reversing elevated fasting blood sugar

[jatopa]

Hello everyone.  I am in the evaluation process for donation to my older brother.  Everything is great, except my fasting blood sugar is just above normal.  They will retest after I lose another 20 pounds.  I have already lost 20 pounds, bringing my BMI down to 32.5, so the additional weight loss will be good for me regardless.
My question is this, has anyone else here been successful at reducing fasting blood sugar levels and proceeded to donation?
Thank you!

[Orchidlady]

Welcome!  I was in a similar situation. At the initial testing, it was not the simple blood sugar reading, but rather my A1C that was .2 over what was considered normal - technically pre-diabetic and not acceptable to donate under those circumstances. I was overweight, and they did say I could be allowed to retest when I lost the weight. It took almost nine months, but I lost the 40 pounds needed. They did tell me (and I followed instructions) to lose the weight safely - not to use pills or other fad diets. Their real goal (and ultimately mine) was to develop healthy habits, lose weight, and be able to keep it off.

Once I had lost the weight, I had to do the glucose tolerance test (you drink a really sweet drink they give you and they draw blood to test your blood sugar levels over various time intervals). It was well within normal range. Just to be sure, they did it again about two weeks later - again, well within normal range. My problem was indeed the fact that I was overweight.

Congratulations on the 20 pound loss! It is frustrating, but they do have your best interests at heart. They do not want to have you donate only to end up diabetic and needing a kidney yourself some day. I always said this was almost a blessing for both of us - if I had not been forced to lose the weight, I would still have it and would probably be on the road myself to diabetes. It really brought home the need to take control of one's health and habits.

Best of luck and keep us posted.

[jatopa]

Hello Orchid Lady,
Thank you very much!   I am hoping these values will resolve as they were only slightly abnormal.  My brother is not on dialysis, so we do have some time.  The plan is for him to get a transplant before going on dialysis. 

[Snoopy]

Hi, Jatopa.
  I hope everything works out for you and your brother. 
  Certainly, it's good to lose weight. At our first meeting last summer, the head of my transplant center immediately told me they don't like to operate on donors with BMI > 30, so I knew I'd have to lose weight (I'm now down to a BMI of 30.7). And, I just learned that the weight loss is also important after the surgery, for the rest of one's life, to relieve the load on your one remaining kidney (ditto BP, of course).
  But, if I've learned one thing from the rollercoaster of the past 13 months, it's to keep any individual lab value in perspective.  Just as I was leaving the hospital after my overnight testing period last month, the coordinator asked if I was diabetic. When I stared at her in shock, she showed me my fasting (I think) glucose value of 131 mg/dl (normal: 70-100).  I was stunned and very upset, but the do-overs came in at a nice 84 and 88, ahd the HbA1C and two hour glucose tolerance tests also were normal. So, this problem, which had me going bananas for about a week, just went away.  The same thing happened with a set of imperfect BP readings from earlier this spring.  So, although you'll need to lose weight--and keep it off--anyway, don't assume too much based on any one given test.
  Now, if I can only make the protein in my urine go away, too! This has appeared twice already, and the nephrologist in my transplant center is prepared to disqualify me.  I'm not going down without a fight, though, and am waiting for the third set of results.
  In any case, one moral of the story: anyone going through testing should prepare themselves for occasional screwy results, which may simply disappear on re-test.  If you expect this, and pace yourself for the long haul, it shouldn't freak you out too much.  Remember:  this process is more of a marathon than a sprint.
   May all our remaining tests be perfect!
         Good luck, Snoopy

[jatopa]

Hi Snoopy,
Thanks for the encouragement!   Of course a healthy weight is ideal, and somehow I've let it get out of control the past 5 years.  Now, that I am so motivated, I'm sure I can get into the below 30BMI range in another 3 months.  I've been walking 25 to 30 miles a week, and have not felt this good in years.  The abnormal lab results were disconcerting, but, again, I am encouraged that I can correct them with diet and exercise.  Thanks so much for the support!

[Snoopy]

Hi, Jatopa.
  Good luck with the walking, etc.  Most of my own exercise has been walking, and it really helps.
  I'd been going to the gym recently, to get the last few pounds off, although I've had to stop while we try to make some bad urine protein lab values go away (as I just posted in another thread, I think it's working!).
  The treadmill I use in the gym gives you calories burned/minute.  Even if it's not 100% accurate, it's had a great side benefit for me:  now, whenever I want to eat something fun, I remember how hard I'll have to work to burn it off.  Usually, my laziness beats out my hunger; I'd rather just skip the cookie than have more to run off.
   Here's a bigger problem for me, though.  Because of previous occasional "off" lab values for BP and sugar (which are thankfully fine now), I'm still very careful to limit sodium, sugar, etc.  I've already been watching fat and cholesterol strictly for years (I'm also about 95% vegetarian).  Well, what's left?  Fortunately, I love tofu, which is a low-fat, low-sodium form of protein; I take tofu sandwiches to work several days a week.  Well, when I mentioned to the nephrologist last week that I could cut back on my tofu to try to reduce my urinary protein level, she immediately asked, "Why are you eating tofu?!"  When I said, "well, what's left?", she told me that tofu contains estrogen-like substances, and she disapproves of eating all soy/tofu products (mainly for women and kids, but also for men).  It was news to me, but sure enough, it's all over the Internet.
  So, now fat, sugar, salt--and tofu--are out.  Carbs? Let's not even go there.  I mean, I like vegetables, but I can't live on eggplant and tomatoes alone.  Having to watch everything at once is getting to be a bit much.  I'm tempted to fall back on the traditional medical advice--just eat less, exercise more.
   I'd be interested to hear how other folks are managing their diets, before and after donating.
  Maybe there's a whole healthy food group I've somehow overlooked? (I know about fish, but unfortunately I can't stand it).
      Good luck, Snoopy

[jatopa]

Hey Snoopy...I am not a fan of fish either!   Most people love it but...really...I think it stinks!   I think a balanced diet is best.  I've given up Friday night martinis until I get through this!   Best of luck!

[rdr321]

 Hi I want to reply about the tofu. The Asians have been eating it for thousands of years. I personaly have been a vegetarian for 6 years. Tofu and soy (not the prosessed fake meat items) have beem a staple for me. All my labs were all above average.  My belief is that the negative on soy is just another fad in the nutrition area. I have been around long enouph to see fads in food come and go. Remeber the Atkins Diet? People have died from that diet.I bet there are more Doctors and Dieticians say there is nothing wrong with soy. They are just not writing articles. Just my thought

[Snoopy]

Dear rdr321,
  You're right about food fads.  We've all seen them come and go. Still, I do trust this doc, and she was pretty unhappy with tofu.
  Here's what I'm thinking now:  it's safest to try to keep a balance, rotating various foods, rather than, say, going on a "tofu kick" eating tofu sandwiches all week for lunch.  Since I don't eat much meat at all, I can get protein by rotating various combinations of rice, lentils (one day green, one day red), beans (black, red, etc.), and so forth--with an occasional omelet or tofu sandwich thrown in.
   Overall, getting a wide range of vegetables, grains, etc. seems the most reasonable way to cover all the bases, and spread any risk around.  It also helps avoid getting sick of one kind of food too quickly.
    Be well, Snoopy