Warning: This could be a very boring post if you don't care about my medical condition. I just wanted to write about this for my own sake and to let all of the thoughts out of my head regarding this.
So, last week, I went to the doctor - my Diabetes doctor. She said 'you're not taking as good of yourself as you could be'. I said 'no duh'. Just kidding. I said, 'I know, it's been hard'. She then proceeded to tell me that there may be this drug that I might be able to start taking once I get my blood sugar in better control and if I lose some weight.
She told me about this drug called
Symlin. There have been studies done recently that showed that while insulin is the main hormone that type 1 diabetics are missing and need to replace, there is another hormone that is missing that can help with your diabetes also. It is called
Amylin. Funny how this is the first time I have even heard about this hormone or this drug. Anyway, she said there is a newer drug on the market (FDA approved) called
Smylin which is the hormone
Amylin and it can help people maintain better blood sugar control as well as lose weight. Not only do I want to control my blood sugar better for better health but I want to lose weight also (duh).
I guess this hormone they call
Amylin helps keep your blood sugar from spiking after meals as well as decreases
glucagon secretion, decreases appetite, and delays gastric emptying. I have read enough about it now to know that most patients who use it who are overweight are able to lose weight because it makes you feel fuller sooner while eating and stay feeling fuller longer. For me this is huge because that is what I told my doctor - I always feel hungry. Even if I feel full for a short time with a meal - I always seem to be hungry an hour later! It is
ridiculous! I am hoping if I can get on this drug it will help me. I am not expecting a miracle solution but I think it will help me slowly over time and long term. I hate always feeling hungry and I feel like such a pig sometimes but now I am realizing it's not really my fault - I don't just have a complete lack of control. Everyone else who is not diabetic has this huge advantage in that their body tells them much sooner when to stop eating and also that they are full much sooner than my body does. Sorry if anyone thinks this seems like a cop out, but I have gained so much weight since being diagnosed with diabetes 4 years ago and I have never been this heavy in my whole life. It does lead me to believe there is more to it. My doctor
basically confirmed what I have been hoping all along - it is not all my fault that I am fat (or not all my fault).
I feel a little better having this knowledge, but I am also bummed that I never heard about this before and wasn't given the chance to use this sooner. I have had times where my blood sugar was in very good control (the best it ever was, was early in my pregnancy with X because I was so careful about it) but that didn't mean I was thin then.
I struggle with my weight and every day I wish it was easier for me to diet and to want to exercise. I think the diabetes and my constantly too high blood sugar make me tired and sluggish and that makes me not want to exercise and not having the correct hormones makes me feel hungry all of the time. I have always had an issue with my size - even when I was skinnier. It is funny how back when I was skinnier, I thought I was so fat. Crazy. I am not expecting a miracle but I am hoping this will make life a little easier for me. Once I am given the chance to go on the drug, I will hopefully have good results and lose some weight.
I hope this doesn't turn out to be a big disappointment but I will just have to wait and see!
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