Hi everyone

I am new here. I am using the name randysgrandma, in honor my oldest grandson who just turned 18 years old. My youngest grandson is 8 months old.

I am a type 2 diabetic and have been for several years. My diabetic history ranges from not so good control, to really bad control, to terrible control, and, since have started on a low carb diet, to terrific control, lots of energy, and loosing pounds and inches.

For instance H1C 6 months ago was 6.9, H1C three months ago was 9 with the doctor treatening me with insulin or Byetta.

I decided that my doc wasn't really giving me any advice except "take your meds, take your meds, take your meds, even the one that gives you embaressing, uncontrolable, (and I do mean uncontrollable) diarrhea. and the one that costs $260 a month"

I said "no way", I'm going to find out how to control this without any meds at all. I am well on my way. I totallly stopped the awful med, decreased one to half the dosage---shhhhhhhh, my doctor doesn's know yet

Of course low carb wasn't my only lifestyle change.

Looking forward to chewing the fat with you allbut we won't be breaking any bread

randysgrandma

Welcome.

This way of eating has great advantages to diabetics. My own A1c is almost always under 5 ... and I take no meds.

However, I do urge you to find a health care provider that you are comfortable working with and who understands the low carb approach to BGL control, rather than to have to keep secrets about whether or not you're taking your medication. There are many more physicians tuned into this now than there were 10 years ago when I started.

Hope you'll make yourself at home here.

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Hi Randysgrandma. I am also a grandma and a type two diabetic who has had poor blood sugar control. I take Glucaphage and my doctor wants me on insulin. I am trying low carb first. Today is my fifth day and I am down 9 pounds already!!! I know this first week is mostly water weight, but I sure loved looking at the numbers on the scale.

Hello, Randy's Grandma. Welcome!

I'm glad to hear you're using LC as a tool to manage diabetes, since I've seen so many folks successfully do this with great results. I started LC to avoid diabetes myself, and managed to do that beautifully, thank you very much.

I do have to echo Maggie's thoughts, though...if your doc doesn't know what meds you're taking, he can't really give you informed medical advice, y'kno? I hope you choose to discuss the situation with him next time you're in and see if you can get him onboard. And if not, perhaps finding a more responsive doc will be in order. But either way, do be mindful.

And glad to have you join us as well, Dar! Always glad to see new faces around here.

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I do plan to tell my doctor. I am always very honest with her about what I am doing.

I have switched doctors and switched doctors and switched doctors. Trying to find one who would really give me some helpful advice.

The second doctor I was seeing seemed to be the right one. He actually recommended a low carb diet. But a few months later he changed his mind and recommended a whole grain and vegetable diet. I took him my blood sugar readings after eating oatmeal one time, and whole wheat crackers the next time.

He was very angry and asked me why I was doing this. I told him I just wanted to show him that my body cannot handle carbs, especially any kind of starches. I can handle pure sugar better than any kind of grain, whole or otherwise!!!!

His reply was I must not have been having the right kind of whole grains. SHEEESH.

The doctor I am going to now was chosen after carefully considering comments made by patients visiting the podiatrist office where I work. I never heard anything bad about her. Even though she is primarily and OB-GYN she also handles general practice patients.

I have been going to her for about a year now, and we are both still just getting to know each other. She has no idea about the cost of meds and lab work. One time the lab work she ordered for me cost me $400.00. (we have no insurance).

So now I am ordering my own lab work and doing the basic thyriod and HA1C and not doing all the other fancy things. But next time I am going to spring for the whole lot that she would want to do. Because I am so proud of how things are going, I want to show off a little bit.

The last time I went I told her I was not taking the one med that caused the diarhhea, or the really expensive one. That was why my h1c was so high. She gave me a sample of new formulation for the diahrrea one. It didn't give me diarrhea but when I went to pick it up at the pharmacy, it cost $178 as opposed to the old form it which was about twenty dollars.

She did arrange for me to fill out the paper work to get my Actos free. She is a sweet lady, and very concerned. Just not real aware of what to do when a patient is not on insurance and not rich.

There are no alternative care physicians around here. They are firmly discouraged from settling in this area. I live in the Midwest. If the world ended tomorrow, it would take ten years for us to catch up!!!

randysgrandma

Low carb is not really considered an "alternative care" thing in most parts of the country. Most informed endocrinologists are perfectly aware of the advantages of a very restricted carbohydrate diet for diabetics. They just don't believe most Americans are willing to make the commitment and, therefore, offer the ADA diet (which, IMHO, is no help whatever to diabetics) plus a bunch of meds.

Maybe you could give your md a copy of Gary Taubes' book "Good Calories, Bad Calories." With it's extensive documentation and bibliography, she may come to understand the science behind a dietary approach to both diabetes and heart disease. Just a thought.

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