I need to get tested for diabetes. My dad has had it since he was born, and I've always dreaded getting it, and lately I've been showing alot of symptoms. I have felt sick for the past few months, and it's just gotten worse. That's why it's taken me awhile to get back to pm's and emails, and why I've been on the boards so sporadically, I just never know how I'm going to feel from one day to another, and I feel like I have the flu pretty much everyday. I hope it's not anything too serious, and I know it might not be, but one thing I know for sure is that it's not normal for a guy to feel this way all the time. Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know so you'd know what's really been up with me, and why my posting has been so sporadic and stuff. Definitely not looking for sympathy since nothing's wrong yet, lol just wanted to give an explaination for my laziness. I see my doctor next week, and we'll see how it goes. If you guys wouldn't mind putting me in your thoughts, or maybe saying a prayer for me, it would be much appreciated. Thanks!!! :)

Good luck Brad. I'll keep you in my prayers. :)

Thanks Jonathan, that means the world to me. You're a good friend!!! :)

Thanks Jonathan, that means the world to me. You're a good friend!!! :)

Thank you. :) You're a great guy yourself.

I wish you all the best Brad. I hope the doctor finds the cause for your illness and has you feeling better real quick. I'll be praying for you.

Brad.....you do know I'm diabetic, right? You can talk to me! And if you feel like you have the flu all the time......that is one of the symptoms--extreme fatigue. Are you thirsty all the time? Have extreme hunger spells? Gaining or losing weight for no apparent reason?
Do you think you are type 1--that is like your dad? You will need insulin for sure.

If you are Type 2, like me, insulin is not an automatic given. So far, I have not had to go on it. Diet, exercise, and two meds (metformin and Amaryl) have helped me keep it in check.

It will be great having so one else to go through the questions and struggles who knows. I try to get some discussion here, but only Charles, the last go round, answered me.

Good luck Brad! I will definitely be thinking of you and the blood test. I hope you're not diabetic, but if you are, at least you'll know what's up and will be able to get better!

My dad is diabetic as well, and I definitely need to get a blood test asap as well, since I've been avoiding it for a while. I just hate getting them done!
Let us know how it goes. :)

Inspector (sorry, don't recall your real name)--It is actually a relief to know one way or another--get it done :)

I just had my annual bloodwork and urinalysis done--will get results soon. The cost was steep--$313!!

Brad.....you do know I'm diabetic, right? You can talk to me! And if you feel like you have the flu all the time......that is one of the symptoms--extreme fatigue. Are you thirsty all the time? Have extreme hunger spells? Gaining or losing weight for no apparent reason?
Do you think you are type 1--that is like your dad? You will need insulin for sure.

If you are Type 2, like me, insulin is not an automatic given. So far, I have not had to go on it. Diet, exercise, and two meds (metformin and Amaryl) have helped me keep it in check.

It will be great having so one else to go through the questions and struggles who knows. I try to get some discussion here, but only Charles, the last go round, answered me.

Yeah, I knew you were diabetic, we've discussed it a few times on chat. I will definitely come to you if I need any advice or have any questions, and if God forbid I do have it, I'll probably be coming to you alot for advice if you don't mind.

I do have most of the symptoms that you mentioned. I'm always thirsty, I have gained a little weight, although the psyche meds I'm on contribute to that. I'm also always fatigued, and have trouble even getting out of bed most times these days. My body is just so sluggish all the time. I even take adderol which is legalized speed, and not even that gives me an energy boost most times. Even though I'm always exhausted though, I have extreme sleeping problems, (Not sure whether or not that's a symptom). As far as hunger goes, that's one symptom I rarely have, as I barely ever eat anything because I'm constantely nauseus.

I'm not sure whether or not it would be type 1, or 2, I haven't looked that up, but hopefully it would be the kind you have, as the thought of taking shots everyday absolutely frightens me!!!

Anyways, thanks everyone for the kind words, advice, and prayers!!! It is very much appreciated. Hopefully everything will be okay, and it won't be something this serious. I'll just have to wait and see.

You are in my prayers Brad. Let us know how things turn out.

You are in my prayers Brad. Let us know how things turn out.

Thank you so much, and I definitely will!! :)

I'm here for you, Brad! You know that! :)

I definitely know that, and appreciate it very much. Thanks Jude, you're truly a great friend!!! :D

Brad, I will also pray for you, that everything goes OK and to release whatever anxiety you must be going through right now.

I hope everything turns out for the better.

Brad, I will also pray for you, that everything goes OK and to release whatever anxiety you must be going through right now.

Thank you steevo!! I can always count on you for thoughts and prayers, and it means alot to me. :)

Good Luck Brad you will also be in my prayers.

Inspector (sorry, don't recall your real name)--It is actually a relief to know one way or another--get it done :)

I just had my annual bloodwork and urinalysis done--will get results soon. The cost was steep--$313!!

Yes, that's true about it being a relief, one way or another. At least you'll know. Wow, that is a lot of money!
And call me Megan. ;)

Thanks Marvo, Megan, JamesG, and Scoobiedoo30 for your kind words, and/or prayers and thoughts. It gives me great comfort to know I've got people who have my back. You all are awesome!! ;)

Good luck with everything, Brad. I hope it all turns out okay. :)

Scary. I will definetly keep my fingers crossed for you. :)

Thanks Ashlee, and Cathy!! :hug:

good luck brad! :D keep us updated.

good luck brad! :D keep us updated.

Thanks Sarah, I definitely will my friend!! :)

please let us know how you make out.

Brad, I will also pray for you, that everything goes OK and to release whatever anxiety you must be going through right now.
I second that!! My prayers are with you, Brad!!

Good luck with the tests, Brad, and I hope and pray that everything turns out okay. :)

Good luck! If you don't have it, you're good to go; and even if by some remote chance you do, don't despair, I know plenty of people who lead very active and full lives with that particular problem! :)

Good luck Brad. I'll keep you in my thoughts and prayers. :)

Brad your Friends are with you

^ Aaron, you're such a good guy and friend!


Brad baby, you know my thoughts and prayers are with you. Hopefully it won't turn out to be diabetes. I've wondered about it for myself lately - the symptoms of it overlap with so many other issues and diseases it can really freak you out I know.

Let's hope this fatigue and thirst is due to something else -- maybe even the depression or lack of eating (I know when I stopped eating there I had absolutely no energy but if I got a period where I wasn't nauseated and good eat something half decent I felt so much better).

Let us know how it goes.

I pray you turn out OK. Lord knows you don't need anything else to worry about ;)

I meant that in a nice way, of course.

Brad, as you know, my husband is a diabetic. I know more than your average bear about his awful disease. Please don't hesitate to e-mail or call me. You can even talk with Lou. He'll be happy to help you in any way he can. You mean a lot to us.

Good luck. I hope it turns out ok.

Brad I hope everything works out. Saying a prayer for you.

Thanks everyone for your care, and concern. I'm feeling pretty sick, but I see my doctor on Thursday. If I get too sick, I'm just going to go to the emergency room. It can get bad, especially at night, so if it's too bad, it's definitely going to be the emergency room for me. I just want to feel normal again. But anyway, I just wanted to thank you all for your kind words and prayers. It definitely means alot to me.

We will keep praying for you

Good luck, Brad! I'm praying everything turns out all right for you :)

Hope you'll get better.

Thanks everyone for your care, and concern. I'm feeling pretty sick, but I see my doctor on Thursday. If I get too sick, I'm just going to go to the emergency room. It can get bad, especially at night, so if it's too bad, it's definitely going to be the emergency room for me. I just want to feel normal again. But anyway, I just wanted to thank you all for your kind words and prayers. It definitely means alot to me.
:bighug: Get well soon, Brad!! Godspeed!!

Thanks everyone!! :hug: The appointment was suppose to be today, but it got re-scheduled for tomorrow. I'm not sure if the test results are instantaneous, or if it takes time to get the results, but I will let you all know as soon as the results are revealed. Thanks again!!

Thanks everyone!! :hug: The appointment was suppose to be today, but it got re-scheduled for tomorrow. I'm not sure if the test results are instantaneous, or if it takes time to get the results, but I will let you all know as soon as the results are revealed. Thanks again!!

Good luck, Brad. :)

I don't have diabetes!!! :D They took my blood sugar, and it was below 112, so I'm good for now. She did however tell me that if I didn't make some lifestyle changes, that I would get diabetes eventually. Not might, but would. They did about two hours of testing on me, and I won't know the results of those tests right away, but they think they know why I've been so sick. One reason is sleep deprivation. I only sleep on average 3 to 4 hours a day, and have been known to go over 70 hours with no sleep. They said that would make anybody sick. They put me on a muscle relaxer though which will hopefully help me sleep at night. They also said my eating habits need to change, and I need to cut down on the liquid sugars, particularly coca cola. I guess not eating for two days is pretty unhealthy, and can make you sick. :lol: I just hate eating, but she told me I must start eating atleast three meals a day. Lastly, they needed to change up my medications a little bit. But the main thing is the sleeping, and eating. Imagine going 70 hours with no sleep, and two days with no food, it's no wonder I've been so sick. Seems so obvious now.

But anyway, I just want to thank everyone again for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers!!! It has meant so much to me, and because of it, I wasn't even scared going into the doctor today. You guys really pulled through in a big way like you always do, and I really appreciate that!!! Thanks again to everyone!!! :heart:

:bighug:

Glad to hear you don't have diabetes right now and with some changes you will avoid it in the future. Good luck making those life-style changes. I know it's rough, but you can do it!

I don't have diabetes!!! :D They took my blood sugar, and it was below 112, so I'm good for now. She did however tell me that if I didn't make some lifestyle changes, that I would get diabetes eventually. Not might, but would. They did about two hours of testing on me, and I won't know the results of those tests right away, but they think they know why I've been so sick. One reason is sleep deprivation. I only sleep on average 3 to 4 hours a day, and have been known to go over 70 hours with no sleep. They said that would make anybody sick. They put me on a muscle relaxer though which will hopefully help me sleep at night. They also said my eating habits need to change, and I need to cut down on the liquid sugars, particularly coca cola. I guess not eating for two days is pretty unhealthy, and can make you sick. :lol: I just hate eating, but she told me I must start eating atleast three meals a day. Lastly, they needed to change up my medications a little bit. But the main thing is the sleeping, and eating. Imagine going 70 hours with no sleep, and two days with no food, it's no wonder I've been so sick. Seems so obvious now.

But anyway, I just want to thank everyone again for your kind words, thoughts, and prayers!!! It has meant so much to me, and because of it, I wasn't even scared going into the doctor today. You guys really pulled through in a big way like you always do, and I really appreciate that!!! Thanks again to everyone!!! :heart:

:bighug:
That's great news Brad. :woohoo: party:

I glad they were able to figure out what was making you sick. I wish you all the best with your diet changes and muscle relaxants for sleeping. I hope your feeling better real soon.

Brad, I'm SO happy to hear you don't have diabetes! That's great news indeed. Thanks for letting us know!!

Glad to hear that you're well Brad.

That's great news! :D Glad to hear everything's okay and good luck with everything. :)

Thank you FactsFan, Sonny, Marvo, Megan, JamesG, and Ashlee! Your kind words mean the world to me, they really do. You guys are awesome!!! :cool:

Brad, I'm so thrilled for you. This is great news. Did they suggest a sleep clinic to find out if you have a deeper issue going on with your lack of sleep? You need to start eating. Maybe some liquid power shakes might help. Great news, congratulations!

Brad, I'm so thrilled for you. This is great news. Did they suggest a sleep clinic to find out if you have a deeper issue going on with your lack of sleep? You need to start eating. Maybe some liquid power shakes might help. Great news, congratulations!

Thanks Janice!!! :) And this is no lie, I was actually thinking of you while I was at the doctor. I believe thinking of all my friends here helped me to stay calm. :D They didn't mention anything about a sleep clinic, but that's a great idea. If these muscle relaxer's don't work, I will definitely look into that, and hopefully we'll be able to get to the bottom of this. And I promise you, I will start to eat. Whenever I get tempted not to, I'll just think of you kicking my butt all across Oregon, and that'll get me eating. :lol: Thanks again Janice, and much love to you my friend!!! :heart: ;)

That's great news, Brad. Have you considered seeing a dietician? Maybe they can help you figure out a diet that would be best for you.

That's great news, Brad. Have you considered seeing a dietician? Maybe they can help you figure out a diet that would be best for you.

Another great idea, thanks Monika. Man, I swear, if it weren't for this place, I'd be in bad shape, because you all have such great ideas!! :cool: I'll definitely look into the dietician thing, cause I could definitely use some help in that area. Thanks again!! :)

Another great idea, thanks Monika. Man, I swear, if it weren't for this place, I'd be in bad shape, because you all have such great ideas!! :cool: I'll definitely look into the dietician thing, cause I could definitely use some help in that area. Thanks again!! :)
No problem! While I was battling anorexia back in 2000, I saw a dietician and she helped me out quite a bit. In the nearly ten years since, I've still had issues with food off and on, but I think it's definitely worth checking out. Keep us posted!!

I'm really glad the news was good. Feel better and keep us informed!

I'm gald to hear that you recieved a clean bill of health, Brad. :)

I'm very glad to hear that, Brad. I've been praying for you. :)

Thank you JAlanRuss72, Mike, and Jonathan!! :) I am definitely blessed, not only to have gotten good results from the test, but also for having great people like you all to lend your support, and prayers. I'm thankful for everyone of you who spent even a moment of their time keeping me in their thoughts, or prayers. You all truly are the best thing's going online today!!! ;)

Great news Brad! Diabetes is rough, I'm borderline myself, but if I can get my diet under control, I can keep myself from becoming a full blown diabetic.

Just focus on taking care of yourself, getting plenty of sleep and eating regularly and it will make all of the difference in the world. :bighug:

Great news Brad! Diabetes is rough, I'm borderline myself, but if I can get my diet under control, I can keep myself from becoming a full blown diabetic.

Just focus on taking care of yourself, getting plenty of sleep and eating regularly and it will make all of the difference in the world. :bighug:

Thanks so much Lauren, I really appreciate your words. You're always there for me with your kind words and big heart, and it truly means alot to me!!! :D I didn't know you were borderline yourself. Looks like we both need to start taking better care of ourselves, and just know that I'm here for you, and will be praying that your health gets better.

I'm already noticing that I'm doing alot better. Since getting my new sleeping meds, I've slept two nights in a row, and for the past two days, I've eaten atleast three meals, well actually only two so far today, but I plan on eating dinner tonight, and my body is just reacting very well to the changes. It's amazing how much changing your lifestyle a bit can make such a big difference, and I promise, I'll continue on the right path. Thanks again for your kind words!! :)

:bighug:

Brad, I am soooo happy that you do not have diabetes. I am also glad that my prayers were answered.:)

Brad, I am soooo happy that you do not have diabetes. I am also glad that my prayers were answered.:)

I love you so much Tara, and am so grateful for your prayers, and friendship. You are the definition of a true friend, and you mean more to me than you'll ever know. I'm glad that your test results came out good as well, and am happy that my prayers were answered too. :) God certainly has been good to us both!!! :heart:

:bighug:

That's the best news yet Brad! I'm soooo happy. I thought it was a long shot.

Actually, I read an interesting article on Yahoo this morning and sleep disorders and mental health and the relationship. I totally can see this being part of our problems. I just know it is. Somehow you've GOT to find a way of getting more and better sleep. I'm sure you'll find it would help you on many levels. If you want to email me about it after you can. Maybe I can find some suggestions for you since I've been getting into insomnia and nightmares myself so much.

Dreams may not be the secret window into the frustrated desires of the unconscious that Sigmund Freud first posited in 1899, but growing evidence suggests that dreams - and, more so, sleep - are powerfully connected to the processing of human emotions.


According to new research presented last week at the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies in Seattle, adequate sleep may underpin our ability to understand complex emotions properly in waking life. "Sleep essentially is resetting the magnetic north of your emotional compass," says Matthew Walker, director of the Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab at the University of California, Berkeley. (See the top 10 scientific discoveries of 2008.)


A recent study by Walker and his colleagues examined how rest - specifically, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep - influences our ability to read emotions in other people's faces. In the small analysis of 36 adults, volunteers were asked to interpret the facial expressions of people in photographs, following either a 60- or 90-minute nap during the day or with no nap. Participants who had reached REM sleep (when dreaming most frequently occurs) during their nap were better able to identify expressions of positive emotions like happiness in other people, compared with participants who did not achieve REM sleep or did not nap at all. Those volunteers were more sensitive to negative expressions, including anger and fear.


Past research by Walker and colleagues at Harvard Medical School, which was published in the journal Current Biology, found that in people who were sleep deprived, activity in the prefrontal lobe - a region of the brain involved in controlling emotion - was significantly diminished. He suggests that a similar response may be occurring in the nap-deprived volunteers, albeit to a lesser extent, and that it may have its roots in evolution. "If you're walking through the jungle and you're tired, it might benefit you more to be hypersensitive to negative things," he says. The idea is that with little mental energy to spare, you're emotionally more attuned to things that are likely to be the most threatening in the immediate moment. Inversely, when you're well rested, you may be more sensitive to positive emotions, which could benefit long-term survival, he suggests: "If it's getting food, if it's getting some kind of reward, finding a wife - those things are pretty good to pick up on."


Our daily existence is largely influenced by our ability "to understand our societal interactions, to understand someone else's emotional state of mind, to understand the expression on their face," says Ninad Gujar, a senior research scientist at Walker's lab and lead author of the study, which was recently submitted for publication. "These are the most fundamental processes guiding our personal and professional lives."


REM sleep appears to not only improve our ability to identify positive emotions in others; it may also round out the sharp angles of our own emotional experiences. Walker suggests that one function of REM sleep - dreaming, in particular - is to allow the brain to sift through that day's events, process any negative emotion attached to them, then strip it away from the memories. He likens the process to applying a "nocturnal soothing balm." REM sleep, he says, "tries to ameliorate the sharp emotional chips and dents that life gives you along the way." (See the top 10 medical breakthroughs of 2008.)


"It's not that you've forgotten. You haven't," he says. "It's a memory of an emotional episode, but it's no longer emotional itself."


That palliative safety-valve quality of sleep may be hampered when we fail to reach REM sleep or when REM sleep is disrupted, Walker says. "If you don't let go of the emotion, what results is a constant state of anxiety," he says.


The theory is consistent with new research conducted by Rebecca Bernert, a doctoral candidate in clinical psychology at Florida State University who specializes in the relationship between sleep and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and who also presented her work at the sleep conference this week.


In her study of 82 men and women between the ages of 18 and 66 who were admitted into a mental-health hospital for emergency psychiatric evaluation, Bernert discovered that the presence of severe and frequent nightmares or insomnia was a strong predictor of suicidal thoughts and behaviors. More than half of the study participants had attempted suicide at least once in the past, and the 17% of the study group who had made an attempt within the previous month had dramatically higher scores in nightmare frequency and intensity than the rest. Bernert found that the relationship between nightmares or insomnia and suicide persisted, even when researchers controlled for other factors like depression.


Past studies have also established a link between chronic sleep disruption and suicide. Sleep complaints, which include nightmares, insomnia and other sleep disturbances, are listed in the current Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's inventory of suicide-prevention warning signs. Yet what distinguishes Bernert's research is that when nightmares and insomnia were evaluated separately, nightmares were independently predictive of suicidal behavior. "It may be that nightmares present a unique risk for suicidal symptoms, which may have to do with the way we process emotion within dreams," Bernert says.


If that's the case, it may help explain the recurring nightmares that characterize psychiatric conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Walker says. "The brain has not stripped away the emotional rind from that experience memory," he says, so "the next night, the brain offers this up, and it fails again, and it starts to sound like a broken record ... What you hear [PTSD] patients describing is, 'I can't get over the event.' "


At the biological level, Walker explains, the "emotional rind" translates to sympathetic nervous-system activity during sleep: faster heart rate and the release of stress chemicals. Understanding why nightmares recur and how REM sleep facilitates emotional processing - or hinders it, when nightmares take place and perpetuate the physical stress symptoms - may eventually provide clues to effective treatments of painful mental disorders. Perhaps, even, by simply addressing sleeping habits, doctors could potentially interrupt the emotional cycle that can lead to suicide. "There is an opportunity for prevention," Bernert says.


The new findings highlight what researchers are increasingly recognizing as a two-way relationship between psychiatric disorders and disrupted sleep. "Modern medicine and psychiatry have consistently thought that psychological disorders seem to have co-occuring sleep problems and that it's the disorder perpetuating the sleep problems," says Walker. "Is it possible that, in fact, it's the sleep disruption contributing to the psychiatric disorder?"

I have been praying every night my friend

I'm glad to hear the good news. Just take care of yourself, OK. :)