Glucose Level = 566

(Fort Worth, Texas)

I'm 54, white, male, and never previously diagnosed as diabetic, but I am on prescriptions for blood pressure and cholesterol, so I do a blood lab twice yearly to ensure no liver damage. Last week, my most recent blood lab came back with a glucose level of 566.

Not only was I not comatose, I didn't even feel particularly bad. Still working every day, with only minor inconvenience from symptoms. Symptoms were weakness, fatigue, and raging thirst, with occasional mild vertigo. But I've previously experienced weakness, fatigue, and mild vertigo when my immune system was in overdrive while warding off allergies or viruses. Since this is allergy season, I didn't think anything of it. I didn't know that all these together with chronic thirst are classic diabetes symptoms.

My doctor was out of town, so his partner immediately phoned a prescription and I began taking the meds the next day. After 4-5 days on meds and going sugarless, alcohol-free, and low-carb in diet, I managed to get my glucose down to 251.

I see the doctor tomorrow and he will probably test me to confirm diabetes. But as his nurse told me: With a reading that high, it can't be anything else. At this point, I hope for two things:

1) The doc thinks we can get my blood sugar under control without hospitalization.

2) This is Type II, which can usually be controlled with meds, diet, and exercise, rather than Type I. Prefer to avoid going on insulin, if I can.