Diagnosed yesterday

[blondeballerina07]

Hi I am new here. I was diagnosed yesterday with type two diabetes. I am very shocked to say the least and a little over whelmed. I am 22years old and in what many would say to be excellent physical shape. I am a collegiate triathlete and train between 25-30 hours a week. I also eat healthy, no fast food, processed food and because of my training plan I am on a pretty strict eating plan. I guess what I am getting at is I would have never seen this coming. I was informed over the phone by my sports med doctor and was unable to get a follow until monday because I am traveling for a race. I am overwhelmed and to be truthful completely freaked out at the moment. I am nervous to eat anything high in sugar or carbs but also know I can't make it through my race without those things. Any little advice that would help put my mind at ease until I can follow up would be great.

[Super_sally888]

The 2 hour OGTT will definitely trigger high insulin if your body can still produce it (and yours obviously can), due to the vry high sugar load.  However if your pancreas is failing the high insulin will come with a lag.

If you hae positive GAD antibodies likely you are LADA. Not type 2.

I can strongly recommend a low carb diet.  THis can still work well, even for athletes.

Your doctor may try you on oral meds first, but if you are really LADA, most likely the best treatment will be insulin to maintain your pancreas working as long as possible.

Please read up.  I'll send you a message separately.

[blondeballerina07]

Thank you for the information. I will talk to the doctor about it, but I am pretty sure that when they did the two hour tolerance they also tested insulin levels and they where high. But I will double check don't want to be headed down the wrong path, especially since I know I have had GAD antibodies and a positive ANA (autoimmune blood marker)

[Super_sally888]

Hi,

you may have type 2 diabetes, but given your age and physical condition you may also have autoimmune type adult onset type 1.  This usually has a fairly slow onset compared to childhood type 1.  It is also sometimes referred to as type 1.5 or LADA.  You can google this.

Your doctor should be testing you for antibodies (GAD, and Diabetes antibody pannel, and should also be testing C-peptide which will let you know if your insulin levels are high or low.  (High is seen in type 2, low is seen in LADA).

The difference is that with LADA vs. type 2, you may need to be on insulin early.  BUT if  you get onto insulin early enough, you may still retain some of your own insulin production.

Please send me a private message if you want to discuss further.   I also have LADA.  There are excellent resources you can be referred to!

[WaveRider]

You're welcome. Post back after your meetings if questions surface. Your levels are not that high so control and management is a walk in the park. At first its a lot of testing and enduring the process of eliminating and understanding foods, then everything quickly tapers off to a background habit/routine.

[blondeballerina07]

Thanks for all your help! With a lot of fretting made it through my race just fine. I wish the doctor would have waited until I was home to give me the news it would have caused a lot less panic. I am meeting with my sports med doctor and our athletic nutritionist this coming week. Hopefully they both will have some good suggestions to be able to get it under control without hurting my performance.

I have always wanted to do an aquabike. I signed up for one last summer in Colorado and the swim was rained out so we did the bike and then had to drive 35miles to a different lake to do the swim. I don't count it as an aquabike.

[caregiver222]

It is very important for you to test before athletic competitions, as Waverider suggested, strenuous work-outs and during any competition. You can probably live pretty normally if you are conscientious about the rules. There are many possible causes of diabetes, and they are not all clearly understood. Genetics play a big factor, as well as diet, but it is suspected that an unidentified virus or retrovirus may be responsible for other cases.

[WaveRider]

blondeballerina07 - Be sure to test before, during, and 20-30 minutes after workouts when your body comes to rest. This way you'll understand how your workout regimen affected your glucose. Do not begin a workout if your levels are low or above 250 mg/dl [see previous posters comment on dangers]. Be sure to discuss with your sports doctor foods to consume for energy/fuel during workouts that will not jack up your glucose levels and/or see a sports nutritionist/dietitian. I carry home-made sugar free granola bars and a bag of various nuts while cycling. I'm aquabike, and envy you tri-ers.

[curiouslady1]

I didn't tell her to eat in any portion and frequency.  This needs to be adjusted.  She already said in her mail that she is very strict about her diet.  I advocate a diet that people can stick to and gradually cutting back and out things that are causing the sugar levels to remain high unless, of course,  blood sugar levels are so high as to be immediately life threatening.  This does not appear to be the case here.  Athletes also have other demands which need to be attended to.  With medication her sugar could plunge to dangerous levels after work outs or, with intense work outs become very high.  All of this needs to be addressed in a rational manner that is relevant to the individual case.  

[WaveRider]

"There is no need to cut out anything from your diet but to eat portions and frequency which may be somewhat different from how you have usually done and which defers to the medicine you take."

I beg to differ. All T2'ers must "cut out" and avoid sugary foods, foods made with added sugars, sugary liquids, foods made with white flour, simple carbs, starchy foods such as white rice and potatoes, to name a few. Also, paying attention to carb intake while testing postprandial is a requirement to understand what one can and cannot consume. To suggest to someone they can eat whatever they wish in any portion & frequency is unsound advice which results in elevated glucose levels.

[curiouslady1]

Being athletic does not stop one from being a Type II diabetic.  The general public has a tendency to think that all Type IIs are over the top obese and this is not true.  It is important to watch your weight as diabetes can both cause and come to expression from overeating but it is also important to recognize that, like Type I, it is genetically inspired.  Also, dieting is not an all or nothing proposition.  There is no need to cut out anything from your diet but to eat portions and frequency which may be somewhat different from how you have usually done and which defers to the medicine you take.

[WaveRider]

Glad you posted back. The A1c confirms that your daily average glucose is 146 mg/dl which verifies your fasting level as t2 diabetes. You will need to obtain a home glucose test meter and test at specific times of the day. Ask your doctor for one, or where to obtain one in your area. Please read other threads on this forum as test times and the lifestyle change you must undergo to control and manage your glucose levels - foods to eat and avoid - are mentioned quite often.

Be sure to check in with your doctor upon returning from your meet as he/she may start you on oral medication. Don't worry, you can still live a normal life with just a few sacrifices, it is not the end of world as diabetes can be easily controlled and managed. Good luck

[blondeballerina07]

I was tested after having repeat high fasting glucoses when I was in the hospital this summer. I think an uncle has diabetes not sure which type, he is estranged from the family. But other than that no immediate family members have it. The doctor did the two hour glucose tolerance test. results for that were fasting sugars 147 (she said under 99 was normal i think) 1hr 159 2hr 156, they also measured insulin at all three time points she said it was high at all three but did not give specific numbers. lastly they did the hemoglobin A1C she said normal was below five mine was 6.7

I have never tested at home before I am suppose to follow up with her when I am back on campus after our away meet.  

[WaveRider]

"I was diagnosed yesterday with type two diabetes."

What were the names of the test/s and what were the result/s? Do you have a family history of diabetes? Usually glucose testing requires additional testing to verify/backup the first. The current gold standard for testing for diabetes is called the A1c test. The results are presented in % [percent]. Normal would be under 5%. If you didn't get an A1c, ask for it.

[asok475]

What are your numbers? Do you home test regularly? With your training regimen you should be able to eat enough carbs to perform and not affect your blood glucose.