Hello! And welcome to the new Diabetes Kos group. I started this group because I was diagnosed with diabetes in December 2019. I knew it was inevitable. Both of my parents had diabetes. My mom’s dad and my dad’s mom had diabetes. I had gestational diabetes with both of my pregnancies. My mom had it when she was pregnant with me and my sister. My sister had it when she got pregnant the year before I did. I got bad genes. Luckily, when I was pregnant, I only had to test and watch my diet. I saw an endocrinologist and was given a low carb diet and a food list with carb counts. I was not put on any medication. Because of this previous experience, I recognized when the diabetes resurfaced at the end of 2019. I wasn’t caught off guard. I went to the doctor and told her I was diabetic and I needed her to test and confirm so I could start treatment. I knew it would take more than diet this time around, but I was determined to do whatever was necessary to avoid taking insulin. I dug out my old diet and food lists. (Yes, I’m a pack rat and I had actually kept those things for almost 20 years). I overhauled my eating. With the help of some pills (Metformin and Jardiance), I am proud to say that my A1C dropped from 12 to 5.9 and my fasting levels are now between 95 and 115.
Anyway, this group is for fellow diabetics (or caregivers or family members of diabetics) to share information and inspire each other to do our best to control our diabetes every day. I will gladly share everything I’ve learned that has helped me to get my diabetes under control. I know how hard it is. When I first started in December, I felt like my numbers would never come down. I felt that I would never be able to eat out again. I was getting results but it was taking so long! My doctor was my biggest cheerleader. I saw her quite frequently the first couple of months while we tried medications and dosages. She kept telling me that I was doing great. I wasn’t sure I believed her because it seemed that my goal of a fasting level near 100 and a one hour post prandial level under 145 was going to be impossible to reach but I celebrated every sustained drop on the way there. I chose those levels for my goal because those are the numbers my endocrinologist gave me when I had gestational diabetes. If they were good enough for when I was pregnant, I figured they would be good enough now. I couldn’t believe when my doctor told me at my March check up that my A1C had dropped from 12 to 5.9!
I test four times a day and I keep a food journal. Let’s face it. When you eat you’re doing science on your body. You need to see the results so you can tell if you’re being successful or not. That’s why the food journal and the testing log is so important. It helps you make better choices every day. I actually measured/weighed my food servings at the beginning because what the charts said was a serving was sometimes too much for me to handle. I know that pasta and rice really spike my glucose levels. I can’t eat a full serving of them. I gradually became better at estimating my serving sizes so I don’t have to weigh and measure as much now.
My doctor encouraged me to see a nutritionist. Keeping a food diary helps when you go to see a nutritionist as well. It helps for them to know not only what you eat but when you are eating it. A nutritionist will help you modify your diet and give you information to help you make better food choices. They will teach you how to read the nutrition labels. I already had a diet plan I was following from when I was pregnant and the diabetic food list, but the nutritionist explained about the glycemic index and the role of fiber when figuring out net carbs vs total carbs in foods. Neither of those ideas really existed back in 2000 when I had gestational diabetes the last time. If you are just starting out, I would recommend making some small changes first -- things that will be easy for you to do and stick with. If you like yogurt, choose the one with the least calories and carbs. Choose a whole grain bread with lots of fiber. I will do another diary on food products I’ve found that are diabetic friendly that I think taste delicious.
Did you suspect you were diabetic when you were diagnosed or did it come as a complete surprise?
Please feel free to ask questions and suggest topics you would like to cover in the future. I will try to respond as soon as I can.