27 years old and just diagnosed with T2

[sean_marsh]

Hello everyone,

This morning I was diagnosed with T2. It's a wake-up call for sure.

Living in Bristol. Trainee vicar. Married to Abbie, and we have a little 2-year-old daughter. Love watching a good crime drama.

Here to join the community, hopefully make some friends and find the hope in all of this!

 

[Christy]

Welcome! Nice friendly forum here and plenty of hope! 🙂

 

[Windy]

Welcome to the forum Sean. Hope you're doing ok, despite the shock of the diagnosis. Ask away if you have any questions.
I hope you're getting support from your GP etc and getting on ok with your medication if you're taking them.
Sarah

 

[harbottle]

Can't beat a good crime drama!
Are you on medication for your Diabetes?
There's plenty of hope here, some people have been very successful at managing type 2.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Sorry you need to be here but you have come to the right place for support, advice and yes friendship and hope too.... We've got it all ... well apart from a miracle cure anyway! 🙄 Isn't that your boss's department 😉

Would you like to tell us a bit about how you came to be diagnosed, what, if any, medication you have been given, your HbA1c result if you know it..... this is the blood test used to diagnose diabetes and will be a number in excess of 47 but can be into 3 figures if things are particularly naughty! Also, it is helpful to know how much weight, if any, you need to lose to achieve a normal BMI?
I notice that you are quite young (27) to be diagnosed Type 2 so I wonder in the back of my mind whether you may possibly be misdiagnosed... it happened to the best of us, so always something to consider particularly in younger people, which is why the questions about how you came to be diagnosed, weight and HbA1c result are relevant as they can be indicators of a less than straight forward diagnosis, especially in these Covid times!

Anyway, make yourself at home, read lots and feel free to ask whatever questions spring to mind.
Look forward to getting to know you better.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

Hi @sean_marsh and welcome to the forum 🙂
I thought about training for the ministry at one time, but I'd have been a rubbish vicar so just as well I didn't. Half my friends seem to be vicars (or pastors or lay readers) now though!

How was your diabetes diagnosed, and what advice or meds (if any) have you been given to help manage it? As @rebrascora says, if you can give us some more information it might help us to help you find that hope you're looking for.

 

[sarahb83]

Hiya I’ve been a type 2 for 6 months and now have my blood sugars down to normal levels, it can be done this group is amazing you’re 100% in the right place x

 

[sean_marsh]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Sorry you need to be here but you have come to the right place for support, advice and yes friendship and hope too.... We've got it all ... well apart from a miracle cure anyway! 🙄 Isn't that your boss's department 😉

Would you like to tell us a bit about how you came to be diagnosed, what, if any, medication you have been given, your HbA1c result if you know it..... this is the blood test used to diagnose diabetes and will be a number in excess of 47 but can be into 3 figures if things are particularly naughty! Also, it is helpful to know how much weight, if any, you need to lose to achieve a normal BMI?
I notice that you are quite young (27) to be diagnosed Type 2 so I wonder in the back of my mind whether you may possibly be misdiagnosed... it happened to the best of us, so always something to consider particularly in younger people, which is why the questions about how you came to be diagnosed, weight and HbA1c result are relevant as they can be indicators of a less than straight forward diagnosis, especially in these Covid times!

Anyway, make yourself at home, read lots and feel free to ask whatever questions spring to mind.
Look forward to getting to know you better.

Hey! Thank you so much!

My HbA1c result was 57. And I need to lose about 50 lbs to hit a healthy BMI. I also have a pre existing familial condition called Type 3 Hyperlipidaemia. The combination of this and being overweight has caused the T2 diagnosis when I'm still young.

I have been started on 500mg Metformin at breakfast and was already taking 40mg Atorvastatin daily.

 

[sean_marsh]

Thank you very much everyone!

 

[Leadinglights]

Hey! Thank you so much!

My HbA1c result was 57. And I need to lose about 50 lbs to hit a healthy BMI. I also have a pre existing familial condition called Type 3 Hyperlipidaemia. The combination of this and being overweight has caused the T2 diagnosis when I'm still young.

I have been started on 500mg Metformin at breakfast and was already taking 40mg Atorvastatin daily.

Much of the dietary suggestions to reduce blood glucose are low carb and don't worry about fats as they don't convert to glucose and full fat products help to fill you up but I suppose you have to be more careful with fats I assume with your other condition. But many people do find low carb helps with cholesterol level and improves their ratios.
I'm sure you will be able to find a happy compromise with a suitable dietary regime. Although in the diabetic zone 57mmol/mol is not desperately high and with some work at reducing carbohydrates it will be perfectly possible to get it down.

 

[rebrascora]

Thanks for all the additional info which makes your situation a little clearer.

57 isn't too bad at all in the HbA1c stakes and some GPs might have given you the opportunity of trying to reduce that through lifestyle changes without resorting to Metformin in the first instance, but since you have been started on it, do make sure you take it mid meal with a reasonably substantial amount of food. It has a reputation for a bit of gastric/digestive upset.... affectionately known as "Metfartin" by those of us who are personally acquainted with it, but wind can sometimes not be your only concern with it, so don't stray too far from the loo in the early days. Usually any upset will settle down after a couple of weeks but do get back to your Dr if you have continued problems as there is a slow release version. However you may be one of the lucky ones who have no side effects from it, so don't let be frighten you..... but forewarned is forearmed. I had a couple of rather awkward spasms whilst out horse riding😱 !

Dietary changes will be necessary even with the Metformin so don't expect the medication to deal with the diabetes on it's own. Some regular exercise like a daily walk will also help.

As regards diet, there are 2 main schools of thought which have both proved very successful....

A short term 8-12 week very low CALORIE diet like the Newcastle or Fast 800 which usually involves meal replacement shakes totaling 800cals per day with the aim of losing approx. 15kg. You then need to figure out a way of eating to maintain the weight loss. If you are historically a Yo-yo dieter that can prove challenging especially when you stop the shakes and return to normal food. The idea is to lose the visceral fat particularly around your liver and pancreas to enable them to function more effectively and essentially reverse your diabetes.

The other option is following a low CARBOHYDRATE way of eating.(It is easy to get CARBS and CALORIES confused at first which is why I have highlighted them.) Carbohydrates all break down into glucose in your digestive system and get absorbed into your blood stream where, as a diabetic, you are unable to utilize them effiiently, causing your Blood Glucose (BG) levels to rise. The less glucose you put into your blood stream the less strain is on your body to process it and it enables the body to catch up with the backlog. So eating less carbs means your BG levels will come down. By chance it also usually results in weight loss without even thinking too much about it.... the focus being mostly on BG levels and getting them into a good normal range. Carbohydrates are in almost all foods to a greater or lesser extent and the idea is that you reduce portion size or avoid the high carb foods like grains and grain products, starchy veg like potatoes and high carb fruits like bananas, dried fruit and fruit juice.
The easiest and most effective way to start is to look at breakfast, firstly because most breakfast choices are quite carb heavy but also because we are usualy at our most insulin resistant in the mornings, so having carbs when our bodies are reluctant to deal with the glucose they release means that our BG levels start the day high and high BG also makes us insulin resistant so we end up high for the rest of the day. Choosing a low carb breakfast can therefore have a significant impact on our diabetes management.
If you want suggestions of low carb foods.... eggs are a great option and are really versatile but go easy on bread/toast. I find an omelette works well as it doesn't have runny yolks that demand bread to soak them up or be a carrier for the eggs and you can have a huge variety of filling with them. I tend to have mine with a big green salad and a large dollop of cheese coleslaw. Creamy Greek style natural yoghurt with chopped nuts and or mixed seeds and a handful of berries (rasps, straws, blacks, blackcurrants, blueberries (slightly higher carb than the other berries) at a push. I have a good sprinkle of cinnamon with my yoghurt berries and seeds. Or you could have a full English but go easy on the beans and hash browns.... and toast. Porridge is often touted as a healthy option but porridge oats are about 62% carbs and contrary to the low GI rating it gets, the glucose from them starts to hit my blood stream after 20 mins. I always find it quite amazing that carbs can get from my mouth to the tip of my finger (for a blood test) in such a short space of time. It isn't an ideal situation though. Some people's bodies take longer to digest some sources of carbs like porridge and the only way to know is to invest in a BG meter and test to see how your body reacts and what you can get away with eating and what needs to be avoided or kept for very special occasions only. It is quite individual which is why home testing is something we advocate her on the forum if you follow the low carb route.... Following a low carb way of eating without testing is a bit like driving a car without a speedometer. You can drive really slowly all the time (avoid all high carb foods) and hope you don't pick up a speeding ticket but might take a long time to get anywhere or you can test to see which foods you need to avoid and which you can eat and tailor your diet around the info it gives you so that you have a fairly good idea that your next HbA1c will be reduced (no speeding ticket!) but you might have got to keep some favourite foods on the menu.

Anyway, I have waffled on quite enough for one message. Hope some of it makes sense. If you need more advice about either approach, do ask and good luck with the Metformin.

 

[harbottle]

57 (7.4% in old figures) isn't as bad as some of us who have managed to get it down with Metformin and diet. The 500mg of Metformin will help a little. From the research I've read, 500mg can help bring around .6% (Using the old notation) reduction of hba1c, which is around 51 (6.8%) in new money - a change of diet/lifestyle is required alongside this to bring it down more.

I've had no side effects from Metformin apart from 'wind', but that might also been the vegetables I eat - I notice it's more a problem when I've been eating a lot of cauliflower!

 

[Windy]

Like Harbottle, I'm on metformin and haven't had any digestive problems with it, though I know other people do. But saying that, I'm a vegetarian and ate a fibrous, lentil/chickpea/vegetable rich diet anyway, so there was a fair bit of rumbling going on after some meals, but metformin made it no worse.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks for the update @sean_marsh

And a rather belated welcome to the forum from another Bristol boy 🙂

 

[sarahb83]

You can most definitely do this! I have got mine down from 89 to 38 without any meds at all! It took 6 months but it can be done I did super low calorie 800cal diet for 12 weeks then stepped up to 1500 x

 

[harbottle]

You can most definitely do this! I have got mine down from 89 to 38 without any meds at all! It took 6 months but it can be done I did super low calorie 800cal diet for 12 weeks then stepped up to 1500 x

Wow! I never had the choice to do it without meds… I was just told to take the tablets and ‘stop eating chips!’ by a GP.

 

[sarahb83]

Wow! I never had the choice to do it without meds… I was just told to take the tablets and ‘stop eating chips!’ by a GP.

I don’t know what that’s about the nhs care people receive seems to be a bit of a lottery. My dad was given the same advice that you were 20 years ago but my care now is totally different my diabetic nurse has an established relationship with prof Taylor so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it? She is also very forward thinking my care up here in Northumberland is amazing x

 

[sarahb83]

Wow! I never had the choice to do it without meds… I was just told to take the tablets and ‘stop eating chips!’ by a GP.

Also don’t know if age and other health conditions come into any calculation made? I’m 38 and otherwise (apart from depression) fit and well cholesterol low blood pressure spot on etc x

 

[harbottle]

I don’t know what that’s about the nhs care people receive seems to be a bit of a lottery. My dad was given the same advice that you were 20 years ago but my care now is totally different my diabetic nurse has an established relationship with prof Taylor so I don’t know if that has anything to do with it? She is also very forward thinking my care up here in Northumberland is amazing x

I believe the GPs at my surgery are all fairly young so I'd hope they are up to date with some of the work that has been done by Taylor and Unwin. She did call late in the evening (It was supposed to be between 2 and 5) and seemed in a rush, but did say 'lose a stone in weight [I was overweight] and it might go into remission.'

I'm giving them a bit of leeway because the coronavirus crisis has put surgeries under pressure.

 

[harbottle]

Also don’t know if age and other health conditions come into any calculation made? I’m 38 and otherwise (apart from depression) fit and well cholesterol low blood pressure spot on etc x

Oh no, I had all the classic T2D/metabolic syndrome symptoms: overweight, Low HDL, High LDL and high Trigs but overall cholesterol was within limits. Blood pressure was a bit high as well. After 3 months overall cholesterol had gone up HDL and Trigs were well within normal levels. I just read a paper in which they did an experiment and found that rapid weight loss introduces a transient rise in cholesterol, so I'm hoping it's that.