Diabetes - Just Got My Sentence!

[george]

For over 2 years I have felt that something was wrong in my body. Tired, bad tempered, repeated infections, loss of apetite, but got fat. I am in the mid 40's.

This week I got my sentence. Diabetes Type 2. And I know how I got it:

UNHEALTHY LIFE STYLE.

I would like to know if anyone on this forum has got Diabetes, and how you coop with it in Thailand.

So the BLOG system was introduced here at Thaivisa.com

THE CHANGE OF A LIFE STYLE

Check out my web log (BLOG) at:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/blog/george

[kabal1234]

Sorry to hear that George.

Can you elaborate on your "unhealthy lifestyle"

Bad Food?

No Exercise?

Too Much Alcohol?

Stress?

Others?

Take Care

[udon]

Hi George, sorry to hear that news.

I think you will find that there are quite a few on this board with same-same.

I am a borderline case.

[george]

Sorry to hear that George.

Can you elaborate on your "unhealthy lifestyle"

Bad Food?

No Exercise?

Too Much Alcohol?

Stress?

Others?

Take Care

Very unhealthy! All of them! See my blog link above for shameful details...

[astral]

Sorry to hear that George, but it is not a death sentence or anything like that.

Care with your diet will allow you to live an active life.

[toastwars]

I have a friend who works soley as a diabetic care nurse, a sensible diet and eating little and often. follow these rules and you can manage this problem quite easily. One thing to remember George...Look after your feet as diabetes causes reduced blood flow to extremities, if you get atheletes foot or any other infection you can end up with gangreane very quickly, Interesting coffee table magazine produced in england "The Diabetic Foot" I kid you not

[Tornado]

Sorry to hear that George!

I have also got Diabetes (6 years), it plays a lot with your emotions and you feel bad for days after a night out on the razz. Lose weight first and you will feel a lot better. I have been on herbal medicine for the last year and my count is way down, I remember the days when it was way up in the high 200's.

We all gotta die from something!

[dugdig]

Udon thinks that many board members may be affected.....in my village there are alot of people with borderline or mild diabetes (I'm no doctor so Idon't know the correct term). Many of them control it with diet only...some take injections. I'm wondering if the diabetes rate in Thailand is unusually high and if so is it the diet. Do most of the board members eat Thai food or do they stick with western food?

[Ajarn]

Bummer, George, but life goes on...

I'm also a Type 2... I got clued-in 4 years ago, when I was pissing too much- and my wife noticed ants around the toilet. Even when I was getting thirsty all the time, I still didn't take the hint...

But, my eyesight starting getting blurry and that got my attention- I couldn't safely see well enough to ride my bike....

I went to Ram hospital to check my eyes and my blood. The eye quack couldn't see anything wrong, and never even mentioned diabetes as a possible cause..But, I was pretty sure before then, anyway...

My blood glucose was around 360... The ram quack told me that the 'safe' level was below 200.... I later learned that 90-120 is the safe, normal level, and studies have estimated that real damage occurs with sustained levels over 140...

He also presribed a drug for me, Amayll, at a dosage 5 times higher than even the manufacturers drug literature suggested... And he neglected to tell me about the real danger of liver complications with this drug, and that I should have a liver-function test before starting...

4 years ago, there was very little real info on the internet that I could fiind (like the normal sugar levels), but the drug info is all there...Now there is all the info you could possibly use...

So I educated myself via the internet and filed another 'incompetent doc' story away...

From the internet, I established my own medicine regime... 2 mg daily of amaryll, 1000mg of glucophage. This worked very well for me, and combined with a bit of exercise, I was able to keep my levels pretty close to norm most of the time...

One of the biggest dangers diabetics face is the much higher risk of having a stroke.. I had that 3 years ago, and it left my left side paralyzed, so for any practical purpose, I could'nt really walk- or get enough exercise, which is critical to any diabetic in order to have reasonable bg (blood glucose) levels... I built a swimming pool last year, and I firmly believe I'd be dead by now if I hadn't built the pool for my exercise- and to work on my tan

It was all from my sedentary lifestyle, I believe. I had achieved professional success, which meant no more climbing 4 floors to get to each of my classes. Everyone came to me instead of me going to them. My office was on the ground floor and airconditioned. My higger salary meant more kfc and pizza than rice and noodles. Then I got an online job that paid me bigger money than I'd even gotten in the states, and I didn't even have to get dressed and commute to work anymore...Bed to internet and back to bed....I only went out to ride my bike. Life was great I thought then, making money hand over fist.

Life has a way of balancing things out... I'm still learning my lessons, and it is my hope that my experiences can maybe help someone else to take the hint before I did... Do as I say, not as I did..

George, feel free and contact me if you think I can be of any help to you... Here are a couple of links I've found valuable...

http://diabetes.about.com/library/mendosagi/nmendosagi.htm

and also http://diabetes.about.com/library/mendosagi/ngilists.htm

Oh, and if you haven't picked up a good blood tester, I would recommend the 'ACCU-CHECK Active'. Small size, easy to take somewhere, fast readings (about 5 seconds) and can be downloaded into a computer if you're so inclined.. About 5,000 baht. I was scared to 'stick' myself for the blood sample the first time, but if you set it right depth level ( of 2.5 (out of 5) for me) it's painless.. Really

Edited November 18, 2004 by Ajarn

[GuestHouse]

George,

If you need any info on diabetes sending (good old British NHS Stuff) let me know I'll get my mother to scan and email some stuff.

She's been diabetic for years and lives a very normal life.

[Darknight]

Same here probably, eye sight is getting blurred the last two years especially when i want to look far. Been overweight since i was a child so ...

Don't drink or smoke though

I'll have a visit to the doctor in the next few weeks.

[cojones]

join all the others in LOS who have diabeties, guess its the lack of exercise and fatty food. Its very common ,

the climate does not encourage too much exercise and healthy high fibre food .

so thats what you need now, join a health club and get some porridge and apricots.

mind you your girl might not like all the farting gas fumes in bed at night !

[Ajarn]

get some porridge and apricots

Bummer is, these are both foods very high in carbs.... Meats and vegetables, for the most part, are no problem for most diabetics, but each person can react differently to various foods.

The Atkins diet, focusing on lowering carbs, is quite popular with many diabetics in the west... It's extremely high in fats, though.

[Pepe']

For over 2 years I have felt that something was wrong in my body. Tired, bad tempered, repeated infections, loss of apetite, but got fat. I am in the mid 40's.

This week I got my sentence. Diabetes Type 2. And  I know how I got it:

UNHEALTHY LIFE STYLE.

I would like to know if anyone on this forum has got Diabetes, and how you coop with it in Thailand.

So the BLOG system was introduced here at Thaivisa.com

THE CHANGE OF A LIFE STYLE

Check out my web log (BLOG) at:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/blog/george

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Geoge,

This is certainly a pandemic. There are voluminous resources that can help you reduce your meds, glocophage or insulin. When I lecture about this disease it's all about diet,diet, diet.

Check out www.lef.org for some cutting edge information. Keep me posted.

Good luck...

[cojones]

get a pedometer and take 10,000 steps a day at least.

cut out white rice and switch to brown or black rice.

no more curries with coconut milk .

[SoCal]

Is this the same George with the pizza craving?

Sorry buddy.

Avoid simple carbs & sugars.

Take only the good aspect of Atkins- green vegetables, fish.

Don't forget working with weights. Muscle speeds your metabolism.

Drasticly cut your chaloric intake. Understand something like 1,200 is good.

For god sake quit smoking. This is very bad for your circulation as well. Personally on my fifth day clean. Not easy, but nice to breathe. Someone posted hear, and I found worthwhile: http://www.whyquit.com/

Monitor yourself constantly, and take note of what raises your BSL. Tailor things to your needs, and what works for you.

Personally would try to avoid insulin, certainly as an easy way out.

Hey George, maybe not much pizza in your future, but understand sex can be aerobic.

[Khutan]

George;

It certainly brings you down to earth with a huge shock. When I was diagnosed I was drinking water until it hurt and I was still thristy. I was also about 125 kg. Standing 185 cm tall I was like a beach ball.

So so many people have this condition, maybe we could do with a sub section of this forum for Diabetes.

The only piece of advice I have is to totally agree with the line, I think from Tornado:

Lose weight first and you will feel a lot better

When you can get as much weight off as possible - and being an ex Fat-C*** I know its hard, but there are so many scientific reasons to do it, the main one is taking the stress off your insulin receptors, when you do that you can reduce your medication.

Talk to me if you like - I am happy to help anyone with this, as much as I can. BTW I was diagnosed on the same day as the 9-11 tragedy

[olaus]

George!

I was in no good shape one year ago, when I arrived in Thailand. Too much food, alcohol and not enough exercise in Europe. Tired and irritated. I am 63. Probably I was close to get diabetes.

I changed my style of living. Get up at five in morning, all mornings. Walk fast one hour at least, bring a stick against dogs.

Eat no rice or western food like pizza, hamburgers.

Eat only vegetable and fish (boiled). Vegetables in all forms. Made in thai way. And much. Not dressing and mayonnaise.

If hungry -eat fruit, as much as possible. Not too many bananas. Drink much and only water.

One evening every week beer and marinated, fried pork. As a reward, very important. Not more often.

Now I feel like when I was 25. I can even run, faster than most young jogging people here in Isaan.

Olaus

[Explorer]

I posted in your comment blog but can't seem to see it anymore... hmmm... deleted?

Anyway, sorry to hear about your condition George.

With the all the positive support and advice from the members here, i believe you'll be okay as long you follow the guidelines for a better diet. And it's better to always have second opinion from other docs on your medication and eating diet. Just to be on the safe side.

Explorer

[Ajarn]

If hungry -eat fruit, as much as possible

Not really a good snack for diabetics...But very limited amounts are okay

Foods that I 'munch' on without much concern include:

celery w/peanut butter or tuna or cheese..

Peanuts, almonds, cashews...

vegetable stir fries, with only limited amounts of potatoes, corn, carrots

Slices of rare, lean roast beef, turkey...

Dark chocolate in small quanities...

The more exercise you get, the more sugar your body can handle...

Test your blood at lot at the beginning, especially against new foods..

A 'goal' of sorts, would be to try to keep your bg level under 140 two hours after a meal. In 4 hours, it should be back close to 120..

'Resting' bg should be 120, or less. A good barometer is checking your bg in the morning on an empty stomach...

[Head Snake]

I have belonged to a few Atkins diet boards on the net.

Atkins does seem to help persons pre diabetic. The blood test results are fairly amazing.

People on those boards really know a lot about the subject and have plenty of real world results.

I don't have that condition; so, I don't have anything to offer besides the recommendation to check out many sources.

[SK1972]

Diabetes is not such a bad disease to have compared to a lot others in the world. At least its manageable by drugs (either vide insulin injections or oral medication)

I know of kids who have diabetes and they dont think its the end of the world....they just have to adapt.

Sorry to hear about your health worries but look on the bright side.......it could be worse!!! HIV or Herpes??

[Padkapow Guy]

Sorry to here about your diabetes George.

My wife is a diabetic and my grandmother died from it., so I know what you are going to have to deal with.

I have a couple of points for you to know.

1. take care of your feet. seriously take care of your feet. I would recommend wearing tennis shoes, no more open toe sandles or any other shoe that won't protect your feet. My grandmother stubbed her toe on the carpet and it got infected. That was the down fall for her. They cut here toe off once it had been infected and then later they cut her foot off and finally took her whole leg off. She didn't last much longer after that. I don't mean to scare you but I just want you know how serious you should be about protecting your feet.

2. You might be able to control your diabetes thru diet and excerise. I have a buddy who has diabetes and he can control it this way. He does not need insulin or pills. This is easier to say than to do. especially with you work hours. You are going to have to put George first and work second until you get a good handle on it.

I don 't think it will be to long before they have a cure for it.

3. test you blood sugars often to make sure you have control on your sugar levels.

good luck George

PKG

[francois]

hi'

sorry to hear that george ...

I see a lot of good advices here, could be quite easy to stay healthy and carry on.

be strong

francois

[tutsiwarrior]

George

I was disgnosed type 2 about 4 years ago. I thought 'holy shit...it's all over now'. The fact is you can live pretty much a normal life with diabetes. I went for a physical for a new job and the fasting blood glucose level was way over 300 mg/dl...below 115 is normal. The doctor diagnosed ketoacidosis which is life threatening...took 3 days in hospital to bring the blood glucose level down. You got to either give up on the Chang or limit yourself as alcohol is pure sugar. A good diet and moderate exercise are essential. I kept on drinking and I'm sure that I did myself some damage.

Get a good blood glucose meter for which test strips are widely available. I test once in the morning and inject 30 units of insulin daily and that seems to do it for me. Also watch your feet and see the doctor regularly. We are at higher risk now of strokes and heart problems but if you look after yourself there should not be a lot of danger.

Upward and onward!

Tutsi

[ronz28]

FOX News- Dr. Rosenfeld says take cinnamon for diabetes

Today on Fox News Dr. Rosenfeld said people with type 2 diabetes should add ½ to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to what they eat or drink every day. New research demonstrates that this spice helps lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

He said on his segment on Fox New that after reading medical research on this he had his wife who has type 2 diabetes take cinnamon daily and she had a dramatic decrease in blood sugar.

A cheap natural medicine for diabetes but I don't know if it is enough to keep one off of other meds. I don't have diabetes but I am going to try it to reduce my cholesterol. I hear Thais have a high rate of diabetes.

[dereklev]

Hi George

Sorry to hear about your Diabetes.

There has been plenty of sound advice posted here.

Also in this internet age you can easily keep yourself informed about new treatments etc.

Best wishes for the future.

Derek

[Totster]

FOX News- Dr.  Rosenfeld says take cinnamon for diabetes

Today on Fox News Dr. Rosenfeld said people with type 2 diabetes should add ½ to 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to what they eat or drink every day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There you go george.... just swap the Chang for Lao Kao See Dairng...

totster

[sawatdee7]

Hello everyone.

I got diagnosed with diabetes, type 2 about 7 years ago. I just turned 47 years old. I am 180 cm tall and weight in at 100 kilo.

Diabetes is no laughing matter. Many people have diabetes and do not know that they have the disease.

My mother died 5 years ago, aged 62. She got diagnosed too late, was bedridden for 5 years, and finally succombed to heart attacks, strokes, blindness, etc.

If you can lower your body weight, you'll have a better chance in leading a normal active lifestyle. Exercise is also very important. Test your blood sugar level daily with your blood glucose meter. Keep your carbohydrates down (especially pasta, rice, bread). I know that here in Thailand, the rice staple is a way of life, but for us diabetic farang, less rice the better. Eat more vegetables, fruits, fish and meat. Stir fried vegetables are very good to eat, but be careful about adding some of the sauces with the stir fry. I like adding mushroom sauce because it takes fabulous, but it also contains a lot of sodium; as a result, my blood pressure goes up. So watch your blood pressure also.

I use 850 mg Glucophage, 3x a day with meals. At nightime, I take 2.5mg Daonil because a diabetics blood glucose tends to rise during sleep. I can go to sleep with my sugar level at 120, and 8 hours later when I wake up, it is at 170 or so. Some of the diabetes tablets taken 30 minutes before you eat, greatly lower your blood sugar levels. But be careful with your dosage because sometimes if you take your tablet, then even after your meal, your blood sugar goes way down, below 80 or 70 or even lower and you start to sweat, have headaches, and your arms start to tremble (hypoglycemia--blood glucose is too low). For me, danoil taken with meals, takes approximately 3 hours to lower my sugar level slowly.

My worst fear in life is becoming blind. Living with blindness is one of the worst things that a person can experience. Or even worse, becoming a "vegetable" like my mother was, having to depend on other people to take care of me, and no skilled nursing facilities here in Thailand that I know of.

Prices of diabetic medication is so much cheaper here in Thailand than from my home country, America. For example, a box of 100 daonil tablets (5mg) at Thai pharmacy costing me 350 baht would cost me over 3,500 baht in America.

I have looked into herbal remedies for the treatment of diabetes. During my research, I have researched that BANABA LEAVES (not "banana leaves") is widely grown in India, Southeast Asia, and the Phillipines. Its scientific name is LAGERSTROEMIA SPECIOSA.

Traditional uses of BANABA leaves include brewing tea from the leaves for treatment of diabetes. It balances blood sugar, promotes healthy insulin levels and controls the appetite and food cravings.

I believe it is also sold in herbal stores as a herbal powder mixture. 16 to 48 mg per day consumed in divided doses with meals effectively reduces blood glucose.

QUESTION: Has anyone been using BANABA LEAVES to control their blood sugar level and if so, where in Thailand can the Banaba leaf or Banaba herbal powder be purchased and what is the price?

Thanks.

Edited August 17, 2005 by sawatdee7

[bakachan]

that 300 level is very high. high levels of glucose act like a poision. It damages

all your organs, muscles and nerves. what really motivated me to control my blood sugar is fear that i could damage nerves in my willie

you can pump it up with viagra but you can never get the feeling back once its gone.