Thinking it might be too late for me to fix the diabetes -- and everyting else

newbies
(MJ) #1

Just found this site last night. Thank you all for your wisdom and kindness! I’ve been T2D since 1993. Learned about Keto in May of 2016, and was doing well. In recent years I have always had high a1c readings (8 being the lowest 2 years ago). Current level is 10.2. Weight is down 15 pounds from a year ago to 180. Have been so frustrated that the A1C and BG readings (230-300) do not come down no matter what I do (probably because I’m doing the wrong things). I have always been on a sliding scale for insulin dosage. I’m 62 and have had some hope from others in this age group that the diabetes can be beat, but am beginning to wonder if my pancreas is shot. Testing showed a value of 24.1 for insulin. The last test results (last week) show that I have the Apoe3/4 gene (a marker for dementia), and the recommended diet for that is low fat, low carb. I absolutely don’t know where to start, as there are so many variables. I also had a stroke after an auto accident earlier this year.

Questions: Does anyone know if Keto works for people with dementia (which I don’t), but have had a stroke?
My goals: 1) Stop getting frustrated and learn to laugh at life; 2) Trust my doctors with the advice they give me – but it’s not what I see on these web sites. What to do, what to do??? exploding_head:

(CharleyD) #2

It is never too late! Please do not give up hope.
My doc recommended to me The End of Alzheimer’s, as a wink and nod to my results, and it is chock full of protocol for reversing cognitive decline, dementia and AD, with a ketogenic diet as the centerpiece of the dietary intervention.

ApoE4 does not seal your fate, please be positive that you can slowly and surely correct and heal your brain and metabolism with carbohydrate restriction and real food.

(mike) #3

Unless your doctor is a functional medicine doctor, I would not trust them. Be wary and be your own advocate. In a very short time you can educate yourself easily. Start by listening to the 2Ketodudes podcast.

Cut your carbs, it will drastically extend your life, and it will be a quality life instead of miserable suffering from diabetes.

Keto works for helping, and even reversing Alzheimers (dementia).

Ultimately eating low carb reduces inflammation, will lower your insulin resistance, and drastically improve your quality of life.

Do it today, don’t wait. Many people on here have started at even older age than you. YOU CAN DO IT!!!

(MJ) #4

Thanks, CharleyD. I so appreciate the feedback.

(MJ) #5

Mike – Thank you – Ketodudes are very enlightening. I’m on a lot of supplements from my functional doc, and don’t know how they affect my carb count. Will be seeing a functional dietician this week. As you say, however, I must be my own advocate.

God bless you!

#6

My now 79 year old relative had two heart attacks last year and is doing very well. He is a TOFI so was never heavy but ate plenty of bread. His A1C used to be 8.4 while on a sulfoneurea and now hovers around 5.9 - 6.2 without any medication. He has been diabetic since 1993. He never realized what a difference diet could make

(bulkbiker) #7

Check out Dr Jason Fung and his site
https://idmprogram.com
Lots of video and useful articles.

(Allie) #8

Never too late to make positive changes, start where you are :slight_smile:

(Brian) #9

Too late is way beyond where most people tend to think it is.

If hospice hasn’t been called yet, it’s probably not too late. (Is that blunt enough?) And even if hospice HAS been called, it still may not be too late. (They kick you out when you don’t continue to deteriorate or die. Hey, that’s one club I wouldn’t mind be kicked out of!)

(Keto in Katy) #10

I agree with this. My former doc (who I left in 2013) never mentioned diet as an intervention for me, and it turned out that changing my diet was THE ONLY intervention I needed. Make sure your doc fully understands LCHF/keto and intends to work with you.

(Richard Hanson) #11

I am 55 and I no longer have T2D, or at least I am exactly on the line between pre-diabetic and diabetic with an a1c of 6.5% about 5 weeks ago. After I started a ketogenic diet, it took 8 days to go from 75 units/day of insulin to 0 units/day and about two months before I was no longer taking any of the six prescription medications I had been taking for T2D for many many years. When I started my a1c was 9.4%.

It is possible that your pancreas is no longer producing sufficient insulin which means your intervention will be similar to that of a T1D. My wife is a T1D and I am still trying to figure out if she can safely eat a ketogenic diet.

With your other medical issues, I think it is quite difficult to give you advice, but what is also true is that most of the medical doctors in the country are going to give you terrible advice. The challenge is to find a doctor that actually knows more about nutrition and the ketogenic diet then any untrained individual who has had enough interest in the topic to read a few books. If your pancreas is failing to produce sufficient insulin, then it is likely you will need a keto educated doctor to help you manage your diabetes.

Is it too late?

It is certainly not too late to make significant changes that will improve your health and improve your quality of life.

Fix the diabetes?

My T1D wife would require a pancreas transplant to fix her diabetes, but that does not discourage her from changing her environment, her behavior, in ways that will make her life more enjoyable. Your situation might be very similar to mine, in which case you can fix your diabetes with only a dietary intervention, or it might be closer to my wife’s situation. I don’t think any intellectually honest person can give you a valid answer to your question on an internet forum, but you can make the personal choice to aggressively pursue that knowledge in your own life. It can be very empowering to take responsibility for your own health.

The place to start is taking the time to find a doctor that is not utterly ignorant with respect to the ketogenic diet. That took me more then 15 years but then I found mine only by accident. Four months ago I had never heard of the ketogenic diet and I had no idea that I should be searching for a keto friendly doctor. If nothing else, you have that very significant advantage over all most all the rest of T2D Americans.

Best Regards,
Richard