New, hello

[Raymond Luxury Yatch]

Hi, thought I’d say hello as they ask you to. No questions.

But having read stuff on here the last few days I’d like to thank everyone who Posts ...what a mine of useful information it’s already been !

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome.

Would you like to share a little more information about your diagnosis... ie how and when it came about and what if any medication you have been given for it? Also if you know your HbA1c reading that gives us an idea of where on the diabetes scale you are and we can tailor our responses accordingly.

Good to hear you are already finding the forum helpful.

 

[Raymond Luxury Yatch]

Hiya...I was diagnosed Prediabetic a couple of months ago (46/48?) and I think 54 two weeks ago confirmed Type 2 Diabetes. Ive used a Hone Test kit for interests sake several times since and it’s varied from 6.7 mmol/L to 13....I appreciate they are unreliable but has helped me understand the dramatic effects of what I eat and when !

I think it came about as a routine check on all my blood tests which I’d asked for as I’d been suffering all kinds of symptoms, some for a considerable time. What emerged so far is Vitamin D deficiency and Diabetes. (Not sure they’ve cracked it though yet).

I wasn’t surprised or shocked - I weigh 24 Stone and 4 lbs, and have done for two years plus. I’ve been overweight a long time but shot up from 16 to 18 Stone after quitting smoking 14 years ago, then from 18 to 24 after going on Statins in 2015....I almost stopped being able to walk .....ditched those but not progressed ( or regressed !) with exercise or weight since.

Lots more but I’d say that’s about the size of it.

Main strategy at present is to cut carbs ( should be relatively ‘easy’ to at least reduce a bit as I eat way too much carbs ) and do 5/10 mins day on an exercise bike, then take it from there.

Thank you

 

[zuludog]

Hello Raymond and welcome to the Forum!
You've already found out that there is loads of advice & information here by following the Links and reading older Threads, especially Newbies, Food & Carbs, and Weight Loss, so I'll just make a few comments

I used to take statins but developed Statin Ache & side effects, so I stopped taking them a few years ago
I put it to my doctor that given the choice of aching, feeling ill & miserable, I'd rather take my chances
His reply was along the lines of I'm not supposed to agree with you, but I do
Now it's just on the upper limit of acceptable, but I'd rather stay like I am than try any more medication

Now I control my cholesterol level by diet, which also improves my weight, diabetic control, blood pressure, and so on
I've just about given up most carbs, processed food and a lot of meat, and junk food in general
I've changed to eating more veg, salads, olive oil, fish, and fruit (but checking how the fruit affects my D).
In fact all the healthy stuff we hear about
I take a multi vitamin tablet now & again

I try to exercise but I've got into a bit of a rut, and don't do as much as I would like - just like the school reports, must try harder

The exercise bike is good, but it's summer now, you could try doing some easy walking, and that would also get you out in the fresh air & sunshine, which would help your vit D
Eating oily fish would also help with vit D
Vit D tablets are cheap enough, but get advice from your doctor first

Take it gradually, and let us know how you're going on
Oh, and ask any questions, nothing on here is considered too simple or silly.

 

[SB2015]

Main strategy at present is to cut carbs ( should be relatively ‘easy’ to at least reduce a bit as I eat way too much carbs ) and do 5/10 mins day on an exercise bike, then take it from there

Welcome to the forum Raymond. Glad that you have found us.

Sounds like you have a plan, and as you have already seen there is plenty of experience to tap into on here. Ask any questions you have as they arise.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Raymond Luxury Yatch

Glad you’ve found the forum to be a helpful read so far, and nice to have you ‘delurked’!

 

[Raymond Luxury Yatch]

This post and replies to it were merged from a thread here: https://forum.diabetes.org.uk/boards/threads/oldie-diabetic.102167/#post-1199119

Many thanks, your kind replies have motivated me to dust off my old test meter and keep a proper track of what I am eating.

I’m not sure if this is the right place for this but I have just returned here after joining about a year ago ( I think). What follows won’t sound like it but I consider myself a pretty logical, sensible, bloke.

I was diagnosed ( sometime between 1 and 2 years ago) and at first ( unlike many stories I’ve seen on here) wasn’t particularly concerned. I’d already had, and suffered from, Statins, and didn’t fancy being ‘caught’ twice by health scares. ( In that case, my mobility decreased rapidly and after a year I couldn’t walk without a cane. I put on 5 stone ( making me my current 23) and was crippled. 4 years later, having stopped the meds, I’m finally back to a stage where I can get about ( or could if I lose weight).

I only joined this Forum a year later having had a couple of ‘sugar scares’. I found it incredibly helpful, but was put off by how seriously everybody treated it, seemed almost like a pastime. So whilst using it for research I then left it, and self monitoring, behind again.

I had a meeting with a Diabetic nurse in June who basically said “ take Metaformin, don’t eat sugar etc” which, ( given the Statins thing) I wasn’t happy with. Taking meds and altering my life based on a diagnosis by people who don’t know anything about me, based on a blood sample, didn’t appeal.

I told myself I’d go through it properly with a Doctor. I didn’t ‘get around to it’ though .

Ive been feeling rough lately. Excessive thirst, ( and consequent excessive toilet visits), close up vision ( which had always been perfect) getting noticeably poor, aches, dizziness, etc.

So checked my blood using a meter on Sunday and it was 24.5 ( which is high).

So now, belatedly, I’ve recognised that it IS something that will need attention. And the amount I give it will be far less intrusive than it’s effects on my health.

I thought posting this might help you, as a new user, when you are weighing up what to do.

Basically, don’t panic, but don’t dismiss it. Ive recognised now it’s a condition that needs proper attention. Whether I am capable of giving it that remains to be seen ! Good Luck.

 

[Leadinglights]

I’m not sure if this is the right place for this but I have just returned here after joining about a year ago ( I think). What follows won’t sound like it but I consider myself a pretty logical, sensible, bloke.

I was diagnosed ( sometime between 1 and 2 years ago) and at first ( unlike many stories I’ve seen on here) wasn’t particularly concerned. I’d already had, and suffered from, Statins, and didn’t fancy being ‘caught’ twice by health scares. ( In that case, my mobility decreased rapidly and after a year I couldn’t walk without a cane. I put on 5 stone ( making me my current 23) and was crippled. 4 years later, having stopped the meds, I’m finally back to a stage where I can get about ( or could if I lose weight).

I only joined this Forum a year later having had a couple of ‘sugar scares’. I found it incredibly helpful, but was put off by how seriously everybody treated it, seemed almost like a pastime. So whilst using it for research I then left it, and self monitoring, behind again.

I had a meeting with a Diabetic nurse in June who basically said “ take Metaformin, don’t eat sugar etc” which, ( given the Statins thing) I wasn’t happy with. Taking meds and altering my life based on a diagnosis by people who don’t know anything about me, based on a blood sample, didn’t appeal.

I told myself I’d go through it properly with a Doctor. I didn’t ‘get around to it’ though .

Ive been feeling rough lately. Excessive thirst, ( and consequent excessive toilet visits), close up vision ( which had always been perfect) getting noticeably poor, aches, dizziness, etc.

So checked my blood using a meter on Sunday and it was 24.5 ( which is high).

So now, belatedly, I’ve recognised that it IS something that will need attention. And the amount I give it will be far less intrusive than it’s effects on my health.

I thought posting this might help you, as a new user, when you are weighing up what to do.

Basically, don’t panic, but don’t dismiss it. Ive recognised now it’s a condition that needs proper attention. Whether I am capable of giving it that remains to be seen ! Good Luck.

Welcome back although I have been on here for 18months and don't recognise your name.
You are right that as you are now suffering from symptoms of high blood glucose and really now is the time to take it seriously to minimise any longterm health effects.
There are several ways in which people go about addressing their high blood glucose especially if they need to lose weight.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach works for them which means reducing their intake of all carbs to the suggested max of 130g per day.
Other people find either low calorie or shakes based regimes like the Newcastle diet will give them a kick start for weight loss. But whatever regime you choose has to be something you enjoy and is sustainable long term.
Your glucose level is worryingly high and you should maybe be checking for ketones in your urine as if that is also high that is a red flag for calling 111.

This link may help you if you choose a low carb approach. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

 

[Raymond Luxury Yatch]

Welcome back although I have been on here for 18months and don't recognise your name.
You are right that as you are now suffering from symptoms of high blood glucose and really now is the time to take it seriously to minimise any longterm health effects.
There are several ways in which people go about addressing their high blood glucose especially if they need to lose weight.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach works for them which means reducing their intake of all carbs to the suggested max of 130g per day.
Other people find either low calorie or shakes based regimes like the Newcastle diet will give them a kick start for weight loss. But whatever regime you choose has to be something you enjoy and is sustainable long term.
Your glucose level is worryingly high and you should maybe be checking for ketones in your urine as if that is also high that is a red flag for calling 111.

This link may help you if you choose a low carb approach. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/

Hi and thank you. I only posted twice I think.

I have ordered Ketone test kit, and will be researching properly next steps, thanks for links and suggestions.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome back @Raymond Luxury Yatch

Good to hear you’ve decided to get to grips with your diabetes, and give it a bit more focussed attention.

🙂

 

[Raymond Luxury Yatch]

Welcome back @Raymond Luxury Yatch

Good to hear you’ve decided to get to grips with your diabetes, and give it a bit more focussed attention.

🙂

Thank you ……the penny has finally dropped that although it requires effort it is both essential and an improvement to my quality of life. Annoyed with myself it took so long, which is why I hoped to convey to the OP that it’s worth getting stuck in ! I packed in fags in the Noughties, beer in the tweenies, so am hoping for the hat trick of sugar in the twenties ….that way I might get to see the thirties !

 

[Raymond Luxury Yatch]

I hope folk will bear with me I’ve tried to see the best place to post this but wasn’t sure so have stuck it here ( and will happily be advised ).

Having decided to tackle my condition last week after that High of 23 or so (EDIT : sorry, I’ve just realised this isn’t the thread I thought it was, in which I Posted that I’ve decided to tackle my condition having had a reading of 23 and 24 last week) I started 500mg Metaformin and started recording what I eat and blood sugar.

My average ( 4 tests per day) has gone steadily down and is now 7.0

Post prandial is 6.5/7.0

Looking at posts on here, this seems quick….is that the Metaformin, or was my diet so appalling that it’s been easy to get a quick ‘Win’ but it will steadily rise again ?

Ive tested on my wife as a ‘control’ and her readings are reasonably close to what she got at the Doctor. Also, it’s steadily dropped ( about 1.0 per day) so I think the machine is ok.

Have to say, I feel miles healthier already aswell.

Thanks for any observations.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I hope folk will bear with me I’ve tried to see the best place to post this but wasn’t sure so have stuck it here ( and will happily be advised ).

I’ve merged your previous post and responses to it back into this thread to keep your responses in one place @Raymond Luxury Yatch

Glad to hear your BG levels have responded enthusiastically to the changes you have made, with the help of Metformin.

Changes in menu can certainly have a dramatic effect, at least as important as adding the meds.

Glad to hear you are feeling healthier too 🙂