After several days of emotional rollercoaster [anger, sadness, etcetera] I decided that diabetes is just a circumstance, kind of like an unexpected hill to climb. Reading menus is just a different kind of game.

I am testing before each meal and my numbers seem to be trending lower [between low 200's and low 100's]. The vegan thing turns out to be pretty easy most days and most places.

Looser clothes would seem to indicate weight loss. Exercise is still a challenge; if money gets better I will resume walking and playing golf courses a few times a week.

New project: vegan survival in the wild.

Thanks for the support, folks!

You are very lucky that your diabetes has been diagnosed and you can do something about your condition! It is not the end of the world and with proper management you can live a long and productive life.

One suggestion that may be of some help to you. Many hospitals offer one or two day diabetes workshops that give you a lot of information about your disease and how you can best cope with it. These workshops are often free or offered at low cost. They usually spend a lot of time on food selection and preparation and how to avoid potential pitfalls. I strongly suggest attending one of those workshops rather than reading a book and taking off on your own. There are also tons of online recipes and meal preparation tips that can be helpful.

Also keep the doctor who is managing your diabetes fully informed about your condition and what you are doing to manage it. You will do great!

Been online quite a bit. Still looking.

Local hospital disappointoing - "we don't have a dietician with a diabetes focus."

Cinnamon has been a surprisingly widely touted addition to a diabetes fighting diet.

I'm NOT sure of my local Hospital, but when I was diagnosed, I looked at my medical plan, plus looked around for an endocrinologist who specialized in Diabetes (not all do) and who had a certified diabetes educator on staff. It was a good move

BTW - The term "diabetic" is VERY VERY Non-PC in certain crowds - it's "Person with diabetes" - 'I am not the disease I have'

I call myself a diabetec

Also: Diabetes is a condition. It is not a disease!

There are a number of OTC supplements that are claimed to "cure" or "reverse" or otherwise have some beneficial effects. Any particular one may or may not help. This is where frequent testing comes in. If you take one of the supplements, and can't see any effects on your readings, you may want to question if it really is doing anything, especially as some of the supplements can get pricey.

I tried some the first year or so I was diagnosed and found, at best, a less than 10 point reduction in my sugars. Helpful, but a long way from a cure. Eventually, they stopped having any effect.

None are a substitute for all of the things you already know you have to do.

Started reading this book.

Seems like it will be good for sure.

Was cinnamon among the things you tried?

I tried cinnamon, but did not find it had any detectable effect on my numbers or how I felt. I tried several other OTC things, the names I don't recall, with similar lack of success.

There was one that helped. I used chromium picolinate for about the first 2 years after I was diagnosed, and then it lost effect. The way it works is to help your body use the insulin it is producing more efficiently; e.g. lower the body's resistance. I did notice an improvement in my numbers and how I felt when I was on it and it was working, so I would say it is worth a try and see how it works for you. YMMV.

The little known fact (among many type 2 diabetics) about type 2 diabetes is that it is progressive, and eventually the insulin resistance that is your initial problem (but the body is still producing lots of insulin) may/can turn into a loss of the body's ability to produce insulin in the first place. The exact reason for this effect is, to my knowledge, unknown. In my case, my body lost over 90% of its ability to produce insulin, so no matter how "efficient" the use is, there was not enough to go around.

The speed and severity of the progression is very individual, and a person can improve if diagnosed early, and/or hold the progression at bay for years by doing the right things. But it is still a lifetime condition.

I'm glad you found out about your diabetes before something really serious happened. I think a couple of the most crazy "world's scariest police chases" I have ever seen on TV involved drivers impaired by their diabetes (never really mentioned whether their blood sugar was too high or low).

I think you're on the right track with your attitude about what to do. The end-all-be-all isn't the blood sugar, A1C or any other measure. Although excess blood sugar causes all the kinds of problems, just popping a pill to lower your blood sugar number isn't really a solution. Just like removing excess fat using liposuction from someone with an awful lifestyle doesn't address the root problems.

Diabetes is the result of a lot of different things getting out of whack in your body. It likely took years of gradual changes to get that way and it could take a long time to really get to where you want, but I think it is well within your means. In my own case, I was surprised to be told that my blood pressure was high (149/95 the first time) and it took a number of years, but I've brought it down under 120/80 without resorting to any meds. It improved part way fairly quickly, then I couldn't seem to improve it for a very long time until it suddenly dropped again, so don't be discouraged by plateaus or setbacks along the way. Stay focussed and I think you'll meet your goals.