My Story

By v5e0ct

1 min read

I was dxd with diabetes in August of 2014 after I had my gall bladder removed. They sent me home with a prescription for Metformin, but nobody told me what it was for. Within a week I was back in the hospital with a serious bowel blockage, had more surgery and spent most of August in the hospital. Still no one really talked to me about diabetes. This time I left the hospital with 2 insulins...mealtime and long acting. I needed the services of a home health care nurse after I left the hospital and she was a real blessing. She brought me a diabetic cookbook and helped me start to figure out how to handle this disease. It wasn't easy for me, but I did get control and within 6 mos, my A1c went from 12 to 6.4, only now I had Kidney problems. Now THAT scares me. Diabetes I can be proactive about, I can take meds etc. With the kidneys all I can do is eat right and drink more. There is no pill to make it better. So that's where I am almost 2 yrs later. I do have other peripheral diabetes related problems, but everything is under control except for the weight. Despite making lifestyle changes and exercising more, I have not been successful at losing any weight...a big thorn in my side. I am using Bydureon now and in a week or so, I will be completely off insulin. Maybe it will help.

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Kelly Dabel, RD Community Admin
Thank you so much for sharing your story v5e0ct! I'm happy to hear that you had such a helpful home health nurse to walk along side you on your journey to learning more about diabetes. Sounds like you have made amazing progress, especially evident in your HgbA1c levels!! Great job! You are not alone here in your struggle to lose weight. With your doctor's approval, you may consider switching up your exercise routine to something different and look at adjusting portion sizes (if possible) to help jump start some weight loss as well. Best of luck to you as you start this new medication. Sending positive thoughts your way that it will work well for you. Please let us know any questions you have and feel free to stop by anytime! We're here to support you. Kelly Dabel, RD - Community Moderator
1. v5e0ct Member
 Since my original post, I have discontinued all insulin and am doing quite well on Bydureon alone. With the decrease in carbs, I have also seen a drop in my daily bg readings. Very happy with that. My A1c in September was 5.7 and in December,it may be a little lower. Bydureon has not affected my kidneys adversely, and with a recent increase in liquid intake even my GFR improved. Every once in a while, my stomach is upset, but nothing debilitating. The Bydureon is working well. Only occasionally will I have the little bumps that people complain about and they go away fairly quickly. I was skeptical of this med at first, being a once a week injection, but after 6 mos, I'm very happy with it. The biggest complaint I can think of is the huge needle, compared to my insulin pens, but if I do it quickly, I still don't feel it much.
2. Kelly Dabel, RD Community Admin
 Wonderful news! Thanks so much for the update. So glad to hear that you are doing well on Bydureon and seeing improvement in your numbers and labs. Thank you for being part of our community and sharing your story! Kelly Dabel, RD – Community Moderator
Meryl Krochmal, MS, RD, CDCES Moderator & Contributor
Thank you v5eOct for sharing your story with our community. It sounds like you have been through a lot since 2014. It sounds as though, despite all that you have been through you continue to have a positive attitude!! Bydureon is in a class of diabetes medications known as GLP-1 agonists, which can help in weight loss. In addition to the medication helping with weight loss, diet and exercise can have huge impact. Many people have found that reducing carb intake can help with weight loss and blood sugar control. Regular exercise (if ok'ed by your physician) is also helpful in managing blood sugars levels, weight loss and maintaining bone density. You may find the following article helpful (in addition to the article suggested by Kelly Dabel): <a href='https://type2diabetes.com/nutrition/can-low-carbohydrate-diet-help' target='_blank'>https://type2diabetes.com/nutrition/can-low-carbohydrate-diet-help</a>. Please feel free to reach out again if you have any questions. Keep up all of your hard work! Take care. Meryl Krochmal, RD CDE Community Moderator.
1. v5e0ct Member
 Thank you. I already follow a low carb lifestyle. I recently cut back to 90 carbs a day in an effort to avoid bariatric surgery. I'm doing very well on the diabetes front and may even be losing weight. Just to say, I am doing this with my drs approval and supervision.
jimy Member
I also had low kidney and liver counts. Went to see a Naturopath Dr and started taking Glutathione (do the research on the net) injections weekly. After 2 1/2 months both my kidneys and liver are at normal levels. First time in over ten years. Also a Naturopath will go over your blood work and figure out how to tune your body for you. We are all different.
Kelly Dabel, RD Community Admin
Wonderful news! Thanks so much for the update. So glad to hear that you are doing well on Bydureon and seeing improvement in your numbers and labs. Thank you for being part of our community and sharing your story! Kelly Dabel, RD - Community Moderator

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