So I'm hypoglycemic. Apparently it can be something you get if you're about to become diabetic, but I have no signs of having diabetes. Great. The doctor told me there's scientific reasons for why very specific types of sugar will work best, but that everyone finds different things that work for them.
He also said I'm under an extreme amount of stress and thinks it just seeps through in different ways at different times. So maybe I'm furious at little things one week, tired another week, all that.
I don't really know what to do with any of this. It really just feels like another problem being thrown on me. So I am just going to pretend nothing's changed and go on like I have been.
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Sorry, I was really exhausted last night and didn't write everything out. He didn't do a fasting glucose test. Just that I should try eating small meals every few hours rather than big meals very spread out, and if I feel shaky or tired to have some orange juice or a few lifesavers all at once and then see if that helps me feel better within 10 or so minutes. I don't know what blood tests I had, except I asked the lab technician if she was testing me for AIDS and she said no, but if I wanted to be I should ask my doctor to order that one.
He also said he'd like me to try shrinking again, and I said I can get it free through school when it starts up again so at the end of the month I will find out how to sign up for having my head shrunk at school. I'm supposed to go back to him at the end of next week and he'll write out for me the issues he thinks are causing a lot of stress and see how I'm feeling from eating differently. I told him to put being told I have what sounds like pre-diabetes on his list of stressors. He laughed and said it's really easily manageable. We'll see.
8 comments:
Constant refreshing finally yields the medical update!
Your symptoms did bring to mind diabetes, except there was no mention of thirst or frequent urination.
But hypoglycemia is low blood sugar. Is it that you are making too much insulin?
You'll let it sit for a few days, then you'll start figuring out how to handle it.
Were you not given instructions? Like, how to tell when your glucose might be low, having frequent snacks, avoiding foods that would spike your insulin?
So odd, because your healthful diet seems to be just what would avoid hypoglycemia or keep it in check.
Wonder how common it is for such a problem to arise for someone who for a number of years did not have sufficient food to eat.
Can you tell us what the tests were that were done?
Unsteady blood sugars cause mood swings.
Glad the problem's been identified. Sorry it's another problem being thrown at you. It will be okay. You'll get on top of it. You'll do a great job taking advantage of the opportunity to make things better now and keep them from getting worse.
Diabetes is not just about high sugar intake. It's really more about your body's inability to manage the sugar level in your bloodstream. Some people has it in their genes, some people acquire it from their lifestyle. People with diabetes would definitely get periods of hypoglycaemia if not managed properly. I suggest you go and read up more on the condition as it is both dangerous if not managed, as well as lifelong once you got it.
I have low blood sugar, too. In general, I eat less carbs/more protein/small meals or snacks every few hours and it's controlled.
For breakfast, if you just do fruit, you'll get a spike and then a crash, but if you put peanut butter on the apple or hummus on the toast, that helps it last longer. I add nuts and protein powder to cereal. Take less rice/pasta with dinner. It's doable.
Diabetes runs in my family, but I'm choosing to believe that if I take good care of myself I can prevent the onset. Don't know if that's true, but it helps me to not stress about it!
Hazwani, people with diabetes experience hypoglycemic episodes when insulin or other medication, or exercise in some cases, lowers the glucose too much. People with untreated diabetes will not experience low blood sugars. Whether the problem is not making enough insulin (Type 1) or inability to use insulin efficiently (Type 2), the glucose from eating will remain in the blood and not get into the cells. Hyperglycemia is therefore a sign of undiagnosed diabetes, but not hypoglycemia; hypoglycemia is a side effect of treatment.
Apparently, however, making too much insulin even without eating lots of food that calls for it can lead to Type 2 diabetes.
It would be good to get an explanation from the doctor about how the diagnosis was determined, in what way it could lead to diabetes, whether it is officially pre-diabetes, find out what blood tests were done and the results, and have a blood test to measure insulin production.
OTRgirl, Sam tends to eat protein at meals, like a hard-boiled egg with breakfast, and avoid having only fast carbohydrates for a meal, like only toast for breakfast. She even often has nuts for a snack, or a fruit that is a slower carbohydrate with fiber, like berries especially or even an apple. That is why this is so surprising; her diet doesn't seem to promote production of excess insulin, and she even seems to generally avoid the scenario where one crashes after having a fast sugar. Even now that she has access to food on a regular basis, she doesn't seem to overeat. Her diet is perhaps not quite as mindful of diabetes avoidance as yours is, but it has not been a diet that would have been putting her on the fast track to Type 2 diabetes. This is why the question of how previous years of insufficient food followed now by a year of consistently sufficient food could have caused this for Sam, and potentially her sisters, is a good one. Perhaps her body was used to not producing much insulin because it was so often in starvation or near-starvation mode and now a perfectly normal amount of food on a regular basis is such a change for her body that it now produces a little too much insulin? Your tip about peanut butter on the apple or hummus on the toast is good; it didn't seem so necessary before for Sam, because an apple is not all that fast a sugar and she doesn't overdo it on toast alone, but perhaps a snack of pretzels like she has occasionally should now be avoided.
This is obviously not Type 1 diabetes.
Definitely start carrying around juice boxes and hard candy, or even glucose tabs, and take them at the first signs of a hypoglycemic episode. Shakiness is easy to recognize, but being tired might be less so. Maybe the doctor can get you a glucometer; testing when different possible symptoms arise and at different times of the day could help figure things out, help in learning what is what.
It seems that so often when feeling tired one actually might need nourishment, when feeling overwhelmed one actually might need sleep, and when feeling cranky one actually might be overheated. It will be good to keep these things in mind, to mentally go down a checklist when feeling out of sorts in any of these ways to see whether the feeling comes from a physical need.
Glad the doctor will be following up, that the appointment with the diagnosis wasn't the end of that.
(Continued)
The shrinking plans sound good, and finding out what the school insurance covers outside of school would be a good idea too.
Also, previous posts have comments suggesting things to do to relax, clear the mind, and feel better. Looking them over and trying to implement some of them, especially now during the summer, would be smart.
Good, consistent sleep at night and good, consistent exercise during the day might be the first thing to try. Deciding to set a reasonable bedtime and then sticking to it is possible, especially if some responsibilities get delegated. Hypoglycemic episodes are easier to identify if one is not otherwise already tired. Good exercise keeps a person in shape, creates endorphins, and makes the body stronger an more able to handle problems, and good rest is a necessity for being able to function especially under so much stress. Also, having both in a consistent way creates a schedule of daily ritual practices, which can be more beneficial than one might imagine. Poor sleep can help to cause Type 2 diabetes, too, and of course exercise can help to avoid it.
Hope this rather long two-part comment is helpful to you, Sam, and not overwhelming.
Sam, doctors will sometimes give patients a copy of blood test results. It would be reasonable to request this.
OTRgirl, what is considered the cause of your hypoglycemia? Were you warned that your hypoglycemia or its cause could lead to diabetes, or is the concern completely separate because of the family history?
It's not an official diagnosis, it's me putting together evidence. A couple years ago I got a Pilates video (Mari Winsor) which also came with a week's worth of menus (cookbook/food guide). As I started following it, I noticed that my mood evened out and that I no longer "needed" naps. It showed me the connection for my body between carbs alone and a big crash.
Then my Dad got diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and warned us that we could choose what age we get it by how we eat now.
So my advice is NOT the same as a good nutritionist (great idea to get a referral). Your thought about the correlation between Sam's prior diet and current diet is a great point.
Other food ideas while waiting for your next appointment:
Morning shake:
cottage cheese (1/2 c), protein powder (2 Tbs), 1 c. fruit (fresh or frozen), olive oil (2 Tbs).
It tastes much better than it sounds! Mari is big on using healthy fats to help you feel 'full' (olive oil, nuts).
Snacks:
10 Almonds or macademia nuts with or without fruit.
Cottage cheese or plain yogurt with nuts/fruit.
Thanks OTRgirl! Very informative.
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