First for everything, Going back to Gastroenologist
 

First I was having such a nice day on Friday. And it got interrupted with a bang. I've never had what happened happen.

First I went back with the nurse. Temperature, weight and things like this all okay normal feeling. Not even lightheaded. But when she went to take my blood pressure I noticed a faint feeling, but didn't say anything. But it kind of stayed with me. I talked to the nurse practioner, she decided it sounded
like I needed to go back to the gastroenologist in Indy as soon as they could get me in. And that they would do some blood work just to check CBC and
electrolytes. Anyway, I was feeling better, but still had the behind my eyes weirdness, its not something that anyone understands.

So I just let it go, and went of with the lab tech to have the blood drawn.
I had wondered if I was going to be a easy or hard draw this time. Lately when I can't keep things down I'm hard. Well the first stick she wasn't getting anything. I thought she might decide to dig. And warned her not to try that. If she didn't want to be picking me off the ground.

So she stopped, and asked if it was okay to try the other side. I was back to me, and doing good. So I thought sure I want to get this over. But at the end of it. I was faint and I'm not positive if I went out some or what.

Suffice to say I had a room of nurses, and lab tech moving me to the chair that was better to relax in and getting juice, if I wanted it.

I believe it was 30 to 35 minutes before I left there.
But I have an appointment on Tuesday in Indy, talk about not beating around the bush. Not sure what they told this office to get me in that fast.

Donna

Had to also tell you what else I did on Friday.

I went for my massage it was great. Then I went to get my hair cut.
And decided to have it colored. Wow what a step for me.

If I can ever get pictures I'll show you. I had been eating all morning,
but then had the crash at the doctor.s

Donna:grouphug:

Oh gosh Donna,

what a yucky weekend! :( I'm glad the doc's office got you an appointment so fast with the gastro in Indy tho... whatever they did. I hope you're ok and are able to keep some food down meanwhile.

Did they give you suggestions as to which foods are better to try to keep down? (or maybe you already know that - by trial and ... error :()

i know you are diabetic so you have to have a balance of things to keep your glucose level ok... but, perhaps a doc could take that into consideration and help you choose foods that are more likely to stay down within your range of suitable foods... perhaps something to ask the doc on tuesday?

i am not sure what your GI history is. you probably have been given all the basic advice so i'm not going to start with a list, but if you do want advice a list, or have questions about specific foods, ask... i am aware of various good/not-good foods.

i'm glad the massage was good... at least one thing! :)

((( gentle hugs )))

~ waves ~

Oh Donna, I am glad you got the massage, those are awesome! Hope the gastero doc can help you. I hate feeling sick, I finally feel better and I too colored my hair, loving it! I hoep you have a great Labor day! :D Keep us posted! :D

Waves and everyone

I personally never considered the diabetes till yesterday. And just now when I checked my sugar count its way high for me. I think its still okay.

But I have no clue how to bring it down. Its 176 and I have to figure this
out. Ugh, I hadn't considered this, I should have though.

I will be taking my bravo test with me. And some other things they did.
Last year when I was being tested last. They said, it wasn't important but the reports sure seemed big to me.

Donan

high blood sugar
 

Hi Donna,

easy does it is best...

do you have diabetes I or II?

all i can suggest is reducing your intake of sugars/ready-carbs overall, favoring complex carbs, fats and proteins. this might be hard if you have trouble keeping stuff down. you also need to do this gently... do not suddenly change what you have been eating... and monitor your blood sugar regularly. if you have type I you will have to be particularly careful.

i am actually wondering if the high blood sugar can cause your body to be related to this can't keep stuff down.

i would put in a call to your diabetologist tuesday before you go to your other appointment for professional advice and she may want to see you also.

i hope you will be ok. post back when you know something.

~ waves ~

Thanks Waves.

I have no exact diabetic doctor. My regular is that. So I'm kind of stuck.

I told the nurse practioneer I was and thought I was doing fine. I didn't admit to not checking my sugar levels. I didn't think about it mattering.
I have trouble getting it to register.

But I am working on the things I can eat. I have had just a few things
I could eat, so I don't know what to do now.

I had a wish for sweets all the sudden, and ate more than I should today.
But that I can stop. I'm not able to eat chocolate right now.

Donna

Dear Donna,

Sometimes, the blood sugar being high is a sign of something else. It can be a good indicator.

Sometimes a specialist is better than the family doc and the nurse practitioner. Maybe you can get one soon. I don't know why the family docs think that they can handle diabetes by them selves..

M.

yes mari is right, see a specialist, an endocrinologist. they are the experts. Ask them to run your blood test A1C this will give you the results of an average blood sugar levels over the past 3 months. you should know what your a1c is, the number should be close to 5-6.
A reading of 176 is normal after a meal. ask your mdoc if they have run an a1c on you.
bizi

Thanks Ladies

My A1c is between 6 and 6.5. I need it checked again in the next month.

Its due. But I will be getting it probably in two weeks. Or so.

I was more concerned because I don't run that high even on a high day.
So it really had me scared this mornings scared me even more. It was
156 without having eaten at all yet. Just water.

So I'll just watch and figure out what to do. I need to get my diet back
together too.

I can tell part of my problem is my sugars.

Donna

I also decided I didn't want to go to the doctor by myself tomorrow.

So I called my mom and asked if she would ride along with me. It means
driving to Kokomo to get her and then down, but its technically not out
of the way. Just a little different route.

It really is making me feel better. Thanks for listening to me.

Donna

thanks for the report, do you take diabetic medication?
bizi

What is A1c? Let us know how it goes.

barbara

an a1c is a simple blood test that tests the average blood sugar level over a 3 month period of time, the life of a red blood cell.
it should be below 6 if I remember correctly.
IT is very useful for people with diabetes to help manage their blood sugars...diabetes.
One finger stick does not give you an accurate picture of how your blood sugar level is doing. It is a common test.
bizi

Thank you Beth for the explanation. Bobby's was 6.5 not long ago and even though .5 doesn't sound like a whole lot I believe it is.

barbara

Thanks for explaining it Bizi.

I feel like it should be under the 6 too. But I'm working on that. I've been
told that I should continue eating good diets and lose more weight. This
will help my a1c. And manage my health better. But throwing up is not the way to do the losing weight thing. Because I just don't lose, it comes back later. So I'm working on stopping that, and I'm working on keeping my diabetes in line.

I take 2 metformin at night. And I can notice when I am not remembering it.
I know I missed it one night this last week, because I slept through the day and night. So I'll be more careful. I can't remember waking up and taking
any of my night time meds that night. But its the only one that would have
really mattered.

Donna

Well another test being scheduled, its a tube down the nose and scan of some kind. Ugh, I don't like the sound of this. But I'll live. Hoping it wont be to uncomfortable.

Thanks for being here.

Donna

Dear Donna,
When I read this, I got worried about you.
I hope you are not really using that as a technique to loose weight. It's a bad habit of course and it is not healthy.
A student of mine ended up in the hospital with lots of problems for doing that.

Here is a gov web site about the number of vegetables people should be eating: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov
Many experts recommend more than the gov does.
And of course for people with diabetics, eating more vegetables than fruits is a good idea.

Also, blood sugar comes down after exercise.
You can see that for yourself after you exercise and then test.

I wonder if you would benefit from a nutritionist that would help you focus on your issues.
Also, you are good about taking care of lots of other people.
Maybe you can benefit from 6 sessions of talk therapy of someone taking care of you and working with you on food.

I observed that people with diabetes can have a powerful relationship with food and food planning. Therapy and the attention of a nutritionist / dietician can help you I'm guessing.

Regarding the next test, I too hope that it is comfortable for you. Most likely you will have an anesthesiologist working with you. You can ask questions ahead of time.

I hope the procedure goes well for you.

M.

diabetologist
 

Dear Donna,

the specialists in diabetes care are called Diabetologists, btw.

thought i'd reiterate it since an endocrinologist was mentioned at some point - they are specialists in the endocrine system and general metabolic disorders, but not specifically diabetes or energy conversion processes.

Working with an specialist in Nutritional Medicine i do think could be helpful to you, especially if you don't have a diabetologist... or until you get one, since these folks should have some preparation not just on general nutrition but also on special patient populations with specific needs - such as those with diabetes.

my ex primary care physician was a diabetologist btw, just as a coincidence. She helped me, even though i do not have diabetes, because she gave me some diet advice when i had to take Zyprexa the second time... (now if only i'd thought of asking the first time when i put on the 40 lbs i've since partly shed and regained several times. but at that time, the direct diabetes link with Zyprexa was not widely known (i.e. direct drug effect on pancreatic cell receptors) :( sigh.)

I wish you the best for your test. Sounds like they want to do an endoscopy to look inside your stomach. I hope the team that works with you are sensitive and informative, and remember you are the CLIENT and you ask them everything you want to before they start.

:hug:

~ waves ~

Mari

Sorry, it was a joke. No I would never try dieting by throwing up. This is definately something separate.

I have a dietician that I can work with. I really need to get ahold of them,
I need to know how to work through the fact I'm having trouble keeping
food down.

I am not sure how much more they can help me, but I'll get with them.

Donna

Dear Donna,
I am sorry that you are having troubles. :(

And I feel really stupid for missing the point of what you have been posting. I'm not paying attention very well.
:confused:

M.

No worries Mari,

I'm honestly glad you care enough to say something.

I am working on feeling better, just have no clue where to start. Other than to get my blood sugar down.

Donna

DOn't be hard on yourself Mari, you're going through a tough spot right now. :hug:

I hope the gastero doc can help you Donna! It's gonna be a pita to get the testing done to see what's up inside you but hopefully they will learn something useful. I hope things get better for you soon. Thinking fondly of you and wishing you better health. :hug:

Donna,
The doc can give you better meds to get your sugar down.
It's good to lower your blood sugar levels with diet and exercise if you can, but meds can do the job just fine.

Your doc has lots of meds for lowering blood sugar.
Did he / she already talk earlier about possibilities for further meds?
(Raising the dose? Giving you something else?)

One problem is that raising the meds can cause weight can.
As you know it is a series of complicated balancing acts.

(I hope I didn't say anything flat out wrong -- I'm not making sense so don't count too much on what I say. You'll get to talk to your doc soon I hope.)

M.

Barbara, yes .5 can make a big difference and actually closer to 5 the better control. So maybe donna you may need to speak with a specialist to help you have greater control of your diabetes.
The really awful thing about blood sugars being high is that they silently attack every organ in your body, some times an eye doctor will catch it with an eye exam, it effects the whole body everywhere.
While I don't know the actual numbers I do know that being over 20% over weight...puts you at risk for diabetes.

sorry donna for getting on a soap box....
there are( i would guess) millions of people who are diabetic and don't even know it.


I hope that you are feeling better soon. I hate getting sick it is awful, my heart goes out to you.
(((((((HUGS))))))
bizi

Yep Bizi

You are totally correct. I also need to schedule a eye exam. But that is
easier said than done. I don't have anyone I know to do what needs done.

So I'm going blindly(just the word) trying to find the right one. I really am procrastinating on this. I need to stop and schedule it.

Diet and exercise, well I can't exercise it seems right now to dizziness type things. Along with rest. But I'll figure something out.:grouphug:

Donna

I just read in a very local paper, a new Eye doctor in a little town about 10 miles away. I will be calling for a appointment. He has a second office in Lafayette, so its perfect. Can do Derrick too.

New Question:

Reumotologist ? Spelling off, but I think you know what kind of doctor I'm talking about. I believe they deal with arthritis and somethings like that.
But I am not thinking this is what the nurse practioner and the gastronologist are talking about.

She told me some of my blood counts are still elevated in inflamation I think was the word. It really doesn't make sense except for that is the kind of doctor it is. The only other word would be with a I and have to do with
something like that.

I had a creatine proteine test, and I think the other was krea, weird as
that sounds. Thats what I remember it saying.

Some of the counts from the ones I'd had last friday were elevated too.
So there were more being done.

Donna

Donna
 

yes there are some blood tests that can be done to check for rheumatism (i had it a few years back) and some different one(s) for inflammatory processes. i think one is calles something like a protein sedimentation test? don't recall exact term -my pdoc ordered it w/ last labs that's how i know such a thing even exists.

i think based on the results of all this stuff, if you turn up positive for one or the other or all, then you need to go to a rheumatologist.

gosh you are really getting hit with all the specialists at once :(.

meanwhile... how is the tummy....?

are you able to keep anything solid down?

what are you eating and drinking (that your tummy accepts)?

~ waves ~ kinda worried

Thanks waves

I honestly am not eating much solid. Tonight a small amount of corn and mashed potatoes stayed down. But that was it. I had a peanut butter and banana sandwich earlier.

I have to figure out more things I can eat.

Donna

Dear Donna,

I'm sort of summarizing here for myself.


1. digestive issues
2. possible infection
3. possible other inflammatory process ( i.e. rheumatism)
4. high blood sugar related unrelated to 1,2,3.
5. high blood sugar related to 1,2,3.


I hope I didn't mess up the thread.
You've been given some good help on the thread.
Waves and Beth and you can correct me -- please.

Good luck getting help from the docs.
And feel better soon.


M.

donna, have you tried cottage cheese? it has fewer carbs and more protein to help bring your blood sugars down and pretty easy to digest.
or what about yogurt? can you eat dairy products? A glass of milk is a great snack.
I sure wish you had some answers about your stomach issues.
You must be so frustrated!
((((HUGS))))
bizi

thoughts and feedback on foods
 

yes we need more variety. of the foods you state
are all decent foods insofar as not worsening any digestive tract issues (such as ulcers i am thinking)

the peanut butter is really good because it has a good content of fat and protein so has a low glycemic index.

the other three are pretty high in sugars... best if combined with other foods.

have you tried chicken soup?
chicken broth,
1 carrot whole (eating it is optional),
1 stalk celery whole (do not eat),
1 laurel leaf if you have it,
chicken pieces - thigh or breast as you prefer
one potato if desired

boil until chicken is cooked to where it starts to come off the bone easily. that should be very digestible.

you can have the chicken / broth / potato each by themselves or a bit of each or any combination. the reason i would avoid eating the celery is because its fiber could be irritating to your tummy. if you want to eat the carrot, try just a little bit first and see. but by boiling everything, the broth will contain a lot of the minerals from the vegs, so that will be good at least.

another possibility is sliced ham (very little of it at a time) as far as protein? i have found that digestible after stomach upset. i would combine it with dry white toast. (wheat has fiber - more likely to upset you.)

also soft boiled or poached eggs? (cooked white, raw yolk)

the big thing is to stay away from
-- very acidic foods (eg orange juice, tomatoes etc)
-- heavy foods: meats or fish with high fat content
-- dairy products in general

in general, try and eat small portions more frequently rather than full size portions only at regular meal times.

yes, well, very nutritious (a complete food)... but.
they used to believe milk was good for ulcers but it turned out incorrect - it ultimately increases acidity. probably so would yogurt or any fresh cheese. yogurt would be good for intestinal issues (replenish flora) but for the stomach, i would probably avoid it. i don't know for sure - you could try a few spoons - plain unsweetened though.

true about the protein. but fat content will also help bring the blood sugars down because it takes a much longer time for assimilation (even fats with high sugar can be eaten if they also have high fat ... overall the food is considered to have a lower glycemic load).

i hope that helps some.... :o

~ waves ~

hi Everyone.

Thanks I've found somemore things to eat this weekend. And its been a good weekend. I was gone Friday night and Saturday and just watched what I ate and things. And made sure I had water and juice.

I have been also eating some cottage cheese because its something that sounds good. And on Friday at noon I wanted Long John Silver's so thats
what I had. It stayed down too.

Wow.

Donna:grouphug:

there doesn't seem like there is a pattern or does there?
maybe you have a food allergy?
glad that you had a good weekend.
bizi

wow
 

Well, Donna, i'm glad to know you are being able to keep food down more - and more variety...

Long John Silvers! wow. yeah i forgot to add that to the don'ts list - anything deep fried... sounds like you ate at least one thing in each of my don'ts category!!! :eek::rolleyes::D:D:D

WHICH me rethink this whole situation...

as bizi said could be a food allergy cropping up OR

perhaps you had a bout of stomach flu? if so it would take a while to get over the irritation that follows and keeping food down, especially if you keep trying to eat after symptoms first appear - and keep throwing up.

it is good that the cottage cheese is staying down after all... it is also a "complete food" like milk.

but i would have NEVER guessed Long John Silver's!!! Battered and deep fried fish???? did you put the vinegar on it and all, too???? :eek:

well, it definitely sounds like you are on the mend. I hope it continues this way. :)

Do you still throw up at all? If so, about how often (per day)... and do you get signs of indigestion/nausea/headache before it happens?

~ waves ~

Waves, Right now no. I'm not with symptoms.

Not sure what exactly has happened. But I do know that its possible that the Savella is going to be a big culprit in this. I went completely off it over the weekend. And its helped, I found out a long time agon how to eat when I need to. So that is what I'm doing.

I can't explain the fish either, other than I just felt the need. I didn't eat anything on it. And not the fries they were greasy. The fish wasn't.
Weird as that sounds, I don't even usually like it.

I was already drinking milk some, but I don't right now. It doesn't taste right. And cereal with milk is out. But without is okay. So I have some I eat when I crave it. And yes I do. But yesterday and this morning it was white powder donuts, I just watched the amount.

No chocolate right now, except all the sudden sometimes I need a candy bar.
And I'll go buy one. It is usually okay.

I can't explain it and the doctor's office on Friday wont be able to either.
And I'm sure when I have the test on October 5th if I ever get the instructions, it will have nothing on it.

I'm pretty sure its got to do with inflamation. I have some heavy duty signs right now.

Wish I knew how to figure out if they could be connected.

Donna

Isn't there an inflamation diet? book out there? I htink I have seen one in the stores.
hmmmmm
bizi

Hi, Beth,
Yes, here is a link to a book:
The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book: Protect Yourself and Your Family from Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies ? and More (Paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/Anti-Inflammat...2998386&sr=1-1

Also:
http://nutrition.about.com/od/dietsf...flamfood_2.htm

Anti-inflammatory Diet Tips


M.

Today is a bad day. I'm really grateful for the few good days I had.

Donna

Donna
 

Mostly wanted to leave you a :hug:

Sorry today was not so good. :o I hope tomorrow you will have a better patch again.

When is the test scheduled?

~ waves ~