More Diabetes Pills -- Aahhh

Okay, today was my first visit to the endocrinologist. I went in feeling good. My levels have been good for days, my weight is down, and I was feeling good. Wish I could say the same on the other end.

When I entered the office, my first question was about Divan, which is a blood pressure medicine prescribed in the hospital. I was told this was a temporary drug for me. That hope was dashed when the endocrinologist told me that drug was a necessity -- Strike One for me.

Strike 2 came when he added pioglitazone to my drug mix The goal here is to protect my heart, but my head started to spin at this point.

Strike three hit back in the doctor's office. He said that I have one more drug coming. Didn't get a name for the drug yet, but it looks like that won't happen for a month.

For a guy who hates pills, today was hard. It made me realize once again the work that goes with diabetes. It also made me think about getting a second opinion. The endocrinologist and I didn't jive well. Not sure what a second opinion will bring. But getting one can't hurt either.

I left the endocrinologist very frustrated today. What I thought was going to be an easy appointment turned into a big headache for me. The additional pills were a let down. The interaction with the doctor was even worse. Dtay tuned and I'll let you know how endocrinologist number 2 goes. In the interim, send off your feedback. Can't wait to hear your thoughts on this blog. Thanks!

Diabetes and My Emotions

When I got home from the hospital in late October, I committed that I would attack daibetes head on and that I wouldn't let the disease get me down. But, atfer having the disease for only a few weeks, I find it to be tiring at points. You have to continually think about what you eat. You have to continually monitor levels that, at the beginnning go up and down for no apparent reason. You have to answer questions at work. And, you have to answer the questions going through your head, like how did I get here.

Guess I was being a bit naive when I got home. I'm a determined person and I feel that I can overcome anything if I put my mind to it. Diabetes is the same thing for me. But, while I attacked the disease head on and started to lose weight, I still felt crappy at times. Then I read a story in the Newark Star-Ledger, titled Dealing with diabetes burnout and I realized that this is going to be a long road filled with emotional ups and downs.

Fortuantely, Melissa, my wife, is a psychologist and has helped me out. She keeps me in check. She gives me a person to listen to. And, she helps me work through the bad days.

I'm lucky to have Melissa and I suggest everyone finding someone to talk to, even if it's just a friend. But I also suggest reading some other resources on the web like: Emotions: A Critical Factor in diabetes Control, A Guide to Emotions and Diabetes, and Diabetes, Depression and Stress.

I found some interesting info in each of these resources. I hope they help you too!

Living with Metformin

It's safe to say 2006 was a tough medical year for my family. Actually, the challenges started in 2005 when my wife and I found out that we couldn't have a second child, forcing us to turn to in-vitro fertilization treatments.

At the time, the infertility doctor put Melissa on a drug called Metformin because her sugar levels were a bit higher than normal. After one failed attempt at IVF, Melissa got pulled off Metformin and that was the last I figured I'd hear of the drug.

How little I knew! Just one year later, Metformin was back and this time it was a part of my life as key player in treating my Type 2 diabetes. I've done a lot of reading about Metformin since I started the drug a few weeks back. During that period, I've found some good sites that give the goods and bads of the drug. Some of the better ones include: http://www.drugs.com/metformin.html and http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/uspdi/202756.html.

I have to say, I was pretty freaked about the side effects that Metformin provides, particularly on the Vitamin B12 front. But I also feel lucky to take a pill as opposed to an insulin shot (I hate needles!).

I hope these resources help! And, if you're wondering, the second time was a charm for Melissa and I. We're due to have our second child in late May.

Taking Steps Forward

October 24 may have been one of the scariest days of my life. Like I've done on many occasions, I sat in my car at 6 am and began the 1.5 hour trek from New Jersey to Long Island for an all-day meeting.

As always, I was tired. After working for 10 months on a project and putting in 20-hour days for the last three weeks, who wouldn't be. But, as I was on the highway and started to wake up, something funny happened. I looked ahead of me and realized that everything was blurry. I'm not one to get freaked out, but I have to say that I was scared. But, I ventured on, went to my meeting, and headed home with my eyes still blurry.

Fortunately, I booked an appointment the next day with my doctor. When I got to the doctor, I didn't realize how fortunate I was. When I got to the doctor and told him how I felt, he immediately pulled out a meter and pricked my finger. The number on the meter read 568. Now, I'm not a doctor (that's my wife's gig), but I knew that wasn't good and the doctor confirmed my fears when he sent me to the ER.

The next few hours and days were brutal. I found out that night that I had diabetes. And I also found out that I couldn't go home to be with my wife and daughter that night. I was crushed, scared, and just overall confused. I started to ask: Diabetes didn't run in my family, so why did I get this? I know I'm overweight (ok really overweight — don't be fooled by my picture. It's an old one), but why did this have to happen to me? How could I do this to myself?

To be honest, I felt that way for the next two days as I lied in a bed with nothing to do but sulk and watch the Game Show Network. My only salvation came from a silver heart my wife gave me and a message from a nurse in the ER. That message was simple: Don't beat yourself up, you can deal with this, and read as much as you can.

I got home that Friday night and I told myself that 1) I'd fight this disease head on, that 2) I'd make changes, and 3) that I'd start a blog, so that I could share my experiences with the world. Hey, I'm a journalist, so writing is in the blood :-)

Number 1 and number 2 are already happening. I've lost weight. I hit the gym 4 times per week. And my levels look good. And now, with this post, I'm living up to number 3 of my promise. So stick around to read about my experiences on living with Type 2 and to find resources that anyone with diabetes might find interesting. Hope you enjoy!