I really need some sincere help re diabetes

[jp761]

Yes type 2 diabetes is often somewhat the fault of the individual.

I just know one or two type 1 diabetics who from time to time get a tad annoyed being tarred with the same brush. Some people do need to look up the differences.

The discussions about diabetes do tend to be about type 2 because it's the one that is preventable and often reversible. Wouldn't make much sense to tell a type 1 what to eat to get better. AFAIK, they are insulin-dependent for life. Eating well will probably extend their life as much as it will with any other person, but they will still always have it.

Food intake is important to both type 1 and type 2 diabetics blood sugar levels are obviously a common denominator the need to keep levels consistent avoid highs and lows and to have a decent HbA1c average. But obviously you're right about the preventable and reversible side of thing's.

[4ever2]

And medical research is making inroads into other options besides those horrid needle pokes - especially painful for the little tykes!

Mach
Feb 23 2017, 11:03 am ET by Katharine Gammon
Your Own Breath Could Make Needle Sticks a Thing of the Past
Imagine a world where you could be scanned for illness each time you talked on your smartphone. What sounds like science fiction could soon be reality as researchers develop tests to analyze chemical signatures in the breath that offer clues about any illness — tests that would be cheaper, faster, and pain-free.

Although breath tests are still in the research phase, a study published in December showed they were successful at identifying 17 different conditions, including lung, kidney, and prostate cancers, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, and multiple sclerosis.

Breath-based exams "have the potential to be the diagnostic test of the future," says Stephen Steinhubl, Director of Digital Medicine at Scripps Translational Science Institute and a cardiologist at Scripps Health in San Diego, California. "They could replace routine cancer screenings, diagnose infectious disease, and monitor individuals at home for any chronic conditions."

Consider the case of diabetes. Right now, a diagnosis takes a visit to a phlebotomist and a blood draw. Then the blood has to be sent away to a lab for testing, with the results returning days later. In the future, getting a diagnosis could be as easy as breathing into a tube and getting an immediate reading.

Tiny Molecules, Big Impact
These tests work because exhaled breath is the only time a person's bloodstream mixes with the air. Most people exhale 17,000 to 30,000 times per day, and that breath isn't just carbon dioxide — it also includes thousands of invisible compounds that come from deep within the body. About 1 percent of breath is made up of volatile organic compounds (also known as VOCs) that carry tiny chemical signatures of disease — from flu to cancer.

People have known there were signals in breath since around the 6th century, when Hippocrates urged doctors to recognize how a particular sweet smell in the breath meant a patient might be suffering from diabetes. Still, it wasn't a significant focus in medicine until nanotechnology made it possible to create sensors precise enough to analyze the compounds in breath.
The modern inspiration for these tests started back in the 1980s, when studies suggested dogs could sniff out cancer reliably. Experts suggest a canine's uncanny ability to smell is about a million times more sensitive than ours, but the dogs have to be trained, and are usually only able to pick up on one disease at a time. Breath tests, on the other hand, could scan for a wide range of conditions.

Today that research is coming to fruition. Scientists have created detectors that are sensitive enough to read a concentration of one part per million for certain molecules. Now they have to hone which particular signatures are present in which illness.

Fight the Flu
One condition for which diagnosis could be a major benefit is the flu. Perena Gouma, a professor at The University of Texas at Arlington, has created a breathalyzer to diagnose the virus instantly. This would let people get treatment early, without having to see a doctor or risk exposing others to their illness.

The test identifies three key biomarkers of the flu in a sick person's breath: acetone, ammonia, and isoprene. Gouma imagines a person could soon visit a drug store to pick up a test for about $20. The result could be sent wirelessly to a doctor, and the patient could quickly obtain any medications needed.
http://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/your-own-breath-could-make-needle-sticks-thing-past-n722681

[Stooo]

Yes, modern technology is great if you know how to use it properly. I can actually piggy back my Internet access off your next door neighbor. If I choose to.
The scary part of all this technology is even though people turn off the camera on their devices. It's really easy to reactivate them and the owner be none the wiser.

I put PVC tape over my laptop and tablet cameras, I never use them so what's the harm?

[Odessa Steps]

I have a next door neighbour who is also a very dear friend. He has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. His last blood test reading said 46,today it read 51 and he was told to urgently change his whole diet, which he seems to find very difficult. He's one of this old school fellas, if you all know what I mean.

I really like to help him by giving him some down to earth advice. He's pretty helpless and hasn't got a clue what to do...Here is the thing...he loves his chocolate, bread, spuds, cheese, fried food and definitely his BEER and Whisky !!! He is aware that he has to cut out chocolate and most sweets.

I told him that bread shouldn't be on the menu on a daily basis either. Anyway, my question is to anyone who might have type 2 diabetes, and who likes the good things in life, but had to adjust without too many OTT sacrifices. He just loves going to the pub...telling him he can't go to the pub anymore for his beers, might as well be like telling him his life is over.

Can anyone please give me some hints which I could pass on??? Something that worked without making huge changes??

Errrk... I'm type 2 and use insulin and I've had to give up all my joys.

Alas nothing works to get someone in line with diabetes better than fear... you do have to scare the bejazus out of them. I have to be clear here... if his blood sugar is reguarly 46 to 51 he is going to have a heart attack.. and it will be soon, his blood is sugar, it's sticky and flows badly. There is a good chance of him losing a limb and he's going to be prone to endless infections. It's not an if... it's a when. Diet and taking the medication reguarly is the only way to slow it down. If he's got a family he has to do it for them. My blood sugar is 8-10 and thats way too high.

I'm not joking about that heart attack. 51... he must be speeding.

[Lambert]

His last blood test reading said 46,today it read 51

Jesus fuck

That is so dangerously high. He is at serious risk of coma and death.

He needs to immediately cut out all added sugar from his diet and minimise his carbohydrate intake, because if he doesn't he's not going to last long.

[jp761]

I have a next door neighbour who is also a very dear friend. He has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. His last blood test reading said 46,today it read 51 and he was told to urgently change his whole diet, which he seems to find very difficult. He's one of this old school fellas, if you all know what I mean.

I really like to help him by giving him some down to earth advice. He's pretty helpless and hasn't got a clue what to do...Here is the thing...he loves his chocolate, bread, spuds, cheese, fried food and definitely his BEER and Whisky !!! He is aware that he has to cut out chocolate and most sweets.

I told him that bread shouldn't be on the menu on a daily basis either. Anyway, my question is to anyone who might have type 2 diabetes, and who likes the good things in life, but had to adjust without too many OTT sacrifices. He just loves going to the pub...telling him he can't go to the pub anymore for his beers, might as well be like telling him his life is over.

Can anyone please give me some hints which I could pass on??? Something that worked without making huge changes??

Actually yeah I missed that bit first time around 46 and 51 that's ridiculous and ridiculously dangerous he could get severe dehydration with those numbers and die that way too.

Anything over 30/35 is getting into a very dangerous area.

[Nosyguest]

The blood test readings you mention of 46 and 51 are confusing. Are they his HbA1c readings (which is how Drs track diabetes as day to due fluctuate so the three monthly average reading is used)? If they are the figures aren't bad at all and equates arise from 6.2 to 6.8 ish. They cannot be a pin prick blood sugar reading unless it's not in the UK and the measurements are done differently.

[Holly]

The blood test readings you mention of 46 and 51 are confusing. Are they his HbA1c readings (which is how Drs track diabetes as day to due fluctuate so the three monthly average reading is used)? If they are the figures aren't bad at all and equates arise from 6.2 to 6.8 ish. They cannot be a pin prick blood sugar reading unless it's not in the UK and the measurements are done differently.

Yes, it seems confusing. Apparently, the readings have changed. What's now 51, used to be a 7...not very dangerous, but already in the diabetes zone....When he was on 46, he was apparently still on a safe level, 51 has put him in the danger zone. It is very confusing for the ordinary person...but it looks like he is starting to adjust. Been shopping with him today....took us over 2 hours studying all the sugar contents on various products. Like we learned earlier...4g of sugar = 1 teaspoon. Loads of products he used to buy once, we put back on the shelf by just looking at the sugar content.

Anyway, we did buy a bar of chocolate ( 90% of cocoa) which has very little sugar and seems to be the healthiest...let me tell ya, forget it, it's horribly bitter and tastes like shit ...go for the 70%.

[Holly]

It's actually quite interesting...we looked at things like Ginger ale for example ( which he likes with his Canadian club ) ...but one glass would have the equivalent of 5 tea teaspoons of sugar, and the diet one tastes really awful.

Anyway, since I did the shopping and research with my friend today, I can honestly say, I learned a lot. I have never ever looked at labels the way I did today, and it it amazing how much sugar there is in normal day to day products.

6 to 8 tea spoons of sugar in a normal serving of ice cream
5 teaspoons in a small glass of lemonade, orange juice, coke etc

Oh well...all of us who like it sweet, are all doomed

[Holly]

Oh and I like to thank every single poster who took part in this very interesting subject..

[Nosyguest]

Unfortunately, once you are diabetic, fruit juice is completely off the menu, as is most fruit. An ok sweet pudding would be strawberries, sugar free jelly (which to me tastes no different to sugary jelly) and fresh cream.

The results your friend is getting would suggest pre-diabetes which can be pulled back with a few small dietary adjustments.

[Lambert]

Wait, so his 51 mmol/L reading was from a HbA1c? Doom off, risk of imminent death canceled.

[4ever2]

Oh and I like to thank every single poster who took part in this very interesting subject..

WELL DONE - ATTA GIRL KUDO's for you Holly
Taking such a dear ole curmudgeon and his health issues under your wing and helping ...not something many family/friends or neighbors offer to do. It is educational - but hard work for sorting through dietary labels on our consumer products ...and people wonder why our FDA has such stringent guidelines about how/what/why they are supposed to be easy to read.
Far too much sweetener added to our packaged/canned food and sodium as well; we've become a greedy/needy/addictive society for flavor of false sweet instead of what would taste naturally as 'Mother Nature' intended it to taste.

[Stooo]

Wait, so his 51 mmol/L reading was from a HbA1c? Doom off, risk of imminent death canceled.

Yeah, it got me wondering as well

Between 4.5 and 10 mmols is desirable for type 1.

[Stooo]

OMG, this is horrific!

http://edmontonjournal.com/storyline/th ... sons-death