Diabetic anyone?

[Andrew, Jr.]

T4Texas,

I can so relate to you and your story. It is pretty much like mine.

I have been eating alot more tuna than anything else. It is the only thing I can mentally, emotionally, and so on handle. I want to be thin desperately but know I never will be. I am well over 300 pounds, but am working on it. My snacks are fruits and veggies. My meals are counted out. Everything I put in my mouth is written down and given to my doctor. Everything. Utz chips & pretzels included.

I had my heart attack after my hysto. I had 2 major blood clots come up from my left leg and travel towards my lungs. I was injected in my chest/stomach area with the clot busting medicine every 4 hours while I was in the Corinary Care Unit. My one leg is constantly swollen with water retention. That is about all I drink is water. I allow myself a cup of coffee in the morning.

I too wear compression socks daily, and have to wear them flying. I also have sleep apnea and have that entire set-up by my bed.

I am grateful to the nurse I had. I sent her a card and flowers when I was sent home. She loved her job, and it showed.

Diabetes sucks no matter how you look at it.

[WhiteTigress]

Originally Posted by SoulSearcher

As for the carbs and starches... She said I could have between 15-30 carbs per snack and 45-60 per meal. I do watch my carbs also... Instead of eating like potatoes at dinner, I either eat a salad or a yogurt cup. She said a great thing to do is to incorporate your desert into your meal instead of eating as desert. For example: The eating the yogurt cup in place of the potatoes.

SS,

I hope you are talking about 15-30 and 45-60 GRAMS of carbs. I don't want anyone mislead that these numbers count for servings. The one thing that so many people forget is that vegetables ARE carbs. They just aren't all starch carbs.

In my best days (and I plan to get back to them soon), I used to have a half cup of non-fat milk with an ounce of protein and a starch for my early morning meal. I would have a snack around 9:30 of a piece of fruit with another ounce of protein (usually cheese) and a sugar-free Jell-O. For lunch I would have 2 ounces of a meat/cheese and a salad. If I had the time, I would have another snack of fruit and cheese around 2:30. Then dinner was usually 3-4 ounces of meat with raw veggies or I would make a stir-fry that I could eat over a few days. My nutritional counselor had me on approximately 8 carb servings during a day, as a component of an 1800 calorie per day plan.

Timber brought home a copy of the diet that one of hir patient's was given to start treating their diabetes, and they had them on 2000 calories a day, with 16 carb servings. I thought that was preposterous. I can only guess that this person was going to have a more difficult time with fewer calories and carbs, but I'll almost guarantee that at some point in the future, they will have both their calories and carbs cut back significantly.

I would have to say that everyone who has this diagnosis really needs to participate in a diabetic care class, that includes an individualized meal program for their specific needs. I know that I shared copies of my plan with Andrew, and I think that he found it very helpful, but I also know that he's been under the watchful eye of his own care team, too.

WT

Oops sorry, yes I did mean 15-30 grams and 45-60 grams of carbs, so sorry about the confusion.

Originally Posted by WhiteTigress

SS,

I hope you are talking about 15-30 and 45-60 GRAMS of carbs. I don't want anyone mislead that these numbers count for servings. The one thing that so many people forget is that vegetables ARE carbs. They just aren't all starch carbs.

In my best days (and I plan to get back to them soon), I used to have a half cup of non-fat milk with an ounce of protein and a starch for my early morning meal. I would have a snack around 9:30 of a piece of fruit with another ounce of protein (usually cheese) and a sugar-free Jell-O. For lunch I would have 2 ounces of a meat/cheese and a salad. If I had the time, I would have another snack of fruit and cheese around 2:30. Then dinner was usually 3-4 ounces of meat with raw veggies or I would make a stir-fry that I could eat over a few days. My nutritional counselor had me on approximately 8 carb servings during a day, as a component of an 1800 calorie per day plan.

Timber brought home a copy of the diet that one of hir patient's was given to start treating their diabetes, and they had them on 2000 calories a day, with 16 carb servings. I thought that was preposterous. I can only guess that this person was going to have a more difficult time with fewer calories and carbs, but I'll almost guarantee that at some point in the future, they will have both their calories and carbs cut back significantly.

I would have to say that everyone who has this diagnosis really needs to participate in a diabetic care class, that includes an individualized meal program for their specific needs. I know that I shared copies of my plan with Andrew, and I think that he found it very helpful, but I also know that he's been under the watchful eye of his own care team, too.

WT

[Andrew, Jr.]

WT,

I actually shared your plan with my support group! The folks in charge of it made more copies of it, and plan to use it in the future. It really has excellent outlines of what to do, the meal plans, etc. I will never forget when I saw some jack*** who told me to just eat eggs for all 3 meals, and to check back in with him in a month. Yuck! You are so right about getting educated on this disease. It can go on for years and run havoc on your body. I know it - it has done it to mine.

Thank you, WT. You rock!

[violaine]

Baked Vegan Donuts



Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour [i use a combo of oat, chickpea, sorghum, fava, and sometimes, white rice]

1/2 cup sugar [can subsitute with yacon, agave, chopped dates, figs, et c.]

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder [i use ener-g baking powder replacer - no high sodium]

1/4 tsp salt [ i skip all together]

1/4 tsp nutmeg [i use more!]

1 shake of cinnamon

1/2 cup soymilk [or subsitute / mix with - almond, coconut, rice]

1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla [french vanilla kicks it up a notch!]


Egg replacer for 1 egg (I used Ener-G Egg Replacer.)

4 tablespoons Earth Balance or other vegan margarine

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350º F.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients with a whisk to mix thoroughly.

In a small saucepan, combine wet ingredients over medium low heat & mix until margarine is melted. You should be able to stick your finger in the mixture without burning yourself. Don't make this too hot for the dough!

Add wet to dry & mix until just combined, forming a soft spongy dough.

Using a tablespoon measure, scoop out dough into an ungreased nonstick mini donut pan & smooth out the tops of them. If using a regular sized donut pan (like I did), fill them until just below the rim. Make sure not to overfill them or they'll have uneven muffin tops. If you under fill them, they'll be skimpy, but still edible.

Bake them for 12 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.

Invert the hot pan over a cooling rack to release the donuts & allow them to cool completely before decorating.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Oh my dear sweet Belle,

Thank you! I love donuts! I miss them so very much. In fact, I go and stare at them in the grocery store back in the bakery. The smell, the taste...I just miss them sooo!

You are such an angel!

Love you from the bottom of my fat little heart,
Andrew
ox

[Andrew, Jr.]

I am trying to get blood out of my fingers for the finger stick - glucose testing. I can't. Nothing. I "milk" my fingers - nothing. I run warm water over them. Nothing. So I changed up, and I got a AccurCheck lancet. It lets you lance your hands, forearms, legs, and so on. Well, it works very well, but no blood will come out. So I have been using my toes. I called my doc and she read me the riot act. I am back to the beginning. Any ideas? Yes, I am using the highest no. for the deepest cut.

My one forearm is very scarred up from where I tried to lance it before. I have tried to cover up the scars with lotion to try to heal the wounds, but nothing seems to work on that either. I am using Neosporin now. But the scars are still there. And my fingers are callased.

I would highly recommend talking to your doctor in person. It could possibly be that your blood is too thick for you to get any blood out. You may need to be on a blood thinner or even 1 aspirin a day as I have been told that it also helps in thinning out your blood.

I certainly am no doctor but that is the only thing I can think of. I know my blood tends to be thick quite often and drs have trouble drawing blood from me sometimes because of it.

So just check that out and I am sorry I could not be of further assistance. Also make sure you are poking in the right spots such as kind of on the tip of your finger. It always works for me there. And occasionally i have to push the stick thing down like into my finger kind of before i push the button to release the pricker as I call it.

Hope you figure something out soon.

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

I am trying to get blood out of my fingers for the finger stick - glucose testing. I can't. Nothing. I "milk" my fingers - nothing. I run warm water over them. Nothing. So I changed up, and I got a AccurCheck lancet. It lets you lance your hands, forearms, legs, and so on. Well, it works very well, but no blood will come out. So I have been using my toes. I called my doc and she read me the riot act. I am back to the beginning. Any ideas? Yes, I am using the highest no. for the deepest cut.

My one forearm is very scarred up from where I tried to lance it before. I have tried to cover up the scars with lotion to try to heal the wounds, but nothing seems to work on that either. I am using Neosporin now. But the scars are still there. And my fingers are callased.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Thank you SoulSearcher! I do take an aspirin a day, and I still have "thick" blood. Even when I go for my 3 month bloodwork for the A1C, the tech has problems keeping it flowing. By the time I am done, I am usually bruised, and exhausted. I am waiting to see what my cardio wants to do next.

It is really hard to explain to most people until you tell them your Diabetic. Then they seem to understand. Thank you for your advice. I am going to try it your way and see how it goes. I will let you know tomorrow.

*Hey Belle,

Thank you for your kind rep to me. I have no clue as to how to leave you one. I called the # you left me, but it didn't work. Just an fyi.

Much love to you and the furkids,
Andrew

[Rockinonahigh]

I have been folowing the meal plan and have lost a couple more pounds,I thought I would have lost more but I will take what I can get.I found brown rice that is instant from uncle Bens rice product..not to bad.Not so with whole wheat spagettie..yech, nasty tasting stuff,I will contenue with the regular kind but with way smaller portions.I have gotten most of my exersiseing from my work cause im always moveing and walking everywhere,tonight I played basket ball for a half hour with a neighbor..yes I still got it with a basket ball,wish I could find a volly ball team somewhere..will check into that.I 'd rather play with a team than work out cause it gets boreing by myself..nobody else around hear works out or cares to.

[JustJo]

For Andrew, and anyone else having trouble with blood tests or finger pricks.....drink lots and lots of plain ol' water. Most of the time, these troubles happen because we're dehydrated, even though we don't feel thirsty. Aim for 6 or 8 big glasses of plain water a day, every day....and see if it helps. It certainly can't hurt!

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

I am trying to get blood out of my fingers for the finger stick - glucose testing. I can't. Nothing. I "milk" my fingers - nothing. I run warm water over them. Nothing. So I changed up, and I got a AccurCheck lancet. It lets you lance your hands, forearms, legs, and so on. Well, it works very well, but no blood will come out. So I have been using my toes. I called my doc and she read me the riot act. I am back to the beginning. Any ideas? Yes, I am using the highest no. for the deepest cut.

My one forearm is very scarred up from where I tried to lance it before. I have tried to cover up the scars with lotion to try to heal the wounds, but nothing seems to work on that either. I am using Neosporin now. But the scars are still there. And my fingers are callased.

Andrew....

As others have said drink lots of water, and instead of pricking the tips of your fingers use the sides of your fingers. It doesn't hurt nearly as badly on the sides as it does pricking the tips, and the blood flows much more freely (for me) than the tips ever did.

[Andrew, Jr.]

What lancet do you all use? This part is just frustrating to me.

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

What lancet do you all use? This part is just frustrating to me.

I just use the generic ones they sell at Ralph's Grocery....

[MsTinkerbelly]

Originally Posted by Rockinonahigh

I have been folowing the meal plan and have lost a couple more pounds,I thought I would have lost more but I will take what I can get.I found brown rice that is instant from uncle Bens rice product..not to bad.Not so with whole wheat spagettie..yech, nasty tasting stuff,I will contenue with the regular kind but with way smaller portions.

I'm not sure about the brand (I just head for the yellow box) but I think it is Barilla...not the usual pasta, but the HIGH protein pasta made with Lentil flour...for whatever reason it doesn't mess with my blood sugar, cooks just like regular pasta, and is tasty.

[Rockinonahigh]

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

I'm not sure about the brand (I just head for the yellow box) but I think it is Barilla...not the usual pasta, but the HIGH protein pasta made with Lentil flour...for whatever reason it doesn't mess with my blood sugar, cooks just like regular pasta, and is tasty.

Good and thank you,I got to have my spagettie now and then,

[Rockinonahigh]

Originally Posted by MsTinkerbelly

I'm not sure about the brand (I just head for the yellow box) but I think it is Barilla...not the usual pasta, but the HIGH protein pasta made with Lentil flour...for whatever reason it doesn't mess with my blood sugar, cooks just like regular pasta, and is tasty.

Good and thank you,I got to have my spagettie now and then.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Rockin,

Have you tried the whole wheat pasta? Even the tri-something wheat pasta is good too. I know how you feel about Italian food. I just love it too.

[Rockinonahigh]

Originally Posted by Andrew, Jr.

Rockin,

Have you tried the whole wheat pasta? Even the tri-something wheat pasta is good too. I know how you feel about Italian food. I just love it too.

Hi Andrew,Yes I tryed the whole wheat pasta in a word ..nasty..wich is something this italian boi cant deal with.Oh,about your problem about pricking your fingers totest..try soaking your hand is very warm but not hot water.That will dialate the blood vessels a bit and more blood will be in them to test with.There is a diabetic I work with that told me she had this same problem..works for her.

[Andrew, Jr.]

Rockin,

I think it's because I am usually hot & sweaty. I actually was told to stop pricking my finger since I was within normal limits of my bloodwork. I feel so uncomfi about it. Having OCD it just another ritual I have had to take on, if that makes sense.

I am glad we can talk about this here.