Geez, Gayle I'm sorry to hear that.
I don't have any info to share, but I want you to know I'm thinking of you.

Ron

I've written several articles for the VA on what is called "pre-diabetes," and the prediction is that millions of people have it but don't know it. In most cases, it can be controlled with lifestyle changes (diet and exercise). If I was already taking five other meds, I think I'd do ANYTHING to keep from adding a sixth!

Ask for a glucose tolerance test before seeing an encrinologist.
As okwriter said, if your blood sugar is slightly high, diet and exercise is a lot better than drugs.

Do yourself a favour and contact your local chapter of the Diabetes Association. Talk with them there about your diet. Changing the way you eat could keep you off another medication. You may not be eating actual sugar but I bet your eating stuff that is treated the same way by your body.

Thanks! I had a good cry. I hate meds.

Mush, I will call the local chapter. Thank you!

From what I have read...it looks like everything has to be "scratch cooking". Which I do most of the time. I haven't read how cheese breaks down. But, I bet it's not good.

Gayle

Good luck!

Gayle...what OK has written is correct. I'm an excellent example that it works.

I spent the first half of my life with chronic low blood sugar and several years ago discovered that my system had flipped on me. My glucose # was way higher than yours when I was first diagnosed. As I recall...it was 157. I am a terrible candidate for medications because my system just doesn't like anything that comes out of a bottle or the end of a syringe. Plus...there are genetic kidney problems in my family which complicated my own diagnosis. So...I knockled down as soon as I learned of the problem.

First...I read everything I could find regarding diabetes. Mush gives you good advice. If you don't want to talk to an American Diabetes Assoc member...go to their web site. It's wonderfully informative.

The next thing I did was adopt my own diabetes diet. You'll learn to count carbohydrates in everything...and to keep them as low as possible in your own diet. No more processed sugar...and you'll be shocked to learn where processed sugar "lives". Any dairy product has sugar...called lactose. White flour based products soon become no-nos as does white rice and white flour pastas.

In the beginning...it sounds terrible...but it soon became a game to me to see how "normally" I could eat using the restrictions that were necessary.

The upside? I dropped 50 lbs in less than 3 months. It went on that fast and came off just as fast. I was shocked...and very happy about that. I've never been over weight and the weight gain was a puzzling discomfort to me. Plus...I feel terrific! I'm almost 69 years old and I've got more pep and energy than most of my under 40 neighbors. I run circles around them.

But...the most important thing...my glucose #s never exceed 110. As a matter of fact...they rarely go beyond 100. I monitor myself twice a day to make sure it stays that way. The longer you can keep from taking any glucose lowering med...the better off you'll be. It's better to adjust your eating habits, to exercise and always get a good nights sleep so your body will continue to produce insulin on its own. If it must become dependent on a med to do that...it will slowly stop producing on its own.

If you like cinnamon...find ways to work it into your daily diet. It's been proven that it stimulates your insulin production and I can personally attest to that. I have some every day...either on toast mixed with Splenda...or in my coffee.

The most important thing to remember...don't be scared. You can manage this and there are only plus features to this new life style.

HTH.........Anne

Here's a good informational site, Gayle. It's not the ADA...but it, too, is excellent.

Anne

Here is a link that might be useful: Diabetes Info

Hi Gayle - I have been slightly above normal on my readings since childhood. On and off pills. A balanced diet is key and there are many good tips you'll learn along the way - when you are ready.

Empower yourself with knowledge and you will feel much better. Read, talk to people, post questions - talk to us. We're here for you and many of us are in this together.

I think of myself as an energy burning wood stove. Eat junky food is like putting quickly flammable items inside. Eat balance meals and the energy burns slowly and you feel better. Each person is different. As you go through this journey you may be surprised as mentioned above that you will start to feel much, much better, may lose weight and sleep better. Your local library is another good place to find information.

It may seem like bad news to you right now but it's good news to find out why you are not feeling well. You have just taken your first step to the road of better health. If you have any problems with figuring out your pills you can also have a very good talk with your pharmacist. They are there to help.

((((((((Gayle))))))))

Empower yourself with knowledge.

If you have an A1C of 6.0 that is doing pretty good without medications and watching you diet. My advice is to see a Diabetes Educator, which your insurance should pick up for you. There are many myths, that you will hear from well meaning family and friends, but you need to be fully informed and a DE is the best at doing that. If you see a dietitian,make sure they are well versed in diabetes, not all of them are. It is overwhelming to hear the words, but diabetes can be managed, in the early stages like you have caught it. Just get yourself informed. That is one of your best tools. Here are a few other sites I think are very helpful.

aadenet.org

joslin.org.

diabetes.org

glycemicindex.com

http://www.enotalone.com/article/4845.html

Oh, thank you all. I've always been so healthy and thin. I was at a loss as to where this extra 30 pounds came from. I've been sickly since October. This weight came on so fast, but it was after my very active job, when I retired.

I talked to a friend tonight that told me to start on Flax Seed Oil immediately. I'm going to call the Health Club tomorrow to see what a 3 month Membership Cost.

Going to the Grocery Store tomorrow with what little I know about Nutrition for some healthy alternatives.

Sad I have to give up Alcohol. I love Wine and sometimes Vodka Mixes.

Feeling a little more encouraged. Dang, getting old sure ain't for sissy's.

Gayle

Have you met with a nutritionist? My father turned his sugar problem around by dropping all flour (bread, pasta, cereals, etc.), alcohol, simple sugars and even high sugar veggies (winter squash, corn, carrots, etc.). It was amazing the difference it made. He basically ate protein and low sugar veggies.

I just found out 5 hours ago.

I'm on it like a duck on water.

Gayle

Okay, I see why you may feel a little cranky. You're entitled. Sending my very wishes the report sounds more alarming than it actually is. I don't know anything about the foods to eat, but I can tell you if you have to lay off the white flour stuff, it is not difficult and can be very tasty. I used go to a soul food restaurant in the city. They didn't cook anything with white flour but used wheat flour only. I never knew how good wheat corn bread was or spinach spaghetti and wheat spaghetti could be, or fried corn made with wheat flour instead of white. They also didn't cook anything with pork. They only used turkey to season veggies, and boy they were delicious.

Let us know when you're able to talk to the doc again. I'm betting that discussion will be more reassuring.

(((Gayle)))

Your glucose of 128 may not be all that bad. It depends on when the reading was made. Your glucose level will be elevated after you eat. Blood sugar readings should be taken just before you eat. This lets you know if you can have a serving or must limit the carbohydrates. I've been on meds for diabetes type 2 for 10 years. My preferred glucose range is 90 to 120. The diabetic educator does not want to see readings above 120, although an excursion above this number isn't fatal if you can bring it back down.

A flu attack will wreak havoc with the glucose munbers; Some people crash while others have elevated readings. Going out in the cold may raise your blood sugar. It has gotten increasingly difficult for me to control my glucose levels, however, I have found that for me, weight is the biggest factor. My blood sugar is more easily controlled when I an loosing weight, and I've got quite a bit to lose. The other factor is exercise, not just a stint of cardovascular trainning, but real labor over a long enough period of time to burn off calories. The labor does not have to be extreme, just enough of it to burn calories. My problem is finding something that is not boring. Taking a 3 mile hike on a trail is good. I may not be expending energy very fast, but it is at a steady pace and I am on my feet the whole time. Later, when the weather improves, I will be taking my bicycle out for runs. being cooped up in winter is very bad for diabetics.

Another way for me to add exercise to my routine is to walk to the grocery store rather than drive. I live within 0.7 mile of a neighborhood grocery store and when I walk there for small items, it helps my health.

Along with blood sugar, blood pressure is important too. My blood pressure has been under control ever since I started watching for excess salt in my diet. These days, it is sad, but, you can get sandbagged in the grocery store on salt. Sadly, I can't bring home most canned soups. Have you read the sodium content lately? The amount of sodium listed on the can is for one serving. You must look for how many servings are in a can and multipy the two numbers to find how much salt is in one can. it's revealng. Many soups run 600 to 900 mg (milligrams) of sodium per serving and may have 3.5 servings per can. This would be my entire days salt needs - That's too much. For a male, 2000 to 2500 mg of salt per day is plenty. The only readon to increase this amount is if one is sweaating a lot from labor and hot weather.

Good luck on your endevor. I think that you have caught your early enough to stave it off with life style changes.

My dad got a similar report. He started taking cinnamon tablets and he got his level back down to normal.

When I found out I had diabetes, which was last year, my glucose level was 209, and my lowest reading was 30, which was veryyyyyyyy scarey. My doctor wants my levels to run between 70 to 120.
I also take cinnamon pills, try to watch my starches, and avoid sugar also try to eat 6 mini meals a day too. I do take 2 pills a day for the diabetes though.

I go back Friday at 3:15 for meds.

My Cholesterol is 240, not 160. I don't know where that number came from. I got the written report today.

I will look up Cinnamon Pills. Never heard of it.

Gayle

Instead of cinnamon pills..I sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of fresh ground cinnamon on top of my coffee in the morning.

Costs less, too.

I put a little Cinnamon on my plate and dipped apple slices in it for a snack.

Not bad!

Gayle

Straight to meds without trying lifestyle changes first? I would ask the doctor about meeting with a dietician and trying diet and exercise first.

Trust me I've had a very serious awakening, I'm not going to jump on the meds. I'll be sure to discuss with my Doctor all the things I have learned in the last few days. He is accustomed to be telling him "I read on the Internet that...."

With my new diet and exercise, I just might be able to get rid of the other meds for BP.

Gayle