Newly diagnosed but on the right path

[wynonna]

I come in peace, looking for support. My story in a nutshell. I started low-carbing in 2002 and lost weight (I needed to lose about 150 lbs). I went off low carb last summer and started feeling bad, but not bad enough to go back to Atkins. About a month ago, I started getting tired, sluggish, etc. and last Monday I was hospitalized with acute DKA, as well as Type II diabetes (I was shocked, but not too surprised, given my weight and family history).

The hospital started me on the ADA 1800 diet, which to my horror, was loaded with carbs. I was released last Wednesday afternoon, and for a day, I decided to do what the nutritionist had recommended. Thursday night before I went to bed, my BG was well over 400.

Since Friday morning, I've been doing strict low-carb, as a starting point. My low BG yesterday was 165; my last BG today was 224 but is going down, so I feel that I'm on the right track. Needless to say, this is all sort of overwhelming. I've been put on Metaformin as well as insulin (sliding scale) and I'm still trying to adjust to this lifestyle change.

My biggest gripe right now is that last Monday morning I was down to 200 lbs -- this morning I was at 220 lbs. What the heck? I was taken off the diuretic that I've been on for years, and I know that I was pretty dehyrdrated, but 20 lbs? I've been drinking sufficient water, but gee whiz...

Any words of wisdom for this "old" newbie would be appreciated.

[Squid]

I'm sure you'll get a lot of suggestions. Mine would be to reread the Bernstein book.

It is really hard to go against conventional wisdom and do the exact opposite, isn't it? For a long time, I second guessed myself every time I read a study that says low fat is the way to go. But there's plenty of evidence out there that low carb diet helps diabetics. I am sticking with this WOE for life.

How about walking for half an hour each day? It may be hard at first as you're adjusting your meds and insulin, but it will help.

I'm kind of like you in a way. I lost a lot of weight on low carb (185 to 152 lbs) and then life got messy and I carbed myself back up to 195 and a case of breast cancer. I really think my diet and messed up insulin and blood sugar contributed to it. Now I've learned my lesson. I'm almost afraid to eat a carb these days lol. My weight is back down with about 5 lbs to go. I exercie every day. I'll get my a1c done tomorrow but I bet it's low. I'm back in a size 12. Life is good :-)

Good luck to you. Things will improve - you're just in that still in shock phase. Hang in there.

Squid

[Charran]

Welcome! I'm not sure I have any words of "advice" per se, except to say...keep doing what you're doing. You'll see many improvements with time. I'm not sure of the reason for the suddent weight gain, but it could very well be from stopping the diruetic. What was the reason that they took you off of it? I know that is frustrating to see, but at least you know it isn't a "fat" gain.

Many of us here have experienced the frustration of the ADA or CDA diet plans. I'm glad you knew about LC eating and it's benefits! Too bad the medical community doesn't understand this yet!

I'm not sure if you have started an exercise program yet, but many will see a reduction in BG from doing something as simple as daily walking. Give it a try if you haven't yet!

[Korban]

/wave and welcome to the forum!

Six weeks ago for me, I started LC as a last resort - literally. I had no energy and was in a deep fog of depression. I knew next to nothing about diabetes or LC. My bgs had been running 240 - 285 on avg (for... I don't know how long) with excusions to 350.

My baptism into LC came from reading a copy of Atkins Diabetes Revolution that somehow had been sitting around the house. I began his "induction" program - 20 g carb per day. The first three days - no diffeence in bg... on day 4, I got a 212 reading =) and then days 5 - 7, I had dropped a hundred mg/dl to about 150... I scratched my head...

It was then on day 7 of "induction" that I went to my internist --> he prescribed Lantus and said see you in four months --> Then, thank god, I found this forum --> I read Bernstein --> drank the Kool-Aid --> and live happily ever after --> well, not the last part.

Once my sugars began to normalize I noticed a surge of energy and that I had come out of a deep fog of depression - YMMV. I am exercising daily now and losing weight without hardly trying...

I can't give you any advice re: your "water weight" or diuretic even though I used to have to take Lasix (furosemide) for a heart condition (due to fluid build-up around the heart). I still always carry it with me just in case. They are powerful little pills (read as - a Medical issue appropriate for medical doctors I would think).

IMHO, great group of people here who have tons of experience and wisdom learning to live successfully with this disease. I have learned much here and I think I will come back and I hope you will too. Onward and upward.

/smile
a n00b Bernstein Program guy

[CarolynC]

Welcome to the forum, wyonna! I'm sorry that you're having to go through this. However, it's good that you found low carb so soon after your diagnosis. It sounds like the added weight is water. It may even leave as abruptly as it came.

[MizKitty]

Welcome Wynonna! Glad you knew that low carbing was the answer, ratherthan spend years trying to do what doctors and nutritionists say, getting sicker and fatter every year (um... like I did...http://www.scentagious.com/forum/images/smiles/nerv.gif
If you were just in the hospital this past Monday, you're probably retaining a lot of water from the carbage they fed you.

Good luck to you! Diabetes is very manageable and doesn't have to be a dire sentence, if you control your carbs. I bet you'll be off the Lantus by the time you get to onederland.

[Rose1942]

Hi Wynnona, so glad you found this place like I did a mere couple of months ago. Everyone here is so supportive and well informed, it's like a breath of fresh air compared to most of the mediocre places you find on the net.

I don't have a lot of advice because I am fairly new to this myself. While I didn't have a lot of weight to lose, it was a lot for me, since I am short and not only that - old! But I can tell you that for me at least, and for some others, the blood sugar control comes quite rapidly doing low carb, and the weight loss follows soon after. It doesn't necessarily have to start right away, like for me it started over a week into low carb, while the BG control started happening in a few days! But it WILL happen, that is a promise:)

Coincidentally I just finished reading a good diabetes book today by Gretchen Becker. It is called 'The First Year'. Here's a link to it on amazon, give you an idea what it is about. http://www.amazon.com/First-Year-Diabetes-Essential-Diagnosed/dp/1569242658/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206921891&sr=8-1 When you get to the amazon page, a cool thing to do is to click on the 'search inside this book' feature. It lets you see some pages within the book itself, like flipping through it at a bookstore. You can keep clicking on the 'surprise me!' link to get more pages, they are selected at random, but it is a nice wey to get the idea of what the author is saying.

What I found particularly interesting today was the chapter in which she explains why sometimes weight loss (or gain) can be influenced at the beginning of a new diet, by specialized enzymes in the digestive system. In a nutshell, she says that if you have been eating a high carb, low fat diet (for example) your body is accustomed to those things and it will take a few days or a week or so for it to 'retrofit' itself to include the particular enzymes that you need for the new foods. It doesn't take long, the body is smart, and you just have to give it time to respond.

Also I notice that you were tired and sluggish before the crisis that put you in the hospital. That had to take a toll, plus now you are on new meds, all this stuff has to have an effect on your chemistry and metabolism. And the stress you've been under, being hospitalized is no fun! Frankly for the first couple of weeks after I started low carbing, I felt as lousy as I did before being diagnosed. Think of the demands on your system having diabetes and it not being managed at all! You have to get over that, let your body heal, and when it does, you will feel better and also your weight will start to come off (not to mention your BG's should improve!)

So, you've only been low carbing for a few days - relax and let it all happen for you. Think of your Priority #1 as BG control - because it IS your first priority right now. When you start seeing the pounds come off, that will be good too, but your blood sugar is by far the most urgent to regain your health! And you can see for yourself that it already is - awesome, and congrats as well! You're doing GREAT!

[wynonna]

Thanks to everyone for the information! I didn't ever think that there was going to be a time when my weight would "take a back seat" to anything, but controlling the BG is definitely more important.

[dancinbr]

I will go out on the limb and tell you your weight gain was due to stopping the furosemide.

I take it daily to help regulate BP.

When I started to take it, my weight came down very quickly about 10 pounds or so with no effort.

It makes sense to me that your weight would go up.

So the real question is why were you taking furosemide and why did they stop it?

I have been on it for years along with two other BP meds, Norvasc and Avapro.

I can maintain normal BP around 120/80 by doing so.

Exercise always helps too.

Not doing enough of that lately.

But also, welcome and do take a few recommendations here and buy some books.

I have to go buy a few as well.

Right now, I use Dr. Bernsteins' Diabetes Solution book as my reference guide to controlling T2 diabetes.

Best wishes to you and do participate here as well.

Ask questions, offer your experience. Believe it or not we are all in a continuous learning curve.

Everyone's experience helps others to reflect on what they are doing.

Ralph

[triplemom]

Since Friday morning, I've been doing strict low-carb, as a starting point. My low BG yesterday was 165; my last BG today was 224 but is going down, so I feel that I'm on the right track. Needless to say, this is all sort of overwhelming. I've been put on Metaformin as well as insulin (sliding scale) and I'm still trying to adjust to this lifestyle change.

My biggest gripe right now is that last Monday morning I was down to 200 lbs -- this morning I was at 220 lbs. What the heck? I was taken off the diuretic that I've been on for years, and I know that I was pretty dehyrdrated, but 20 lbs? I've been drinking sufficient water, but gee whiz...

Any words of wisdom for this "old" newbie would be appreciated.

Hey there, Wynonna, I'm an "old" newbie too. I was diagnosed with type 2 last fall and have been on a roller coaster ride. I've been on this site for 4 years, not new to low carb, lost before, gained it back, etc. After my diagnosis, I floundered around with what to do, went through diabetic education, was horrified at the carbs they suggested, my sugars went up, etc. Educating yourself is key - I'm currently "over-educating" myself. :daze: I'm reading a book by Barry Groves, the Taubes book, and also dug out my Bernstein book. I'm committed to low carb as a lifestyle for my health, not just a quick weight loss plan. The support on this site is wonderful!

About your question, I agree with Ralph. You can definitely have a "rebound" effect from stopping diuretics - it's fluid weight. My poor husband was in the hospital with a kidney stone last summer and freaked out when he was relased - he was 18 pounds heavier! They were pumping fluids (with sodium) into him to try to get the stone to pass. Of course, the fluid weight disappeared shortly after he got home, but he sure was in a panic about it!

Good luck to you!

[triplemom]

Coincidentally I just finished reading a good diabetes book today by Gretchen Becker. It is called 'The First Year'. Here's a link to it on amazon, give you an idea what it is about. http://www.amazon.com/First-Year-Diabetes-Essential-Diagnosed/dp/1569242658/ref=pd_bbs_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206921891&sr=8-1

Ditto with Rose on this book - it's not as "technical" as some of the other books out there and is an easy read.

[Lottadata]

Wynonna,

When you were hospitalized for DKA, I hope someone did the various antibody tests to rule out autoimmune Type 1 diabetes, because DKA is usually pretty rare in true Type 2s.

Gretchen's book is a great place to start. But since you are using insulin, I'd urge you to read Dr. Bernstein's book very carefully, especially his chapter on using insulin, because it will help you understand the best technique for using insulin to control blood sugars.

Sliding scale is recommended because it is very easy to describe, but it is considered out of date and does not produce the best blood sugars.

Since you are willing to cut back on carbs, you have the option to get normal blood sugars which really is only possible when you cut carbs and use insulin.

So hang in there! You can and will regain your health but you will have to educate yourself, because as you learned in the hospital mainstream Diabetes education is still lost in the dark ages, especially for Type 2s.

Fortunately, there is a lot of online support available!