MikeO

13 hours ago, bumpkin said:

I'll have to give the barley a try, I think I've only ever had it in beer form

Haha beer is good  

Lack of energy comes from If you don't have enough insulin, glucose builds up in your bloodstream rather than getting into your cells to provide energy.

My Endo does not feel i am as much insulin resistant but i have a deficient release of insulin when food challenged.

so in my mind is a kinda vicious cycle. get high blood sugars that remain unused in the bloodstream so no energy to do anything and get tired so back onto the recliner napping it off while the pancreas finally catches up then because of the inactivity none of the glucose goes to the muscles because they are already full and ends up in the liver as stored fat then it's time for bed so i never burn the fat. next day rinse and repeat Haha. My world according my Mike.

Yeah be surprised what your body can/will do to maintain homeostasis. sure this is what mine has figured out when my BG drops from 180 to 105 and i am not even the wiser it happened. 

Sorry to hear that you have some GI issues sure it is throwing a log into the middle of the road as you try and sort thru issues. I have been dealing with some of my own GI woes and was put on a PPT med to deal with some inflammation. one thing that helped me before the Gastro Doc working out the issue is i avoided acidic foods like tomatoes, salsa, pastes and anything that has citric acid. made a difference in the short term. I too also did a food reset, well more than once more like years. only took me three years to finally get to the root of some of it.

side note if any of your providers tell you "it's just the way it is and to drink more water and get up slowly" fire them as they probably won't help.  

5 hours ago, bumpkin said:

I was feeling like garbage today, and by this evening I decided it was likely due to not having enough carbs the past couple days.. so, not a fan of feeling like the walking dead

Been here. I was to the point of not eating or eating very few carbs and fasting a lot just because food was not always a pleasant experience for me. this IMO is stressful on the body and aggravated some of my symptoms. Haha was to the point it felt like i could hardly get out of my own way.

Like you after eating a (bad and even with good) carby foods my heart rate would increase (along with other symptoms) and would last from 30 minutes to 4-5 hours. it was like clock work.

My Endo gave me the talk that some carbs are needed and to ignore some of the diets that promote getting your energy solely from fats and proteins especially if one has other health issues. He said that i don't necessarily need to hit the recommended 145 carbs a day but would need to find out how many works for me. he suggested around 80 carbs is good. i average around 60-80.

Not sure why insulin has stopped my post meal palpitations outside of keeping my blood sugars in range but i will take what i can get. i definitely have 10 times the energy since starting to use it.

6 hours ago, bumpkin said:

The glycemic index database I consulted beforehand tried to warn me that they had a high glycemic index and load

This is a good resource and works to some extent. i found that barley does not spike my blood sugars much at all. i use it in soups as a substitute for rice.        

@Sea otterI tried using a wedge pillow and for me it was very problematic to use and lost plenty of sleep using (two of them side by side).

I kept working my way off the wedge pillows and had to kept adjusting my way back on them. i ended up buying a body pillow to help keep myself positioned up on the wedges. over time my lower back started hurting. i have to assume i was putting pressure on the spine as it is the point where it was bending for the elevation..

Beyond something i would even consider.....

@Sarah TeeGreat job with being persistent advocating for your care.

I really hope the test will give you the answers that you have been looking for a long time.

Please post back as to your progress and results. we are pulling for you!

@MaineDougit's awesome that you are seeing benefits from the surgery so quickly. very positive.

Sure your support team will keep you in check so you don't too ahead of yourself. it's important go slow at first and heal up. before you know it you will be back out hiking and walking the dogs.

Keep us posted as to your progress! Good Job so far!  

8 hours ago, bumpkin said:

I hadn't given it much thought before your post prompted me to wonder more about it, but I'm gathering that some of us must have a little too much insulin to start with, and some of us don't make enough and need more to balance out..

Thanks for sharing the articles. kinda makes me wonder if folks with Dysautonomia struggle with blood sugars more than one would think.

Here is a article that @Water Loverhad sharded. it is a interesting study that was done with POTS folks hypothesising that worsening of symptoms maybe glucose related. sudy is backed up by tested data.  

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9010371/#:~:text=In Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS,venous return (upper panel).

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.121.17852?download=true 

Thanks for sharing. Is there a clear fix for this? I so to many times a suggested hypothesis. 

@MaineDougHappy to hear you are in recovery mode. Haha i get the fluid battle with Hospital staff been here before. Good to hear they are accommodating your needs.

I don't have POTS so my fluid/sodium needs are a bit different but i get the diabetic thirst after surgical procedures so i have to battle the i need more water with the nurses that are told to manage the fluid in and out of me to keep any eye on kidney functions? not sure but it is a protocol.

Lol when they do give in to giving me more fluids i have to ask for two pee bottles because the diabetic peeing kicks in Hahaha.

Rest up! and heal. Life is about to become one step better. 

Oddly enough my after meal palpitations have stopped since i started taking a mealtime fast acting insulin. i can even tolerate consistent 30g of carbs at each meal.

I went thru a battery GI testing over the last few months or so. i was treated for suspected SIBO as i was having numerous GI symptoms. the treatment did help with most of the bloating. We also discovered Barrett's esophagus that was inflamed so i am taking a PPI med. The Doc also had me stop drinking milk. so far so good and the bloating has stopped.

I know what i experienced was not postrial related. 

Best wishes for a good surgery @MaineDoug....keep your dog walks goal in mind.

6 hours ago, MaineDoug said:

Did you get referred to a dietitian after your GI diagnoses?

No i have not asked for a consultation with a dietitian. i did see one for my diabetes at the local hospital, she was a very dismissive type person that would probably just step over you while having a heart attack at the clinic.

Doc will be bring up food at my next visit. i will see where that goes when we talk.  

24 minutes ago, MaineDoug said:

I’m hoping that the weight loss and exercise will help lower it. 

Exercise and weight loss will help with insulin resistance. Diet is a bit of a balance with most folks. Best i can tell you is to eat your leafy veggies and proteins first then the starchy veggies and carbs after makes a difference in the blood glucose spikes.

watch the morning pure carb meals. these are the toughest on the body.  

58 minutes ago, bumpkin said:

"Avoid veins, moles, bones, and tendons"

I can tell you that hitting a bone will be smarts for awhile. lateral side of the palms look safe. coul try on a low setting and work your way up.

Good luck if you try it.

Hey @bumpkinhope some of this gives you some ideas.

Yeah fingers sometimes can be finicky to get some blood out of them. some folks stick their palms and seem to do better with it.

Good news on the CGM front is there will be a sensor that will be sold over the counter (no script needed). should be available by mid summer.

Instant Pot has been a great addition to my kitchen and meal prep i use it all the time. Just love it! I get the ADHD moments i have done the same and forgot stuff that was cooking.

Good luck if you get a instant pot! 

17 hours ago, MaineDoug said:

Great folks! Link at:

https://mission-cure.org/chronic-pancreatitis/

Thanks for sharing this Doug very good material.

The site did mention that chronic pancreatitis can cause Type 3C diabetes which is what i think i have and my Endo eluded to. I am going to work with my PCP to help answer the question for sure.

Have you been tested for diabetes? just curious. 

17 hours ago, MaineDoug said:

Now I feel like I have a second chance at life! And I plan to make every moment count! I feel like Scrooge on Christmas morning. 

Be selfish it's your life that matters.

17 hours ago, MaineDoug said:

I’ve been on Pantoprozole for several years and I like it, no side effects. 

Med has been good so far no side effects. GI did find some bleeding down by the esophagus and stomach junction. Makes sense to me now where where some of my issues are coming from. Sure this might be why my A1c's are lower than expected base on other numbers. guess we will find out with next month A1c test. 

19 hours ago, MaineDoug said:

Great news from my MR CRP! Mild diffuse fatty changes in Pancreas and Liver! Small benign cysts. No blockage, sludge, stones or malignancy! About as good as I could have hoped for!🎉 Plan is to monitor yearly for a decade then d/c monitoring if no changes! 
 

I was prepared for the worst but hoping for the best! Celebrating in Maine! 😁

Best wishes to everyone!

Glad to hear the test showed good news! Now get that hip fixed so you can exercise off some of the fatty organ buildup.

1 hour ago, MaineDoug said:

@MikeO,

Thanks Mike! I’m really looking forward to walking without pain or limping for 5 years! 🎉

I’m having my MR CRP at 3:30 today! I’ve been getting IV saline since 8:00 to allow NPO. 
 

Hoping for good results! 🕉️☯️🙏🌈

Pulling for you!

7 hours ago, MaineDoug said:

But I have to head back in 12 days for surgery. Then I get a shiny new hip for my 60’th birthday!

Wish you the best with your hip replacement. should make one thing in your life easier.

37 minutes ago, Pistol said:

Pantoprazole

The Doc is starting me on Pantoprazole sure hope it helps.

well update doc came back with a diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus. sure there is more to come.

On 2/13/2024 at 1:51 PM, MaineDoug said:

My GI has me starting with an MR CRP. No scope

Hope your test goes well. I am glad i had the ESOPHAGOGASTRODUODENOSCOPY WITH BIOPSY and COLONOSCOPY it did find notable issues. @Pistoli think you called Diverticulosis at one point.

Procedure results:

Z line deviation 2 cm

2 cm hiatal hernia

Non erosive esophagitis

Gastritis

Diverticulosis

Ascending colon polyp

On 2/14/2024 at 6:59 AM, Pistol said:

But the jug of stuff you need to take will fill you up!

Haha....it did but only for an hour...holy smokes!