Another Email From the Doctor

This time the doctor that Jason knew was a lot more direct. He asked why I used made-up names for the members. In my answer, I stated that in case anyone in our local community read my blog, they would have a difficult time identifying people unless they had heard us talking. This is the one area we try to be secretive. Plus we are so used to our names, we know who is saying what.

The next question was again about CDEs and why we don't use them. I said that most CDEs do not want to spend time with patients who manage their diabetes as well as we are able. I stated that of the three doctors that are present at group meetings do not have CDEs available and just the few of us using the diabetes clinic could utilize them but have not felt the need. With the reading we do and the research, we are not willing to listen to them spout the ADA position when we know we are capable of deciding what works best for us.

His next question was why not have one speak to the group. I stated that most do not want this and they would not be paid as we do not collect dues for this and volunteer they might, but most of us would get up and leave when ADA positions were promoted. I said many CDEs would be questioned about why they haven't endorsed positions adopted by the ADA and a committee from the AADE. We would also ask why many CDEs leave patients when the topic of depression was inserted into a conversation. Most speakers would be asked question after question looking for areas where they were not knowledgeable. Not good for us and not what CDEs would want.

He said he understood why we would not have time for RD members of AND and the promotion of big food. We probably did not use many of the foods they promote, especially the whole grains. He said after reading my review of “Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis, he had ordered the book and has talked to other doctors at the hospital. He was surprised at the number that already had read it. Some agreed and some had reservations about the book, but had read it. He said I had used the right information in my review and even he had some reservations, but that much made good sense. He said that since two of the doctors in the cardiology department were recommending the book to some patients, he felt that it was what he should do when he finishes it. He has had one patient ask him about the book and he stated that he was reading it and felt if could be good for him. The patient mentioned that the heart doctor had recommended that he read it.

Then he said he had the book The Type 2 Diabetes Sourcebook and if his wife had not read my blog reviewing it, he would not have been aware of the statement I quoted and though he agreed with my review, he was not aware of how truly bad the book was with the statement. He wonders how they could write something like that with all the evidence to the contrary. Yes, he said very few people die from hyperglycemia, but we do not yet know how many die from hypoglycemia because death certificates are seldom correctly completed and have no place for secondary causes.

He has said that his wife has read a lot of my blogs and since she is an advance practice nurse for a local diabetes clinic, she is not agreeing with everything I blog about, but by checking my links, she has few real disagreements. I told him to have her let me know of problems or disagreements.

I answered a few more of his questions and thanked him for the correspondence.

Do You Feel Guilty About Diabetes?

Are you buying into the myths often laid on us by the medical profession, friends, and family? This is easy to do, but you must not. First, understand that diabetes is not your fault. I have said this before and some need a constant reminder of this. Then be sure you are living in the present as the past is exactly that, the past.

Being able to manage diabetes is now your goal. This is a task that requires attention 24/7/365. There is no vacation and this does present challenges for some. There can be good and bad times, as well as days that can be planned when you can treat yourself to some relaxing time.

People with Type 2 diabetes often give up for several reasons. Often they are tempted and do give in to these temptations. Others get discouraged because they don't obtain the results the doctor had told them to expect. Some believe in the myths about diabetes and therefore do not challenge themselves to do many things that may help them in their management of diabetes. Still others do not follow the instructions of the doctor and wonder why they are not getting better.

A difficult truth for many is there are few people with Type 2 diabetes that can measure their results to another person's results. Therefore, you must become your own science experiment and find out how your body reacts to different foods, different medications, and different levels of exercise.

If you are looking for other views, two bloggers have something to say. David Spero has a blog here about this subject. And Pine Pienaar has has other suggestions here.  (The last link is broken - no fix found.)  They both have good points and I enjoy reading both.

If you have gotten past the initial shock, anger, and denial, the next step is gaining the knowledge you need to manage diabetes. There are many excellent books and web sites available that can give you much good information. Just a word of caution, there are some very unreliable websites that promise cures, but they are after your money and will promise most everything to get you to pay it over to them.

There are many studies out that criticize many of the sites for their unreliable and misleading information. Just use extreme caution and I have many sites listed in other blogs. A few are blog 1, blog 2, and blog 3.  When you find something you like or that you find useful, bookmark it to have it for reference. If something does not work for you, discard it and move on. Occasionally some ideas will work in the future.

Published Resources

I am writing about my personal experiences. I am a person with Type 2 Diabetes. Any advice that sounds good should be discussed first and always with your doctor.

I was diagnosed in October 2003 while in the hospital with angina problems. The last (now over) seven years have been a learning experience and has not been easy.

The first thing I had to learn and accept was - it was not my fault. The second lesson took a lot longer - I cannot change the past - it is the past and I have to learn to live in the present. Painful, yes, and at times harder than a real job. This requires my attention seven days a week and does not allow for a vacation.

Several books, all in paperback, have influenced and made an impact on my life with diabetes. I would recommend for anyone diagnosed with type 2 diabetes to read them. As with any book written about diabetes, glean what is important to you. If you are like me, you will refer back to something you skimmed earlier when it becomes important to you.

First book: The First Year - Type 2 Diabetes, New York, Marlow & Company, 312 pages, by Gretchen Becker. I discovered this book within a month of diagnosis. It gave me information that I was not receiving from my doctor. Gretchen has type 2 diabetes and she gives the best definitions and reasons for controlling diabetes in non-technical language.  Look for the Second Edition.

Second book: Diabetes Type 2 Complete Food Guide Management Program, New York, Three Rivers Press, 350 pages, by Sherri Shafer. She is a RD, CDE and tackles health issues and food for the person with diabetes. While higher in carbohydrates than suits me, this book came to my rescue when I had my first severe hypoglycemia. It gave me the resources to deal effectively with them. It has been handy for hyperglycemia information as well.

Third book: Myths of a Diabetic Diet, American Diabetes Association, 238 pages, by Chalmers and Peterson. While this book is dated, it is a well written guide for preventing excesses in eating changes. This concept is important for people new to diabetes. Even though there is no diabetic diet in today's understanding of diabetes, this book is still good to read.

Fourth book: Reversing Diabetes, Warner Books, Inc., 435 pages, by Julian Whitaker. This is not a cure book. This is for people with type 2 diabetes who wish to stay off or get off of medications. If you are insulin dependent like me, this may not be for you. It can be valuable for those who are not insulin dependent. I had hopes at one time, but it was not meant to be.

Fifth book: The New Glucose Revolution, New York, Marlow & Company, 349 pages, by Dr. Jenny Brand-Miller, et al. This book is a recent addition to my library and should be on everyone's read list. It gives an excellent explanation of the Glycemic Index and the Glycemic Load values of many foods. It is aimed toward those of us with diabetes, but those wanting to lose weight and be capable of keeping the pounds off will benefit from this book.

All the books are or have been available at Amazon.com.

There are many other books that are available for those of us with diabetes to read. I will review other books when I finish them and know that I will add them to my library or pass them to someone else. The above books will remain part of my library.