Possibly diabetic - what records to maintain

[Unregistered]

First of all, I'm not currently flying and haven't flown in years for financial reasons (buying then maintaining a house sucks up the "extra" money I planned to fly with). Some bloodwork revealed a rather high fasting glucose just over 120. What records should I keep and what test should I take (or avoid) if this ends up being the path to a diagnosis of diabetes? To my knowledge the only records so is the fasting glucose. I fear a future a1c will also yield high results.

Essentially everyone on one side of the family is diabetic so I more or less have an appreciation for the readings. I've started to test myself semi-regularly to spot trends and such and it seems that just as in previous years when I checked myself it correlates strongly with stress and a few bizarre exercise related quirks. When I was severely worried about my path in life and was filled with despair my glucose went through the roof (175+ for days) even when fasting. This time I'm getting over a UTI (without having done the "fun" to cause it) and all the possible causes that we're trying to sort through. However, once the stress settles for a few days my readings always return to normal.

 

[RJM62]

First of all, I'm not currently flying and haven't flown in years for financial reasons (buying then maintaining a house sucks up the "extra" money I planned to fly with). Some bloodwork revealed a rather high fasting glucose just over 120. What records should I keep and what test should I take (or avoid) if this ends up being the path to a diagnosis of diabetes? To my knowledge the only records so is the fasting glucose. I fear a future a1c will also yield high results.

Essentially everyone on one side of the family is diabetic so I more or less have an appreciation for the readings. I've started to test myself semi-regularly to spot trends and such and it seems that just as in previous years when I checked myself it correlates strongly with stress and a few bizarre exercise related quirks. When I was severely worried about my path in life and was filled with despair my glucose went through the roof (175+ for days) even when fasting. This time I'm getting over a UTI (without having done the "fun" to cause it) and all the possible causes that we're trying to sort through. However, once the stress settles for a few days my readings always return to normal.

I'm not a doc (nor am I especially smart), but I am a diabetic, and I've picked up a few things.

First of all, don't worry about your damn medical. You won't be doing much flying (not even LSA) once you lose your feet and retinopathy takes your vision. So forget about the damn medical. Seriously.

That being said, I managed my diabetes for several years with diet and exercise. You may have a few years left before you need meds if you do the same, and I believe Dr. Bruce has said in these fora that DM2 controlled by diet and exercise isn't an SI. There's also an SI available for DM2 controlled by oral meds.

So long story short, if you treat the DM2, you almost certainly can keep flying for years. If you don't treat the DM2, you will most likely go blind and lose your feet, your kidneys eventually will give out, and all sorts of nasty stuff will happen that will most certainly will keep you out of the air.

-Rich

 

[bbchien]

Diabetes controlled by diet and exercise is not an SI
Pre Diabetes on Metformin alone, FBG less than 126 and Hb A1c<6.5 is now a "CACI" office issuance.

 

[Unregistered]

I'm not a doc (nor am I especially smart), but I am a diabetic, and I've picked up a few things.

First of all, don't worry about your damn medical. You won't be doing much flying (not even LSA) once you lose your feet and retinopathy takes your vision. So forget about the damn medical. Seriously.

Not making light of it, but from watching family this has got to be one of the more manageable conditions. It just requires one to be mindful of certain things. Though I've also seen a few have a boat load of issues beyond what you stated when not manged.

My concern was about whether or not I needed to get certain letters from my doc or take certain test if I end up with that diagnosis.

 

[Unregistered]

Diabetes controlled by diet and exercise is not an SI
Pre Diabetes on Metformin alone, FBG less than 126 and Hb A1c<6.5 is now a "CACI" office issuance.

Thanks Bruce.
Obviously, the best outcome is that this is just a stress induced anomaly, but if not that is one less thing to stress over.

 

[AggieMike88]

Thanks Bruce.
Obviously, the best outcome is that this is just a stress induced anomaly, but if not that is one less thing to stress over.

One suggestion is to learn about the classic symptoms of pre-diabetes (read the linked page) and be mindful if any start occurring.

In the mean time, ease into a low glycemic nutrition plan, switch away from white foods, increase the vegetable intake, and add another day or two per week to your exercise plan and add 3-5 minutes per week to your activities.

That you're aware that your family history puts you in a higher risk class is a good start. Now, like good ADM skills, go do something about it.

Monitoring with the fingertip sticks is also a good start. Keep a good log (notebook, software, spreadsheet) to track what you are eating, when you ate it, how long after eating/exercising did you test and what the mg/dl result was. This will help you understand how your body reacts to different foods and exercise. Over time, you'll know what to do more of and what needs to be dropped from the plan.

Consider buying one of the home A1C kits manufactured by Bayer. For about $30, you get two tests. Do one today to see what you're starting with, then another 60-days after working the improved nutrition and exercise plan. Finger tip testing is the "snapshot" result of your current level. Your hemoglobin A1c number is the "90-day look back" history of how glycosated your red blood cells were. Which is a fancy way of saying how well you're doing with your control, good, bad, or awful. As Dr. Bruce indicated, The FAA is happy with less than 6.5, but you want as low of a number as possible. The Bayer test isn't "FAA official", but it's "close enough" for home monitoring use.

Continue posting questions in this thread if you have them. We are here to help you if we can.

 

[RJM62]

Gardening and outdoor chores in general are what help me manage my glucose best. I don't care for the gym scene (and don't even know where the nearest gym is), but physical work does wonders for my diabetes. Work that involves the leg muscles seems to work best. My doc told me it had something to do with the leg muscles being involved in glycogen conversion.

So... I use an old-fashioned, push-type reel type lawnmower (no motor) a couple of times a week, plant plants and trees, rake leaves, move dirt, build rock gardens, fell trees, shovel snow in the winter, etc. That sort of thing. I also run around the house a few times a day, and drag 120 feet of hose around to water all my plantings rather than installing a sprinkler system. You can find a lot of exercise in ordinary work with a little bit of retro thinking.

And it works. After a few hours of planting some sort of blue-carpet juniper on a slope this morning, my before-lunch glucose reading was 90.

But you're right that DM2 is eminently manageable for most folks. If you don't manage it, however, it is a cruel and heartless killer.

-Rich

 

[Unregistered]

OP here. Sorry for the long post.

Guess my first question for Rich is an odd one. Do you see consistently high levels when you're stressed?

I've been working on reducing my stress, or at least how much I let people & things stress me. I started monitoring and found that I was typically around 170-190. Over the past week I've seen a 20-30 point drop by working hard on the stress. Now I'm between 140-170 (still high, I know). Not sure why, but my body's habit of raising my glucose seems to be stronger than ever before and virtually independent of diet. I've already made the switch to not eating after 9PM, cooking at home more, brown rice, more fruits, more veggies, higher fiber (by-product of fruits, veggies, & oats), fewer calories, and drastically less soda months ago as part of my current weight loss attempt.

I know not enough time has passed yet, but so far the readings are once again correlating to mood more so than foods. I've even woken up 40 pts higher than I went to bed with. I knew my health was emotionally based (I typically catch colds the day or 2 after getting upset) but no idea it was this dramatic.

So now it seems I'm trying desperately to get myself to relax without that effort add more stress. So in the mean time looks like my goal is to relax my way below 160 and then back to normal without this effort turning into a feedback loop. :-(

 

[bbchien]

OP here. Sorry for the long post.

Guess my first question for Rich is an odd one. Do you see consistently high levels when you're stressed?

I've been working on reducing my stress, or at least how much I let people & things stress me. I started monitoring and found that I was typically around 170-190. Over the past week I've seen a 20-30 point drop by working hard on the stress. Now I'm between 140-170 (still high, I know). Not sure why, but my body's habit of raising my glucose seems to be stronger than ever before and virtually independent of diet. I've already made the switch to not eating after 9PM, cooking at home more, brown rice, more fruits, more veggies, higher fiber (by-product of fruits, veggies, & oats), fewer calories, and drastically less soda months ago as part of my current weight loss attempt.

I know not enough time has passed yet, but so far the readings are once again correlating to mood more so than foods. I've even woken up 40 pts higher than I went to bed with. I knew my health was emotionally based (I typically catch colds the day or 2 after getting upset) but no idea it was this dramatic.

So now it seems I'm trying desperately to get myself to relax without that effort add more stress. So in the mean time looks like my goal is to relax my way below 160 and then back to normal without this effort turning into a feedback loop. :-(

This is going to sound like nuts, but don't sit around to relax. RUN to relax. It is Sooo boring that you WILL relax. It's effect on glucose is well documented. Besides, you need to lose whatever body mass you can afford to lose, and quickly.

 

[RJM62]

OP here. Sorry for the long post.

Guess my first question for Rich is an odd one. Do you see consistently high levels when you're stressed?

I've been working on reducing my stress, or at least how much I let people & things stress me. I started monitoring and found that I was typically around 170-190. Over the past week I've seen a 20-30 point drop by working hard on the stress. Now I'm between 140-170 (still high, I know). Not sure why, but my body's habit of raising my glucose seems to be stronger than ever before and virtually independent of diet. I've already made the switch to not eating after 9PM, cooking at home more, brown rice, more fruits, more veggies, higher fiber (by-product of fruits, veggies, & oats), fewer calories, and drastically less soda months ago as part of my current weight loss attempt.

I know not enough time has passed yet, but so far the readings are once again correlating to mood more so than foods. I've even woken up 40 pts higher than I went to bed with. I knew my health was emotionally based (I typically catch colds the day or 2 after getting upset) but no idea it was this dramatic.

So now it seems I'm trying desperately to get myself to relax without that effort add more stress. So in the mean time looks like my goal is to relax my way below 160 and then back to normal without this effort turning into a feedback loop. :-(

I never really noticed that my glucose levels went up when I've been stressed, but believe it or not, I really don't stress much (despite my posts in the SZ).

Still, I wouldn't be surprised if stress increases your glucose levels. I seem to recall from my Anatomy and Physiology classes that the body dumps some glucose into the blood as part of the old "fight or flight" thing. One of the docs here would know better.

It sounds to me, however, like you're mainly stressing over stressing. "Trying desperately to get yourself to relax???" Um... there's something not quite right about that. Is that the Attila the Hun school of relaxation? Relaxing at gunpoint?

I can tell you that for me, time spent outside doing physical things relaxes me more than anything else does, and also is the most effective thing I know of to lower my blood sugar. Farting around in the garden does wonders, not only because of the physicality of getting up and down and planting a row of something, but because there's a certain Zen about the whole planting and growing thing.

I suggest you try to find some moderately physical, but pleasant activity to help you relax -- and also deliver the exercise benefits re: the DM2. Your method of relaxing seems like... well, let's just say it doesn't seem to working out too well for you.

-Rich

 

[HumanSpirit]

First of all, I'm not currently flying and haven't flown in years for financial reasons (buying then maintaining a house sucks up the "extra" money I planned to fly with). Some bloodwork revealed a rather high fasting glucose just over 120. What records should I keep and what test should I take (or avoid) if this ends up being the path to a diagnosis of diabetes? To my knowledge the only records so is the fasting glucose. I fear a future a1c will also yield high results.

Essentially everyone on one side of the family is diabetic so I more or less have an appreciation for the readings. I've started to test myself semi-regularly to spot trends and such and it seems that just as in previous years when I checked myself it correlates strongly with stress and a few bizarre exercise related quirks. When I was severely worried about my path in life and was filled with despair my glucose went through the roof (175+ for days) even when fasting. This time I'm getting over a UTI (without having done the "fun" to cause it) and all the possible causes that we're trying to sort through. However, once the stress settles for a few days my readings always return to normal.

I use a free program called " OnTrack " on my tablet. It is good for cell phones also.

 

[Unregistered]

A bit of progress.

1) I started packing my lunch and also walking during lunch time. That plus a few other things helped me to drop 1.5 lbs this week. idk if that's real weight or "water" or something.

2) I'm quite a bit calmer now.

3) I didn't find many meaningful relationships between foods and glucose levels. Beyond te stress-high glucose thing I seem to run higher if I feel sleep deprived and angry.

I'm now running around 120-155. So that's another 20 pts or so. Looks like more exercise and more effective stress management is the key. Perhaps I should work on only visiting the doctor when I'm feeling happy. Now, as long as no one at work or in my personal life bothers me or demands anything I should be ok.