Hello everyone, I've had diabetes for over 35 yrs but am new to this forum. I'm type2, on insulin and have managed well up to now but a couple of months ago I had a big scare. I got gastroenteritis and had a dka and a heart attack. I was in hospital for 2 weeks and it was a near thing!! I'm now going to cardiac rehab sessions but feel a bit cast adrift and am still quite ropey. I have good days and not so good days and really want to know what it is realistic to expect. How long before I'm back to normal? if ever! I would really appreciate hearing anyone else's experience of going through this.
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Advice please!!
- Thread starter LesleyC
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Jenny65
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- Type 2
Hello @LesleyC welcome to the forum, sorry you have recently been through a bad time, there is lots of support and advice here.
What sort of diet are you following at the moment, were you given any dietary or lifestyle advice when you had the heart attack? I am following a low carb diet to lose some weight and lower my cholesterol, I have cut out bread, pasta and cut down on rice and potatoes, the latter 2 I seem able to eat in small amounts without it affecting my BG. It depends what medication you are on as to whether low carb is the right path for you. Someone more knowledgeable than me will be along to advise as I am not on meds so not aware which ones would be affected by low carb
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What sort of diet are you following at the moment, were you given any dietary or lifestyle advice when you had the heart attack? I am following a low carb diet to lose some weight and lower my cholesterol, I have cut out bread, pasta and cut down on rice and potatoes, the latter 2 I seem able to eat in small amounts without it affecting my BG. It depends what medication you are on as to whether low carb is the right path for you. Someone more knowledgeable than me will be along to advise as I am not on meds so not aware which ones would be affected by low carb
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Hello Jenny, Thank you verymuch for your reply.I'm also keeping carbs as low as l can and am usually OK with this. I had an angiogram and don't have any blocked arteries so don't need a stent. The gastroenteritis caused the dehydration which made my BG go so high, this caused the dka and that caused the heart attack. I haven't been given specific dietary info though there will be a nutrition session in the cardiac rehab course. I've been referred back from my GP to the hospital diabetes dept and have an appt in a couple of weeks. I expect (and hope!) this will be useful. Its a problem though that all my care is fragmented, I'd much prefer a more holistic approach but with the NHS so stretched and under resourced I guess I'm lucky to be getting what I am.
You sound like you're doing ok too. Well done you. We've much to cope with! Flippin' bodies eh?
You sound like you're doing ok too. Well done you. We've much to cope with! Flippin' bodies eh?
Leadinglights
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As you are on insulin then it is important you take that into account when you make your decisions about your carb intake but I expect you are an expert on that having had diabetes for so long.
You just need to take your recovery slowly and do what the medics advise, it is good that you don't need intervention for your heart which should help with recovery.
Make sure the cardiac rehab folk know about your diabetes.
My ex husband had a heart attack a few years ago and was given the usual NHS advice high carbs low fat and then developed Type 2 diabetes so it is all a balancing act.
You just need to take your recovery slowly and do what the medics advise, it is good that you don't need intervention for your heart which should help with recovery.
Make sure the cardiac rehab folk know about your diabetes.
My ex husband had a heart attack a few years ago and was given the usual NHS advice high carbs low fat and then developed Type 2 diabetes so it is all a balancing act.
You're so right, it is a balancing act and the seesaw has more than two ends!! You're also right about taking recovery slowly and I'm struggling to do that. I'll bear what you say about the advice given to your husband in mind, thanks. Sorry to hear what's happened to him. I hope you're both coping OK.
Leadinglights
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He is EX of 40 years but we still get on as we have adult daughters and do still talk to each other. He did lose loads of weight and has his diabetes well managed.
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Goodness! What a lot you’ve been through @LesleyC 😱
Good to hear your angiogram has come up with no blockages.
How are you experiencing your good and ropey days? Is it an emotional / mood thing? Or physical symptoms?
Hope your recovery continues steadily, and you quickly feel more like your old self.
Good to hear your angiogram has come up with no blockages.
How are you experiencing your good and ropey days? Is it an emotional / mood thing? Or physical symptoms?
Hope your recovery continues steadily, and you quickly feel more like your old self.
Hi. Thanks for your good wishes. My ups and downs are both physical and emotional. Some days I'm well and full of energy, other days I'm wiped out and exhausted. I was put on 80mg daily of atorvastatin and this caused really painful hips, knees and ankles which stopped me exercising. That's now been changed to rosuvastatin thank goodness and I'm a lot better. I still get very tired though and feel like I have no strength. Emotionally I can't accept that my life has changed and what I thought was my support and stable, isn't. I'm still shocked and a bit frightened. It's been good to vent here though and all the responses I've had have really helped.
Your HbA1c is great!!
Your HbA1c is great!!
trophywench
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- Type 1
it's a bit annoying - I was on atorvastatin for some time when i was 50 ish and OK as far as I know but back then it was still only made by one company - then the NHS went on an economy drive and it was too expensive so they swapped it to the (then) cheaper simvastatin and then the side effect was huge losses of memory - seriously thought I must have early onset Alzheimer's. So I just decided one night I'd try cutting out one of the only tablets I took at the time - the statin or the blood pressure tablet I was also on - in case one of them was causing this? The statin won that first step - if it didn't improve my plan was to then drop the other one. Within a week - my memory started to improve. I subsequently discovered that neither Rosuvastatin nor Pravastatin apparently do not cross the blood/brain barrier though I was already aware lots of different statins cause the horrible muscular problems you've had to suffer, and now they've eased after changing to the R. So, I now wonder if that's because of the same thing re crossing that blood/brain barrier?
That's a rhetorical question of course - but, just BUT .......
That's a rhetorical question of course - but, just BUT .......
That's really interesting. I didnt know about the blood barrier aspect and had been aware of losing my memory and "sharpness". I hadn't put it down to Atorvastatin and its still early days for Rosuvastatin but I'll definitely watch out for any improvement now. The good thing is that my joint pains are all much much better so no Atorvastatin again for me!! Well done you for figuring that out.
Leadinglights
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Somebody I know went through about 4 different statins before they found one which didn't have side effects. So don't give up on finding one that suits if you really need them.
Bloden
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- Type 1
I'm about to start on my fourth LOL.
Good luck!!
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