Diabetes Education and Research Center
Back Chats
On Sun Aug 31 14:19:54 2003 grannypj (grannypj@hotmail.com) said:
HERB -
when you get the chance see if there is a chapter of Candlelighters in your
area. This is a nationwide support group for families who have children with
life threatening diseases. We were in one before we moved here. The families
have a monthly meeting but also support each other between, they have social
events. Nobody says anything stupid or inconsiderate and everyone is in some
stage of living grief. Many who lose their children stay involved to help the
rest of the group. You can say anything safely that you couldn't to people
outside your experience with a sick or dying child. They truly understand what
you are going through as nobody else can!
On Sun Aug 31 14:03:30 2003 cheryllou (cheryllou@access995.com) said:
Amy I
am very new to alot, but I was wondering if your meter could be off. If you
changed nothing and your readings are better for a long period of time, perhaps
you have been getting false readings. I had that happen. I have an accu-check
meter, and my readings wer all coming up @100 or less which never happens. (this
was about 4 mo ago) I called the 800 # on the meter and they sent me a kit to
check it, and when that proved it was off, they sent me a new meter. Just a
thought. Hope it helps.
On Sun Aug 31 13:56:35 2003 cheryllou (cheryllou@access995.com) said:
Herb I
just read your last few messages. I can't even begin to tell you how I feel
about your situation. The one line running through your emails is your family
all pulling together in fun and in crisis. Feel very blessed. That is a rae
love. Hope all is better soon.
On Sun Aug 31 12:19:02 2003 Amy () said:
My blood sugars have always ran
high, I can exercise, eat right and take more insulin and they are always high.
My last A1C was 8.2 All of a sudden my blood sugars and down and staying down, I
haven't changed anything but my A1c is 10. I don't understand it, I thought it
would be down to at least a 7 and was very disappointed when it wasn't. I test
all the time. Maybe I should consider a pump? I find counting carbs hard and I
get so forgetful some times. I find out I have fibromyalgia which counts for
alot of the pain I have. And I also need carpel tunel surgery, will probably do
that this winter.
On Sun Aug 31 12:09:46 2003 Amy () said:
Herb, I'm very sorry for what you
and your family are going through, we are all praying for you.
On Sun Aug 31 02:13:27 2003 Herb () said:
Most of you are going to have
absolutely no idea what I’m talking about. A very few of you that shared some
other boards with me in the distant past may have some recollections of what I’m
going to say. A hereditary disease called Systemic Masto Cytosis besieges our
family. We lost a 6 year old grand son to it 6 ½ years ago. His mother Beth was
diagnosed with it 5 years ago and her baby sister Becky was diagnosed with it 3
years ago. Our oldest daughter and our 2 sons have all shown symptoms but have
not been diagnosed as of yet. Last Friday night Beth was found not breathing.
She was rushed to Baptist Hospital where she started having seizures and would
stop breathing during a seizure. They got her stable enough in ER to put her in
a room and then almost immediately moved her to ICU. My wife Jodi went up there
this morning to assess Beth’s condition. (Jodi is a nurse) Beth continued to
have seizures all day today. They put Beth into twilight sleep and on a vent
this evening when she coded during a seizure. The doctors say that it does not
appear that any of her medications are doing her any good. It’s as if they are
not giving them to her. Jodi just arrived back here to get clothes and all of my
medical stuff so we can basically move to the City for a while. Our oldest son
and his family from Tulsa are due here in a few moments so he can drive his
mother and I to OKC. She has already driven it twice today. Our oldest daughter
who is a special ICU nurse in Albuquerque is flying in tomorrow. We have all
known for some time that an end time would come but you just never think that it
is going to be now. This is being especially hard on Becky. Her case of the
disease is not near as advanced as Beth’s. But as she looks at her sister laying
there with tubes and wires hooked up to a battery of machines she has to ask
herself if that is where she is going and how long will it take her to get
there? I will be out of touch for a while. I will be back in touch at some time
in the future. Herb
On Sat Aug 30 23:57:20 2003 cheryllou (cheryllou@access995.com) said:
Hello..I have had bad reading (200-400)for 3 mo., and my doctor made the
decision none of the oral meds were working anymore,(15 years), so she put me in
the hospital and started me on insulin. I was there 3 days, shot up sponges,
watched videos and generally felt sorry for myself. I have been off work for 10
days now and start back Wednesday. I read one of your comments that said READ!
and I understand why now. My morning readings are still too high, I have
increased to 45 units of Lantus and coverage at meals with Humalog. I was
instructed to take the Lantus @10:00. However, I will be returning to work on
the 2-11 pm shift. I am thinking I will need to adjust the time of my night shot
to go along with getting up at about 10:30am, as I don't go to bed until around
2 am. Right? Everytime I think of something new to ask, my dr. makes me feel
stupid. I am also wondering why my readings are still 170-190 in the am and seem
to go up the rest of the day. I have increased the Lantus from 20 to 45 units in
the week I have been home.( she has me increase by a few units a day) I also
have been eating correctly. I think. I am still confused on how to count the
carbs. I've always thought of myself as a fairly smart person, but this stuff
has me so confused. Tell me it will get better?
On Sat Aug 30 22:59:51 2003 Judy (jdthomas1953@aol.com) said:
My A1c dropped
from 9.5 to 6.8 on my last test. I have been diabetic for 27 years. My doctor
was thrilled. Should I try to bring it lower? I uae lantus, lispro and
metformin.
On Sat Aug 30 22:58:39 2003 () said:
Anybody intrested Tom K in Madison Hosp
fighting colon cancer. Was a good source for transplant info on here.
tkinneybk@klinktech.net
On Fri Aug 29 07:28:52 2003 Jim () said:
Hello Amy.
On Fri Aug 29 07:28:32 2003 Jim () said:
Herb- Great story. Seems like life
as a young adult, once you hit 35+, was the best time of your life. I know it
was mine. Too bad I didn't realize it at the time. I don't think anyone does.
Jim
On Thu Aug 28 18:18:29 2003 Amy () said:
Herb, Love your story's keep them
coming.
On Thu Aug 28 10:42:23 2003 . (.) said:
Herb - Readers Diget is
that-a-way.
On Wed Aug 27 19:48:26 2003 sam () said:
Papa Bear, you are talking about
the time I grew up. I forgot about the penny loafers, but had them. Before that,
we wore hoop skirts. It was impossible to sit in one, let alone go potty, the
hoop went over your head. Then Elvis came...sang "Heartbreak Hotel" and I began
to grow up. A 49 Ford with the rear dropped was...golden. All that food you
had...wow...I would have to take 40 units of insulin on that one! Worth it,
tho...thanks for the memories.
On Wed Aug 27 13:50:45 2003 Herb () said:
Cuddling with a real warm and
fuzzy feeling is a warm calming experience. Every time I remember one of last
week’s activities while we were in OKC I get a real warm fuzzy feeling. We
stayed over after my eye appointment so we could go to our 9-year-old grand
daughter’s (Katie) 9th birthday party. Now understand that when Jodi and I were
growing up a birthday party was cake and ice cream with the immediate family and
some new school clothes from your parents. Believe me this was not that kind of
party. This was a 50’s party. Our kids (3 families of them) spent 2 days
cleaning and decorating the house, cleaning the pool and getting the chlorine
just right, rigging a deep fat fryer to fry 30 lbs. of fresh cut French fries,
hanging old 45 rpm records and music notes every where, setting up a fountain
where cherry, chocolate, lemon, and pineapple syrup could be mixed with coke
from 2 liter bottles, (a suicide combined them all) icing down cases of old
fashioned nickel glass bottle cokes in a wash tub, rigging up a CD changer that
would play multiple CD’s and allow the disc jockey to take requests for a
specific song. The food was hamburgers and French-fries. The birthday cake was
iced to look like a huge hamburger with meat and lettuce hanging out. There were
some of those huge cookies that are baked on a pizza pan. They were iced with
black icing and had a small circle of white icing in the center to look like
78-rpm records. At 6:00 PM the girls showed up wearing poodle skirts and pink
sweaters with either penny loafers or saddle shoes and bobby sox. The boys wore
Levi’s with cuffs turned up and T-shirts with a deck of cards rolled up in the
sleeve to look like a pack of weeds. The only disappointment I had was the swim
suits that some of the mothers let their little girls wear. This grandpa is not
ready for 9-11 year old little girls to wear string bikinis. My Jodi taught the
kids how to dance 50’s style. She taught them the bunny hop, the bop, and the
locomotion among others. We had a talent contest with the kids attempting to
sing some of the 50’s songs and to dance to them as well. They had a huge bowl
full of live gold fish. The kids were told that one of the 50’s crazes was
swallowing live gold fish. They were blindfolded one at a time and taken in the
other room and told to catch their gold fish out of the bowl. They could feel
them swimming around but could not catch them. So they were told that we would
catch the gold fish for them and they should just tip their heads back and open
their mouths. At this point we dropped a gold fish cracker in their mouth, took
the blind fold off and instructed them how to act when they went back in the
room where the other kids were. It was a scream. The funniest part was that all
the girls went through with it but not one of the boys was that brave. At 10 the
boys went home and the girls stayed for a slumber party. I went to bed at 4:00
AM. But all in all a great time was had by all. Jodi and I were just glad that
our kids were paying for it not us. Papa Bear
On Tue Aug 26 19:50:50 2003 Amy () said:
I would like to know more about
neurontin. How much do you take and what are the side affects? My doctor
suggested it to me, but I'm going to have carpel tunnel surgery and don't want
to start any new drugs until after that.
On Tue Aug 26 17:15:02 2003 sam (raneysam@yahoo.com) said:
Hi, everyone...I
just got back to Mn, from MI. where I was helping my Ex, with nursing needs,
with his cancer. A lady in my apt building just thanked me for advising
Neurontin, for her neuropathy! Interesting...she can feel her feet again.
Without sharp pains or cold sensation. I take it too, but my feet are really
dead. I am glad to be back for awhile. Herb, you should be a writer, you
describe your trials & tribulations so well.
On Tue Aug 26 07:12:21 2003 Jim () said:
Good morning everyone. Herb, sounds
like you had quite the adventure. Glad everything worked out. Marc- Getting
worried about the Browns now. And yes the Bolts come to Cleveland in Oct I
think. Jim
On Mon Aug 25 23:32:16 2003 Herb () said:
Well it’s a little over 24 hours
since the rodeo. And I hurt from head to foot. I’ve got sore spots on my sore
spots. Some of you suggested that I carry a cell phone when I go out. I do, BUT!
There’s always a but isn’t there. I have been carrying it in a small nylon bag
hanging on the arm of my chair along with a urinal, and my billfold. The problem
was that I was on the ground several feet in front of where my chair was turned
over. In that position I am totally immobile. Like I told the EMT’s when they
asked if I could help them when they went to pick me up. NO I can’t help. I have
less than 20% of my heart function left. The right leg as you can see ends at
the knee. The reason the left leg is wrapped in ace bandages is that due to
diabetic neurothapy I have no use of it. So guys it is up to you to pick me up
and put me in the chair. Which is exactly what they did. Tonight Jodi I went 2
blocks around the corner to eat at a little mom and pop restaurant. Guess who
was eating there, THE COPS, plus 4 or 5 that did not respond to the call. We all
had a good time yukking last nights events up. Jodi and I are trying to come up
with a better way to carry the cell phone where I would have access to it
regardless what happens.
On Mon Aug 25 09:06:05 2003 Linda (0) said:
Jim, Thanks for the information.
I am having same problems with my BS to. At bedtime it usually runs 125 and in
the morning fasting its up this morning 169. Can't explain this one, Its been
this this for a month, Am calling to make Dr's appointment today. Let y'all know
what she has to say. Herb, Next time you go out, if Jodie lets you take a cell
phone.
On Mon Aug 25 07:47:29 2003 Jim () said:
Hi Squats, Sam, Linda, Herb, and
Marc. Linda- Cussently I take between 1200 - 1800 mgs of Neurontin at bedtime. I
only experience sleepiness, which is a good thing. Neurontin is usually a well
tolerated drug. I don't know about the swelling of feet/kidney. My morning hihgs
are becoming unbelievable to me. 284, 245 etc. I just don't understand it.
On Mon Aug 25 00:58:38 2003 Herb () said:
After quite a week I had to create
some excitement this evening. First I’ll report on the mundane. My doctors
appointment last Wednesday. We scheduled cataract surgery for Wednesday
September 10th. We will report to the surgeon’s office at 8:30 that morning for
a pre-op exam. And then be at the hospital for the surgery at 1:30 that
afternoon. A post-op exam on Thursday and then home if I am released. The doc
says that my cataracts are severe and that I should notice a tremendous
improvement in my eyesight after the surgery. The surgery on the 10th will just
be the left eye and we will schedule the right eye at that time. NOW FOR THE
EXCITEMENT!!!! We got in late – late last night and slept and tried to rest all
day. This evening Jodi announced that she did not really feel like cooking and
that Chinese food sounded real good. We have a good Chinese buffet restaurant
about 16 blocks from the house. So I told her that I and our pound mutt would
just wheel over since that is easier than the loading and unloading from my
chair into the van and back out again. The pound mutt is a 21-lb. short hair
black and tan female the looks a lot like a miniature German shepherd. She and I
are known among the town’s characters. We go all over town together. Me riding
my chair and she prancing like a show dog and acting like she has the
responsibility of guarding me. We made our way over to the restaurant and met
Jodi there. The canine little girl waited in the van while we ate. Then we
started home. 7 blocks from home just a block off Country Club Drive I was going
a little bit to fast and dropped a wheel in a hole and created a rodeo. I didn’t
make my 8-second ride and ended up on the pavement with the chair turned over
behind me. I lay there a while trying to gather my wits and determine if I was
hurt. I figured out that I had no broken bones. I was bleeding at both knees and
both elbows. I had gravel or sand under the skin of my left hand. And I had a
nosebleed. The mutt was running circle around me and occasionally running in and
licking my face. I tried screaming. I would scream HELP!! Then I would wait a
few seconds and scream again. After nearly an hour and well after dark a car
came by and just kept going. I thought MAN that isn’t like McAlester. Some how
it didn’t surprise me that no help came out of the ritzy houses in the
neighborhood we were in. Then in just a minute a car pulled up and a lady jumped
out apologizing saying “Oh Mr. I am so sorry. I didn’t see you lying there. Then
I got down the block and thought about the turned over wheelchair and realized
that some thing had to be wrong.” She called the Police and the EMT’s. The EMT’s
wanted to take to the hospital to be checked over but I assured them that
nothing was broken and that if they would just help me get home my wife was a
nurse. They agreed. The 2 policeman said if you guys will bandage him we will
escort him home. So after getting cleaned up and bandaged we started for home.
Me and the mutt in the middle with a police car in front and one behind complete
with red lights. Thankfully they didn’t use the sirens. We got home and Jodi
wasn’t here. I told them she is probably out looking for me. I was sitting in
the driveway thanking them when Jodi turned the corner. I told the 2 cops “You
guys may want to get out of here. She is going to be kicking butt and taking
names. She is going to be flapping her wings and squawking like a mother hen
when a chicken hawk is after her chicks.” As Jodi pulled up she rolled the
window down and screamed “Herb Shaw, you are grounded young man. You are through
leaving the house with out a chaperone.” One of the cops looked at me and said,
“We are out of here!” It’s been long enough now that Jodi had re-cleaned all my
boo-boos and doctored them. I am beginning to hurt all over and can’t seem to
convince her of the humor in it. Papa Bear
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