I Refused Treatment with Insulin

by Anonymous
(USA)

It was just accidental, yes, two years ago (age 48) I went for a general blood draw, the lab tech gave me the report and asked me to see the doc right away. I saw the blood sugar fasting at a whopping 320 and PP at 378, and was quite disturbed at it. No one in my family had diabetes either IDDM or NIDDM, how come I have it. My PCP looked at the report and said I should immediately have an insulin injection to bring the hyperglycemia down. I had my own thoughts and decidedly told my doc that I would not go in for insulin, but rather take the oral medication and follow a strict vegan diet. He asked me to put a full stop to sugar in any form, no sweets, no choco, no ice cream, and no roots including potato, which is my favorite.

Well, I prepared my mind and I assured him that I would bring down the blood sugar to normal level with diet and exercise alone. The PCP looked worried and tried to convince me on the insulin again as the levels were alarmingly abnormal. At last, after hearing my family history and my overall general excellent health, he allowed me to proceed on diet and exercise along with metformin, glimepiride, and the new sitagliptin 100 mg trial pack (Januvia). I bought the Accu-Chek glucose meter with strips and started checking blood sugar levels myself at home every alternate day both fasting and PP. I started to develop some skin rashes in my buttock area which was attributed to the sitagliptin by my PCP as it has been known to happen in some cases and he asked me to discontinue it then and there. He also checked my BP and that too showed 140/90, ramipril 5 mg was written together with biotin and alpha lipoic acid for cholesterol/triglyceride control. I told him straight that being a vegan, I am not to worry about the cholesterol panel as it was healthy and normal. My PCP laughed at me and said, "I hear such enthusiastic talks from many patients, who somehow end up coming back to me with a lot of complications within a short period of time." I said okay, and started following all his directions, maintaining the list of the type of foods that I am to consume and exercised on an elliptical 30 min per day apart from a 15 min yoga every day. My body weight that was 78 kg in April 2008, now in November 2008, the month in which my diabetes diagnosis was made, came down to 72 kg which was a happy sign, but this was the only indication that led to my going in for the blood draw which ultimately led to the diabetes type 2 diagnosis. I actually had no other alarming symptoms but for an occasional nocturia x1 at that time. It was December 2008, my hemoglobin A1c was 7%, slowly and steadily I brought down the sugar level with careful monitoring, at a fasting 120 and PP 145 within a fortnight of the initial new diagnosis.

It was the end of December, holidays, Christmas, opening out into a new year 2009, I started gaining a lot of confidence on how to move about through the rest of my life. I plunged into green tea (at least 2 cups a day without even aspartame or the crystal sugar which I found very painful initially but got used to it until now and I look forward to go up from there. I cut down on additional salt as well. with a lot of reluctance but I have made up my mind to stick to principles. I have had annual eye checks that so far have not shown anything to be of concern. Sticking to healthy routines strictly (that became a regular habit by practice as in my case) with select foods, Accu-Chek tests, oral medications, periodic visit to the PCP, following his directions meticulously, all these are too essential and is followed as well. I keep myself clean, check for calluses, ingrown toe nails and any loss of sensation in the extremities on a regular basis.

I keep myself active all the time but for the sleeping hours. Happened is happened. What might crop up tomorrow is to be seen, but I am in grips of the situation. With clear mind I confidently put forward my every step not to end up complicating things for myself as well as others.
It was just accidental, yes, two years ago (age 48) I went for a general blood draw, the lab tech gave me the report and asked me to see the doc right... Jan 5 2011, 01