My current lament…

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

Since late July, after I almost died, as my doctors warned my wife, I might not pull through, something new is happening. 
 

Due to certain diabetes medications, an even worse type of diabetes, I was put on pure insulin. Whatever it was supposed to do, is not happening. Due to back injuries (well three breaks), the doctor who can go in and burn nerves into, won’t do so if my blood sugar is over 200, if I show up, thus killing the nerves. A process that allows me to have 8 months to a year, of feeling almost human again.

However, my blood sugar (using insulin) has rarely been under 200. Tonight it measured 513, which can also lead to a coma, just as dangerously low blood sugar can. Three weeks ago, while we were having Sunday Supper, which we always do. My blood sugar dropped to 41, while lying in my bed watching some General Conference talks. I thought I was yelling my wife’s name, but I could scarce make a whisper, I was also unable to move. At this point, I just thought to myself, “this is how it ends”, so I made peace with it. Luckily my wife came in to ask me something, unable to respond she tested my blood, and moved quickly into emergency mode. Thankfully, I had glucose tables next to my bed (which I was even unable to reach for them) it took almost an hour for me to recover. However, blood sugar reached 513 tonight, which can cause the same risk, also leading to a coma, and has also made my eyesight worst off, than it already is currently.

In two weeks I have an appointment to meet with a specialist, to find something that might get it under control. The reason I post this here, is to see if anyone can offer advice, for any who suffer with similar issues, who have Type 2 diabetes, and to ask, what worked with, or for them.

Also for anyone else who reads this, I would ask for your prayers. My wife of almost 48 years, has cried out more that one type; I am just not ready to lose you! Anyway…

Bill Lee, your ever faithful brother.  

[rodheadlee]

43 And whosoever among you are ^asick, and have not faith to be healed, but believe, shall be ^bnourished with all tenderness, with herbs and mild ^cfood, and that not by the hand of an enemy.

44 And the elders of the church, two or more, shall be called, and shall pray for and ^alay their ^bhands upon them in my name; and if they ^cdie they shall ^ddie unto me, and if they live they shall live unto me.

45 Thou shalt ^alive together in ^blove, insomuch that thou shalt ^cweep for the loss of them that die, and more especially for those that have not ^dhope of a glorious resurrection.

46 And it shall come to pass that those that die in me shall not ^ataste of ^bdeath, for it shall be ^csweet unto them;

47 And they that die not in me, wo unto them, for their death is bitter.

48 And again, it shall come to pass that he that hath ^afaith in me to be ^bhealed, and is not ^cappointed unto death, shall be ^dhealed.

49 He who hath faith to see shall see.

50 He who hath faith to hear shall hear.

51 The lame who hath faith to leap shall leap.

52 And they who have not faith to do these things, but believe in me, have ^apower to become my ^bsons; and inasmuch as they break not my laws thou shalt ^cbear their infirmities.

 

[manol]

Prayers for the best possible outcome for you and your wife, I'm sure this is hard on both of you. 

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by manol

[Calm]

Bill, I am so sorry to hear your struggles with blood sugars and for your wife having to worry so much. High sugars are awful and lows are terrifying, though we luck out with my daughter having Restless Legs Syndrome (it is really restless body) at the same time because low blood sugar triggers that and she gets wired rather than slowing down, unable to be woken up.  RLS makes it almost impossible for her to have a decent schedule which affects the diabetes and her moods in other ways, so she pays for that benefit many times over though. 
 

Are you on a continuous blood glucose monitor?  This might be able to catch the highs before they get too high and allow you to aggressively treat them while warning you when lows are hitting. A pump might be helpful as well so you don’t have to worry about predicting your sugars and what you eat with the long acting insulin, but just respond as needed because it is all short acting.  However, the monitor and pump combo is expensive so you need insurance to cover it unless you have several thousand laying around and it can take awhile to get used to using them, but my daughter went from uncontrolled roller coastering and A1Cs of 11 iirc to pretty controlled and A1Cs in the 7s in just a few months. 
 

She is type 1 though, I have no familiarity with the diabetes drugs or the idiosyncrasies of type 2. 

[Tacenda]

Have you heard of Kefir. I have read many good things about it's affect on diabetes 2 and lowering high blood pressure. 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388121001420

[Calm]

Also, Bill, you might want to check with the doctor about glucagon for a bad low again. Your wife or someone else would give you a shot of it if you were comatose from a low.  It causes the liver to dump all its sugar into the blood stream, so it works faster than glucose tablets. 

[Kenngo1969]

Brother Bill,

I'm sorry.  I don't know what else to say.  I'll pray for you and for your family.

Warm Regards and Best Wishes from a Brother in Christ,

-Ken K. Gourdin

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

7 hours ago, Calm said:

Bill, I am so sorry to hear your struggles with blood sugars and for your wife having to worry so much. High sugars are awful and lows are terrifying, though we luck out with my daughter having Restless Legs Syndrome (it is really restless body) at the same time because low blood sugar triggers that and she gets wired rather than slowing down, unable to be woken up.  RLS makes it almost impossible for her to have a decent schedule which affects the diabetes and her moods in other ways, so she pays for that benefit many times over though. 
 

Are you on a continuous blood glucose monitor?  This might be able to catch the highs before they get too high and allow you to aggressively treat them while warning you when lows are hitting. A pump might be helpful as well so you don’t have to worry about predicting your sugars and what you eat with the long acting insulin, but just respond as needed because it is all short acting.  However, the monitor and pump combo is expensive so you need insurance to cover it unless you have several thousand laying around and it can take awhile to get used to using them, but my daughter went from uncontrolled roller coastering and A1Cs of 11 iirc to pretty controlled and A1Cs in the 7s in just a few months. 
 

She is type 1 though, I have no familiarity with the diabetes drugs or the idiosyncrasies of type 2. 

If I have to go on a pump, I will. It would be great to get my blood sugar under control (so I can have my back operation. What matters most is too ease my wife’s concerns, is my wife being so very worried, and so frightened. She was so frightened when it went so very low, but last night, when it reached  513, she was visibly shaken, while trying to hide her tears. I have a 10th granddaughter coming in March 2023, I would love to  love to see her, my new granddaughter. Most of all, I wish to not see the woman I have loved, since I began dating her, which now numbers 48+ years, and come January we will celebrate our 48th anniversary. Sometimes, she will exit our room, crying even though, we can read each other so very well. Not to mention, being the youngest child in my family, I am the only one who has not had open heart surgery. But, I  already have 4 heart stints, but my blood sugars are to the point, that my primary doctor (also my cardiologist) have warned me that these conditions are causing serious problems,  to my heart, my eyes, my kidneys, etc, all of which that are in danger, because of my diabetes, all in danger of serious harm. I am at peace with my issues from  diabetes, but my wife is so terribly worried. Her concern for me, is my greatest worry, she is so scared. Especially, because she lost two, (one brother, and one sister) who died on the operating table, both via open heart surgery already, 

Thank you for your response, God bless you! 

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

8 hours ago, Tacenda said:

Have you heard of Kefir. I have read many good things about it's affect on diabetes 2 and lowering high blood pressure. 

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388121001420

Have not heard of it, but now that aI know, I will look at the link you shared.

+1 rep point. 

[rpn]

Papa, when I read your post, I found myself wondering if your sticking around during these hard times could be God's way of help her be okay when you eventually do die.   If you are able to hold her while she cries, then she doesn't have to flee you when she is upset, and when you are gone, she'll remember your arms around her comforting her when you lived.   And in those moments when you are holding her, you might be relieved of some of the terror you experience yourself in the worst moments.  Your Heavenly Parents and your Savior know you both by name in every minute.

[Bill “Papa” Lee]

14 hours ago, rpn said:

Papa, when I read your post, I found myself wondering if your sticking around during these hard times could be God's way of help her be okay when you eventually do die.   If you are able to hold her while she cries, then she doesn't have to flee you when she is upset, and when you are gone, she'll remember your arms around her comforting her when you lived.   And in those moments when you are holding her, you might be relieved of some of the terror you experience yourself in the worst moments.  Your Heavenly Parents and your Savior know you both by name in every minute.

Good advice, but I usually enter into negotiations, when it comes to hospitals. The day when I got into the hospital, I would tell if “if I not better in four hours, then. Then try to negotiate, I knew how sick I was, but still tried bargaining. The last time, came down to the fact, I was so such, and in such a state, she called for an ambulance herself. We have a very large bathroom, with a very large rug, very clean, I just stayed put, not having the strength to get back to bed.. At this point, she just took over, because I could not hide the blood, having been throwing up blood, from morning until 9:00PM more times that I would tell her, she found me on that big rug. My prayer was along lines of “pleas heal me, or kill me”unaware, that she was listening, I was also was not aware she came home from the store. So she saved me, as my doctor said, “had you not gotten here, he would not have made it through the night. I was not, nor am I suicidal, I just hate hospitals.
 

Anyway, probably more  information that you might have hoped for, or as my grandchildren would say, “TMI”.