1st bloodwork after diabetes diagnosis

[michenry]

April 22 I received my diagnosis of diabetes. My cholesterol was, of course, all out of whack as well. My doc presented me with two options. ADA regime or a diet (VLC) & exercise program. I chose the diet route. My starting numbers (4/24/02) were as follows;
50 y.o. caucasian male
Weight - 265
B/P - 140/90
Glucose - 490
Hemoglobin A1C - n/a
Mean Blood Glucose - n/a
Serum Cholesterol - 210
HDL Cholesterol - 25
LDL - couldn't be calculated
Triglycerides - 758!
Coronary Risk Ratio - 8.4

Sept 17 '02
Weight - 220
B/P - 110/68
Glucose - 100
Hemoglobin A1C - 111
Mean Blood Glucose - 5.6%
Serum Cholesterol - 177
HDL Cholesterol - 33
LDL - 122
Triglycerides - 108
Coronary Risk Ratio - 5.4

I'm not strictly following a single diet plan, just eliminating carbs from my diet. I try to limit carbs to under 25 grams a day.

Needless to say my doc and I are very pleased with these prelim results. He asked me for permission to share my case with his partner who saw me right after the initial April blood work and was shocked I wasn't on medicine to control sugar and cholesterol.

I have 20 more pounds to lose and will slowly re-introduce a small amount of carbs to see how much I can process..

All in all we feel this is a good start. The nice thing for me is this wasn't a particularly difficult diet to follow. Sure I miss bread and pasta (and I find the low carb versions of these foods gagacious), but these results are very encouraging and motivate me to continue.

/mh

[JerseyDon]

Good for you! It's so helpful to us beginners to see people not only losing weight, but also getting healthier! Thank you so much for sharing these valuable (to us) details.

What does the doctor say is a good number for Coronary Risk Ratio?

Are you exercising as well?

All in all great job! :hyper:

[jus2muchme]

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

G O O D F O R Y O U and C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S ! ! !

This is why I am SO encouraged to stay with this WOE!!
Thanks for sharing!

:hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper: :hyper:

[KTiki]

:wave: :wave: WAY TO GO, michenry !!!!!

Those are fantastic results, especially the sugar and colesteral. It makes me feel good to hear of your success. I don't have any idea of what my numbers were before starting on Atkins. I'm hoping to come off the blood pressure meds soon.

Keep up the great work!!

[michenry]

Coronary Risk Ratio number on this test is supposed to be between 5.0 and 6.1.
I think it's probably a meaningless number by itself, more a summary of all the other values.

As for exercise, I have two Irish Setters that I walk 2x a day. I probably get a few miles of brisk walking in each day.

I live in foothills of the Colorado Rockies and get in a fair amount of mountainous hiking each week.

While I knew how my blood sugar was doing as well as the weight loss, I have to admit that I was a bit concerned about how my lipid numbers would be - they started so high and I was eating *bad* food. Years of brainwashing by the traditional western medical establishment is difficult to put aside. Eat bacon and eggs to lose weight as well as lower blood sugar and cholesterol? Preposterous!

Well I did and there's quantifiable proof. My pharmacist commented on my weight loss yesterday and I told him very briefly what the "diet" was. Then I shared with him the blood test numbers. He looked at me like I had just sprouted a second head. He then went to his computer to look up "all the medicines" he expected to see me on. He was even more incredulous when there was no cholesterol lowering drug under my name. No glucose lowering drug under my name and no blood pressure drug either. And yet he still looked at me like I had two heads.

My last thought is this - these results are very empowering. No drugs were used to affect this radical change that will both enhance and prolong my life. I am in control. I get migraines and have always felt powerless over them, when the diabetes - lipid issue was diagnosed I thought "Great - one more physical ailment to put into the I Have No Power Over bucket." I now see the diabetes as a wakeup call . . .and this time I didn't hit the snooze button.


Seize Your Power!

[Akiwican]

Thankyou so much for posting these results. You are definately a success story :thup: I will print this off for my non-believer friends.

:wave: Akiwican

[Kristine]

<b><center>W O W ! ! </center></b>

That's fantastic!! Looks like you might help win over a few nay-sayers, too. ;)

Keep up the good work! Don't know whether or not you have kids, but your blood test results are probably better than theirs. :D