Advice please

[Confetti]

Hello and thank you for accepting me to join. I am quite worried about posting this as I don't want to be judged wrongly.

I was diagnosed with diabetes about 6 years ago. I am type 2 diabetic and I take metformin liquid.

I should of had a blood test last year for a check up but I put this off as I developed really bad anxiety and depression (I am still trying to cope with this). I have run out of my medication months ago and want to start taking it again.

I would like to try and get this back on track and I am really worried about what the nurse might think of me. The last time I spoke to the nurse she basically told me off and said I shouldn't have diabetes at my age, 28 (it's due to multiple reasons that I have it).

How do you think I should go about trying to start all this again? I am not sure if I should just book a blood test or try and get an appointment with the nurse. Me and my partner would like to try and start a family but I want myself sorted before we do.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Inka]

Hi @Lex and welcome 🙂 No-one will tell you off here. Diabetes is hard to deal with mentally sometimes and we all have periods where we get stressed.

How’s your anxiety and depression at the moment? Are you on any meds for that? If it’s still bad, I think I’d approach your GP from that angle. Explain you’ve been struggling and get that across first so they realise how you’ve been feeling. Then explain that as a consequence of that, you’ve not been taking your diabetes meds but would now like support to get back on track. You could then make an appointment for your HbA1C blood test and for a chat with the nurse about getting back on your diabetes meds and getting ongoing support.

Don’t let worry about what they might think put you off. They deal with all kinds of things. It’s your health and you’re doing well to want to get things back on track.

 

[Confetti]

@Inka Thank you for the reply. I have spoken to a GP today and they seemed very understanding (which has eased my anxiety!). They are getting my medication prescribed again and I have a blood test booked on Tuesday.

Hopefully things will start to get better 🙂

 

[Inka]

Excellent news @Lex 🙂

 

[rebrascora]

Oh well done! I imagine that took quite a bit of courage to take that first step but you are now back on the road to taking control again. I hope you start to feel better soon both mentally and with your diabetes. Let us know how you get on and don't let the nurse make you feel bad. It is her job to support you, not criticize you, so if she makes you feel bad then she is clearly not good at her job.

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @Lex
Glad that you have found us, and hope that you find the information that you want as well as loads of support. Well done on the steps that you have already taken. Keep asking any questions that you have. Nothing is considered silly on here.

 

[Cherrelle DUK]

Hi @Lex, welcome to the forum.

No judgement here as we all have our own challenges, just glad that you managed to speak with the docs and get the ball rolling.

The medication plus a change in diet should really help get your numbers together and aid in your journey to start a family.

If there's anything we can help with, al you need to do is ask. Let us know how your appointment goes!

 

[rebrascora]

Hi again.

Not sure if you are aware but you need to discuss your plans to start a family with your nurse or GP. With being diabetic, there needs to be quite good control of your BG levels when you are pregnant but don't let that put you off as there is also lots more support and perhaps tech to help you with that. You also should be taking a high dose Folic Acid tablet once you start trying for a baby and during the pregnancy I believe to keep you and the baby as healthy as possible from the start. Apologies if you know all this already, but just wanted you to know that there is lots of support for that, so do discuss it with your health care professionals when you are ready for that next exciting step in life.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Lex

And really well done for connecting with your GP surgery again, and getting that blood test booked. Sometimes I don’t think HCPs realise how off-putting a ‘tough love‘ approach can be, and the barriers it can put in place when people want to reconnect with their self-management. No one wants to feel told off!

Do mention your hopes of starting a family when you are speaking to your GP. They may have some pre-conception support and advice to offer you?

 

[Confetti]

Thank you to everyone who has commented on here. It is nice to know that there is so much support for each other.

@everydayupsanddowns @rebrascora I will mention it when I next speak to a nurse/GP and will make sure I take Folic Acid. I have read a lot about what high blood sugar can do to a baby and I really want to make sure mine is under control before doing anything.

I am worried about changing my diet. I have tried before and I find with eating salads etc. that I always feel hungry afterwards. Is there a way to help prevent this? My fiancé won't eat salads or something similar so it will probably mean having to prepare 2 meals. Which will obviously affect our weekly food shopping bills. Do you have any tips for a way to minimise this? I have thought of preparing the same meals and just having more veg for myself instead of some carbs.

 

[Leadinglights]

Thank you to everyone who has commented on here. It is nice to know that there is so much support for each other.

@everydayupsanddowns @rebrascora I will mention it when I next speak to a nurse/GP and will make sure I take Folic Acid. I have read a lot about what high blood sugar can do to a baby and I really want to make sure mine is under control before doing anything.

I am worried about changing my diet. I have tried before and I find with eating salads etc. that I always feel hungry afterwards. Is there a way to help prevent this? My fiancé won't eat salads or something similar so it will probably mean having to prepare 2 meals. Which will obviously affect our weekly food shopping bills. Do you have any tips for a way to minimise this? I have thought of preparing the same meals and just having more veg for myself instead of some carbs.

That is what quite a few people do, just have extra veg instead of the potatoes, rice and pasta. There are lots of things you can add to salad to help you not feel hungry, coleslaw, feta or other cheese, boiled eggs, add a dollop of mayonnaise.

 

[Drummer]

Thank you to everyone who has commented on here. It is nice to know that there is so much support for each other.

@everydayupsanddowns @rebrascora I will mention it when I next speak to a nurse/GP and will make sure I take Folic Acid. I have read a lot about what high blood sugar can do to a baby and I really want to make sure mine is under control before doing anything.

I am worried about changing my diet. I have tried before and I find with eating salads etc. that I always feel hungry afterwards. Is there a way to help prevent this? My fiancé won't eat salads or something similar so it will probably mean having to prepare 2 meals. Which will obviously affect our weekly food shopping bills. Do you have any tips for a way to minimise this? I have thought of preparing the same meals and just having more veg for myself instead of some carbs.

I have just had one of four pork chops, my husband had another, there are two left which will be tomorrows dinner. I had salad and he had peas and chips. Tomorrow I'll probably have stir fry - kept in the freezer as frozen so no waste, and I'll probably have tuna salad first thing tomorrow. I'll make some bread in my new toy, the bread maker and he can have sandwiches.
Preparing two different meals doesn't mean that there is any waste.
I have always found that eating low carb means that I can live off very small amounts of food and feel content. The foods I chose are nutritious and sustaining, but I do need to keep my carbs fairly low to keep normal blood glucose levels.