I have had Type 2 Diabetes since 1991. For the first 10 yes I just used diet and in 2001 I was on Actos which didn't work, then on Metformin which I didn't see where it helped either but have been on it for 10 years. I have used Byetta & lost 50 pounds but in 2009 I started having side affects (vomiting, pain in my midriff area and severe diarrhea), my A1c was 5.0 so my endocrinologist took me off the Byetta and I was just on glipzide and metformin. 

I then just went to my primary doctor.  I started gaining the weight back and my A1c went up to 6.5 which isn't bad but my morning blood sugar readings were pushing 200.  He then put me on Levemir in the evenings prior to going to bed along with glipizde & metformin 1000mg 2x a day.  It brought down my morning readings to 120-140, so a morning dose was added. In 2010 I then developed a fatty liver and I was off the simvastin (on it since 2006), my next labs the A1c was 6.1 and my trigs were up. He took me off the glipzide and put me on Aprida SoloStar, Metformin-ER & Lipitor (the Lipitor I can not take because I have way too much muscle joint pain).  Its been a roller coaster ride these past several years, I have gained all the weight back that I lost and I try to so hard to get it off and its so frustrating. 

I am married to a wonderful husband who was diagnosed with PCa in 2007, had Brachytherapy (radiation seed implant) in April 2008. His PSA in August 2011 was 0.04. I too was diagnosed with squamish cell skin cancer in 2009 and had a skin graft on the area. My husband and I are cancer free!

Life is interesting to say the least!