Wow guys...I know this could be a fluke (God likes to toy with me occasionally :) .....but I remain sugar free and PAIN FREE this morning...and all throughout the evening and night!!! It is amazing to have gone from pain that has several times in the last nine months caused me to think I could not continue to even live, to being pain free or virtually pain three for more than 72 hours! I can go without sugar the rest of my life for this kind of relief!

Belinda:

Very interesting information about how sugar affects the body.

Having gotten my sugar controlled, and the taking of the Methyl B-12, well the difference in my pain levels, my weight, my body, my everything, well...I consider myself extremely fortunately.

There hasn't been any sugar in this house for years. But I still ate the wrong stuff and paid the price. I knew I was diabetic type 2, but it didn't "click" in my brain. Once it clicked, I changed my eating habits.

All we are ARE HABITS. We are creature of habits, from the time we get up in the morning, to the time we go to bed, we do certain things in certain order. And as we get older, we get to be MORE creatures of habits.

Ever see those elderly people on the porch (after the age of 70 or so). This doesnt apply to every elderly person on the planet, because I have an 88 year old friend around the corner from me and she wears a defribulator and she also wears mini skirts and runs out of her house.......but when you see an elderly person on that porch, knitting, and just sitting there night after night, you can bet that you will never be able to get that person off that porch and have her go for a walk or do anything out of her comfort zone. They have their minds stuck in a place and it's not going to get UNSTUCK any time soon.

I had to "get out of my comfort zone", a long time ago. I had to really take a long look at what diabetes did to my body. Sure, it was easier to just sit down, get a bag of chips, a glass of diet coke, and just pig out in front of the tv at night. Didn't hurt anyone else, JUST MYSELF.

I used to eat these lox bagel and cream cheese sandwiches (two at a time). Never really thought what I was doing to my body because I felt fine.
When you feel fine, even though you do a finger stick and it reads 250, well YOU FEEL FINE!! And the food makes you feel good, SO WHY NOT?? right??

Well, the answer to why not, is what happens 5 or 10 years down the road. Diabetes is a no-brainer. We have to control our sugar. If we are type one, and not obese, it's a whole different ball game. But we need to eat healthy no matter if we are type 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. You know what I mean!!!!

Over eating is such an addiction, it should be labeled a crime. I watched the Discovery Health Channel last night. They did a whole show on Brookhaven (a facility for the morbidly obese). These people way 750 to 1000 lbs. They have to be lifted by crane. The look of mortification on those people, well, thank god, I had my light bulb moment years ago. I would have ended up like the guy in the crane. Many of my friends are morbidly obese. They think I am out of my mind because I don't eat what they do. They actually laugh at me and sometimes they say "it takes too much energy, it's too hard, I don't want to give up my candy, cake whatever".

So what happens? Well, last night my friend called and now she has liver damage. She already had neuropathy in her stomach (but in her words 'so what if the doctor said I have a diabetic stomach, what the hell does he know!!!"). I say nothing because my lifestyle speaks for itself.

People either get afraid (I got very afraid), and they will either do something about it, or they won't do anything about it.

Last night, the 500 woman on the show had two sons. One weighed 325 and the other weighed 390. One had chest pains and went to a doctor. He sat the boy down and answered a question that has been in my mind for a long time. He told the young man "listen to me, you can have two people sit down at a big meal. Eat the exact same food. One will stay exactly as he is, eating meal after meal, and the other guy will gain all the weight". "It's not fair but sometimes, it's your genetic makeup". It is what it is". So he instructed the guy to change his eating habits. Not an easy thing, I know.

But to see these 750 lb people who haven't gotten out of bed in 9 years, well, to see them up and walking, well, it certainly inspires me to do even better. I tried to get my friend to watch. Her comment "I don't want to see other fat people". I also watch The Biggest Loser. This show has inspired me like you have no idea. Makes me want to get up and move along with them.

So all we can do is watch our sugar readings, make better food choices, take our Methyl B-12, and strive to be as healthy as we can be.

With techology today, we don't have to lose the limbs we would have lost years and years ago.

Exercise helps a lot with the PN pain for many people. Made a huge difference in my husband's life and I'm even doing more walking than I did before. I notice that when I move around, I am not sitting down watching tv and just vegetating. For some of us with PN, this is not a possiblity because they have other issues going on.

But we have to do the best we can do to deal with the hand we have been dealt. We all know stress is a big factor. I've learned to "let go and let god".

Works for me!!!

You take care,
Melody

Ditto...
 

..well said Melody

Boy, this is really interesting. I've not read this type of material before. I don't have diabetes and as far as I know I'm not going to get it.

When I had money and used to go to the doctor it always sounded as if diabetes were one of the main things they thought about, and if I didn't have it then they figured I was totally well. They paid negligible attention to B12.

I paid no attention to the desserts I was having, except to major enjoy them because they were soooo excellent. (as long as I exercised three minutes a day, I was still losing weight) And then I started freezing them (without them I lost three pounds a week instead of two), only when my electric was shut off I had to throw everything in my freezer out. So I guess it was in April that I stopped having desserts.

And now, August, I don't have pain anymore... but there are a lot of supplements I take... the B12 I'd been having for years. So if I've been having vitamins for a long time, and I still had pain... then the pain stopped after I stopped having a dessert a day... well, I'm willing to believe that stopping sugar intake is a factor.

But without this thread, I wouldn't have even noticed the possible correlation.

The blood information is very interesting and helps me understand how it works. The compression thing is totally new information for me. Thank you VERY much.

:)

Hi rina,

You remind me that when I had all the swelling and was falling so much from the hydrogen sulfide, I read a lot about ions... because apparently negative ions are good... and it said that sea air contained a lot of them, and so too pine forest air. And Epsom salts, which is magnesium. You mention magnesium.

I've been trying to remember to soak my feet in Epsom salts every day. I have to do it while the sun is out because I heat my water with solar. :) and when there's a lot of stress I forget.

But I remembered yesterday and I had a lot less of the buzzing feeling last night. I would like the toes on my left foot to not feel stiff anymore. I'm hopeful. :)

(((((((((belinda))))))))))

I am sooo grateful to you for this thread!

In 1996 and 1997 the pain was so bad so much of the time, and the stress was so extreme that I used to think I could immolate myself at an IRS office (they were abusing me at the time) and the pain wouldn't be much different.

I remember telling the U.S. News & World Report editor who called me that it made me laugh when I worried about how I'd get the gasoline there with me because of how noticable the red approved containers are. It just cracked me up that even in planning immolation I wanted to follow the rules.

He laughed, too. Don Boroughs, or a spelling somewhat similar. He didn't put that into the piece he wrote that was published back in 1996.

But one thing I learned then, was that after he listened to me and didn't blame me, and he seemed to understand, a lot of my inability to sleep went away, and when I was sleeping better I had less pain. At that time I wasn't eating sugar, because the only thing I could afford was dried pinto beans, which I cooked with herbs from my garden. (I really think it is that I ate things like that so much because of poverty that I don't have diabetes.)

:)

Well, I've digressed.

But I really want you to know how appreciative I am to you for this thread!

(((((((((((belinda))))))))))))

IF it's white.....
 

.....it ain't right!!! Thats what I tell my wife periodically at mealtime ( it drives her nuts). But anyhow I am glad you're getting some pain relief.

This thread and the other one about non diabetes is very interesting to me. I have always thought I had diabetes issues because of the amount of fluid I drink,the sugar cravings and amount I eat,and how I feel out of it sometimes and lack of energy,with stomach issues. All my results show normal though. I will say in my recovery the major focus was weight gain regardless of quality of food. So even now I see a nutritionist and am going to see a new one out here from my old clinic my choices of food equal junk. I really need to focus on quality. No sugar though oh my. I can't even make it to noon without candy. I will try though and hopefully the new nutritionist now since healhy weight can help me with this. I have been trying to get my healthy omega's because I wonder for me like I said if long term fat restriction could of had an impact like people with the b12.
Melody you make so much sense. I know different but similar when I saw what my anorexia was doing to my life and what it had left me with which was nothing it made me change cause I felt I had nothing to loose and the only way for a chance at a better life. I do have friends though taht have lost everything and it makes them sit in there misery. I think you are so right about facing the fears and pushing out of your comfort zone. Many comfort zones we have can be self destructive. It may be hard in the short run but in the long run will make life better.

Daniella:

Want to hear something interesting?? I have a friend with MS. She's 59 years old, 5 feet 5 and weighs 120 soaking wet. She can eat anybody under the table and she often does. She is always eating. ALWAYS. What does she eat all day long??? Chocolate, candy bars, snickers, ice cream sandwiches. Loaves of bread. We have mutual friends who are afraid to go out with her to dinner because she will grab the food off of their plates when they stop eating.

The other night she went out to dinner with some friends. She kept saying "oh, I'm not that hungry". She wound up finishing everybody's plate.

Now how on earth can someone with MS, let alone weigh 120 lbs, eat candy bars all day long, drink Malted Milk Shakes, etc. etc. Yeah, she eats food like everybody else, but the desserts. WOW, I have never met a person who lives on chocolate, desserts, and candy.

She must have the metabolism of a (well, I really don't know), what exactly kind of metabolism does such a person have.

My godson's wife weighs 90 lbs soaking wet. He weighs 350. When they go to McDonalds and get the Happy Meals, etc. etc. She can also eat HIM under the table. Still 90 lbs.

God, I wish they could bottle these people's metabolisms.

Mel

Minor Setback/Disappointment for Me
 

You guys, I cut out all sugars at the beginning of this week and severely reduced my neurontin (out of financial necessity :) from more than 2000 mg per day to 600 morning, 600 night...nothing in between.
Was so amazed at the perfect lack of pain all week.
Then yesterday...was feeling so great forgot my morning dose and left it at home. OMG did I deal with some pain in the evening. Became extremely depressed thinking it is not the sugar at all...I will never get any relief, etc. HOWEVER, in the light of day I realize that nothing occurs overnight, my pain is still MUCH LESS than it has been in months and I will not stop eliminating the sugar no matter what. I have needed to get my sugars under control for a LONG time before I have a stroke or something, I feel better mentally and physically than I have in a long time when I eliminate the sugar, and it WILL have a long term effect on my pain. This morning I am again pain free and was throughout the night!