question about medications

Hi Steve,

 Thank you for the back-up on that. 

 My boss thinks that insulin is bad for you in the long run and has told me so numerous times this week already (maybe trying to micro-manage my life ??), but the dr would not have prescribed it if it wasn't needed. I got the prescription filled for it yesterday and watched the video about it this morning.  Just wish they had shown me how to do this.  I am afraid of giving myself an injection, but understand that it will be fine after the first few times.  He just refused to believe it was really needed.

Gee-maybe he thinks he should be a dr ?????

thanks again,

Mary

Mary

No reason to fear self-injection.  There is a secret to giving yourself a painless injection.

That is a rapid insertion of the needle.  Don't try to slowly insert the needle, use a rapid motion and do it quickly and you will feel no pain at all.

Starting insulin early in your treatment will provide your blood sugars to go down into the normal ranges if you just follow the doctors orders and increase gradually until your fasting blood sugars are normalized.  Once your blood sugars are normalized, then then those cells that make insulin come back to life and you will have better control.  But remember the secret to using insulin is to use as little as possible so you don't gain weight and the best way to do that is to cut down on your carbs so you will not need as much insulin.

I highly recommend you get a book by Richard K. Bernstein titled the Diabetes Solution and it will teach you how best to use insulin.  More info on Dr. Bernstein is available at www.diabetes911.net

Check it out.

Your Friend in Diabetes Care

Steve Freed, R.Ph., CDE, Publisher

www.diabetesincontro.com

Hi again Steve,

  Thanks for the info on the book.  I'll try to get it this weekend.  I had already cut way back on my carbs as soon as I was diagnosed weeks ago and have checked out a lot of books at the library, but didn't read too much about insulin in those since I had not been prescribed it until the day before yesterday.  I'll watch the video again tonight and give it a try instead of waiting for someone from the dr's office to show me. 

I'll try to check out that website tonight, too.

Thanks for all your help !

Mary  

Thanks , Steve.

  I gave myself my first insulin injection last night. I had been afraid of it for nothing.  It was pretty much a "non-event".  I had just assumed it would feel like a regular shot needle. 

My boss is still trying to tell me I shouldn't be taking it every chance he gets.  That is getting a little tiresome.     

I'll be going to the book store today, too.

Thanks again !  You were so helpful !

Mary E.

Hi Jerry,

  I haven't changed anything about my medications from what my Dr told me.  My boss was just

so insistant that starting insulin would be the worst thing in the world for me and my body and said his medication would be better for me instead.   I was pretty much just looking for some support on my position to get him to stop mentioning that every time he saw me.  It did go on for weeks and I finally had to bring in a note from my doctor to show him that those 2 medications together would not be in my best interest.

thanks,

Mary E.  

If you are insulin dependant then you will have to take it.  I too was told that insulin would be bad for me because it causes weight gain and I am 320 lbs.  Boy, that is the last thing I want to do. Stay with the orals as long as you can while keeping your bg levels normal. Work with various combinations with you Dr untill you find the ones that work

Jerry

Hi again Jerry,

  My doctor had put me on insulin (just at bedtime) because the oral medication by itself wasn't getting my #s low enough.   They've been good since then.  She did say later on that we can try something else with my oral medication and that I won't be on insulin forever, but the main immediate concern was to get the #s down.  I was just diagnosed in March.   My boss has been the only one that said insulin would be bad for me, but he was using a relative as a comparison-the relative didn't change any eating, drinking or excerise habits and expected his oral medication to keep things under control.  It didn't and now he's been on insulin also for quite a while, but is now also on dialysis and has lost his eyesight.  My boss expects the same thing to happen to anyone that's on insulin at all. 

  I immediately made changes in everything.  My father was diabetic and ended up dying from complications years ago.  I don't want the same thing to happen to me.

thanks again,

Mary E.