A reminder: diabetes and depression make a deadly mix.

[Ladyhawk]

A couple of weeks ago, I came *this close* to having a nervous breakdown. Since my move(s), I hadn't been monitoring my blood glucose levels very diligently. As a result, my blood glucose was spiking up to 268, tanking to 70ish, back up to 200-something. I had totally lost control.

Diabetes is very serious. It played a part in the death of our beloved nostamj, but the message didn't hit home until I nearly came completely undone.

Diabetics, we have to prick those fingers!

[Droopy]

1. One of the scariest moments in my life

was when my psychiatrist thought that I might be diabetic judging from some blood work he had done on me. It all turned out ok. I went to my family practitioner and told him of the previous results and he said that they were kind of high, but not too much to worry about. But he did some blood work anyway. I tested 109 on the psychiatrist's test, but 86 on the other doctor's test. We think the reason for the somewhat high number on the first test was due to me eating before the test.

I've never been as relieved as I was when it turned out that I was not diabetic.

[Ladyhawk]

2. It's not a fun ride, the glucose roller coaster. :(

I haven't been taking it as seriously as I should. I'm going to try to stay on top of things. I probably need a better doctor and those are hard to find in this small town.

Of course, most of the work is up to the patient, but if you're sick, it's hard to get started.

I'm glad you don't have it, Droopy. It's a wildcard to throw into the mix, for sure. A good friend of mine who was born with spina bifida, never walked, had both legs amputated, went through a very scary hernia surgery fairly recently and ***insert a million medical procedures here*** JUST learned she also has diabetes. Her emotions are all over the place, as mine were when I was on the glucose roller coaster a couple of weeks ago.

She also suffers from depression.

Sometimes I wish that certain folks could catch a break, you know?

[hedgehog]

3. Not to mention thyroid disorders

I've been feeling down which I attributed to my depresive/anxiety disorder. Turns out my thyroid was out of whack again. I'm feeling better now that my levoxyl dose has beenadjusted, but here i lost a month or two feeling bad.

[Sgent]

4. When you interview your doctor's

Ask them their average HbA1c from their diabetics, how often they order a HbA1C if the diabeic is controlled, and if they regularly bill Medicare for a Diabetic Foot Exam for LOPS.

If they answer 5.9 or lower, every 3 months, and twice a year on all diabetics, then you've got a good one -- or at least one that is doing what is supposed to be done by the book.