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• April 6, 2013 12:47 a.m.

  my daughter is only 35 she is type 1 diebetic when she was diagnost at 19 she never had no symtions she never ck her sugar or never took a shot.know she wishes she did.shes lost her eye sight she walks with a walker shes had cronic diarria for 5 years she weighs mabie 90 pds shes know starting to throw up when she eats she has diebetic ulsers on her butt from setting on the toilet and never getting out of bed cause she never has no energy shes so depressed she just wants to die if we only knew back then what the complacations of being diebetic was.

  - Lori

• March 22, 2013 3:12 p.m.

  I have Type II Diabetes and it is gradually getting worse. I want people to know that the real problem is Hyperinsulinemia. This means you are insulin resistant. The body tries to make enough to keep the blood glucose under control but eventually cannot keep up. Then the pills like Metformin then sitagliptin (Januvia), Actos, Byetta or Victoza, and then when they are not enough, Insulin. Some crazy doctors go right to Insulin. My comment is that when Insulin is added to what you already make naturally many doctors think nothing of it. It is just the way the disease progresses. Wrong! So much insulin that you are actually closer to death than your doctor will admit to. Other than hypoglycemia the doctor will say there are no other ill symptoms. Wrong again! Too much insulin is worse than too much blood sugar. A feeling of impending doom takes over your whole psyche. I know. I've been there. The answer is more exercise, less carbs, and stay with the pill regimen for as long as you can. Some day soon, if you don't have the antibodies against it, you'll be able to have an infusion of stem cells that will rewind the clock and give you a second chance to not be stupid with your diet.

  - DEE

• January 28, 2013 4:30 p.m.

  I have so much to learn. My sister - age 45 - went to the doctor in early November 2012 because her vision was so blurry. Only to learn that she has been a diabetic for likely many years. Now less than three months have passed and many surgeries later her vision is SO poorly damaged from the Diabetic Retinopathy that they don't think she will ever recover vision. She is beyond "legally blind". She has always been overweight and lead a sedentary lifestyle. And now because she is so unsocial it has become my parents' burden (in there upper 70's) to care for her since I live over 350 miles away. She has always been violently nauseous (which exaccerbated her diabetes) and had encouraged her to ask a doctor. Turns out that is due to neuropathy of the stomach. My mom has been especially good about taking her to almost daily appointments and cooking special for her. But I feel so helpless. Does anyone have ideas on where we can turn to get help for my sister and rely less on my aging mom? Help to not become depressed, help to go places, help to DO something that doesn't rely solely on site? If her eyesite is this bad ....am I to expect that her heart, liver, limbs are also soon to be in terrible shape? Her blood pressure is high but has been controlled recently with meds. Now she is no longer working. I have no idea what kind (or how long) of life she can expect. Any honest and informative feedback is welcome!

  - Amy

• November 20, 2012 3:17 p.m.

  November 20, 2012 On November 7, 2012, I started my 45th year of being a Type I diabetic. I was diagnosed at the age of 15 & at that time was in the hospital for 1 week to learn to manage it. Back then I tested my urine to see if I was spilling "sugar" into it. Now, an Insulin Pump has come a long way in helping me control my diabetes. I enjoy testing my blood sugar on a One-Touch Ultra Link which tells my Insulin Pump how much insulin it needs to give me before eating. I am also a very brittle diabetic. (My blood sugars go between highs & lows.) I now eat a Whole Wheat diet which has helped me to take care of diabetes & myself. I have a medical background & will do research on Diabetes to see how it can help others with Diabetes and how to count carbohydrates. Oh yes, by the way, I still have my arms, fingers, legs, & feet with all the toes attached. I am very careful in taking care of myself and going to my doctor when something happens to me. For anyone who is Diabetic, please take care of yourself and learn as much as possible about Diabetes and how it pertains to yourself. Then make any necessary changes you need to do to make living your life as a Diabetic even better. Oh yes, by the way I'll be 60 by the end of this year and by eating a Whole Wheat diet it has helped me to live the 45 years as a diabetic as best as I can possibly do it. Thank you and I encourage all diabetics to live their lives to the best of their ability.

  - Ruth

• September 3, 2012 6:32 p.m.

  When my 7 year old son was diagnosed with type 1, we were stunned, shocked and so full of pain. Like your nephew, he also went to a smaller school and was the only one who had type 1. There was no nurse and you can imagine what a mom who has worked in healthcare administration for 20+ years felt like thinking of sending him back to school. Even though Bob and I felt like we didn't know much about the disease after our 3 days hospital stay (as you know, it is like drinking from a fire hydrant trying to take in info at first), we met with school administration. I couldn't even fathom leaving him there for a whole day - we were trying desperately to make plans to find ways of taking care of him even though my husband and I depending on our income to make ends meet (this diagnosis shoved us into a ton of medical debt too). The school's business office and receptionist volunteered to help. Fast forward and the results are that we couldn't have been happier with his care. I couldn't think of a more caring school to have him at. Also, because of this medical debt and the pull to get him into medical research, we went on to totally transform our whole lives. In short, this horrific time in our lives caused us to pay off over $150,000 worth of debt and pay CASH out of our own pocket for over $30,000 worth of medical debt. Our story has been shared world wide (www.livebeyondawesome.com) as it gives hope and inspiration that people need today. Jen

  - Jen

• July 3, 2012 9:40 a.m.

  Hi Phil: Read our article "Alcohol and Diabetes" http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/comments/MY01138_comments#post If you're on insulin, or certain oral diabetes medications, such as a sulfonylurea (glipizide, glyburide) or meglitinide (Prandin) that stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, drinking alcohol can cause a dangerous low blood sugar because your liver has to work to remove the alcohol from your blood instead of its main job to regulate your blood sugar, therefore the potential for hypoglycemia is much greater. Do not drink alcohol on an empty stomach. Food slows down the absorption of alcohol into the blood stream and hypoglycemia is less likely. Sorry that this happened to you.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• June 27, 2012 8:06 a.m.

  Sunday we did a large benefit for a nationally known recording artist, it was a hot day and very hectic, I was the stage MA as well as an entertainer. I had eaten at 8 AM, but did not eat at the venue as everything there was not on my diet plan, 3 beers and 4 waters and 2 cups of black coffee. was not buzzed, i know when I say beer that's the first thing everyone thinks of. Show started at noon, around 3:30 I felt weak and sat on the edge of the stage, about 3:45, feeling better, I got up, upon standing I was seeing double and triple images, horizontal line were duplicated and wavy, I could barley speak. I headed for the green room and upon walking in someone put me in a chair. I was going unconcis, could not speak, I could hear folks talk but I could not respong, they rubbed my chest and feet with ice and gave me water, which gagged me. Someone put a peppermint in my mouth and gave me sips of Coke, I don't normally drink soft drinks, 10 minutes later EMT's arrived and put me in the ambulance, did EKG, all was normal, did BP was pretty good, did BS and reading, (Tech ) Said was messed up, did reading again in about 5 minutes and said I was 84. I had lower back pain, like kidney pain, was shaking until I retired at 9 PM. Monday was a blur and Tuesday was not much better. This morning at 6 AM my BS is 81 and I still have low back pain and the same headache on the very top of my head. Note: my BS usually is 126 in the morning, my A1C is under 6.

  - Phil

• June 20, 2012 5:39 p.m.

  Cure type II Diabetes by simply eliminating DAIRY and MEAT for 6 - 8 weeks! They don't want you to know! God Bless!

  - Jason

• June 20, 2012 3:55 a.m.

  Great story and well plan to convenience the child for his medicine. Nutritional Management of Diabetes

  - Diabetes

• June 16, 2012 8:48 p.m.

  3 yrs ago had part of pancreas removed due to precancerous tumor. Sent to CDE and diet helped me re-gain lost weight and keep good A1C. Definitely recommend that to anyone newly diagnosed or having trouble doing it alone.

  - betteann

• June 16, 2012 8:45 p.m.

  3 yrs ago had part of pancreas removed due to precancerous tumor. Sent to CDE and diet helped me re-gain lost weight and keep good A1C. Definitely recommend that to anyone newly diagnosed or having trouble doing it alone.

  - betteann

• June 11, 2012 4:26 p.m.

  Your husband's spirit and determination is admirable. I would recommend he see someone in sport's medicine or a physical therapist that would do a physical assessment to develop a workable exercise program for him. Another option are videos for chair exercises.

  - Nancy and Peggy

• June 11, 2012 5:35 a.m.

  My husband has been T1 for over 30 years. He has all sorts of complications such as high BP, cholosterol, spilling keytones, his eyes are bad and has lost all peripheral vision. But, now he can barely feel his feet and legs from the knees down. He has several doctors for all of his conditions, but the tingling and numbness is awful. He trips all the time, has an awful time riding his bike, he can't feel the pedals, falls on the stairs and is absolutly miserable. He isn't overweight, eats well, tries to exercise and struggles daily to keep his sugar levels under control. he has the insulin pump, but his sugars run high. His A1C's are always great. Is there anything that could help get the feeling back in his legs? His podiatrist has him on meds and vitamins, he takes meds for BP, thyroid, cholesterol, he sees a cardiologist because his heart is becoming rigid, sees an eye specialist to keep the bleeders under control, has an endochronologist, and will soon be going back to a nutritionalist to try to get his sugar under tight control. Even with all of this his health is declining, what can we do? He can't feel the pedals on his bike to ride, he has such a hard time walking, what other exercise can he do? We bought an expensive treadmill, but he trips too much on it. We don't have access to a pool. We're so desperate for help, please respond.

  - Lori

• June 7, 2012 11:39 a.m.

  I have T2 and the most inconvenience is having to make a meal for my carboholic family and an appropriate one for myself. Usually they can have their starches as a side dish beside the meat and veggies that I eat, so not such a bad thing. Co-operation is high, especially since a close friend of my husband found he had end-stage renal disease and is now on dialysis three times a week. Hubby hugged me and said, "Do what you have to do to stay well!" I do have to choose restaurants with some care, but I pretty much know what I'm going to have. I plan ahead for snacks and bring them with me when traveling. I freeze single portions at home for quick meals. I read labels, use my glucometer and have learned to say, "No". I'm doing very well.

  - Carol

• June 4, 2012 10:34 a.m.

  Loretta: Maria Collazo-Clavell, M.D. has answered your question on reactive hypoglycemia. Here is the link: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reactive-hypoglycemia/AN00934 Hope that helps!

  - Nancy and Peggy

• June 2, 2012 7:05 p.m.

  I am hypoglycemic, a problem that is very difficult to manage, a problem that I was diagnosed with as a teenager but had never been addressed. This past January the endocrinologist diagnosed me as having "reactive hypoglycemia". I'm not savvy about nutrition for managing this problem and my insurance wont pay to educate me because the word "diabetes" is not mentioned in my diagnosis. I have no appreciation for the anxiety that is generated by the sugar shifts. There is no medication to treat this problem and I am faced with eating just before going to bed or my sugar reading drops and I wake up scared out of my wits. What would you suggest as a way to keep enough protein and good carbs in my system at all times to stabilize and maintain the sugar levels. In order to feel good I need for the levels to stay between 90 and 105, it isn't uncommon for the levels to drop into the low 60's and has dropped below the meter's ability to read,Chesaning, MI Fire Dept. EMT Report. Thank you! Talking about "legal" the posting guidelines must deter most individuals from posting comments, if I didn't want your input I wouldn't be doing this, tough decision, not sure I understand all the ramifications.

  - Loretta

• May 27, 2012 10:05 p.m.

  Thanks for sharing your story! Glad to hear you have the diabetes under control. I have been T1 for 25 years and have lots to share :). Check out my book, Freckled Fingertips for a look at the emotions and experiences diabetes has influenced over my life time: https://www.createspace.com/3680948 I'd love to hear your thoughts on my book Peggy!

  - Carli Visser

• May 27, 2012 4:39 p.m.

  My husband has late onset type 1 diabetes diagnosed at age 50, his thyroid stopped functioning in his 20's. He has a sister with the same problem in addition to Rheumatoid Arthritis, a niece with Rheumatoid Arthritis, another family member with a rare autoimmune disease. Clearly, there are genetic factors at work in his family. It is very discouraging when people pass the diabetes off as something he brought on himself which isn't the case. If type 2 diabetes was only due to overeating and lack of exercise, there would be a 100% incidence of this disease, and there is not. Something else is at work in triggering type 2, in causing the immune system to attack the pancreas and other endocrine systems.

  - Jean