I'm a true American now!

Justin Meisse

so I had a baseline liver function test and the nurse said everything came out fine but my blood glucose level was somewhere around 102-105 which is technically pre-diabetic. This was kind of a shock since I rarely drink any soda, don't put any sugar in my coffee and always buy sugar-free products when I can. Looks like I'm a true American now!

Joshua Stubbles

Just because you don't consume a lot of sugar, doesn't mean you can't become dibetic. A lot has to do with family history and geneology as well.

Sorry to hear about your condition, though.

Slum

http://www.healthcastle.com/sugar-diabetes.shtml

http://extension.osu.edu/~news/story.php?id=2749

Yep, sugar intake really doesn't affect whether you'll be diabetic or not. Although, if you eat a lot of sugar and start to feel like crap, you can assume that it may be a sign that you're diabetic.

Most of my family are diabetic. It sucks, but you can get through it.

Ryno

Do you eat lots of starches? Pasta, bread, crackers? More vegies might be good for you.

swampbug

http://www.doctoryourself.com/diabetes.html

Justin Meisse

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Do you eat lots of starches? Pasta, bread, crackers? More vegies might be good for you.

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It could be bread, I've been eating lunch at Panera alot. There really is no family history of diabetes, now mental problems, that's a whole 'nother story.

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http://www.doctoryourself.com/diabetes.html

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Argh, limit my caffeine intake! noooooo, I needs my afternoon coffee!!! I can't seem to control my stress either, I'm probably heading to stressed induced ulcer town (if I inherited from my mom)

Robert Headley

Time to go on low carb it can reverse the effects of Pre-diabetes....

Cthogua

Actually caffeine can greatly affect your ability to handle stress. The wife of one of my coworkers had been having panic attacks on the weekends, and usually in the afternoon. She also usually drank a soda in the morning on saturday and sunday. He convinced her to quit caffeine and the panic attacks went away. It doesn't neccessarily induce stress, or panic attacks but it can make the stress already in your life more difficult to deal with.

flaagan

Robert.. I hate to say it, but if he's getting Type 1 diabetes, that is in fact one of the more dangerous things to do.

I haven't kept up on what changes have been made in recent years for treating pre-diabetes, so I don't know what to tell you about that; (it's been over 11 years since I was diagnosed.) You're doctor and your own investigation is the best route to go for information on that.

If it seems that you're going to become a type 1 diabetic, trust me, I can tell you that you've got nothing to worry about. Really. I party just as hard as you do. Life's not gonna change enough for you to worry about. Really, dude, there are so many worse things that could go wrong.

Hit me up in #md if you wanna talk about it.

PfhorRunner

Well I highly doubt Justin "developed" type 1 diabetes. Its more likely type 2. Type 1 is only like 5-10 % of Americans, and more often diagnosed as "Juvenile diabetes", as in young children are born with it.
Type 2 is more developed over time and your body stops being able to use insulin, you get tired and cranky if you have too much or too little sugar in your system...

I studied Diabetes and the Pancreas in the bio class last year.

flaagan

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults, and was previously known as juvenile diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin.

In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. Either insulin shots or medication is prescribed to counter this.

Then there are hypoglycemics, where the body overproduces insulin and the individual has to maintain a steady bloodsugar in order to prevent what diabetics refer to as a "low", where the body's cells are starved of the necessary fuel produced from food.

Whether Justin's becoming a type 1 or 2 is something for the doctor's to figure out, but it is possible for him to have developed type 1. There tends to be what's referred to as a "honeymoon period" where the pancreas is still producing insulin, but in decreasing amounts. The length of time this period lasts is not consistent. Type 1's dont just become type 1's overnight.

Regardless, it's good that this was caught at this point, Justin. I had a friend who was diagnosed when they dragged him into the hospital, he had a bloodsugar of over 1000; the doctors were amazed he was even alive. I was diagnosed on my 14th birthday... yah, it's no fun, but it's not the most difficult thing in your life to deal with.

As for family history, it isnt always caught and labeled as 'diabetes'. Also, it can also be caused by disease or by the body's immune system simply attacking the pancreas like it was a foreign object.