pregnancy (was genetics of diabetes)

hi everyone!

well, it's been an informative couple of days--sorry i didn't do this
sooner--but i can say that i have a very different view of things as a
result. better late than never, as they say!

first off, i met with the perinatologist (an ob/gyn who specialises in
high-risk pregnancies, like girls who are diabetic) this morning at our
medical centre, who gave me some sobering feedback. in short, she
strongly recommended putting off conception until the sugars were
better controlled. given my age and overall fitness, she had some very
good suggestions. then i met with the geneticist who asked a bunch of
questions about my family history. since i was adopted from a foreign
country and there is no known family medical history, i couldn't tell
her much. she gave me the stats on the heritability of t2 diabetes--not
pretty--and given how severe mine is she was pretty sure it must run in
my family. she also mentioned that my very poor eyesight could be
passed along as well, though didn't have hard numbers for the relative
risk of inheriting bad myopia. oh well, i've worn glasses forever and
get by just fine with them--i just strap them on when i am in the pool
swimming!!

the nutritionist was also helpful, though much of this was familiar to
me. i've been pretty meticulous in keeping dietary records, studying
the literature (i am training to be a research scientist, after all,
and have access to the medical library here on campus), and correlating
diet and exercise to bg values. given this info, she thought that my
brittleness was due to loss of counter-regulatory hormones, and
suggested i go back to my endo to see about glucagon as an adjunct.
this i will do. ( it occurs to me that i don't really have a good
explanation/excuse for not having researched diabetes and pregnancy
more; a byproduct i suspect of just really wanting to have kids and not
wanting anything to stand in my way.)

my husband was with me all through this (he's an er doc) and we had a
lengthy conversation afterwards. given all this new info, we decided
first off to stop trying to conceive (i hope it's not too late!) until
the sugars are improved and stable over a 6-month time frame--the
perinatologist recommendation. also, given my physical condition and
desperate need for surgery, we discussed options such as adoption and
just risking the inability to breastfeed. since my adoption experience
was not so great--mostly a string of foster homes--i am not keen on
this idea. however, i am always open to considering just about
anything.

anyway, none of these are easy decisions, but i feel something of a
relief just putting pregnancy on hold for a bit. college is enough of a
challenge right now, and for my own well being i need to get back into
sports more fully, not just casual recreation and hour or two day.

anyway, i am going off for a very long bike ride now, savouring the
indian summer here, just to let things sit. thank you everyone for the
fabulous feedback, and needless to say i will be a very active
participant on asd. this may have saved a few lives!!

love,

kelly.

btw, fbg=95 this am!!!

___________________________________________
Meet me at Yahoo! http://profiles.yahoo.com/kelly_lenti

"Tresa" <kelly_lenti@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> we discussed options such as adoption and
> just risking the inability to breastfeed. since my adoption experience
> was not so great--mostly a string of foster homes--i am not keen on
> this idea.


seems to me this would be a good reason to consider adopting.
you may not have found good homes but something tells me the child
you adopt would.

Tom

Tresa wrote in message
<1161285329.498733.86450@m73g2000cwd.googlegroups. com>...
>hi everyone!
>
>well, it's been an informative couple of days--sorry i didn't do this
>sooner--but i can say that i have a very different view of things as a
>result. better late than never, as they say!
>. . .
.. . .. since i was adopted from a foreign
>country. . .
>
>. . .(i am training to be a research scientist, after
>all, and have access to the medical library here
> on campus), . . .
>
>love,
>
>kelly.
>
>btw, fbg=95 this am!!!

Hope somebody mentioned that African-Americans, Amer-Indians,
India-Indians, Hispanics, Arabian Peninsula folks and many Pacific Rim
folks have a very high incidence of T2. The genes were always there but
nobody noticed until they began to be exposed to a Western diet.

Much of the literature is based on Western European experiences but we seem
to have one of the lowest genetic predispositions around.

Also, sad to say, many of medical books don't reflect the startling
advances in theory and therapy taking place in modern diabetic treatment
protocols. The whole field was essentially tipped upside down when the
analog insulins** were developed; then scrambled again when the DCCT and
UKPDS results started to come out in the mid 90's. You'll get a better
picture from Medscape et al.

(** Please, please confirm that you're using modern analog insulins
instead of Regular and NPH)

Some URL of interest to an aspiring Research Scientist:

Medscape. . . a must

https://profreg.medscape.com/px/registration.do

Think about subscribing to their Diabetes and Endocrinology newsletter,
their CME newsletter, and their "news" newsletter after you're in. I have
all my newsletters come to my yahoo mail address.

Diabetes in Control newsletter is another good one

http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php

Anyway, "Keep on truckin!"

Regards
Old Al
(Looking at 35 years in Industrial R & D growing smaller and more distant
in the rear view mirror)

Tresa wrote:
> my husband was with me all through this (he's an er doc) and we had a
> lengthy conversation afterwards.
always excellent
> given all this new info, we decided
> first off to stop trying to conceive (i hope it's not too late!)
It's never too late to stop trying :-)
> since my adoption experience
> was not so great--mostly a string of foster homes--i am not keen on
> this idea. however, i am always open to considering just about
> anything.
>
If I might suggest: I suggest putting off "kidding around" until
college is over...and then immediately jump back into trying, but also
start working on the adoption path.
> anyway, none of these are easy decisions, but i feel something of a
> relief just putting pregnancy on hold for a bit. college is enough of a
> challenge right now, and for my own well being i need to get back into
> sports more fully, not just casual recreation and hour or two day.
>
Yeah... me and my wife often find decision making very stressful-- once
we've decided --even if a disappointment-- we feel much better about things.

> btw, fbg=95 this am!!!
>
woo hoo!

From the length part of your post I snipped, I infer that you were
diagnosed, but kind of ignored the education aspect of the
disease...probably too busy with other stuff.

Do you have any goals for yourself and diabetes? I think that's why the
5% club was inaugurated (I wasn't diabetic then) -- it provides a good
goal to shoot for in an encouraging way. Once I learned the theory
behind 5%, I chose that as my goal.

mt


--
T2 dx May 2005 with A1c 10.1
1000 mg Metformin 2x day
1000 mg Fish Oil (Omega 3) 2x day
500 mg Niacin 1x day
last A1c: 5.0 (Oct 2006)

"Tresa" <kelly_lenti@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1161285329.498733.86450@m73g2000cwd.googlegro ups.com...
> (i am training to be a research scientist, after all,
> and have access to the medical library here on campus),

Oo! Oo! We have a whole bunch of people here who would be interested in any
research snippets on diabetes you come across...

> ( it occurs to me that i don't really have a good
> explanation/excuse for not having researched diabetes and pregnancy
> more; a byproduct i suspect of just really wanting to have kids and not
> wanting anything to stand in my way.)

It's part of the syndrome - we all ostrich sometimes. But I have high hopes
that you've got the intelligence and drive to work out a way to have
everything - you go, gal

Nicky.

--
A1c 10.5/5.5/<6 T2 DX 05/2004
100ug Thyroxine
95/72/72Kg

Tresa <kelly_lenti@yahoo.com> wrote:
: hi everyone!

: well, it's been an informative couple of days--sorry i didn't do this
: sooner--but i can say that i have a very different view of things as a
: result. better late than never, as they say!

: first off, i met with the perinatologist (an ob/gyn who specialises in
: high-risk pregnancies, like girls who are diabetic) this morning at our
: medical centre, who gave me some sobering feedback. in short, she
: strongly recommended putting off conception until the sugars were
: better controlled. given my age and overall fitness, she had some very
: good suggestions. then i met with the geneticist who asked a bunch of
: questions about my family history. since i was adopted from a foreign
: country and there is no known family medical history, i couldn't tell
: her much. she gave me the stats on the heritability of t2 diabetes--not
: pretty--and given how severe mine is she was pretty sure it must run in
: my family. she also mentioned that my very poor eyesight could be
: passed along as well, though didn't have hard numbers for the relative
: risk of inheriting bad myopia. oh well, i've worn glasses forever and
: get by just fine with them--i just strap them on when i am in the pool
: swimming!!

: the nutritionist was also helpful, though much of this was familiar to
: me. i've been pretty meticulous in keeping dietary records, studying
: the literature (i am training to be a research scientist, after all,
: and have access to the medical library here on campus), and correlating
: diet and exercise to bg values. given this info, she thought that my
: brittleness was due to loss of counter-regulatory hormones, and
: suggested i go back to my endo to see about glucagon as an adjunct.
: this i will do. ( it occurs to me that i don't really have a good
: explanation/excuse for not having researched diabetes and pregnancy
: more; a byproduct i suspect of just really wanting to have kids and not
: wanting anything to stand in my way.)

: my husband was with me all through this (he's an er doc) and we had a
: lengthy conversation afterwards. given all this new info, we decided
: first off to stop trying to conceive (i hope it's not too late!) until
: the sugars are improved and stable over a 6-month time frame--the
: perinatologist recommendation. also, given my physical condition and
: desperate need for surgery, we discussed options such as adoption and
: just risking the inability to breastfeed. since my adoption experience
: was not so great--mostly a string of foster homes--i am not keen on
: this idea. however, i am always open to considering just about
: anything.

: anyway, none of these are easy decisions, but i feel something of a
: relief just putting pregnancy on hold for a bit. college is enough of a
: challenge right now, and for my own well being i need to get back into
: sports more fully, not just casual recreation and hour or two day.

: anyway, i am going off for a very long bike ride now, savouring the
: indian summer here, just to let things sit. thank you everyone for the
: fabulous feedback, and needless to say i will be a very active
: participant on asd. this may have saved a few lives!!

: love,

: kelly.

: btw, fbg=95 this am!!!

: ___________________________________________
: Meet me at Yahoo! http://profiles.yahoo.com/kelly_lenti

It sounds like you got some good advice and have shown the maturity to
take it in and use it. This is gret at your oung age!!!

Two things , about the myopia, my Mother had none and my Father had slight
myopia. My brother and I both had considerable myopia. My two sons (who
I mentioned in a previous post aobut age of husbands) one has severe
myopia and the other slight(he can drive without glasses). As I said,
breastfeeding is not the endo of the world, although it is VERY much in
vogue these days.

Get the diabetes under control (reading here will help) adn don't make any
fast decisions. You may bea ble to have your own child or you may ifind
adoption is a good road for you. I have both, as I told you earlier, I
adopted my husband's daughter when pregnanat with my first son.

Keep on in the sensible way ou have just told us aobut and things shuld
work out well for ou.

Wendy

On 19 Oct 2006 12:15:31 -0700, "Tresa"
<kelly_lenti@yahoo.com> wrote:

>hi everyone!
>
Hi Tresa - comments interleaved.

>well, it's been an informative couple of days--sorry i didn't do this
>sooner--but i can say that i have a very different view of things as a
>result. better late than never, as they say!
>
>first off, i met with the perinatologist (an ob/gyn who specialises in
>high-risk pregnancies, like girls who are diabetic) this morning at our
>medical centre, who gave me some sobering feedback. in short, she
>strongly recommended putting off conception until the sugars were
>better controlled. given my age and overall fitness, she had some very
>good suggestions. then i met with the geneticist who asked a bunch of
>questions about my family history. since i was adopted from a foreign
>country and there is no known family medical history, i couldn't tell
>her much. she gave me the stats on the heritability of t2 diabetes--not
>pretty--and given how severe mine is she was pretty sure it must run in
>my family.

I've never heard of a link between "severity" of T2 diabetes
and genetics. Just the fact of it, not the severity.

> she also mentioned that my very poor eyesight could be
>passed along as well, though didn't have hard numbers for the relative
>risk of inheriting bad myopia. oh well, i've worn glasses forever and
>get by just fine with them--i just strap them on when i am in the pool
>swimming!!
>
>the nutritionist was also helpful, though much of this was familiar to
>me. i've been pretty meticulous in keeping dietary records, studying
>the literature (i am training to be a research scientist, after all,
>and have access to the medical library here on campus), and correlating
>diet and exercise to bg values. given this info, she thought that my
>brittleness was due to loss of counter-regulatory hormones, and
>suggested i go back to my endo to see about glucagon as an adjunct.
>this i will do. ( it occurs to me that i don't really have a good
>explanation/excuse for not having researched diabetes and pregnancy
>more; a byproduct i suspect of just really wanting to have kids and not
>wanting anything to stand in my way.)
>
>my husband was with me all through this (he's an er doc)

Interesting. What has been his opinion of the comments
you've received here? Has he learnt anything he didn't know
before - or does he feel we are a bunch of wannabe doctors
as some imply? We have some here with a lot of ER experience
from the "on the gurney" point of view, especially some of
the T1's.

> and we had a
>lengthy conversation afterwards. given all this new info, we decided
>first off to stop trying to conceive (i hope it's not too late!) until
>the sugars are improved and stable over a 6-month time frame--the
>perinatologist recommendation.

I think you two have made a very, very wise decison.

>also, given my physical condition and
>desperate need for surgery, we discussed options such as adoption and
>just risking the inability to breastfeed. since my adoption experience
>was not so great--mostly a string of foster homes--i am not keen on
>this idea. however, i am always open to considering just about
>anything.
>
I would not make hasty decisions there. Take your time. Lots
of time. That decision will affect several lives - for the
rest of your lives.

>anyway, none of these are easy decisions, but i feel something of a
>relief just putting pregnancy on hold for a bit. college is enough of a
>challenge right now, and for my own well being i need to get back into
>sports more fully, not just casual recreation and hour or two day.
>
>anyway, i am going off for a very long bike ride now, savouring the
>indian summer here, just to let things sit. thank you everyone for the
>fabulous feedback, and needless to say i will be a very active
>participant on asd. this may have saved a few lives!!
>
>love,
>
>kelly.
>
>btw, fbg=95 this am!!!
>
Thanks for letting us know. Be well. When you get back,
re-read
http://www.alt-support-diabetes.org/NewlyDiagnosed.htm
and show it to hubby :-)

Cheers, Alan, T2, Australia.
d&e, metformin 1000mg, ezetrol 10mg
http://loraltravel.blogspot.com/
latest: Languedoc-Roussillon, Avignon, Riviera
--
Everything in Moderation - Except Laughter.

Alan S wrote in message <955gj2l9i8upse66sfv72o5sj1344eh1u0@4ax.com>...
>On 19 Oct 2006 12:15:31 -0700, "Tresa"
><kelly_lenti@yahoo.com> wrote:
>. . . .>
>I've never heard of a link between "severity" of T2 diabetes
>and genetics. Just the fact of it, not the severity.
>

Me neither. . .but. . .I've read about families where two kids became
T2-on-insulin while in their teens (Hispanic) while one of my T2 friends
(Western European ancestry) needed pills at age 72 but lost 40 lb and is
controlling via D & E at age 76. Got to be some sort of genetics and
severity issues in those two stories.

Regards
Old Al