Controlling Fluctuations of Diabetes Blood Glucose, Healing and Preventing Nerve Damage with Baby’s Milk
In the beginning, none of this was easy to understand. When I was dangerously ill with this life-threatening condition, all I wanted to know is when I would get well and how soon.
It was mentally challenging to comprehend how food is broken down into glucose, the body’s main source of energy; that when insulin is absent, reduced or not effective, glucose cannot be transported to the cells for energy. When this happens, glucose builds up in the blood. This high blood glucose level causes diabetes.
The nurse educator and Dr. Levy-Kern both said that meal planning, physical exercise, medication, stress management and knowledge about diabetes all help blood glucose levels to return to or remain normal.
According to these professionals, diabetes is not contagious. Obesity and heredity precipitate it. Since I am never overweight, obesity did not play a role. The susceptibility to diabetes is passed from generation to generation through the genes but not in any predictable pattern. Dr. Levy-Kern said that heredity played a part in my being diabetic. I was diagnosed with Type 2 (non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) due to heredity since my father was diabetic and passed away due to its many complications.
Dr. Levy-Kern emphasized the necessity to watch for high blood sugar (HYPERGLYCEMIA) and low blood sugar (HYPOGLYCEMIC). I was given written information on what to expect and how to detect symptoms. Here’s the information:
KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HIGH BLOOD SUGAR AND LOW BLOOD SUGAR
| HIGH BLOOD SUGAR: (HYPERGLYCEMIA) | LOW BLOOD SUGAR (HYPOGLYCEMIA) |
| Symptoms noticed within hours to several days: | Symptoms noticed within minutes to hours: |
| - increased thirst and frequent urination | - cold sweats |
| - large amounts of blood sugar | - dizziness, headaches |
| - ketones in urine | - blurred vision |
| weakness, pains in stomach, aching all over | - inability to awaken |
| - heavy-labored breathing | - grouchiness |
| - loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting | - personality change |
| - fatigue |
Controlling Fluctuations of Diabetes Blood Glucose, Healing and Preventing Nerve Damage with Baby’s Milk
| WHAT TO DO: | WHAT TO DO: |
| - call doctor immediately | - take 2 glucose tablets or food containing sugar (orange juice, regular soda) |
| - take fluids without sugar if able to swallow | - check blood sugar level |
| - test blood sugar frequently | - do not give insulin |
| - test urine for ketones | - do not give anything by mouth if unconscious |
| - call doctor |
| CAUSES | CAUSES |
| - not enough insulin | - too much insulin |
| - too much food | - not enough food |
| - infection, fever, illness | - overly strenuous exercise |
| - emotional stress | - delayed meal |
For high blood sugar, Dr. Levy-Kern and Dr. Loreno strongly advised me to monitor the blood sugar and urine ketone levels. Urine testing for ketones can be done at home with test kits from the pharmacy. I prefer to have my ketone tests done in a laboratory to make sure there is no possible kidney problem. It is hard enough to have diabetes, and it is deadly when kidneys are affected.
Long ago my father said, “No one dies from diabetes, but diabetic complications will surely get you.” He should know. He died from diabetes complications of the kidneys, circulation problems and high blood pressure.
Prior to being released from the hospital, the nurse educator enrolled me in a month-long diabetes self-management course. Family members were encouraged to attend. The course included:
- general information supported by numerous pamphlets of information from various sources
- blood glucose monitoring
- oral hypoglycemic
- ketone testing
- hygiene, nutrition and meal planning
- stress management
- behavior medication
- group discussion
Meeting with other diabetics and their families helped the diabetic team to assist me to control my blood sugar and to understand personality changes and mood swings that impact my husband and children and inspire them to be more patient and tolerant.
Controlling Fluctuations of Diabetes Blood Glucose, Healing and Preventing Nerve Damage with Baby’s Milk
more patient and tolerant.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR KETONE TESTING
Persons with Type 2 Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes should call their doctor when:
1. blood sugar is greater than 240 mg/dl and ketones are positive in the urine
2. the blood sugar has increased over the past 12 hours and tests show the presence of ketones.
Two kidneys in the back of our spine above the waistline filter blood flow through tiny capillaries. High levels of ketones in urine warn of possible kidney problems. Kidney complications include fatigue, lower back pain and light burning sensation while urinating.
To determine whether my diabetes is affecting my kidneys, my physician recommends microalbumin laboratory tests at least once a year.
When I experience light burning sensations while voiding, I usually drink cranberry cocktail juice for 2-3 days. When the painful sensation does not go away, doctors prescribe antibiotics to treat possible infections in the urinary tract. Cranbury juice is now my regular beverage. I take a half glass at least once daily.
Oral medication was prescribed twice daily which, in recent years, was reduced to one tablet twice daily. I take my prescription to this day.
In the beginning, I was instructed to monitor my blood sugar every four hours, six times a day. Even at night I had to prick my fingers twice – I had to – even though I had difficulty getting back to sleep.
Pricking my fingers – forefinger; middle finger; ring finger – so many times produced ugly calluses. Sometimes no blood came out, since the skin had hardened. With the needle so small I feared it would break and embed the tip under my skin, so I often had to prick myself twice, sometimes thrice. I abhor pricking myself, even though the needle is small and the pain is bearable. Nonetheless, I cannot