Diabetes Management is not a one-size-fits-all and here’s why

First off, a brief overview.  In this post, I’ll be talking about a type 2 diabetes that I am diagnosed with.  What happens is that although insulin is produced, it cannot be used efficiently by body tissues which is called Insulin Resistance. So the glucose stays in the bloodstream and can cause all kinds of trouble.

At first, pancreas tries to compensate by producing more insulin, but with time it will slowly lose this ability.

Image Credit:  http://www.endocrineweb.com

However, no one knows exactly when said events take place and to what extent. There are tremendous differences across the board in how much insulin is still produced as well as the degree of how sensitive or not sensitive the body cells are to the insulin. When some advices start with a phrase, “When you were first diagnosed…”, no one can tell for sure when this happened. It is widely assumed that everyone was diagnosed at about the same point in their diabetes development. However, nothing can be further from the truth.

For example, I was finally diagnosed about two years ago, while the blood sugar levels were elevated in my metabolic panels bloodwork for years prior; no one told me about this fact and I wasn’t even thinking to inquire. A1C test wasn’t done up until the day when I was finally diagnosed.

I am not on any diabetes meds right now and here’s to hoping this will last forever. I am not a big fan of the medications to begin with. I believe that everyone can have a different reaction to a certain medication compared to someone else. The same medication can benefit one person and do no benefit to the other.

When it comes to meters, some of us want the fancy ones with charts and graphs functions, while the others are just fine with a simple one. I fall in the last category; I think meters are simply for getting BG numbers and then I can do my graphs DIY on Excel. I however think that the graphs are totally unnecessary. My doctor has never asked about the graphs; all he wants is the fasting number on the day of my appointment.  And then of course, lab work follows.

I assume that most everybody is using lancet pens; however free-hand lancets do exist and cost less. I tried them once, found to be very uncomfortable and will never try again.

Then diabetes nutrition; I think this one is the most personal. The way we eat is determined by a wide variety of factors, many of which are out of our control. Culture, religious beliefs, socioeconomic backgrounds are only a few of them, and these are not excuses but rather a part of what we are and were we come from. Then again, some of us are on a budget and can’t afford daily trips to the Whole Foods. So far I’ve never shopped at the Whole Foods; it’s mostly Aldi or similar.

Lifestyle definitely plays a role; regular exercise is an awesome way to keep your BG numbers down but this may be painful or even impossible for someone with the other health issues. By the way, pain can increase blood sugar, thus wiping out all the exercise benefits altogether.

I firmly believe that at least some of type 2 diabetes is genetic in nature, meaning if you have it in your family, you’re more likely to develop it, too. For example, my mom had type 2 diabetes and now I have it. This of course is highly controversial as lots of other factors play in. Nature vs nurture is always controversial.

I can go on and on but would rather wrap it up. In summary, diabetes management has to be decided on an individual basis; what works for someone else, might not work for you. IMHO, everyone has to experiment with their diabetes management and decide what works for them.

---