Question
Is there other drivers out there having to try and watch all we eat to keep our sugar down out here on this highway?Contact me thru hotmail or this acct at drvnet.Is there a chat room somewhere for drivers only?Im a 17year rookie and I am really trying hard not to loose my job,but its not easy.
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Answer
Nurse Red had a wonderful post on this in the Professional Drivers Roundtable (Interactive) October 27,1998. It is probably archived (You will have to look into the archives section) I have it bookmarked--but maybe she will repost it here in answer to your question.
Answer
RSL,
Thanks for the compliment on the post. But I am having trouble accessing it for some strange reason. Would you mind copying and pasting it here for me since you have it bookmarked?
Thanks,
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Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse Red
Visit us at www.Truck.net/abmsVisit us at
Answer
Nurse Red:I have only had my computer for a little while. I wonder if you could tell me how to "COPY" and then "PASTE." Would be glad to put it here then. Thanks
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Guess what, Nurse Red. I think I figured it out all by myself. Here is the whole thread from that time and hope it helps.
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A Professional Drivers RoundTable (Interactive)
Diabetic Drivers
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Author Topic: Diabetic Drivers
At Home Partner
Less than 10 posts. posted October 26, 1998 22:53
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My husband was diagnosed with non-insulin dependent diabetes six months ago. He is finding it difficult to eat right on the road. Does anyone have an tips or helps?
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Mary
Moderator posted October 27, 1998 04:50
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This is not an easy condition to deal with being an OTR driver. I was also diagnosed with non-insulin diabetes about 4 months ago. I try to carry required foods & snacks with me in the truck, but haven't been very successful either. They want you to eat small meals 5 or more times daily to keep your sugar level stable & that's been next to impossible to do. On top of that, I just don't have much of an appetite....hence, the reason that I try to carry those food items with me. It's the best that I've been able to do. It is very hard to find the required foods in some truck stops.
Wish I had more words of wisdom for your husband. Maybe someone else has some "pearls" to share with us.
Mary
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Mary
Moderator posted October 27, 1998 04:52
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Nurse Red
Moderator posted October 27, 1998 13:57
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I hope I can offer a few pearls for those with non-insulin dependent diabetes, in fact, the same basic rules apply for those who are insulin dependent also.
Let's start with breakfast. A glass of citrus juice and an english muffin are OK, and not hard to come by. So are nutri-grain waffles. Some prepared cereals are good, but be careful with them, and use low-fat or skim milk.
Lunches and dinners need to be a low-fat decision also. Choose fish, poultry, shellfish, and vegetable dishes when ordering at the truck stop restaurant. If you must eat meat once in a while, ask for it to be as lean as possible and order it dry broiled. Dry broiling uses juice, wine or polyunsaturated oil in place of fats. Order all of your entrees baked, steamed, roasted, poached or dry broiled for that matter.
Side dishes should be cooked as fat free as possible. Again, baked, broiled, or steamed are the key words. Avoid Cole slaw and potato salads.
Dessert should be fresh fruits.
Fast food restaurants can be ok. Most of them have salad bars. Select all fresh veggies, (not canned or prepared). Baked potatoes are often available. Choose vegetable toppings for them. Go for the oil and vinegar dressing. But if you must, order a small hamburger (No whoppers and Big Macs and no fries!)
If you are shopping for the fridge or cooler in the truck, here are some things to remember.
Margarine-100% corn oil-no additives.
Fish-Flounder, Monk, Sole, Cod, Halibut, whiting are the best types.
Dairy-Plain, low fat(less than 4%) yogurt.
Nuts and Seeds-Unroasted, unsalted, raw varieties.
Beans and Peas-great choices unless they are canned. Look for low sodium varieties.
Fruits and Veggies-The key word is FRESH! Read packages on prepared fruits and veggies to avoid sugars and salt.
Cereals-Watch it here...The package may say "all natural" but still be high in sugars and salt. Look for the whole grains in both hot and cold varieties.
Breads-Rice cakes are OK. Watch those flavored ones though. Wheat Pita bread is great. Avoid processed white bread.
Pasta is great for you. It comes fresh, frozen, dried, veggie varieties, or whole wheat.
As always, exercise is a very big part of maintaining control of that blood sugar.
I hope I have helped some of you with these notes.
Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse Red
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1ofthelucky1s
Senior Member posted October 29, 1998 11:32
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As the other posters have said, there aren't any easy solutions to this new challenge in his life. I wish both of you the best, as it will require a team effort to keep his sugars under control. He supplies the will power and you help with the motivation! GO TEAM! GO!
You didn't mention if he was over the road or a regional driver. Is it possible that you could prepare meals in advance that he could take with him? Does he have access to a cooler and a microwave? Some trucks have microwaves. If his doesn't, he might consider using microwaves at convienience stores in the truckstops that he frequents (or other places) if he finds that the menus are not satisfactory. Another kind of expensive alternative (and to be perfectly honest, I don't know too many companies that would even allow it) would be to see if the company he worked for would allow him to have a generator installed. That way he could get his own kitchen going. A Betty Crocker on Wheels.
The one thing that he needs to remember in keeping blood sugars in check is to control the number of carbohydrates that he consumes. Processed foods, generally, are very high in both sodium and carbohydrates. I've noticed that foods that are "yellow" like corn, potatoes, pasta, rice, etc., are very high in carbohydrates. Carbohydrates change into sugar fast. Ironically enough, most meats (baked, broiled, without sauces or gravies) have relatively less carbohydrates. Fresh Veggies are best but have him watch his consumption of fruit. Fruits have natural sugars called fructose. (any substance ending in -ose: there is a good chance it's some type of sugar) Fruits will raise blood sugars really quickly.
Nurse Red had it right on the nose about the cerals. I was reading labels the other day and picked up one "Fruit and Fiber" and thought, "Hummmm, this must be healthy"...."WRONG!!" It had 41 carbohydrates per serving. And most people eat more that what is listed on the box as a serving size, I know I do! My dietician "perscibed" the following carbohydrate guidelines for me: 45 for breakfast, 45 for lunch, 60 for supper and 15 for a bedtime snack. This will differ due to many factors so see a doctor or a dietician! Counting carbs is a heck of a lot easier than counting calories ANY DAY! And it allows you much more freedom to choose than that crazy exchange system that the ADA developed. That thing makes my head spin!
One of the challenges with diabetes is not only high blood sugars, but low sugars as well. Does he have supplies on the truck to combat low blood sugar reactions? Is he testing for ketones?
I would suggest that he see a diabetes educator and a dietician relatively soon, if he hasn't already. If the dietician knows his situation ahead of time s/he may be able to help you come up with a plan to help him find solutions to the challenge of healthy eating on the road.
Again, I wish you both the best of luck. Diabetes is a disease that is controlable with the right medication, diet and exercise. However, it can reak major havoc on his whole body (eyes, kidneys, nervous system, sex drive, ETC.) if he doesn't take care of himself. Best wishes and feel free to email me anytime.
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Mary
Moderator posted October 29, 1998 12:34
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1ofthelucky1's
I still haven't made to that diabetic class yet.....shame on me...
seriously. I'm just now getting around to buying a glucometer. I have 2 other medical conditions that further complicate the diabetes and they're all 3 intertwined. As a matter of fact, it's very possible that the diabetes & osteoporosis and even the early menopause (not that that is of interest to any of you men..but it might be to some of the women) have been brought on by the thyroid disease....so I'm working REAL HARD on getting these thyroid levels in check. Up until this last year when I've been able to do alot of research, I never fully realized how important proper nutrition, exercise, and vitamins & minerals really were. I've learned alot.
My doctor did give me some guidelines that seem to follow what you're saying. High protein, low carbs & lots of fresh vegies. He also warned me about the fruit as you mentioned.
I've not been blessed with great health, but I'm not crying about it. I'm just trying to deal with it the best that I can and be thankful for every day that I do have. Life's too short....I want to live and be happy.
Thanks to you and Nurse Red for all the info.
Mary
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At Home Partner
Less than 10 posts. posted October 29, 1998 23:38
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Just wanted to thank you all for the great info you've shared. My over-the-road hubby will be home for some time off next week and I'll share it with him then. We've considered getting a refrigerator and a microwave for his truck, but an inverter strong enough to carry these is around $500-$600. Outta our range! Any ideas on how to go about looking for a cheaper, used one?
He's a great cook (better than me, that's for sure) and might get a kick out of trying to set up a "kitchen" for himself in the truck.
Uh oh! on the fruit warning. He eats fruit in copious amounts. It's his favorite food.
Someone mentioned that low blood sugar might be something to watch for and they asked if he had supplies handy for that. What supplies would he need? He doesn't need insulin. Is there something else we should be checking into here?
You've all been a blessing and I'd sure appreciate any new insights you may have on this issue.
Sue
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Mary
Moderator posted October 30, 1998 12:14
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Sue,
Here is an excellent site to check out for information.
http://diabetes.miningco.com/
Mary
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1ofthelucky1s
Senior Member posted October 30, 1998 09:49
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At Home Partner,
The easiest low blood sugar remedies are candy bars, fruit and glucose tablets that your can by at Wal-mart, Kmart, and at the drug store. Anything that elevates blood sugar levels quickly will work. Orange juice and regular Cokes work well, too. The glucose tablets would be good to have around, just in case, because they will disolve in his mouth in case he has a reaction severe enough that swallowing becomes a problem. Hopefully, though, that will never happen because he will have his sugars under control. He needs to really listen to his body and learn to recognize symptoms. Symptoms are his body's way of communicating that his sugars are too high or too low. I know when I am too low because I get plum "don't touch me!!" irritable--a real PMS witch to be around. On the other hand, when I am "OD'ing" on sugar, I am very, very, tired and life feels like it is dragging on in slow motion. When I am "just right," I'm my normal hyper-active happy self. A friend of mine got to experience all three of these in one day this week. (I am trying to get my meds regulated and am having a bit of a challenge with it, to be honest.) He told me that I should get an academy award for best protrayal of Dr. Jekkyl and Mr. Hyde. It was definately a wild ride for me as well.
Mary,
God Bless you, sister! You have been to the end, haven't you? That is a lot to conquer. I am glad that you are able to take care of yourself and remain on the road. I am not on the road, right now. I find that it is easier for me to take care of myself here at home where I have a lot of support from my family, friends and doctors. I've known about my diabetes since 1991. There are suspicions that I've had it since I was a child. I am 30 now. My blood sugars range in the 350-450 range when I am not on my medications. I take Amaryl and Glucophage. Right now, they are in the 150-250 range and I am told that if I can't get them down any further that I will have to get on insulin. Some people might think that that would be terrible and ultimately I would like to not have to be on insulin. However, I hear remarkable things about insulin pumps and am hoping that if the oral meds don't work, I might be a canidate for a insulin pump. (Pray for that!!) My ultimate goal is to get the sugars under control (anyway I can) and fast!!
Like you said, diabetes is very systemic meaning that it affects all of the bodies systems. A recent eye exam showed that I have the eyes of someone 60 years old or in other words, someone twice as old as me. I think that new RK surgery will take care of that. Diabetic neuropathy is another common problem. Imagine your arms and legs feeling as though there are pins and needles being stuck in them all the time, when you can feel them at all. That is what neuropathy is like. I developed gangrene in my right foot about 2 years ago when I was on the road. I got some blisters on my toes, normal enough, that got infected. Diabetics have a terrible problem with wounds because their healing processes work very, very slowly. Ironically enough, I didn't feel a thing because of the neuropathy. With the help of a wonderful doctor at the Curative Health Care Center: Wound Care Clinic, I have full use of my foot. (I found them after checking myself out of the local hospital. They wanted to amputate.) Neuropathy affects more than just your limbs. It also affects your digestive tract and your sexual drive/function, etc. So far, there aren't any problems in the sex drive area, right honey? Honey? HONEY?? I think he just collapsed in exhaustion!!! Because the kidneys have to filter out all of the sugar out of your blood, renal failure is common and many diabetics may have to be on dialysis. Diabetics must be an insurance company's worst nightmare. Other than the diabetes and complications arising from it, I am in perfect health.
I'll check out that site, Mary. Thanks for listing it. The Juvenile Diabetes Foundation has an excellent site with all kinds of features. If you do a search of diabetes you will find a trillion resources. A lot the pages with info for Type I diabetes also have info about Type II.
Good luck, both of you and KEEP THOSE SUGARS In CHECK! The cure is not far away!
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Mary
Moderator posted October 30, 1998 14:11
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1ofthelucky1's,
Yeah, it's been a year that I would like to forget....for sure. And I'd be lying if I said that it hasn't had me down at times...BUT...I manage to get back up and keep fightin! Life is what you choose to make it to a certain extent, and I don't believe in dwelling on problems or self pity. There are always those much worse off. We all just have to deal with the deck of cards we were dealt and go on. Life can still be good
Speaking of challenges....you've certainly got yours! I wish you success in getting that sugar down. Yes, I'm familiar with the insulin pump. Shawna (my daughter) has a friend who is diabetic and they are considering the pump for him. There is so much research going on in this area.......that's very promising!
Ya know what? You'll get a chuckle out of this, but I didn't realize that you were a woman until this very last post from you. HEE HEE HEE!
These health concerns are another reason that I'm giving serious consideration to driving locally. You're right...it's very hard to take proper care of yourself when you're on the road. Medications have to be taken at certain times...foods need to be eaten at certain times...it's tough.
Check out the mining co. site. They have sites dealing with almost all medical illnesses. Their thyroid site that I go to has a BB that has been a wealth of information for me. I'm not sure if the diabetes site has a BB or not.
Stay in touch and let me know how you're doing with your sugar.
Mary
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Answer
Nurse Red, I have a problem with my diet. I was diagnosed as having Type II diabetes back in 1996. The one major problem with my diet is that I get this, I'll call it "screaming" hunger, seemingly all the time. I do find it very hard to find decent food out here on the road, and I don't want to stop driving. Why am I constantly hungry??
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Radioman,
You mention that your diagnosis was in 1996. Is your only treatment diet modification? When was the last time you had your Dr. check out your fasting blood sugar? I'm asking these questions for a reason.
The 'screaming hungry's" you refer to is the body saying I don't have enough food for energy. The body uses the food sugars as it's first choice for energy. When the body does not use these sugars properly (as in diabetes) the body then has to resort to other things for energy (such as fats) which don't utilize as well. In the meantime the sugar is either running around in the body unused or it is spilled out unused in the urine.
Taking medication for diabetes, whether it be pills or insulin, enables the body to use the sugars for energy again.
Your constant hunger concerns me. It tells me that your body is not utilizing your food intake adequately for energy and is signaling you that it needs more.
Please let your physician know about these symptoms. If treated now, you may be able to use the pill forms of medication and keep driving. If left unchecked, you will wind up on insulin. That will disqualify you as an over the road driver. Worse than that, the damage that is being done within your body may be irreversible and deadly. Please respond to the questions above, so I may offer further advice.
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Keeping you safe, healthy, and on the road.
Nurse Red
Visit us at www.Truck.net/abmsVisit us at
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I am on medication. this really doesn't belong on the forum. please email me at k1frc@yahoo.com. thank you.