need help please

ibeadreamer · 09-05-2007, 11:24 PM

Hi. I was diagnosed last week with PCOS and this week I find out I have type II diabetes. I go see a reproductive endocrinologist the 21st. What can I expect and what are some questions to ask? Also, what kinds of meds am I looking at?? I cant take metformin since i had my gallbladder surgery it reeks havoc on my digestive system. Also what works as far as excerise?? THANKS SO MUCH FOR ANY HELP

Saille · 09-06-2007, 12:27 AM

ALL excercise is good. I can speak to the diabetes angle of it as that's what I know about. When it comes to helping maintain and control blood glucose numbers all movement, all excercise is good. Housework counts, gardening counts -- anything that you can do that gets you up off your fanny and moving around helps.

Ask to be prescribed a good glucose meter and enough strips to test at least five times a day....more if your doc will prescribe more, but many insurance companies will only cover so many. The One Touch Ultra 2 is a good meter, the Ascentia Contour is another good one, they're all basically the same and you'll get used to whatever you get. Your insurance company will also probably only cover a certain brand -- so it's best to call them first and find out what one that might be.

A pocket sized book that gives you carb measurements for a wide variety of foods is super handy. Between that and learning to read nutritional labels you'll be able to count your carbs.

Ask for a referal to a diabetes education course. They're usually held at local hospitals and give you the basic run through for beginners. There is a LOT to learn and it's going to take time, so don't get frustrated.

Ask for a referal to a dietician who can sit down with you and using the foods that you like help you work out a meal plan that you can actually live with that works for your medical conditions. I had one hour with a dietician once and it's one of the most helpful things I've ever done.

For now? Using either an online program or an old notebook start keeping track of how much of what you eat and when. This will help you find pitfalls in your dietary habits and work to change them.

Some people work changes gradually, some leap into it all both feet first and do everything at once. The thing to do is to do what's right for you. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa -- so don't let anybody else tell you how you "should" be doing things. Your meter will tell you if you're doing it right or not. Period.

There is a Type 2 discussion board at the American Diabetes Association's website that is stellar....I've never found anything even close to it anywhere on the web -- and I run my own group!! The ADA's T2 board is the best for diabetes.

And after much research THIS is the best place for PCOS, in just the same way.

ScreamingBeauty · 09-13-2007, 10:02 PM

I had my gall bladder out in Jan and i take the extended release metformin. it makes a world of difference on ur stomach. you should look into it. you can also get a free meter at www.onetouchcolors.com. its a One Touch Mini. Or they have a more complex one too. it does take them about a month to ship it but its worth it if sugar testing isn't a must.

anyways, its a great meter. its small, takes 5 seconds to register and has a 30 test memory. it also comes with a regular log book and some other stuff like a case and like 10 free test strips. which is good cuz they are so pricey.