Sage's Journal

[CactusFlower]

Hugs all. I think I can control my diet without a lot of effort.  3 days on Metformin now and I've noticed a couple things. I'm not really having the side effects strongly, but they're there. I was playing a puzzle game just now, and all of a sudden, ball of awful nausea exists right under the diaphragm. Like, I was afraid to breathe hard for a few minutes. I'm having some ginger tea now, but it's still slightly there. And yes, I had it with a meal like I'm supposed to. UGH. Let's hope this only lasts a couple weeks at most, like she said.  Preferably less than that, good lord. It's also going to be interesting figuring out what to eat for breakfast to take it with, since I don't like most breakfast foods. I'll just have normal stuff, but I also don't get hungry right away after waking up. This is so much work and brain-ing. it's exhausting.

[sanmagic7]

exhausting, indeed, CF.  here's hoping those initial side effects leave you quickly.  as far as 'breakfast foods', i think you can eat anything you want - pizza, sandwich, rice and beans, pot roast, soup, whatever feels right for you.  we don't have to go by traditions if it doesn't suit us.  i just hope this works out for you in the best way possible.  love and hugs

[Chart]

 

[Papa Coco]

HI CF.

Sorry to hear you're dealing with diabeetus too. (misspelling intended)

I just wanted to comment on your breakfast situation. When I need to eat breakfast but aren't hungry for it, I scoop up a bit of plain, unsweetened yogurt. No sugar added. It tastes a bit bitter but believe or not, I like the taste. A person can maybe add some nuts or granola to it to cut the bitter taste if they need. The no-sugar yogurt provides some stable food for the glucose to process slowly. I have always been told that fasting is bad for diabetics The glucose needs help keeping itself level and not spiking up and down with long bouts of hunger, interrupted by sudden large meals. It has always been my understanding that to manage glucose levels, we should graze all day on small bites of food that won't spike our blood sugars.

I just found that the no-sugar yogurt helps me stabilize in the morning without making me choke down a meal I'm not hungry for. I usually don't get hungry until noon. So, I often just say lunch is my breakfast. As I explore my own glucose situation I may have to stop fasting until noon for good.

I'm a step behind you on finding my diagnosis. Diabetes is the first thing my doctor is looking at. If it's not that, then she'll start looking at my cortisol levels. After spending 65 years in a chronic state of agitated fight/flight, I'm easily convinced that my cortisol levels could be failing from exhaustion.

I hope the Diabetes is easy for you to manage. I'm with you on the desire to NOT have to start giving self-injections all the time. Needles. Not my favorite thing.

[CactusFlower]

Good point, PC. I do like Oikos zero greek yogurt, and I mix grape-nuts into it. LOL It's doable, just seems overwhelming in the beginning.  Yesterday's Costco trip was depressing as heck to pass by the muffins! LOL But I do have sugarfree peanut butter and I had my bro get some SF jelly to go with it. it'll just take practice, and we'll see what the doc says next week, too.

[Papa Coco]

I hear you on the Costco trip. I was diagnosed in November as Insulin Resistant, a step toward diabetes. My new Glucose meter is showing that I seem to be hyperglycemic, which means my glucose levels tend to be higher than average, whereas hypoglycemic would be when the glucose drops to unsafe low levels. November is between Halloween and Thanksgiving, headed toward Christmas. I like to bake and I LOVE to eat candy, chocolate and pastries, and bread...and pasta; All on prominent display at Costco. [Heavy sigh]. To find out you can't have sugar and pastries during the Holiday season is like a comedy that isn't funny. Fortunately, my doctor is also a human being. She told me to start my new eating habits after Jan 1. She knew Holidays were the wrong time to try and stop eating Holiday food, so why bother expecting me to just go from 0 to 100 all at once? That being said, I did still make some peanut butter cookies and a few pumpkin spice cakes, but I did drastically cut back from my normal routine of eating tons of it. This year I only ate pounds of it. Knowing how bad it was for me helped motivate me to cut back. Now I have to exercise every day too. Life is so unfair!

Good luck exploring the higher protein treats of the diabetic. I am trying to learn to enjoy small bites of meat and cheese and nuts at night instead of a muffin or cookie or ice cream. Late night salads can be refreshing. I bought an inexpensive spiralizer for the kitchen which allows me to turn Zucchinis or other hard vegetables into spaghetti noodles rather than use only pasta as noodles. Things like this. It's a learning curve that we're both just embarking on now.

Good luck to you as you find your new diet habits. I'm learning it all too.

[Chart]

CactusFlower, last night I stumbled upon someone on YouTube talking about the Ketogenic diet, or Keto diet. I've been looking at it a little bit. There're a couple mentions on the Forum about it. I'm going to explore it a little more and wanted to mention it as it might be serendipity.
 

[CactusFlower]

PC: I'm not a big candy eater, but pasta is hard because it's an easy meal when the pain hits. And I love bread. I did find some treats on Amazon, so I'm trying those today and will check the store maybe tomorrow to see what they have. I found russell stover SF chocolates, SF reese's mini cups, a Fiber One "cookie" that's surprisingly good, and a keto brownie mix. (I do see the keto options, Chart, those might help if they taste okay.) Bro has SF Voortman's cookies and the shortbread was surprisingly not terrible, if a wee bit drier than normal. It'd be good with tea. It's just such a big shift, I know.

OK, holy carp, the Russell Stovers are good! I have a mixed bag here and even though the pieces are tiny, the coconut one tastes exactly like a Mounds bar. A tiny piece can satisfy the craving, so this is impressive.

[sanmagic7]

it really is a big shift, CF, but it sounds like you are making a lot of headway.  keep up the good work!  love and hugs

[CactusFlower]

Moderation. Although the Russell Stovers are tasty, only 3 pieces is clearly too excessive and you will regret it while having plenty of time in the bathroom to contemplate those life choices. That'll have to be a 1-small-piece-maybe-half treat. BFF told me about a SF chocolate bar that doesn't do that. I'll try it later, as they're nearly $4.50 at the store. Oof. Didn't really see anything else super special at the store, alas. But I did find the Greek yogurt I know I like. Oikos Zero, I've had it before and it's ok.

On a positive note, had a charcuterie-style dinner with the BFF last night and then watched 84 Charing Cross Road, with Anne Bancroft and Sir Anthony Hopkins. I'd just finished reading the book and adored it. Movie was an excellent treatment. So that was a lovely evening.

[Chart]

Glad you had a nice evening CF. Gonna check out that movie too, thanks!

[sanmagic7]

hey, CF, yeah, i've found out the hard way about things i put into my body as well.  plenty of time to think about it and maybe do something about it.  glad you discovered your tolerance level for russell stover. 

i love meals like that.  such a variety i can taste, sample, and enjoy.  sounds like a great evening.  love and hugs

[CactusFlower]

Ugh. so many things.  Ratio "soft baked bars" use allulose as a sweetener. Although they're a small 1-serving cookie, no GI issues with that so far.

So. They're going to talk to my insurance to see what continuous glucose monitor might be covered, cause I cannot * my fingers 3 times a day. And, joy of joys, I'm on a weekly Ozempic shot, which they gave me a month's worth while the insurance company will process a prior auth. Sigh. She showed me how to do it at the office for the first one. It does sting, yes, but not as much as a wasp once did. it's.... doable. I don't like it and it does sting, but it's doable. (plus it's the belly, and I have padding, LOL) Then I got more meds for the cholesterol and BP, as the current one isn't quite doing it.

Referral for pain management regarding the fibro, apparently he does something with nerves rather than prescribing meds. That's good, but I doubt much will happen. It's not like there's a cure for it. Also a referral to a psych to see if I can go off the prazosin for the nightmares since it's not helping the blood pressure any anyway. At least they're only 2 doors down, so that's convenient, AND they can get me in a week from today, surprisingly. Doc was only 40 minutes behind today. (rolls eyes).

I hate taking pills and the older I get, the more I have.   My inner critic really hits hard with each new pill, lots of guilt and shame, sense of failure, etc.  Have to talk to therapist about that more. And ironically, I take the fewest out of the people I know really well.

I'm just to freaking tired of being sick and tired. Sigh. Thank the gods for my Disability status, though. Back in a month for a bp followup and 3 for another sugar check. So much to keep track of, too! This is why I have 3 calendar/planners, or I'd forget so much.

[sanmagic7]

dang, CF, so much change, so much to keep track of.  it really is a lot.

and, yeah, one of the 'perks' of growing older, which, to my mind is not something to be ashamed of.  i know what you're saying, but it really isn't on you that your body needs some outside help.  it's a fact of life, and i've decided to take the stance that no matter what, i can be kinda proud to still be ticking, so to speak - a lot of people i know have not made it this far, meds or no meds. 

we'll get thru this old age gig.  so glad for you and your disability help.  i know that takes a financial load off, at least.  love and hugs

[Hope67]

Hi Sage,
Sending you a hug 
Hope