Living with Diabetes

[kevin_standlee]

The results from my quarterly blood tests are back. I like that Palo Alto Medical Center puts the results on their secure web site and sends you an e-mail telling you they're available for review.

We'll see what my doctor thinks when I see him two weeks from yesterday, but the numbers mostly look good. My A1C level (long-term blood sugar control) is at 5.1% (normal 4.8 to 6.0%), and my fasting blood sugar clocked in at 95 (normal range 70 to 100). Cholesterol is still too low, with HDL "good" cholesterol at 35 mg/dl -- desirable is >50. (LDL "bad" cholesterol is at 76 -- normal is 0-130.)

This evening I took further advantage of having a kitchen and did some cooking. Among the things I bought on my shopping trip last night were some small Glad food storage containers, so that I could save leftovers, thus (a) further justifying the long-term stay room and (b) resisting the urge to eat too much "because it would go to waste otherwise."

Still, there was a lot of carbs in what I made: "chili dip," which consists of ground meat (I used turkey because it's lower in fat), refried beans (no fat variety), salsa, and cheese, served over rice with tortilla chips. I must exercise after eating this, so I went exploring the neighborhood. We're on the edge of some sort of business park, but fortunately there are sidewalks -- not always a given in this car-centered culture of ours -- and it's well lit, so I got in a 40 minute brisk walk, and a reasonable blood sugar reading, meaning I'm doing the right things. It's becoming a way of life, but I'm making a better person out of myself for doing so. And it's good to know that I can still eat a lot of things I like.

Comments

Good stuff!

[thirdworld.livejournal.com]

I'm glad to hear that you are taking all this literally in your stride.

[cogitationitis.livejournal.com]

Though much of cholesterol is genetic, you can raise your HDLs with more vegetable oils (olive & walnut especially).

[kevin-standlee.livejournal.com]

It's a good thing that I prefer to cook with olive oil, then. You're right about the genetic thing; to my knowledge, none of my family have ever died of things that are tied to having high cholesterol.

While I'm not taking any medication to treat the diabetes at this time (we're trying diet and exercise first, and it seems to be working), I'm taking one medication -- megadoses of B2 -- to raise cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, this medication has two side effects, one minor and one less so: I get very warm when I take it, and it induces mild gout, which I can feel in my joints. I don't think my doctor intends to keep me on it forever. He's just trying it to see if it affects the cholesterol level.