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Missing in Action! Please let us know how you are doing :)

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Hi all I'm still around, had a few health problems but getting there, I do still pop in and look around when I can.
Hope you are all as well as can be expected.
 
sweetsatin said:
Hi all I'm still around, had a few health problems but getting there, I do still pop in and look around when I can.
Hope you are all as well as can be expected.
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Hi sweetsatin, lovely to hear from you 🙂 I'm sorry to hear you've had health problems, I hope that you are on the road to recovery 🙂
 
I look in from time to time but we've had a horrible 18months; My Dad got very ill then died, mum then got very depressed so I had to spend a lot of time with her and Dad before that. Also I didn't have a computer for a while. Any way... I'm back.

Unfortunately for my husband (T2) he had to fend for himself quite a bit and ended up eating a lot of 'ready meals'. He had been complaining about 'thick heads', dizziness and generally unwell but he seems to be better now that I'm back looking after him. I'm not sure though if it's diabetes or me not being here that causes him to feel unwell. He gets really grumpy and irritable! He had his medication increased a while back and has regular blood tests but our GP hasn't suggested that he should test himself and I feel he should.

We argue about what he can and can't eat. A friend of his has recently been diagnosed with T2 and is telling my husband contradicting things to what I read. For example, he says he mustn't eat peas but then he takes a load of sausage rolls to golf for them to snack on. It's only once a week so I suppose it's not too bad.
Our GP gave us a diet which says that he should eat one portion of pulses every day so I assume peas are ok occasionally but pastry is a NO NO! and sausages should only be eaten occasionally as they both have cholesterol problems.

This was supposed to be the year we were aiming to get fit but it hasn't happened yet. He now has to have a buggy for golf but would like to get back to walking a few holes. We had a walk yesterday and planned to do the same today but ended up doing nothing! He wanted to go out this morning but I wanted to get my ironing done. When I was ready later he didn't want to go. It's really hard getting him enthused so I suppose I ought to go when he feels like it.
 
Hi cakemaker, nice to hear from you again, but so sorry to hear about the awful time you have been having :( If your husband's blood sugar levels are elevated then it is likely to be making him grumpy and lethargic, so it may not be all his fault! I would recommend making a food diary so that you know exactly where you stand with the diet you are having - record in particular the carb content of anything you eat and drink, and this will help build up a picture of where you might be able to make healthier choices, either by reducing portion sizes of certain items or substituting items with more 'diabetes-friendly' ones.

If you can, get a copy of The GL Diet for Dummies - this describes a way of selecting food which will have a slow and steady impact on blood sugar levels. Ideally, he should also be testing his levels before and one or two hours after eating so that he can see the actual effect of the meal on his levels. But do start with that diary, and if you would like you could post the details here and we will try and help you with some suggestions 🙂

It's hard to begin with, but if you can persuade him to get things on track, and get him out of doors for a daily walk, then hopefully he will quickly feel the benefits and start to feel much brighter and more positive about things - this can be a big encouragement to improve further. Let us know how things go, we are here to help in any way we can 🙂
 
Hi Northerner,
Thanks for the support and advice.
I started a food diary some time back and was supprised as to what and how much we were actually eating. I had intended to start it again so I definitely will now..... starting from today.

I made it as a spread sheet and noted all the carb and cal contents (approx) of all the food items. Luckily I have time to study a bit, so I checked out websites and on food packaging just what the carb and cal values were of the food we eat. It made me quite aware of some of the hidden carbs and sugars. It also made me aware of where I can cut back.

I have always cooked; mostly from scratch (it's a lot cheaper and healthier). We had a B&B before retiring so I cooked a lot and thought I knew a bit about food but I was surprised about sugar and carb levels in some foods I thought were good for you. We eat a lot of pulses. I make bean salads and add chick peas or lentils to currys but we were eating twice the suggested portion sizes. I have changed to eating more brown rice and wholewheat pasta but much smaller portions and bulking up with extra veg. After years of cooking for many I find it hard to cook for two. However, I now plate up a third plate if I cook too much and have it for lunch the next day whereas before we would have just had seconds. I rarely make cakes any more; only when we have a 'do' and I make our guests take home what's left.

My husband is due for another blood test in a couple of months. The GP who is very nice and takes his time to explain things has been treating my husbands diabetes for several years now; firstly by keeping an eye on him with regular blood tests and advice on diet and in the last three years with medication but he has never sent him to see a specialist. I think it's about time he saw one.
I think that you right about testing before and after a meal, that way we'll see how different foods affect him so he really needs to discuss this with the GP.
Thanks again
Cakemaker
 
cakemaker said:
My husband is due for another blood test in a couple of months. The GP who is very nice and takes his time to explain things has been treating my husbands diabetes for several years now; firstly by keeping an eye on him with regular blood tests and advice on diet and in the last three years with medication but he has never sent him to see a specialist. I think it's about time he saw one.
I think that you right about testing before and after a meal, that way we'll see how different foods affect him so he really needs to discuss this with the GP.
Thanks again
Cakemaker
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I hope that the tests come out OK, and it would be really good if your GP would prescribe some test strips, if only for a while as you get familiar with what he is able to tolerate well, and what needs to be avoided or reserved for the occasional treat 🙂 Your GP may be reluctant, due to cost, but I think it is the only way that your husband can fully appreciate what is happening to his levels, and perhaps be a spur to make improvements. As long as the testing is efficient, and each test provides you with extra information to help manage his diabetes, then each test is useful. Let us know how things go, or if you have any questions! 🙂
 
Northerner said:
From time to time we notice that people who used to post here seem to have stopped and it's always a mystery why.
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Well as you ask, since my introductory post I have lost a further 7 kg bringing it up to a total of 26 kg since christmas. After the initial high rate of loss, things have slowed down to something like 1 kg every 9 days or so. All self monitored blood glucose scores continue to reduce with about 40% of fasting scores in the 4s, 50% in the 5s and 10% in the low 6s. Post meal scores tend to be about 40% in the 5s, 55% in the low to mid 6s and a few in the low 7s. Exercise is 3 x 10 mins per day moderate, roughy 1 hour after every meal. I do skip an exercise session if I do say an hours work in the garden.


I eat well. I avoid all the obvious sugary stuff, sweets, biscuits, chocolate bars, buns, sugary drinks etc and also avoid stuff made with white flour, mashed potatoes, white rice etc but I do experiment a lot with wholegrains and find wholegrain pasta is OK, parboiled brown rice is fine, pearl barley, new potatoes, bread with rye mixed with wholemeal flour etc are all fine. I cut the excess fat off meats like bacon and spread things like butter thinly.

I had a fish week, smoked trout, smoked tuna, smoked salmon, Arbroath smokies (I'd visited the Port of Lancaster Smokehouse at Glasson), and tins of mackerel, king prawns and jars of rollmop herring. These were all served either with crusty fresh rye breads, a handful of new potatoes boiled, brown rice, olives and other salad stuff. I had one day where I had three readings in the 3s and a great number in the 4s. I think all the post meal readings never got out of the 5s.

It would probably be a good idea to have a couple of fish days in the week as it certainly seems to work.
 
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yorksman said:
Well as you ask, since my introductory post I have lost a further 7 kg bringing it up to a total of 26 kg since christmas. After the initial high rate of loss, things have slowed down to something like 1 kg every 9 days or so. All self monitored blood glucose scores continue to reduce with about 40% of fasting scores in the 4s, 50% in the 5s and 10% in the low 6s. Post meal scores tend to be about 40% in the 5s, 55% in the low to mid 6s and a few in the low 7s. Exercise is 3 x 10 mins per day moderate, roughy 1 hour after every meal. I do skip an exercise session if I do say an hours work in the garden.


I eat well. I avoid all the obvious sugary stuff, sweets, biscuits, chocolate bars, buns, sugary drinks etc and also avoid stuff made with white flour, mashed potatoes, white rice etc but I do experiment a lot with wholegrains and find wholegrain pasta is OK, parboiled brown rice is fine, pearl barley, new potatoes, bread with rye mixed with wholemeal flour etc are all fine. I cut the excess fat off meats like bacon and spread things like butter thinly.

I had a fish week, smoked trout, smoked tuna, smoked salmon, Arbroath smokies (I'd visited the Port of Lancaster Smokehouse at Glasson), and tins of mackerel, king prawns and jars of rollmop herring. These were all served either with crusty fresh rye breads, a handful of new potatoes boiled, brown rice, olives and other salad stuff. I had one day where I had three readings in the 3s and a great number in the 4s. I think all the post meal readings never got out of the 5s.

It would probably be a good idea to have a couple of fish days in the week as it certainly seems to work.
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Excellent yorksman, well done - good to see all your hard work is paying off. Those are excellent results, and a great weight loss too, sounds like you've really got to grips with things 🙂
 
Thanks Northerner.

I was meaning to ask, are you are true northerner, ie north of the Humber - Mersey line or just a northerner relative to Southampton, ie from Northampton which true northerners would still consider 'dun suth'.?
 
It is interesting here what some folk have been upto. Good to hear from MIA people 🙂
 
yorksman said:
Thanks Northerner.

I was meaning to ask, are you are true northerner, ie north of the Humber - Mersey line or just a northerner relative to Southampton, ie from Northampton which true northerners would still consider 'dun suth'.?
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I'm originally from Brighouse in West Yorkshire and spent 20 years in Sheffield before I moved south for work 🙂 So I was a Northerner even when I was in Sheffield! Have to say though, it did surprise me the first time I travelled from Sheffield to Newcastle - hadn't realised how much further north it was, almost the same distance from Sheffield as London was in the other direction! 😱
 
Only propper Northeners Know ! When down south i love the signs on motorway "NORTH" ! 🙂🙂
 
I know Brighouse well. I used to go to the Jade Garden when it was on Commerical Street and before it moved to the old Bradford Road. It's now called the Great Wall. The previous owner Tony hot footed it back to Hong Kong due to some VAT irregularities 🙂

Brighouse is on the Paulinus Way which in this part of the world follows the river Calder from Dewsbury to Todmorden. The Paulinus Way is the route by which Christianity was introduced, from the Minster in Dewsbury, a minster being the place that sent the missionaries out. I always think they missed Brighouse out.

Not that my home town of Huddersfield is any better. John Wesley wrote:

"I rode over the mountains to Huddersfield. A wilder people I never saw in England. The men, women and children filled the streets and seemed just ready to devour us" and he'd just come through Manchester!
 
HOBIE said:
Only propper Northeners Know ! When down south i love the signs on motorway "NORTH" ! 🙂🙂
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LOL yes. It may as well say "This Way. Quick."
 
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yorksman said:
I know Brighouse well. I used to go to the Jade Garden when it was on Commerical Street and before it moved to the old Bradford Road. It's now called the Great Wall. The previous owner Tony hot footed it back to Hong Kong due to some VAT irregularities 🙂

Brighouse is on the Paulinus Way which in this part of the world follows the river Calder from Dewsbury to Todmorden. The Paulinus Way is the route by which Christianity was introduced, from the Minster in Dewsbury, a minster being the place that sent the missionaries out. I always think they missed Brighouse out.

Not that my home town of Huddersfield is any better. John Wesley wrote:

"I rode over the mountains to Huddersfield. A wilder people I never saw in England. The men, women and children filled the streets and seemed just ready to devour us" and he'd just come through Manchester!
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It's a small world! 🙂 I have loads of relatives in Todmorden because that's where my grandmother was from originally. Brighouse really suffered when they built the M62 and built the ring road bypassing the town and closed that section of Bradford Road - everyone just started driving straight past!
 
Hi everyone

I've popped in a few times to lurk but haven't felt like posting due to on/off burnout. Just got back from a lovely holiday, went with a different attitude and got better BG results than last time 🙂 Got my HbA1c results in the next few weeks and am looking into entering a DUK fundraising event

Hope you are well and enjoying the BH

Em x
 
teapot8910 said:
Hi everyone

I've popped in a few times to lurk but haven't felt like posting due to on/off burnout. Just got back from a lovely holiday, went with a different attitude and got better BG results than last time 🙂 Got my HbA1c results in the next few weeks and am looking into entering a DUK fundraising event

Hope you are well and enjoying the BH

Em x
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Hiya Em, lovely to hear from you! Good to hear you had a great holiday and have returned in such a positive frame of mind - sounds like you needed it!

Good luck with the HbA1c, do let us know how things go, and good luck with the event you choose! Hope to see you at one of the Meets sometime this year! 🙂
 
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