Hello all, I was diagnosed in July with extremely high blood sugars that have seemingly been out of control for a long time. I recently had an emg test done and the chap doing this said the amount of neuropathy in my legs would explain 10-15 years worth. I’ve been on medication since I was diagnosed and cut back on any sugars since then. I do have a little bit of chocolate some days but nothing compared to what I used to eat. The thing I’m struggling with is knowing how to manage it. I went into a real low point at first and am still finding myself cancelling appointments, putting off my next blood test and basically pretending it’s not really happening. Has anyone else felt like this and if so can you please offer me any advice to how to accept this? I’ve always been the one taking care of everyone else and managed my own stuff around that. I’m of the mindset that ‘I can’t be ill, what if someone needs me’ and I really can’t get my head to think otherwise. Thank you in advance for any help you can offer.
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Burying my head in the sand
- Thread starter Se2910
- Start date
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Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Welcome to the forum. You have to look after yourself otherwise you will not be able to look after others so getting to grips with making some changes will help you manage what is a manageable condition, whether you can undo the damage I don't know but at the very least it should help it not getting worse.
Dietary changes are the most important but it does require rather more than just reducing the amount of chocolate and sugary foods as it is all carbohydrates which convert to glucose so foods like potatoes, bead, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals which are the big hitters.
Have a look at this link for a low carb approach which many find successful. There is a good explanation and some do's and don'ts as well as some menu plans to suit various tastes and budgets. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Time to poke your head out of the sand.
Dietary changes are the most important but it does require rather more than just reducing the amount of chocolate and sugary foods as it is all carbohydrates which convert to glucose so foods like potatoes, bead, pasta, rice, breakfast cereals which are the big hitters.
Have a look at this link for a low carb approach which many find successful. There is a good explanation and some do's and don'ts as well as some menu plans to suit various tastes and budgets. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Time to poke your head out of the sand.
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Hi @Se2910 and welcome to the forum.
Well you have made an important step and joined the forum to find the experience of others. Many on here have found that has given them the start they needed and we like to think that it is because the thoughts have come from people who have been where you are now.
I like to start with the numbers! Do you know what your HbA1c reading was. This is the result of the blood test that led to your diagnosis. If you do not have it then ring your surgery and ask for it - make sure you get the number. Are you on any medication and are you happy to share the details of it with us?
Well you have made an important step and joined the forum to find the experience of others. Many on here have found that has given them the start they needed and we like to think that it is because the thoughts have come from people who have been where you are now.
I like to start with the numbers! Do you know what your HbA1c reading was. This is the result of the blood test that led to your diagnosis. If you do not have it then ring your surgery and ask for it - make sure you get the number. Are you on any medication and are you happy to share the details of it with us?
Thank you for replying, I’d be giving anyone else the same advice but I’m really finding it hard. That link is a help, I’ve not even looked into low carbs. I’ve had another diagnosis on top of the diabetes and I’m not sure which is causing which ailment ♀️ I think this is the week I’m giving my head a wobble though and getting myself back to the old me. I honestly never thought diabetes was such a life changer.
Hiya, thanks for replying. Yes my HbA1c was 115, the nurse said diabetes is diagnosed at 48! Because I’ve been a fool and neglected myself for so long I’ve not had any bloods done for years so they had nothing to go off so don’t know how long things have been so bad or what damage has already been done. I’m on metformin twice a day and dapagliflozin once.
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
HbA1c of 115 is high, not a forum record by any means and we have a few members who have successfully started up there and have got back down to sub diagnosis levels. The important thing is that if you continue at that level then the risk of having complications in the long term becomes significant and it is sensible to work to get it down.
Could you do with losing a bit of weight? Personal question I know, but if that is the case then it could be the key for getting you back on track. Read around the forum and you will find many members for whom that approach has been successful.
Could you do with losing a bit of weight? Personal question I know, but if that is the case then it could be the key for getting you back on track. Read around the forum and you will find many members for whom that approach has been successful.
Hiya, yes I could. I’m not massively overweight but it definitely won’t do me any harm to loose some. I’ve always struggled to loose it and now lost over 20lbs since being diagnosed. I know the medication will have helped with that. Knowing that others have been at the same levels as me and are managing it is a massive reassurance, thank you for that. I was feeling like I’d caused all this damage to myself and now have to live with whatever consequences I’ve brought on with nothing ever getting better. Not facing it is the worse thing I could do, I know that
Docb
Moderator
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
Absolutely right about not facing it but if you have begun to loose weight then you it looks like you have turned the corner.
Suggest you start thinking about carbs as suggested by leadinglights. No need to go extreme but figuring out ways to cut your carb intake will help things along. Again, read around the forum and look for ideas, there are plenty of them. The trick is to pick out a way of eating which you are comfortable with and can sustain. There is no magic formula, you have just got to find what suits you and will meet your goals. Ask away with any questions, you will get nothing but support and encouragement on here.
Suggest you start thinking about carbs as suggested by leadinglights. No need to go extreme but figuring out ways to cut your carb intake will help things along. Again, read around the forum and look for ideas, there are plenty of them. The trick is to pick out a way of eating which you are comfortable with and can sustain. There is no magic formula, you have just got to find what suits you and will meet your goals. Ask away with any questions, you will get nothing but support and encouragement on here.
Thank you so much, I’m feeling better already after the replies ive had today from you lovely people. I felt that I was beyond help with my levels being so high and sort of agreed with myself to just get on with it and wait for the inevitable
Drummer
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
@Se2910 the good news is that it isn't the chocolate - it is the amount of sugar added to it to make a bar cheaper to produce. Add in some carbs and it is even lower, and you can even charge more. It is like the fancy sausages with veges added into the mix.
Look for high cocoa bars - you can get up to 100%, but I can manage on anything over 85%.
There are so many choices for eating low carb and I think they taste so much better than the diet I was pressured to eat for so long.
I seem to be unable to drop my HbA1c down into the 30s - but I was left with high glucose levels for a long time. I just stick to low carb, under 40gm a day, and hope for the best. So far so good.
Look for high cocoa bars - you can get up to 100%, but I can manage on anything over 85%.
There are so many choices for eating low carb and I think they taste so much better than the diet I was pressured to eat for so long.
I seem to be unable to drop my HbA1c down into the 30s - but I was left with high glucose levels for a long time. I just stick to low carb, under 40gm a day, and hope for the best. So far so good.
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I know @Drummer goes with a pretty low carb regime but I suggest you start with something more moderate and reduce gradually to a level where your body can tolerate.
It is suggested that no more than 130g carbs not just sugar is a good starting point and reduce down from there as needed. Cutting carbs drastically in one go especially if you have had a very high carb diet can cause issues with eyes and nerves which is the last thing you want.
Making a reduction of one third for a couple of weeks then another third etc until you get to where you need to be.
Keeping a food diary of everything you eat and drink with an estimate of the carbs is helpful as you can see where savings could be made. Look on packets, tins, etc and on shop websites for the carbs in what ever it is, it will usually be on the back in the nutritional info. The traffic light system is as much use as a chocolate teapot for folk who are diabetic.
It is suggested that no more than 130g carbs not just sugar is a good starting point and reduce down from there as needed. Cutting carbs drastically in one go especially if you have had a very high carb diet can cause issues with eyes and nerves which is the last thing you want.
Making a reduction of one third for a couple of weeks then another third etc until you get to where you need to be.
Keeping a food diary of everything you eat and drink with an estimate of the carbs is helpful as you can see where savings could be made. Look on packets, tins, etc and on shop websites for the carbs in what ever it is, it will usually be on the back in the nutritional info. The traffic light system is as much use as a chocolate teapot for folk who are diabetic.
They need to make that nutritional info on the back bigger text because some of it is so small that I can't read even with reading glasses on.
Tdm
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Leadinglights
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
They certainly do, it is often in the fold of the wrapper which makes it unreadable.
It can be worth having a look on the internet for the product info before you go shopping as it can save having to peer at the packet.
Hello @Se2910 and welcome to the Forum and to the club that no one wants to join!
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but, as they say in the movies, it is what it is, so let's think about what can be done for the future
No one knows exactly why, but people with diabetes often have a sort of depression, anxiety, a feeling that something isn't quite right, or looking over their shoulder but they don't know why
You will find lots of advice and encouragement about diet, weight loss, and exercise on here so follow it and gradually (but not too slowly we hope!) you will start to feel brighter, more lively, more positive, and more interested in looking after yourself .... a diabetic diet is actually a healthy diet that most people could follow - cut out carbs, stodge, sugar, processed & junk food, more veg, and all the rest of the healthy stuff we read about.
And this all has a sort of combined or rolling effect - the more you do, the more you can do, so the more you do, and so on
I've just re read your posts, especially #6 .... you can't turn the clock back, so dredge up some ancient hippy zen and follow the cliche that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life
Follow the advice on here about diet and do a bit of exercise, probably mostly indoors at the moment; you don't need a gym, there are loads of YT videos on indoor exercises
I do a sort of low carbohydrate Mediterranean diet ..... Tai chi in the morning; and Canadian Airforce exercises late afternoon and walk as I can
Treating & controlling diabetes will require acceptance, and changing the way you've been eating & living, perhaps for most of your life .... but the most important thing is not so much the change, rather making the decision to change .... after that, everything just falls into place.
Missing out carbs is strange at first, but you soon get used to it, and feel better for it
Look at Living With Diabetes on the Home Page of Diabetes UK, and previous Threads on this Forum, especially Newcomers, Food & Carbs, and any others you think will be useful.
Finally, please do ask any questions you might have, nothing is too silly or embarrassing on here, we've all been in a similar position.
Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but, as they say in the movies, it is what it is, so let's think about what can be done for the future
No one knows exactly why, but people with diabetes often have a sort of depression, anxiety, a feeling that something isn't quite right, or looking over their shoulder but they don't know why
You will find lots of advice and encouragement about diet, weight loss, and exercise on here so follow it and gradually (but not too slowly we hope!) you will start to feel brighter, more lively, more positive, and more interested in looking after yourself .... a diabetic diet is actually a healthy diet that most people could follow - cut out carbs, stodge, sugar, processed & junk food, more veg, and all the rest of the healthy stuff we read about.
And this all has a sort of combined or rolling effect - the more you do, the more you can do, so the more you do, and so on
I've just re read your posts, especially #6 .... you can't turn the clock back, so dredge up some ancient hippy zen and follow the cliche that tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life
Follow the advice on here about diet and do a bit of exercise, probably mostly indoors at the moment; you don't need a gym, there are loads of YT videos on indoor exercises
I do a sort of low carbohydrate Mediterranean diet ..... Tai chi in the morning; and Canadian Airforce exercises late afternoon and walk as I can
Treating & controlling diabetes will require acceptance, and changing the way you've been eating & living, perhaps for most of your life .... but the most important thing is not so much the change, rather making the decision to change .... after that, everything just falls into place.
Missing out carbs is strange at first, but you soon get used to it, and feel better for it
Look at Living With Diabetes on the Home Page of Diabetes UK, and previous Threads on this Forum, especially Newcomers, Food & Carbs, and any others you think will be useful.
Finally, please do ask any questions you might have, nothing is too silly or embarrassing on here, we've all been in a similar position.
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I have a small magnifying glass that folds into a cover that I take when shopping, and blow what anyone thinks
And I have a larger magnifying glass in my top kitchen drawer to check at home; yes, I know it's a stable door job, but it will prepare me for any future purchases .... or not, as the case may be.
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Oh my, you people have just had me crying happy tears. Thank you all so much! I cannot tell you how massive it is to have such encouragement and positivity. I don’t think you’ll know how much your responses mean, so much though. I’ve just ordered a food journal and booked my bloods, see where I’ve managed to get these levels to and then plan how to keep going. I appreciate this so very much everyone ❤️
Deb_l
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Welcome to the forum, it’s an amazing place with a huge amount of useful information and support. I’ve had lots of support from my GP and diabetes nurse but this forum has been invaluable for ongoing daily advice.
You certainly don’t have to accept the inevitable. With a bit of thought, you can make the necessary changes to your diet to reduce your HbA1c.
It’s already been said but worth saying again. Treat your diagnosis as a fresh start to your life. You may fall off the wagon but take it one day at a time and make sure you only fall off for one day and not forever.
Good luck, it can be done.
rebrascora
Well-Known Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 1
- Pronouns
- She/Her
So pleased you are starting to feel encouraged and more positive. I was a sugar addict and Olympic level comfort eater pre-diagnosis. I could eat a multipack of snickers in one afternoon and still be looking for something else sweet to eat. My idea of a healthy lunch was 4 slices of wholemeal toast with a can of baked beans. Portion control had totally gone out of the window and at the time I couldn't really see it, but looking back it was shocking!
I genuinely believe that my diabetes diagnosis has probably saved my life or at least added years to it, as I was eating myself into an early grave. Going low carb wasn't easy at first but now it is just my new normal and people can eat stuff in front of me like cakes and sweets and even offer me some and it is relatively easy to say "No thank you". My general health has improved enormously including gut health, drastically reduced joint pain, no migraines for 4 years when I was averaging one a month which would lay me out in a dark room for a day and my skin is better. I am fitter than I have been for maybe 20 years and at coming up 60 in a couple of months time, I am happy with that. I am certainly fitter and slimmer than all of my friends my age and I get a kick out of being able to slide into old cocktail dresses that have hung neglected in the back of my wardrobe for decades. Last Christmas I wore one that was bought in my early 20s and I loved it so much that I couldn't part with it all these years even though it didn't fit anymore.
I was initially diagnosed as Type 2 but then found to be Type 1 which means that technically I can eat a normal diet and just inject the "right" amount of insulin for whatever I eat, but I have stuck with low carb because it gives me control over my comfort eating which I have struggled with for decades plus all the other health benefits I have mentioned above. What I will say is that what made low carb sustainable long term is eating more fat. So full fat products rather than low fat yoghurt and coleslaw and mayonnaise and milk and cheese and I also eat fatty cuts of meat because I like them best and cream in my morning coffee is my daily luxury. I also eat lots of olives which I love and avocado and nuts. Interestingly, my cholesterol levels have reduced since diagnosis despite eating all the things they say will increase it and I am not the only person to find this.
Anyway, I just wanted to say well done for booking a blood test and getting yourself a food journal and hopefully this will be the start of a new and better life for you. One where you put your health first and that will make a huge difference to the support that you can give others. You probably don't realise how those high glucose levels have been dragging you down both physically and mentally.
I genuinely believe that my diabetes diagnosis has probably saved my life or at least added years to it, as I was eating myself into an early grave. Going low carb wasn't easy at first but now it is just my new normal and people can eat stuff in front of me like cakes and sweets and even offer me some and it is relatively easy to say "No thank you". My general health has improved enormously including gut health, drastically reduced joint pain, no migraines for 4 years when I was averaging one a month which would lay me out in a dark room for a day and my skin is better. I am fitter than I have been for maybe 20 years and at coming up 60 in a couple of months time, I am happy with that. I am certainly fitter and slimmer than all of my friends my age and I get a kick out of being able to slide into old cocktail dresses that have hung neglected in the back of my wardrobe for decades. Last Christmas I wore one that was bought in my early 20s and I loved it so much that I couldn't part with it all these years even though it didn't fit anymore.
I was initially diagnosed as Type 2 but then found to be Type 1 which means that technically I can eat a normal diet and just inject the "right" amount of insulin for whatever I eat, but I have stuck with low carb because it gives me control over my comfort eating which I have struggled with for decades plus all the other health benefits I have mentioned above. What I will say is that what made low carb sustainable long term is eating more fat. So full fat products rather than low fat yoghurt and coleslaw and mayonnaise and milk and cheese and I also eat fatty cuts of meat because I like them best and cream in my morning coffee is my daily luxury. I also eat lots of olives which I love and avocado and nuts. Interestingly, my cholesterol levels have reduced since diagnosis despite eating all the things they say will increase it and I am not the only person to find this.
Anyway, I just wanted to say well done for booking a blood test and getting yourself a food journal and hopefully this will be the start of a new and better life for you. One where you put your health first and that will make a huge difference to the support that you can give others. You probably don't realise how those high glucose levels have been dragging you down both physically and mentally.
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