First Endocrinologist visit

June 4 2019

I saw the diabetes Dr. today. He prescribed some standard pills, and ordered a more comprehensive blood test to determine if the pancreas was working or not.

The amount of sugar in the blood needs to stay at a very narrow range.
If is to low, then your body cells don't get enough energy from the blood sugar (glucose) to work properly, and bad thinks happen. Like you get dizzy and weak. If it goes to low, the brain quits, and you go into a coma or die.
If it gets to high (like me) then damage occurs to small blood vessels. Like the end of your fingers, legs, and the retina in your eyes. This often leads to amputations, or blindness.

The body tries to control the amount of glucose in the blood by having the pancreas secrete insulin. Your BG (blood glucose) varies for many reasons.
Exercise uses the energy of the glucose in the blood, so BG levels drop.
Fighting an infection uses the BG for energy.
Stress causes a drop in BG levels by using the glucose in the blood..
Eating foods increase BG levels, depending on the carbohydrate levels in the food. A nice cream doughnut will cause the BG level in the blood to go up very high, very quickly. This requires a big dose of insulin from the pancreas to bring the BG levels in the blood down to normal values.
If you now do heavy exercise, which will lower your BG, and you have extra insulin, then there is a chance of the BG levels getting too low. It is a delicate, and constant balancing act by the pancreas.

One of the pills the Dr. prescribed is Metformin. It is the standard go to drug for Type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is usually when the pancreas secretes enough insulin, but the cells don't receive it as they should, so the excess remains in the blood. Metformin tells the liver to keep it's store of spare glucose, and don't release it. This helps reduce the glucose levels in the blood.

He said the pancreas tests take a few days because they do them in batches. Only when enough people need the results do they test the blood. Until then I will continue doing the finger pricks, and take the readings when I get up in the morning, and two hours after every meal. I must also eat three meals a day, two snacks a day, and take the Metformin pills twice a day.

Next report will be when the pancreas tests results come back.