Diabetic w/ breast cancer ?

It is easy to deny diabetes until you stick your finger and get a reading.  Mine has no rhyme or reason either.  I am tested every 3 months by the dr. with blood work and It was 7.5 and he said that was too high so he added a medication, the next test was somewhere around 6 which he said was too low so he decreased the new meds in Aug I will find out how that is working.  I found eating a high protein diet keeps me more in control.  Sometimes I get a craving that is so bad I can't think of anything else so have to give in to it like a ice cream sundae.

Kathleen, I am so sorry about your shoulder, it also takes us longer to heal with this dreadful disease.  Here is to everyone trying to keep those blood sugars under control.

Hope the foot is healing nicely, praying actually.

when I see the name lemonjello makes me want some jello really bad.

lemonjello, I am so sorry to hear about all the trouble you have been having recently.  I am so glad you blood sugar is back under control.  I was able to keep my blood sugar under conrol while in the hospital and then rehab but my blood pressure was high! 

Feel better soon.  Big hugs for you.

Metformin is a first line medication for type 2 diabetes.  There was at least one study that found that diabetic women with breast cancer who took Metformin to treat their diabetes had better outcomes with the breast cancer than diabetic women whose diabetes treatment did not include Metformin. 

Of course, they didn't explore why that happened... Was it the Metformin?  Was it the lack of complicating factors from the diabetes?  Was it that the women who used Metformin were likely to have better diabetes control,  or had diabetes for a shorter duration since that is a first line medicaton rather than something prescribed for someone having trouble getting their blood glucose under control? 

Hi Lemon, I am a diabetic type 2 and have recntly as early as last week diagnosed with breast cancer, invasive lubotar carcinoma....i am sechuled for surgury the 31 of December.

zeeka, congrats that you (appear) to have had no bad outcomes by not taking your diabetes medicine.

I hope that your luck continues to hold out.

One of the biggest problems with diabetes is that it does silent damage, which, over a long period of time, leads to other complications and potential organ failures, that would not necessarily be stated as "oh, that was because of diabetes."

My hope for you is that you continue to evade those complications!

Good luck to you and with your Arimidex and Zometa.

Hello ladies:  I have just now found this post and am so happy as I am a breast cancer lady with diabetes..  As a late comer, I am 73 years old and have been a Diabetic for 9 years.  I always had good control of my bs and kept an A1C around 6.4,   Was dx with bc and had lump. on June 30, 2009, followed by 16 rad treatments.   Although my A1C was in control before my surgery, it quickly went out of control after the surgery..   I felt defeated and unable to get control.  My family Dr. changed my med to Actos which did no good and then I made the decision to get a Diabetic Specialist on my case.    He has prescribed Metformin however the pills are so large that I am unable to swallow them.  I found a specally made cup on the net that I ordered which is supposed to help poor swallowers.  I should get it soon and I am anxious to try it.  I asked the specialist if there are any studies on bs and Arimidex and he said he would do some research.  Been on Arimidex for 3 months.  Anyone know any studies? 

I am so pleased to find this post relating bc with diabetes.   Cathey from Indiana

I was diognosed with type 2, 15 years ago.  Since I am 76, I don't think diabetes has anything to do with it, just age related.

However, there is a trial going on using Metformin, a standard diabetes medicine.  The theory is that sugar in the breast may be a cause for diabetes. There is some holistic doctor claiming success with low carb diets.  So the trial is to see if there is something to this.

Metformin is a tried and true medicine  that is very safe, as probably you all know.

I was diagnosed with Type II diabetes about 12 years ago. I am now 62 years old, going for a mascetomy 6/7. I have not taken care of myself. My sugars have not been managed and I'm overweight. I know that it's harder for uncontrolled diabetics to heal, they are more prone to infections (same for overweight people). I am terrible frightened about the healing process, the expander and implant, scared of lymphedema also. I also smoked for many years (quit 7 months ago. Kind of late but better late than never I suppose). I wish I'd taken better care of myself earlier and hope my diabetes doesn't affect the outcome of my surgery. (I am being very careful NOW and my sugars have dropped dramatically). Is it too little too late do you think?

I too am considered pre-diabetic and just take 500mg of metformin which has worked well for me for the past several years.  I have learned what to avoid by constant testing of my sugar and feel I have managed my diabetes fairly well.  My primary care doc has made no changes.

So we have this double whammy of dealing with cancer and trying to keep our diabetes under control.  I will say that since I was diagnosed with recurrence of BC after 11 years I have made every effort to eat more vegetables, whole grains, less fat, no dairy and much less meat.  Since the holidays I have dropped 8 pounds.  My husband is following our food changes and he is feeling like a new man as well.  There is so much truth about how what we eat impacts our bodies.   I am new on this site and just completed my first chemo last Wednesday.  I reach out to all of you in encouragement and love.

Blessings and hugs 

A good friend of mine fell down a flight of marble stairs about 8 months ago.  She needed a shoulder replacement.  Today she is terrific.  She just got back from a 2 week trip to Israel and is now at a wedding in St. Louis.  It was hard in the beginning but don't worry, you'll be as good as new before you know it.  BTW, she just held an open house for about 50 people!