandwiches for desert... the about an hour later said "I think you are diabetic, here, let me test you." Worst part was she had to explain a lot of things, especially what 475 mg/dL means and what normal is supposed to be. Honestly, I didn't go into denial, but I did pull my head in and re-evaluate REALITY and incidentally myself image for several days. I am male, 54', 260 lbs, Caucasian (is race a factor? - there: my first question), after that first stick I've had a low reading of 145 once (it had to be false ... I've since learned that squeezing the finger tip to get the blood out puts out more plasma and gives false low reading) and a high of 375. in the last 18 hrs: 269, 281, 294, 364, 335, 294, 248, 231, & 240. yesterday a high of 338 2 hrs after breakfast, and a low of 221 before dinner, the rest all over in between (ave 260) ... the 3 days before slightly higher but getting generally lower, with some spikes. about 8+ sticks a day. eat a little of this ... see what happens ... eat a little of that ... see what happens ... try to keep each 2 hr meal under about 15 carbs, no raw sugars/starches, up to about 200 calories (x12/day = about 2400+/-) reading a lot of labels and looking a lot of things up. my #s indicate to me that I'm in serious trouble and I hope and pray that I got the wake up call in time. passing no ketones, but passing 100-1000 mg/dL glucose about 6 times a day (no pattern to the up/down). I have always drank at least a gallon of water a day, do a pass a lot of water. I don't seem to be particularly continually thirsty ... tested that ... lots of saliva after 6 hours with no liquid. Switched to weak Lipton green tea with 1oz lemon juice per 1/2 gal (that's my drinking jug size), no sweetener/no sugar, (conscience or intuition and slim facts moved me to this switch to green tea as a antioxidant/diuretic/purgative??? I'll try it for a while, unless you all give me reason otherwise)... does anybody know if Lipton green tea has caffeine? how much? (would check with Lipton if was day) (is caffeine contraindicated?) have been taking wide and detailed vitamins, minerals, and herbals every day for almost ever (several months at a time, skip a month ( reality check ), go at it again ... ) stopped now to eliminate any effect they may have been having (one was ginseng, and a little of EVERYTHING conceivable else, but not an excessive amount of anything) ... BP mid 130s over mid 80s almost al the time, been that way since I was 19 and in college ... at that time was diagnosed (unofficially) hypoglycemia after a 4 hr glucose tolerance test. not severe, friend doc said eat every 3 hours until I started registering hunger on a regular basis. bought a alarm wrist watch and ate every 3 hrs for couple of years. gradually lost interest as all seemed normal. night sweats mild and seldom ... have mild sleeping apnea ... better since I quit smoking about 3 months ago ... cold turkey ... had been smoking slightly less than a pack a day of ultra lights for about 25 yrs. minor itching in between toes and bottom of toes and balls of feet ... using Micatin and Scholl foot powder to eliminate the possibility of it being athelete's foot ( I hope it is ). will know in another 2 weeks according to the directions. no change in vision in years, far sighted slightly, not quite mild astigmatism almost vertical axis (from reading in the dark as a kid, I'm told ???), Last full physical about 3 yrs ago was told all well except what I was doing to myself : A. lose weight (285 at that time), B. stop smoking, C. exercise. Now (started a week ago) 15 minutes a day on a stair stepper (make sure Bg is less that 300) reasonable starting workout, sweat at 5 min. winded at 15. will work it up to 30 min 6 days/week. and now at lowest toughness level of 3 will wind up at toughest level and max min in about 6 months. Only been testing daily and often since Bayer sent me a new meter which arrived on the 17th. Sis had an old Bayer lancet machine and meter but the meter didn't work right and Bayer was nice enough to send me a new newer one and instructions (sis didn't have them) and a case and a box of disks and a bag of lancets and calibrating solution. the latter three have not arrived yet. So I am using disks (test strips) that are a year expired, but checking against sis's other type of meter with current strips seems to indicate that I'm getting reasonably accurate readings. it will be nice to calibrate the meter and run a current disk thru it. How I'm going to afford disks when I run out I don't know ... but I will find a way !!! Yes, the 3 day rethink exited with among other things RESOLVE. And I acknowledge that I neeeed help: at least information and ideas and options, and hopefully acquaintances and friends. Gotta plan on the exercise. Trying not to stress (BP would indicate I'm reasonably OK) I think that I am in glucose toxicity. I think that I need to get my #s down to ?normal? or near, to get out of toxicity, so that the numbers will mean something more real, so that I quit passing Gl. so that I can get to a place where I can build a more permanent plan. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Thoughts, questions, suggestions, comments welcome. Oh, BTW, I've got thick skin literally and figuratively ... sticks barely hurt and I hope you can't push any of my 'emote' buttons. thanks in advance, quique > Thoughts, questions, suggestions, comments welcome. What does your doctor say? What Rxs did s/he give? And your BP should be a little lower; it is recommended that diabetics have lower BP than "normals."  Signature"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner." - Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather > What does your doctor say? What Rxs did s/he give? I guess the following wasn't explicit enough ... I am very poor, have not been diagnosed, and do not want to be diagnosed until I can find some insurance. Therefore, I clarify: (1) I don't have a doctor. (2) I haven't been diagnosed. (3) I have not been Rx'ed. > And your BP should be a little lower; it is recommended that diabetics > have lower BP than "normals." Thank you for the suggestion.. How low should it be, ideally? What would be a good way to get it there? I'm hoping that as I increase my exercise slowly and stick to it, that BP will go down, but I have no idea how much that might help. ?? Losing weight, after I get my glucose #s into better shape might help BP as well. tnx quirque Signaturewhoever takes umbrage when none was intended ... is a fool. whoever takes umbrage when it was intended ... is a STUPID fool. >> What does your doctor say? What Rxs did s/he give? > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > I'm hoping that as I increase my exercise slowly and stick to it, > that BP will go down, but I have no idea how much that might help. ?? > Losing weight, after I get my glucose #s into better shape might help > BP as well. If you think you are diabetic type 2, then have a look on the net for metabolic syndrome aka syndrome x. It is a combination of problems most type 2 diabetics start out with - higher bp, high cholesterol, higher bg's etc. The common treatment for bp in diabetics is an ACE inhibitor as it offers some degree of protection to the kidneys. The best protection for kidneys is of course lowering the bg's dramatically to near normal, kidneys tend to go belly up rather easily in an out of control diabetic. Here is an interesting article on BP in diabetics: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3015383 Do you qualify for medicare by the way? I think Medicaid is for the poor , I always get the two mixed up . tim > >> What does your doctor say? What Rxs did s/he give? > > [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > > Do you qualify for medicare by the way? Medicaid is for the poor. If you have total assets of over $3,000 you usually do not qualify. Also, if you have a job, or are self employed. > I think Medicaid is for the poor , I always get the two mixed up . > [quoted text clipped - 37 lines] >> >>Do you qualify for medicare by the way? > > What does your doctor say? What Rxs did s/he give? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Therefore, I clarify: (1) I don't have a doctor. (2) I haven't been > diagnosed. (3) I have not been Rx'ed. I encourage you to check with your local teaching hospital and see what kind of programs they have. I was poor and uninsured when I had cancer, so I know these programs are out there. (I'm assuming that you're a single man with no dependents, and not eligible for most state/federal programs. Might check into state/federal help anyway!) I don't want to scare the crap out of you, but your numbers are too high to continue without some sort of medical intervention. No, you're not going to drop dead tomorrow, and you're not guaranteeing yourself future misery, but it is best to get treatment as soon as possible. It sounds as though you are working hard on your own, but it sounds as though you need some medical help. In the meantime, you might consider cutting out bread, sugared soda, beer, crackers, etc - any food with a high carbohydrate content until you get medical attention. Please do ask any teaching hospital in your area what kind of programs they have. > > And your BP should be a little lower; it is recommended that diabetics > > have lower BP than "normals." > > Thank you for the suggestion.. How low should it be, ideally? What would be > a good way to get it there? i'm sorry, I don't remember the exact numbers, except that mine is below it (I've always had low BP). Signature"Did Father shoot him? I will eat Grandfather for dinner." - Helen Keller, on learning of the death of her grandfather cc'd by email sigh You are on a newsgroup - you better get a little less shy if you want to get the most out of it 1) You HAVE to go to a doctor - no choice. a) check your local papers for ads for programs looking for diabetics to study - they will provide, at a minimum, free medical visits and labs b) Check your local health department and the local hospitals. SOMETIMES there are free, or very low cost diabetic screening programs. c) look for both on the internet 2) Stop wasting your money and endangering yourself with phony "herbs" and "supplements" You can NOT afford those scams, and, they are usually bad for diabetics. 3) After you get a prescription, either post on the NG, or email me privately. I know LOTS of ways to get cheap or free meds. - you are NOT the only uninsured person in the US. 4) Good thing stopping smoking 5) You HAVE to have regular eye exams, from an opthomologist - or, one day SOON you will wake up blind. Again there are lots of options which might get you free, or reduced cost care. People who get flamed on the groups are people who come on to a newsgroup of long time diabetics and TELL us what WE should do, because they (newbie, troll, scammers, or spammers) know EVERYTHING. (or want to get rich off of us) People who try and learn will usually get a number of points of view and possibly useful answers. We can be a bit rough - and you may run into trolls like the Chung, the Watchtroll, or one of Momma Betty's Aspartame trolls, and spammers like herb pushers, BioDeath, Manatech, or their ilk - but they pass. But, we hope you stay, and that we can be of help to you > I waded thru all the postings that my server had stored for AHD and ASD and > MHD ... close to 2000 ... mostly from ASD ... took me 4 days, almost [quoted text clipped - 131 lines] > thanks in advance, > quique I get the impression that the reason he's not done that is because he needs insurance to pay for the treatment, if you go to the doctor and get diagnosed before you get insurance then you won't get insurance, or not at the same price! However that doesn't make it any less important that he gets to see a doctor as soon as he can. > cc'd by email > [quoted text clipped - 167 lines] > > thanks in advance, > > quique It doesn't matter If you wait till SOMEDAY then you die Almost NO ONE at his age can get or afford non-group insurance., and group insurance is not underwritten Why should he expect to get insurance tomorrow, and not today. > I get the impression that the reason he's not done that is because he needs > insurance to pay for the treatment, if you go to the doctor and get [quoted text clipped - 374 lines] >>>thanks in advance, >>>quique Yeah but you must agree that he asked for help, he knows he needs to see a doctor, that wasn't the issue that he asked for help with. I can understand that, and we know nothing of his background nor where he comes from ...... so that being the case, offering as much help as possible would seem to be the way forward > It doesn't matter > If you wait till SOMEDAY [quoted text clipped - 383 lines] > >>>thanks in advance, > >>>quique You don't get it he HAS to see a doctor There are NO excuses I am not about to give any advice to anyone who won't seek medical advice. It is the same as malpractice. Unlike you brits, LOTS of us in the US do not have insurance - it is expensive to see a doctor, and we may have trouble paying for it. BUT, he has to. cutting out the crap he is scarfing down would help pay for it. > Yeah but you must agree that he asked for help, he knows he needs to see a > doctor, that wasn't the issue that he asked for help with. I can understand [quoted text clipped - 447 lines] >>>>>thanks in advance, >>>>>quique I don't have insurance either Ted, even though i am british. We have an health system of sorts. I don't think he was in any doubt as to whether he should or should not see a doctor, he asked for advice and information first and foremost which seems to be what he's got. As it happens, i think you're right, and i guess that our friend knows we're all right as well in that he has to see a doctor. That responsibility lies with him, but in the meantime any help and advice we can offer is surely worthwhile:) > You don't get it > he HAS to see a doctor [quoted text clipped - 460 lines] > >>>>>thanks in advance, > >>>>>quique There are a few important things. I feel that it is important NOT to let someone think that they can treat themselves without medical help. ANY encouragement in that regard is dangerous. With some medical advice (and someone who can write prescriptions) treatment becomes the diabetics responsibility, and most of us here will be overjoyed to try to help. No amount of advice here is going to spot a macular bleed which can steal his sight. Advice here MAY spot kidney failure, but can't do a whole lot about it. With the exception of the few Endo's one the group, none of us can prescribe medicine (and they would not without seeing the person) There are LOTS of good things we CAN do, including advice on how to save money, and to minimize medical expense, but a member of your team MUST be a doctor if you want to live very long, and with any quality of life. The situation in the US for us uninsured is very rough - we get charged over twice as much as insurance companies pay for the same care. Except in true emergencies, we have to pay cash in advance before anyone will see us, and it can be hard to find a doctor who will see you at all. I sympathize with anyone who is TRYING to avoid going to a doctor. It may take 3-4 months to get an appointment, if you are not already a patient, and you don't have insurance. THEN, it will cost at LEAST $150 for a first visit, and you will have to argue with the doctor not to run THOUSANDS of dollars in tests, and lots of revisits. THEN you will get a scrip for about $300+ per month in meds, and they will probably try to get you to see a dietitian, Endo, Cardiologist, and Opthomologist. No wonder the poor guy doesn't want to see a doctor. BUT, with work and help, he CAN do better. He will have to learn to say the the hospitals "I am sorry, I am a self employed self pay, and I can't afford to pay much" HARD to do, and many hospitals will NOT be interested, but some may be very helpful. I walked into a hospital once, for a necessary operation, and, after admitting told me the cost, and asked for a check, I just went into shock, and babbled something like "There seems to be a mistake, I don't need that operation, sorry to take up your time" The admitting clerk wouldn't let me leave, and called the surgeon. She then said " I have a special fund for uninsured diabetics, they will pay for it". RARE, but it does happen, and you have to learn to swallow a little pride and let them know. He also has to learn to tell his doctor "How much does that drug cost - is there a cheaper one" and "I can't afford that, what other options do I have" If he is willing to say where he is. Possibly some of us know about some programs he can use. > I don't have insurance either Ted, even though i am british. We have an > health system of sorts. I don't think he was in any doubt as to whether he [quoted text clipped - 597 lines] >>>>>>>thanks in advance, >>>>>>>quique I guess that's the real issue, without knowing a little more about his circumstance and general location there isn't much any of us can do except utter the usual phrases, and going to the doctors is always going to be foremost amongst them. I guess what would irritate most americans if they knew about it was that you almost had an "NHS" style system very similar to what we have here but it fell foul of the political system at the time, i think it was bush senior who poopooed the idea. Whilst i think our system has flaws, and i do agree that there should be private and public health care, i would not like to live in a place where the only treatment available was one i had to pay up front for. Patrick > There are a few important things. > [quoted text clipped - 656 lines] > >>>>>>>thanks in advance, > >>>>>>>quique > I guess what would irritate most americans if they knew about it was > that you almost had an "NHS" style system very similar to what we > have here but it fell foul of the political system at the time, i > think it was bush senior who poopooed the idea. Actually, universal health care was one of the coverages that was to be enacted by the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935 during the first term of FDR. There is very little new under the sun. Regards, James the Elder PS: Folks, try to be more attentive to TRIMMING posts you reply to! Snipped just for ya ;) I guess if you stick around long enough everything new is just something old given new clothes, a kick around the spin factory and marketed as the latest and greatest way of doing things ..... I still think that anyone in any country is entitiled to basic medical care provided for by the state. >You don't get it >he HAS to see a doctor >There are NO excuses I don't mean to butt in, but there are Dr's who will NOT see new patients unless they have health insurance. Cindi > >You don't get it > >he HAS to see a doctor > >There are NO excuses > > I don't mean to butt in, but there are Dr's who will NOT see new > patients unless they have health insurance. This is true. But if that Dr. won't see him, there is another one who will. I have insurance. Yet there are plenty of Drs. who don't take it. I even encountered one Dr. who wouldn't see me even though I offered to pay him cash at whatever rate he billed. SignatureType 2 http://users.bestweb.net/~jbove/ that's because there aren't enough specialists to go around. they do anything they can to limit new patients. They can only dance so fast... dave >>>You don't get it >>>he HAS to see a doctor [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > encountered one Dr. who wouldn't see me even though I offered to pay him > cash at whatever rate he billed. >This is true. But if that Dr. won't see him, there is another one who will. >I have insurance. Yet there are plenty of Drs. who don't take it. I even >encountered one Dr. who wouldn't see me even though I offered to pay him >cash at whatever rate he billed. You're kidding! I've never heard of that happening. Did they say why? Cindi I don't know about this particular case, but sometimes a doctor just isn't taking any new patients, or is being VERY selective (special cases, family of current patient, favor for a doctor friend, that sort of thing). When I got "in" at my current endo's practice, one of the docs was not taking any patients for several (6+ or more) months. The assistant took my info and talked to one of the others, who agreed to accept me. My particular "special need" was about my thyroid cancer (for long-term followup after my initial treatment), which he's particularly interested in (though my case is garden-variety); I doubt that diabetes alone would have gotten me accepted, it's a very busy place. But I didn't need to go there for dm; I did need to be followed for thyca at a place where they really know what they're doing. That doc has now left (for a position where he can do more thyca research), and I've been transferred over to one of the other doctors in the group; she's VERY good about diabetes, and as a member of a group with a lot of thyca pts will also be good for that even though I don't think it's a particular special-interest of hers as it was with the other doctor. Super-bennie is that this is in-network on my PPO, and not too inconvenient to get to either! bj > >This is true. But if that Dr. won't see him, there is another one who will. > >I have insurance. Yet there are plenty of Drs. who don't take it. I even [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Cindi bj wrote in message ... >I don't know about this particular case, but sometimes a doctor just isn't >taking any new patients, or is being VERY selective (special cases, family >of current patient, favor for a doctor friend, that sort of thing). . .(snip). . . It is impossible for me to "get in" at either of our two local endos. I am controlling too well. Some years ago, my opthamologist "kicked me out of his practice". again because my eye problems weren't sufficiently severe. I had been working with some eye-specific dangerous chemicals and needed his care (actually his in-depth exams). When I moved to less dangerous projects my need for his services ceased. I have been a patient of my excellent PCP for over 30 years. I "got in" to his practice because my wife was injured on the tennis court, and he was a fellow tennis player. Now neither of us plays tennis, and I'm not even married to that wife, but I once I was "in" I stayed "in" his practice. Regards Old Al > bj wrote in message ... > >I don't know about this particular case, but sometimes a doctor just isn't taking any new patients, or is being VERY selective (special cases, family of current patient, favor for a doctor friend, that sort of thing). > .(snip). . . > > It is impossible for me to "get in" at either of our two local endos. I am controlling too well. Congratulations. Sometimes it really is a _good thing_ to not-qualify for something! So far, I haven't qualified for several research projects -- not sick enough, too-good control, that sort of thing. Much as I like my recently-departed endo, I hope I never have to consult him for his particular research interest! I'd be very happy to chat with him at conferences, though. bj > (1) Do try to have some compassion for a unique individual, (me), and > even though I may be totally misguided ... YOU do NOT have the RIGHT > to dictate to me ... so unless you believe in coercion ... please > don't tell me that I SHOULD or MUST or OUGHT etc. to do 'this' or > 'that' ... I will NOT respond If you don't wish to benefit from the accumulated knowledge of the groups, why bother asking for assistance here? As someone who shares a great deal in common with you (I'm also a writer, similar age, race, etc., etc.) my first reaction is that, rather than being a "private" person, you come across as simply being hard-headed. So, the first thing I'll say to you that will rub you the wrong way is, GET THEE TO A DOCTOR! Can't afford it? Check out one of the innumerable studies being conducted by the major pharmacos, e.g. http://www.diabetes-study.com/About.asp, http://www.slu.edu/readstory/newslink/3131, http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/statistics/index.htm > If you try too hard ... I will tell > NewsRover to block you without even informing you. I DO respond to > logical argument and reasoning and gentle persuasion, when I perceive > it is done with caring/affection/concern/love AND it meshes with MY > conscience. I suggest you quickly develop a thicker skin, this is USENET, not your very own support group. > I know that almost all of the above is 'ground rules' instead of 'on > topic' ... but I HAD to say it (I am scared, vulnerable, confused and > alone except for my cat) ... NOW: do I understand correctly that > questions of a medical/tech nature should be made to AHD and > supportive/social items should be posted to ASD ??? Then what's to be > posted to MHD? MHD appears to be more for technical issues than AHD, and is visited by many Type Is with insulin, syringe, pump questions. > My sister is type 2, 10 days ago, she fed me lavishly, I downed about > 3 cokes, ice cream sandwiches for desert... the about an hour later [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > denial, but I did pull my head in and re-evaluate REALITY and > incidentally myself image for several days. A reading of 475 AT ANY TIME is sufficient to diagnose that you're a diabetic! You need to seek professional help. Don't give us a bunch of excuses why you can't or won't see a physician, you NEED to be evaluated in order to determine if you require some medications to assist your gaining control of your BG levels. > have been taking wide and detailed vitamins, minerals, and herbals > every day for almost ever (several months at a time, skip a month ( > reality check ), go at it again ... ) stopped now to eliminate any > effect they may have been having (one was ginseng, and a little of > EVERYTHING conceivable else, but not an excessive amount of anything) A total waste of time and money at thid point. All you're doing is changing the flowers in the vases on the Titanic! > have mild sleeping apnea ... better since I quit smoking about 3 > months ago ... cold turkey ... had been smoking slightly less than a > pack a day of ultra lights for about 25 yrs. Good for you! Wish I could quit. > minor itching in between toes and bottom of toes and balls of feet > ... using Micatin and Scholl foot powder to eliminate the possibility > of it being athelete's foot ( I hope it is ). will know in another 2 > weeks according to the directions. But, it could be something worse than athlete's foot, in which case waiting two weeks is sheer folly. > And I > acknowledge that I neeeed help: at least information and ideas and > options, and hopefully acquaintances and friends. Some of us believe in "tough love", you won't always get responses wrapped in a ribbon and tied in a bow. Find a teaching hospital, sit yourself in the waiting room and SEE A DOCTOR! Regards, James the Elder > I waded thru all the postings that my server had stored for AHD and ASD and > MHD ... close to 2000 ... mostly from ASD ... took me 4 days, almost [quoted text clipped - 131 lines] > thanks in advance, > quique I'll actually try to contribute something instead of only asking questions for a change... I'm in a similar position of not being able to afford the disease and not having any insurance, and of having neglected my health for much of the past six years that I've been type 1 diabetic. I'm glad that you came to the group making a statement and asking questions when you did because, regardless of how good or bad you feel, running with numbers like that is doing tremendous damage to your body and one day it's a fair bet that it's going to crash on you. It's a tough thing to control, and I'm still working at getting my own health under control, but it is doable, if only difficult. That being said, there's LOTS of help out there. In advice, from this group. Financially and medically, check around your local area to see if there is a charity hospital or some sort of state or federal aid. There are long waits and some decidedly shady characters around you, but there's also medical advice and prescriptions at cost, if you qualify. Just know that after that first time, they're going to want to see you pretty frequently until things are under control. This is something that I'm struggling with myself because of my distrust of the medical community and unease with going to medical institutions, but my fiancee (a *nurse*--yeah, I know, odd ain't it?) and my common sense have convinced me that in the end it would be better to keep all the appointments. Good news is that as time goes by, they'll want to see you less and less frequently. Having been someone who recently rubbed some people in this group the wrong way with a natural alternative vs. artificial sweetener question, I can attest that you will ruffle feathers. But what I see here in this group is a 'tough love' that in the end is helpful. As people with a chronic disease, we need strong encouragement not to live in denial and, unfortunately, the truth hurts. I'd encourage you not to block everyone whom you think to be too hard or pushy on you, but rather try to get outside of the box to see yourself from their perspective. It's very difficult to come out of that box, I know. You get someone grabbing your wrists and giving a firm jerk, and the instinctive reaction is to recoil in anger and receed further into the box. I know that was my reaction when I first heard the timeless "GET THEE TO THY DOCTOR NOW." ;-) We feel we need sympathy, but sympathy, while a healthy and necessary emotion to receive from others, is one of those 'give an inch and take a mile' things; too much and we just start feeding off of it instead of facing the truth. I do wish you the best luck in being able to put more emphasis in your health. Coming here indicates that you have some desire, on some level, to do that. Best luck, Kenneth Ground rules??? you might want to rethink your attitude if you expect help from everyone here who has something to offer you. Not everyone is going to handle you with kid gloves. I certainly won't. I believe in "tough love" just like Dr. Phil. If you don't want help, don't ask. If you do, state your questions and sit back and wait for some answers. Threatening to silently plonk is rather juvenile. Do you think we are all sitting at our pc's quaking in fear? If you want to plonk, be man enough to let the person know, so that they won't waste time with you. dave snip the ground rules... here is a link to the american diabetes associations web site. http://www.diabetes.org/homepage.jsp > I waded thru all the postings that my server had stored for AHD and ASD and > MHD ... close to 2000 ... mostly from ASD ... took me 4 days, almost [quoted text clipped - 131 lines] > thanks in advance, > quique > here is a link to the American Diabetes Association's web site. > http://www.diabetes.org/homepage.jsp Thanks very much, more there than I can take in all at once. Will be going back. Quirque Signaturewhoever takes umbrage when none was intended ... is a fool. whoever takes umbrage when it was intended ... is a STUPID fool. (just my opinion) Q - I've read all the responses to you, and I know it's exactly what you don't want to hear... but you do have to seek medical attention. The one thing no one has asked you is: What are you doing to get insurance? You say you won't be dx'd until you have it... so what is your plan for getting some? What steps have you taken? Where have you sought help? What programs have you looked into? You can and must be proactive on this matter. You have to fight for yourself and your health the way you would for someone you loved. You have to make calls and research on the net to find out all your insurance options. And you have to do it now. So. What will you do? And what can we do to help? Jennifer > I've read all the responses to you, and I know it's exactly what you > don't want to hear... but you do have to seek medical attention. doing... > The one thing no one has asked you is: What are you doing to get > insurance? New employment waiting period for Insurance. But with today's BG of 161 taken by the doc's nurse, my family doc may classify me as pre diabetic, (I hope) or even better may delay the actual DX until all the facts are in ... etc. etc. I asked for an appointment for a full physical and that is how it is recorded. > What steps have you taken? Listed in another post, in detail. > Where have you sought help? Everywhere I found that's appropriate, but have avoided broadcasting my info until I have surveyed the lay of the land and found the individual situation encouraging. > What programs have you looked into? Very few, only what I've accidentally stumbled over ... and they've been put on a list so that I won't have lost them when it is time to focus on that research. 'Programs' have been #3 or so on the list. As soon as the doc agrees to the blood work being done in advance, then it will be on top of the list, and enrollment in type 2 classes at the local hospital at the same time. > You can and must be proactive on this matter. You have to fight for > yourself and your health the way you would for someone you loved. You > have to make calls and research on the net to find out all your > insurance options. And you have to do it now. Yes, I agree. > And what can we do to help? As I learn more and have more information on my personal situation, I'll be better able to answer. Meanwhile ... any programs that I might want to know about? Geographically I'm in the USA in the state of Irony, but locally they call it UTAH. (I do have a sense of humor, but it needs polishing) Well met > Jennifer Thanks for the information, suggestion and concern. Quirque > As I learn more and have more information on my personal situation, > I'll be better able to answer. Meanwhile ... any programs that I > might want to know about? Geographically I'm in the USA in the state > of Irony, but locally they call it UTAH. (I do have a sense of humor, > but it needs polishing) I'd already discerned that, but resisted posting the info due to your request for privacy. If you'd be willing to post WHERE you are in UT, we might be able to find you some local assistance. Besides being a _large_ state, it's ability to address medical problems is regionally challenged. Ideally you'd be in the Orem/Provo area, with SLC second. You need only give a locale, e.g. Provo area (good!), St. George area (bad!), etc. Are you LDS? There are programs available for members as well as support from local Temples. (No, I'm not LDS. Just know about it.) I'm glad to see you've accomplished seeing an MD in your own way and am heartened that you've begun taking steps to control your disease. But, you've got a ways to go yet. WRT your pending employment. A diagnosis of DM isn't necessarily sufficient cause to preclude enrollment in group coverage, nor is it automatically categorized as a "pre-existing condition" that prevents the plan from providing coverage for Dr's visits, prescriptions and testing materials; any more than a post-menopausal woman would lose prescription coverage for HRT or a nearsighted employee not being covered for glasses or contacts. Most health plans view Type 2 DM as a "condition" rather than a disease, rather like the way they view a person with celiac disease. However, complications arising from your DM might well be not covered for at least a year. Of course, all of the above depends on the employer's plan selection and the coverage they're willing to provide. How are the feet? Regards, James the Elder > I'd already discerned that, but resisted posting the info due to your > request for privacy. Thank you > If you'd be willing to post WHERE you are in UT, we might be able to find > you some local assistance. Besides being a _large_ state, it's ability to > address medical problems is regionally challenged. Ideally you'd be in the > Orem/Provo area, with SLC second. You need only give a locale, e.g. Provo > area (good!), St. George area (bad!), etc. In between Provo and SLC, and go to both cities weekly. > I'm glad to see you've accomplished seeing an MD in your own way and am > heartened that you've begun taking steps to control your disease. But, > you've got a ways to go yet. Thanks, and yes ... a long ways to go. > WRT your pending employment. A diagnosis of DM isn't necessarily > sufficient [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > James the Elder What does "WRT" mean? Thank you for the most encouraging information about insurance matters. I'll excise some of my thinking and views and implant a better (especially for me) perspective, particularly in terms of the concept if "condition". The feet are better, but not perfect. I still have a week of so to go according to the label. I'm not sure if the improvement is due to increased awareness of my feet and I suppose I wiggle and move my toes more often because of the attention. It would be nice if the damage was little to none. I'm posting this here in MHD and in ASD and would like to basically move to and post in ASD. The threads, replies, my posts, and complications of 3 news groups on top of never having posted more than a single message per news group before this ... overwhelmed am I (yoda would say) .. I have to do something before I lose it. So what I'm going to try is to live in ASD, lurk in MHD (getting out of the way of the type I and pumpers) and lurk in AHD as well. AHD doesn't seem to get many posts. It might be a good place to post non-technical or social posts to other members of this community. I don't know, just drowning and overwhelmed. Best regards to you James the elder and you all... BTW is there one or more James the youngers? > In between Provo and SLC, and go to both cities weekly. The best answer you could give for your locale. I'll post more about that tomorrow in ASD. > What does "WRT" mean? Sorry, newsgroup shorthand for With Regard To. > Thank you for the most encouraging information about insurance > matters. I'll excise some of my thinking and views and implant a > better (especially for me) perspective, particularly in terms of the > concept if "condition". You're welcome. These things aren't all cut and dried and some employers and their plans are more flexible than others. Don't know what kind of a job you're getting, but if you're going to become a professional wordsmith, you'll probably be OK. If you're going to push an idiot stick at the K-Mart, you're in trouble! > The feet are better, but not perfect. I still > have a week of so to go according to the label. I'm not sure if the > improvement is due to increased awareness of my feet and I suppose I > wiggle and move my toes more often because of the attention. It would > be nice if the damage was little to none. Be good to your feet! Actually, be VERY good to your feet. That's from someone who knows whereof he speaks. ME! > I'm posting this here in MHD and in ASD and would like to basically > move to and post in ASD. No problem, I've set replies for this thread to ASD. > Best regards to you James the elder and you all... Same to you ........, uhhhhh. We don't know your name! Wanna' share? > BTW is there one or more James the youngers? Just the one and he's enough. He's referred to as James the Lesser! Well, at least by me. Coincidentally, he's in Orem! And, he drives from Provo to SLC and back every workday! Say......... you're not HIM are you? ;-) Regards, James the Elder cc'd by email 1) You are not pre diabetic you are diabetic 2) Either your insurance will cover it, or it won't. No delay in Dx will help You have a reading over 126 You ARE diabetic Most group insurance will cover pre existing conditions immediatly. If yours doesn't, you won't have coverage for a year. But you have a reading on record - you ARE out of luck on any pre existing condition clause >>I've read all the responses to you, and I know it's exactly what you >>don't want to hear... but you do have to seek medical attention. [quoted text clipped - 49 lines] > Thanks for the information, suggestion and concern. > Quirque I would ( and have ) invest the 8$ for a wal-mart brand Reli-on meter , the strips are better than 1/2 the price of all others( especially those fancy "convenient" ones ( about 22$ for 50 )...a little better (not much) if you buy 100 pack ...at least that way, you might be in a better $$ position to have at-least SOME idea of what YOU can eat !!! As for running expired strips , it is at your own risk . But if it were me , I would definately cross test with a good set every so often (especially if you get wierd BG numbers with them ). ( and store like meds , in a cool-dry-place ) Best of Luck to you and us-all . tim > I waded thru all the postings that my server had stored for AHD and ASD and > MHD ... close to 2000 ... mostly from ASD ... took me 4 days, almost [quoted text clipped - 131 lines] > thanks in advance, > quique most strips will last way past the expiration. That's NOT a professional, nor medical opinion. It's my PERSONAL observation, using various Lifescan meters. if all you can get is expired, they are better than nothing. Of course it would be better to use fresh ones... ( I hate these obvious disclaimers but there are some cranky, argumentative folks who will nitpick every post to death. I'm quickly weeding out those trolls with my filters, and soon this will be an utterly pleasant NG to attend!) dave > I would ( and have ) invest the 8$ for a wal-mart brand Reli-on meter > , the strips are better than 1/2 the price of all others( especially [quoted text clipped - 146 lines] >>thanks in advance, >>quique http://www.diabetes-normalsugars.com/ Hi! I may get flamed for this response, but you gotta do what you gotta do. What most of the others don't seem to be considering, is that even with a dx and doc, you might still be getting bad care. I had both and rx's and STILL had high bg's. (BTW, my endo is considered the very best in my large Capitol city mid-western state and the leading endo at our large, very-well known teaching hospital). Desperate, I searched the web. I found the above site, bought the book, followed the advice, and in literally days, my bg's dropped from the 2-300's into the lower 100's. Over time, they have dropped to the completely normal range. Give Doc Bernstein a try for a few weeks. If this doesn't get you to reasonable numbers, you'll know that you can't control with diet and exercise alone and need to find another alternative. Best of luck, Mary Sue > I waded thru all the postings that my server had stored for AHD and ASD and > MHD ... close to 2000 ... mostly from ASD ... took me 4 days, almost [quoted text clipped - 131 lines] > thanks in advance, > quique I find it a bit funny that you tell people not to tell you what to do by telling them what to do. I am in the US also and have family that does not have health insurance and chronic diseases. The problem that I see with your postponing seeing a doctor to avoid a diagnosis is that if you are poor, you won't be able to afford the premiums anyway. With the numbers you are showing, you need to get meds to lower them. Although you could selfmedicate, but you really need to see a doctor to get some tests and the proper medication started. In every big city in the United States there are places that provide low cost health care. IMHO, you need to bite the bullet and get those numbers down. While your seeing the Endo also see a Shrink. -- Warpo He can't. You've taken up all the shrink's available appointments. Too bad you haven't gotten what you paid for... dave > While your seeing the Endo also see a Shrink. > > -- > Warpo |
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