Confession...

[helli]

The main thing to get right is what you eat - do you plan your meals, and if so how?

I don't understand your comment, can you clarify what you mean for someone with Type 1 diabetes?
With Type 1, the main thing is to dose the right insulin for what you chose to eat.
The diet for someone with Type 1 does not have to be different to the diet for someone without diabetes.

 

[rebrascora]

@helli The OP is shown as Type 2 on his profile....

My gut feeling is that he is maybe a misdiagnosed LADA, but without knowing his current diet it is hard to know...

 

[Drummer]

It seems that you don't plan your meals then. That can be more than half the battle when you need to keep on track.
I find that I don't need to eat more than twice a day, but I tend to have something I can eat always on hand - I cook whole chickens fairly regularly, roast a joint, and the little wok and a carton of eggs lives beside the cooker - it only takes a minute to make scrambled eggs, adding cheese and a finely sliced tomato another half minute.
I buy salad stuff in a packet ready to eat, but I buy other things and wash them so that there is no need to do that before eating - so it is quick to assemble a salad. There is a chopping board and knife beside the fridge.
Maybe, just for a week or so, write out a meal plan, be sure to take out anything that needs defrosting early enough for it to be ready to cook - see if being prepared makes it any easier to keep on track.
I eat quite a bit of sugar free jelly. I have ice cubes in the freezer so I can make up the jelly in the minimum of hot water, then toss in ice cubes to make it up to a pint and it will set almost at once.
I have been eating low carb for over 4 years now and it really does get easier the more practice I get - but I would really advise getting into the habit of testing your blood if you are injecting insulin. Eating a low carb diet can be very effective in reducing glucose levels. I was diagnosed with 17.1mmol/l and by the time I was testing only a few days later I was in the 8s. That was probably too fast a drop, but I am rash and fearless by nature, and I started to low carb back in the 1970s and have been berated by various GPs over the decades, so I was probably making a point, or trying to, my GP hasn't spoken to me since diagnosis so I never got the chance.

 

[pinnig]

Thanks all. Just putting my situation down on 'paper' and reading your responses has helped me become more prepared to accept that I do need to make changes. I have an appointment with my practice nurse on Monday and will go through with her what I think I need to do and see what support I can access to do so. Some insulin that is in date may be the starting point, together with the purchase of a libre and a food shopping of meat, fish, cheese, eggs and plenty good veg. I do appreciate all your input and may check back in for some help as I go. Thanks

 

[rebrascora]

Good to hear you are feeling a bit more motivated to tackle your diabetes. Many of us find that visiting the forum daily helps to keep us on track more. There is a thread called the "Group 7-day waking average" where we check in each morning with our morning fasting reading and perhaps a bit of chat about our plans for the day etc. It keeps us accountable, maybe log what we are doing to improve things or explain why a reading is not as good as we would like and others will sometimes chip in with helpful comments or thoughts if we are struggling. It just takes a few minutes whilst you are having your morning coffee to document your reading and maybe get to know the rest of us a bit better.
If you do decide to join us there, don't even attempt to read it from the start because it is thousands of pages long and it's purpose has changed over the years, just jump straight in with your morning reading.

Good luck whatever you decide and do come back to us for support or inspiration when you need to.

 

[ColinUK]

I’m another one who will extol the value of the Group 7 day waking average thread. It introduces an amount of accountability, but it also is a great place to just learn from others as people share routine ups and downs.
It’s also a source of great support too.

 

[Amigo]

Thanks all. Just putting my situation down on 'paper' and reading your responses has helped me become more prepared to accept that I do need to make changes. I have an appointment with my practice nurse on Monday and will go through with her what I think I need to do and see what support I can access to do so. Some insulin that is in date may be the starting point, together with the purchase of a libre and a food shopping of meat, fish, cheese, eggs and plenty good veg. I do appreciate all your input and may check back in for some help as I go. Thanks

Hi pinnig,

The last thing I want to be seen doing is nagging because it's clear you run for the hills when anybody tries to dictate what you should do. What jumps out from your post to me is you’re kicking back at the situation and even the medics (and yes they can be useless) when in fact it’s really yourself you’re kicking in the end. I hate being diabetic because in a sense it dictates how we can live and what we can eat. I sense you do too and you’re too busy for all that lark. But, the risks from it are real and your levels are very high. So high I glad they’re looking at insulin or even a different diagnosis as @rebrascora suggested.

This has to be something you want to do for yourself and the only winner is you. After bawling my eyes out for 2 days, I decided to learn about diabetes and sort out what I could eat and would enjoy eating. That for me has meant home testing. I’ve got my levels down without meds as a result. As I already have cancer, I needed to because the two conditions don’t play well together. The difference is, with diabetes, we can change things.

You‘ve made a good start writing it down. Next step is recognising you’re doing this for yourself. You’ll show the medics you can do it and you’ll be surprised how much better you feel. Good luck!

 

[Drummer]

@Drummer i plan to eat what's in the fridge then get distracted, usually by work, and then eat what comes to hand when my stomach growls. I think this is where the most drastic changes need to happen. I know what I should and shouldn't eat and will need to be much more disciplined about eating better and more regularly. It should be easier in lockdown so I guess now would be the time to start.

I know that I hammer on about eating low carb and getting the carbs from low carb veges and salads - but I really do think that it is the best way to eat to feel well and do well too, even if it isn't - to the knowledge of the eater, keeping them from possible harm.
Having, over my lifetime, been pushed to eat all those healthy carbs and then escaping from notice and going back to Atkins way of eating, it was always like dropping a heavy burden and being able to do things again without finding myself bone weary and weeping at the effort required just to do ordinary things.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thanks all. Just putting my situation down on 'paper' and reading your responses has helped me become more prepared to accept that I do need to make changes. I have an appointment with my practice nurse on Monday and will go through with her what I think I need to do and see what support I can access to do so. Some insulin that is in date may be the starting point, together with the purchase of a libre and a food shopping of meat, fish, cheese, eggs and plenty good veg. I do appreciate all your input and may check back in for some help as I go. Thanks

Good for you @pinnig

Sounds like you’ve really reached a turning point with your diabetes, and the forum will be here for you as you push forwards.

I note that you say you’ve never really got the hang of using your insulin, and I wonder if perhaps you’ve never really been taught how to use it?

This is from my T1 perspective, but I’m pretty sure the same applies to T2 on basal:bolus. Apologies if this is teaching you to suck eggs.

Apidra is your rapid acting insulin. It covers the carbohydrate in anything you eat or drink. The more carbohydrate you eat, the more Apidra you need to balance it. If you eat something with less carbohydrate, you need less Apidra.

Typically these days a T1 will develop an insulin:carbohydrate ratio, and estimate the amount of carbs in a meal to calculate the correct insulin dose. Sounds like a lot of faff, but in practical terms many people usually eat similar meals week to week and season to season, so as long as your portions are consistent you can use calculations you’ve done previously.

Insuman Basal is your ‘background’ insulin. This takes care of the stored glucose that your liver trickles out through the day. This is energy like a battery pack you have available for necessary functions (breathing... heart beating... maybe even running fornthe bus) even if you don’t have food to eat there and then. Insuman Basal lasts approx 20 hours, so you may find you get better results taking it in 2 doses approx 12hrs apart so that it spreads over the 24hrs. This also means you can have more running during the day and less at night if that’s what you need.

For a T1 (and I can only assume a T2), it can be really really helpful to check the basal dose is working properly and keeping BG even in the background by running fasting basal checks. See here: http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=120

That is most of it. Though there’s a bunch more about corrections if your BG misbehaves, and dealing with exercise or illness... plus finessing things by carefully adjusting the timing of when to eat after you have delivered your meal dose (sometimes a short wait helps a huge amount).

For a lot more detail, you could consider signing up for a free online diabetes management course like BERTIE which teaches the theory of intensive insulin therapy.

This could well help whatever diet you end up choosing if your body needs the support of additional insulin 🙂

 

[pinnig]

Can I record my thanks to everyone who replied to my confession post. 'Fraid I have another one....

I saw the practice nurse on Monday and I am so glad I made the appointment. I truly felt awful and clearly looked it. She took some readings and my finger prick tests showed my BG was 25.9 and keytones came in at 2.9.

Within 30 minutes I was in hospital and I am now home and feeling a bit better. Insulin and fluids by IV, hourly observations and a couple of one to one education sessions with a diabetic consultant and specialist nurse.

I'm now on novorapid and lantus with new testing kit and caboodle. I will be followed up by phone consultations.

This has been my wake up call. I have obviously been poorly for some time and whilst I would have said I was fine, I haven't been. I ain't going through that again if I can help it so it's test, jag, eat every day for now. Time to take control.

 

[trophywench]

Immovable object v Pinnig = match abandoned.

It's so ruddy galling when we have to admit defeat the first time, isn't it?

Been there; done that on a number of regrettable occasions in my life so you do certainly have my very sincere empathy. Best help a medic (a hospital DSN) gave me 20ish years ago when I confessed I'd done something I shouldn't diabetes wise was to say 'Well that was a bit daft, wasn't it Jen?' with a huge grin and then we both laughed - and she got straight on with explaining to me how to extract myself from this particular muddle. They really ARE on the same side as us if they're any good at their job, in the finish.

Anything at all we can possibly help you with, we absolutely will.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hope you begin to feel much better on your new treatment plan @pinnig

Sometimes we don’t realise how grim we have been feeling until it lifts - especially if it has crept up on us for a while.

Lean on your consultant and DSN too - especially for the education and support. They will want to help you improve your self-management 🙂

 

[pinnig]

@everydayupsanddowns @trophywench Very true. I have just opened an envelope with a wad of weekly DSN appointments for February. I've never been a fan but they must think I need the support too. As a decorated member of 'the own worst enemy' club its time to let them in. I always think I can do everything on my own but if they and posting here can help its on me to accept all the help I can get.
P. S. Recorded my best numbers in years

 

[EllsBells]

All the best Pinnig - so sorry you're going through this.