Out of control diabetes

[alleybow]

My mother in law has type two diabetes. She has been on a time release insulin and a pillof some sort, but the sugar continues to be out of control. She has no health insurance, so she hasn't been cared for properly. I was able to find a charity clinic last week and they seem really nice. Today, I went to visit and test her sugar and it was alarmingly high. She had not eaten anything yet. Last week, it was 480 and climbing. Is there anyone out there who has had a hard time controling their diabetes, and eventually found something that works? If so, what helped? She has taken some really horrible falls and I'm afraid one day she'll really do some damage. She's very confused all the time, and forgetful. She's just not herself anymore, and I want her back! Also, what are ketones?

[Marieb3516]

my husband sugar readings  are so high....over 300+ fasting and 450+ before dinner.   He is on insulin and is very good about taking his Rx.
How can I help him?

[hava]

No insurance and hospital not interested.Here is something you can do to make yourself better. This will be useful for rest of life.Guide her with this and you do it with her. First the out of breath condition will improve as she builds up her timing.
These pranayam exercises will help control the diabetes and the side effects.Build up the timing gradually.If you feel tired or dizzy, stop and resume later(after about a minute).The benefits will be noticed in weeks as the sugar level is checked daily.Over the long term the diabetes will be in full control.

Kapalbhati -(Do it before eating) Push air forcefully out through the nose about once per second. Stomach will itself go in(contract in). The breathing in(through the nose) will happen automatically. Establish a rhythm and do for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years – do 10 to 15 minutes twice a day.
Not for pregnant women. Seriously ill people do it gently.

Anulom Vilom –
Close your right nostril with thumb and deep breath-in through left nostril
then – close left nostril with two fingers and breath-out through right nostril
then -keeping the left nostril closed deep breath-in through right nostril
then - close your right nostril with thumb and breath-out through left nostril.
This is one cycle of anulom vilom.
Repeat this cycle for 15 to 30 minutes twice a day.
Children under 15 years -  do 10 to 15 minutes twice a day.
You can do this before breakfast/lunch/dinner or before bedtime or in bed.Remember to take deep long breaths into the lungs.You can do this while sitting on floor or chair or lying in bed.

Also everyday, press the centre point of the palm of both your  hands 40 times with the thumb and press the tips of all fingers 40 times each.
To stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin: mandukasan - kneel down(with feet pointing inwards,and sit on the ankles/heels, Vajrasan position), breathe in and breathe out completely and hold your breath, pull the stomach in, press both your  hands on stomach, bend forward as much as possible keeping the head straight, hold for 5 to 15 seconds and come back up while breathing in. Repeat  this 3 times daily  to stimulate the kidney and pancreas.Mandukasan2 - Repeat the whole process,but this time with with fists of both hands pressing against the stomach.Mandukasan can be done sitting on a chair, if you cannot bend the legs.
Continue the breathing exercises once a day, after the diabetes is in full control.

[alleybow]

Thanks for the bountiful information! I will certainly attempt any resources to get her well again.

[alleybow]

Thank you for your feedback. She is very uneducated about this disease. I am trying to find as much info as possible to help her. I just learned of ketoacidosis today for the first time and called her to let her know that her symptoms are alarmingly similar to those who suffer from it. She is only 59, but you'd swear she was older. She suffers from shortness of breath, confusion, falls, severe head aches, all kinds of alarming symptoms. We have taken her to two different emergency rooms where they have admitted her, but they failed to check her ketones. The hospitals don't like to treat her because she has no insurance. They don't seem to care. That's why I took her to this clinic. I am terrified that she won't get the treatment she needs, so I am calling a case worker first thing tomorrow and begging her to go to the appointment with her along with my list of queries for the doctor since I can't make it. I truly believe that her glucose is so high, this should be treated as an emergency, but she's lost all faith in them, and refuses to visit the ER again. Hopefully the clinic will help asap!

[WaveRider]

For diabetic nutrition read the earlier threads below for a number of suggestions.

For free medical care:
Some great resources for locating free and low cost clinics are the two links listed below. These clinics usually require proof of income to be eligible for services (which can include doctor's visits and even lab work).

https://www.pparx.org/FreeClinicFinder.php
http://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/

Both of these links, once you enter your information, will tell you the nearest free and low cost clinics; there usually are several clinics to choose from.

The website www.needymeds.com is a great resource for downloading forms to get free or low cost medications.  There are many different companies that provide free insulin and many other types of medications (click on the Brand or Generic name drugs link, then click the first letter of the type of medication you use and it should show up on the list), and there is one company (Abbott—the makers of FreeStyle and Precision Xtra test strips) that will provide a monthly supply of free test strips and lancets (all FreeStyle or Precision Xtra brand, and they also give you one of their FreeStyle or Precision Xtra meters), but you must apply to their patient assistance program as well as Medicaid and provide Abbott with a Medicaid rejection letter.  Here’s the direct link to the Abbott program:

http://www.needymeds.org/company_list.taf?_function=name&program_id=1047

You will need to have a doctor fill out the forms and provide you with a prescription, and you will also need to provide proof of income. Receiving medications from pharmaceutical companies such as these can sometimes take at least two weeks.  Also remember that doctors and hospitals often provide samples, as well as the health department.  

I've heard about hospital charity programs that can help with various things as well but don't have any personal experience dealing with them. You would need to call a hospital's business office or financial aid office and ask about charity care programs.

But, you can do all of these and get nowhere unless your MIL takes the first step in her health care. There is no amount of medication that will stop the progression of this disease unless she is willing to make lifestyle changes.

[Zoelula]

It sounds like your mother in law needs a lot more education and guidance in treating her diabetes. By "time release insulin" I'm guessing you mean long-acting, such as Lantus or Levemir? This is what is called basal insulin which provides the background insulin 24 hours that people without diabetes have produced by their pancreas. If, as sounds like is the case, her pancreas is no longer producing sufficient insulin she probably also needs bolus insulin which is the fast acting insulin taken before meals. A blood sugar of 480 is dangerously high. She can experience something called DKA when ketones are in her urine from consistently high blood sugars and end up in the hospital. Her blood sugar needs to be controlled. You don't say how old she is but if confusion is not a normal condition for her this could be from her uncontrolled blood sugar. She needs to get help at that free clinic or at the ER ASAP.