I finally decided to see a doctor about the post-sting swelling in my arm. I’m not a big fan of running to the doctor for every little thing, but when the red area spread past my elbow and my arm began to throb, I was convinced. So I left work early and went to a Vanderbilt-run clinic.
Conversations with the nurse before seeing a doctor are always fun:
“What medications do you take?”
“None.”
“Did you say none?”
“Yes, none.”
“Who’s your primary doctor?”
“I don’t have one.”
“Mr. Naughton, are you some kind of weirdo?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Okay, she didn’t ask that last question, but I saw the look.
The doctor said the bright red patch is probably an allergic reaction to a sting, while the swollen (and expanding) red-pink area is definitely an infection. Apparently when nasty little insects sting us, they sometimes push bacteria into the wound.
“I don’t like taking antibiotics. What’s the danger of waiting this out?”
“The infection could move into your lymphatic system, and then the treatment will be a lot worse than taking pills. You don’t want to risk that.”
So it was off to a Walgreens for the antibiotic and a steroid cream. I had to wait awhile for the prescription to be filled, so I grabbed a copy of their free magazine for diabetics to read.
Ugh. No wonder people are confused. Most of the articles were written by the same two authors (a nurse and a nutritionist), and I’m not a fan of either one. Here’s a gem from an Ask The Expert column:
Why is diabetes so common today?
It’s true that diabetes is more common than it used to be. People are getting type 2 diabetes at younger ages, even children. No one really knows why, but part of the problem is that as a country we are heavier and less physically active than ever before.
Seriously? Diabetes is characterized by an inability to process carbohydrates … don’t you think perhaps the dramatic change in the number and quality of the carbohydrates we consume today has something to do with the sudden rise in diabetes? And how do you explain people like my father-in-law, a very physically active guy who became a type 2 diabetic without ever gaining weight or becoming fat?
Is it common to have mood swings?
Many people with diabetes say that as their blood glucose levels go up and down, so do their mood swings.
In that case, I’m thinking perhaps a diet that doesn’t cause glucose levels to go up and down would be a good idea.
To their credit, one of the articles suggests limiting between-meal snacks to foods that contain no more than 15 carbohydrates per serving. So they recognize (sort of) that diabetics shouldn’t be loading up on carbs.
Then the guaranteed-to-confuse advice shows up elsewhere. One article mentions that carbohydrate meals can raise your mood. Another promotes (of course) low-fat diets.
The recipe section includes meals with up to 38 carbohydrates per serving. Now, perhaps that’s not a major carb-overload for some diabetics out there, but the meal only provides 315 calories. I sincerely doubt many adults are satisfied with a 315-calorie dinner. It’s more likely that someone will follow the recipe, eat 600 calories’ worth, and end up consuming more like 70 carbohydrates in one sitting.
Naturally, a good number of the pages are full-sized ads for diabetes medications.
Here, folks, follow this nutrition advice. And when that doesn’t work, take these drugs.
If you enjoy my posts, please consider a small donation to the Fat Head Kids GoFundMe campaign.
I had a similar experience at my last doctor visit. I am a healthy 40 year old and rarely go to the doctor. I do not have a primary care physician I see with any degree of regularity. My prior visit was 3 years before this.
The reason I did go to the doctor was because I had watched “Fat Head” and embarked on a LCHF diet 6 months ago. In the first 3 months, I went from 211 lbs down to 178lbs where I remain today. The only reason I wanted to go to the doctor was to see what my cholesterol was. Everything improved *dramatically*.
When I was checking in with the nurse, she asked “What drugs are you on?”. Not “Are you on any drugs?”. She assumed it was a given a healthy 40 year old should be on drugs. When I said I was taking nothing, she was completely shocked. “Not even a multi-vitamin?!”.
Why is it the prima facie expectation among health care professionals that we should all be on drugs?
Despite having good cholesterol numbers (in the conventional medical sense), my doctor thought I should still go on a statin as a preventative measure because both my parents are on statins. Yeah, right.
Most of the people I know who are my age are on at least one drug.
The whole ‘business’ of diabetes, from the ‘no one really knows why we get it’, to the corporate vendor support and lobbyists, to big-pharma, to doctors pedaling bad science, to bad media making it worse, is one GIANT machine…
It’s sad to think that so much money surrounds this machine of mis-information. The only way it will change is from the ground up, with curious minds like us seeking out bloggers like you, and then taking that to our doctors and medical providers…and that cycle re-occurring over and over all over the country. The top-down approach has too much money at stake to willingly change.
Keep up the good work!
Fortunately, we live in an age where we can seek alternate advice from countless sources.
Don’t forget that coconut oil also provides some antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal defense. Not saying you shouldn’t take antibiotics. You should. But CO can amplify and support the effect of the antibiotic. Whenever I have an infection, I up my (already high) intake of all things that have coconut oil in them. I’ve also been known to apply it topically to the skin. Just a little tasty insurance.
(When consumed, that is, not applied to the skin, LOL.)
Yes, I had a similar reaction a couple of years ago when I went to my current doctor for the first time. I was 64 at the time. You should have seen the look I got when I said I wasn’t on any medication.
Don’t forget that coconut oil also provides some antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal defense. Not saying you shouldn’t take antibiotics. You should. But CO can amplify and support the effect of the antibiotic. Whenever I have an infection, I up my (already high) intake of all things that have coconut oil in them. I’ve also been known to apply it topically to the skin. Just a little tasty insurance.
(When consumed, that is, not applied to the skin, LOL.)
Yes, I had a similar reaction a couple of years ago when I went to my current doctor for the first time. I was 64 at the time. You should have seen the look I got when I said I wasn’t on any medication.
And the silence in the LC/paleosphere on Jack Kruse remains as deafening as always… (Never mind that Jimmy promised to make a public statement – since when do we look to The Jimmer for honesty and transparency? He’s got expensive and unnecessary blood ketone measuring schemes to pitch. Now THAT’S paleo, baybeee!)
You were warned about attempting to use this blog to attack Jimmy. Goodbye.
And the silence in the LC/paleosphere on Jack Kruse remains as deafening as always… (Never mind that Jimmy promised to make a public statement – since when do we look to The Jimmer for honesty and transparency? He’s got expensive and unnecessary blood ketone measuring schemes to pitch. Now THAT’S paleo, baybeee!)
You were warned about attempting to use this blog to attack Jimmy. Goodbye.
I stay away from doctors as much as I can to avoid having to defend myself from statins, etc, etc. The medical profession seems unable to understand “diet controlled type two diabetes” i. e. low carb, no drugs. Are they afraid their customers will get away?
I think they just don’t know any better.
I stay away from doctors as much as I can to avoid having to defend myself from statins, etc, etc. The medical profession seems unable to understand “diet controlled type two diabetes” i. e. low carb, no drugs. Are they afraid their customers will get away?
I think they just don’t know any better.
I forgot to mention in my prior post that right before the doctor started his spiel about cholesterol, mammograms,etc., he had asked me if I took any medications. I tol him ” no, and I think it was that fact that “alerted” him. Apparently, you are not supposed to be medication -free after a certain age. Sometimes I think it mightbe easier to just lie, but I have a moral problem with that.
That must be the assumption. Doctors and nurses seem surprised when I tell them I don’t take any prescription drugs.
I forgot to mention in my prior post that right before the doctor started his spiel about cholesterol, mammograms,etc., he had asked me if I took any medications. I tol him ” no, and I think it was that fact that “alerted” him. Apparently, you are not supposed to be medication -free after a certain age. Sometimes I think it mightbe easier to just lie, but I have a moral problem with that.
That must be the assumption. Doctors and nurses seem surprised when I tell them I don’t take any prescription drugs.
Next time you get stung have some iodine (either lugol’s or iodine tincture ) close at hand. It’s very useful for disinfecting stings and since it’s transdermal it’ll also protect a larger area. Not to sure it would handle that one you got, though.
We already had a bottle of iodine in the house when I got stung. I just wasn’t smart enough to treat the sting immediately. It was more like, “Ouch! Okay, that hurt … now back to my frisbee golf.”
Next time you get stung have some iodine (either lugol’s or iodine tincture ) close at hand. It’s very useful for disinfecting stings and since it’s transdermal it’ll also protect a larger area. Not to sure it would handle that one you got, though.
We already had a bottle of iodine in the house when I got stung. I just wasn’t smart enough to treat the sting immediately. It was more like, “Ouch! Okay, that hurt … now back to my frisbee golf.”
While I think I consume way too many carbs and fats are good for me, I was reading in other places that it is more about getting rid of the bad fats that have we have been brain washed into using (margarine, canola oil, veg. oil, corn oil-all of which are crap and likely gmo) and getting enough good fats (lard, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc). The cell membranes that control what goes into and out of the cell (ie made up of cholesterols and fats and contributes to regulating insulin) have been totally screwed up from crappy, hydrogenated fats and they no longer function correctly and therefore insulin and other things the cell uses does not get proper regulation. The good news is if you get rid of the bad fats and up your intake of the good ones, as your cells die and replenish they will have good cell membranes that are capable of regulating insulin and over time your body can actually heal itself of type 2 diabetes.
While I think I consume way too many carbs and fats are good for me, I was reading in other places that it is more about getting rid of the bad fats that have we have been brain washed into using (margarine, canola oil, veg. oil, corn oil-all of which are crap and likely gmo) and getting enough good fats (lard, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, flaxseed oil, etc). The cell membranes that control what goes into and out of the cell (ie made up of cholesterols and fats and contributes to regulating insulin) have been totally screwed up from crappy, hydrogenated fats and they no longer function correctly and therefore insulin and other things the cell uses does not get proper regulation. The good news is if you get rid of the bad fats and up your intake of the good ones, as your cells die and replenish they will have good cell membranes that are capable of regulating insulin and over time your body can actually heal itself of type 2 diabetes.
Let me sum up a “Living with Diabetes” course sanctioned and paid for by my insurance company. “You need carbohydrates in every meal, and for in-between meal snacks. It doesn’t matter what kind or from what source you get the carbohydrates, but limit each meal to 45-60g of carbs and snacks to 15-30g each. It’s very important to eat low fat meals and make sure to faithfully take your medications.” No joke, this is almost verbatim. I was depressed after my diagnosis at the professionals telling me, “This will kill you, but you need to make sure each meal has it in every meal.” Then I stumbled on Fathead on Netflix. Changed my life. I like my doctor as his focus is on sports medicine, but his internal medicine skills are typical. He was rather disturbed when I told him I stopped taking the statin after about a week. He seemed more bothered that my cholesterol still leveled out thanks to my diet of butter, bacon and eggs, and lots of coconut oil. I’ve been thinking of becoming a registered dietician, and then going rogue once licensed in my state. Somebody has to do something about our herd of sheep called Americans.
We could use you in that profession.
Let me sum up a “Living with Diabetes” course sanctioned and paid for by my insurance company. “You need carbohydrates in every meal, and for in-between meal snacks. It doesn’t matter what kind or from what source you get the carbohydrates, but limit each meal to 45-60g of carbs and snacks to 15-30g each. It’s very important to eat low fat meals and make sure to faithfully take your medications.” No joke, this is almost verbatim. I was depressed after my diagnosis at the professionals telling me, “This will kill you, but you need to make sure each meal has it in every meal.” Then I stumbled on Fathead on Netflix. Changed my life. I like my doctor as his focus is on sports medicine, but his internal medicine skills are typical. He was rather disturbed when I told him I stopped taking the statin after about a week. He seemed more bothered that my cholesterol still leveled out thanks to my diet of butter, bacon and eggs, and lots of coconut oil. I’ve been thinking of becoming a registered dietician, and then going rogue once licensed in my state. Somebody has to do something about our herd of sheep called Americans.
We could use you in that profession.
“You were warned about attempting to use this blog to attack Jimmy. Goodbye.”
Way to go, Tom! What’s with this whole movement attacking Jimmy, anyway? i do not understand.
There are some pinheads out there who believe Jimmy is getting rich by promoting a low-carb diet. First off, he isn’t. Secondly, it wouldn’t matter if he were getting rich. That would be a just reward for all the work he’s done.
There are other pinheads who are paleo purists and now feel compelled to attack anyone who doesn’t share their puritanism. I’m sorry to say a few screwballs in the paleo movement have adopted the attitudes of vegan fanatics: if you’re not totally with us, you’re the enemy.
“You were warned about attempting to use this blog to attack Jimmy. Goodbye.”
Way to go, Tom! What’s with this whole movement attacking Jimmy, anyway? i do not understand.
There are some pinheads out there who believe Jimmy is getting rich by promoting a low-carb diet. First off, he isn’t. Secondly, it wouldn’t matter if he were getting rich. That would be a just reward for all the work he’s done.
There are other pinheads who are paleo purists and now feel compelled to attack anyone who doesn’t share their puritanism. I’m sorry to say a few screwballs in the paleo movement have adopted the attitudes of vegan fanatics: if you’re not totally with us, you’re the enemy.
I totally agree with all the above, however, I just want you all to realize that Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and much different then Type 2. I have had Type 1 for 30 years (I am 42 years old). I’m pretty sure that my Type 1 had nothing to do with eating too much sugar – but I digress…
My husband (after being recently dx with type 2 diabetes) was given Metaformin immediately after his A1C came back high. I told him don’t take it. And from there, we have been following a low carb, high protein diet (paleo, primal etc) and have both seen vast improvement in our health. As a matter of fact, my blood sugars have never been better (and my insulin levels are lower), and my husband’s blood sugars have been normal…..
Our society has been given misinformation (crap) for so long…. Why? to make pharmaceutical companies lots of money….
Personally, I have Type 1 diabetes, Celiac and Lupus SLE (see a pattern here??) and am determined to lower all my meds and improve my health greatly by following this wonderful lifestyle!
Sure, if you’ve got type 1, you’re going to need insulin. Your husband is lucky you steered him towards a better diet instead of immediately going the drug route.
I totally agree with all the above, however, I just want you all to realize that Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and much different then Type 2. I have had Type 1 for 30 years (I am 42 years old). I’m pretty sure that my Type 1 had nothing to do with eating too much sugar – but I digress…
My husband (after being recently dx with type 2 diabetes) was given Metaformin immediately after his A1C came back high. I told him don’t take it. And from there, we have been following a low carb, high protein diet (paleo, primal etc) and have both seen vast improvement in our health. As a matter of fact, my blood sugars have never been better (and my insulin levels are lower), and my husband’s blood sugars have been normal…..
Our society has been given misinformation (crap) for so long…. Why? to make pharmaceutical companies lots of money….
Personally, I have Type 1 diabetes, Celiac and Lupus SLE (see a pattern here??) and am determined to lower all my meds and improve my health greatly by following this wonderful lifestyle!
Sure, if you’ve got type 1, you’re going to need insulin. Your husband is lucky you steered him towards a better diet instead of immediately going the drug route.
You’re really right. Generally, the advice on diabetes assumes that the reader is starting from a place of managing their condition really badly.
You’re really right. Generally, the advice on diabetes assumes that the reader is starting from a place of managing their condition really badly.