Do you ever get used to this?

[Inka]

Thank you. I’ve started to track my carbs and seem to have about 30g per meal or a total of about 100g per day. I don’t know what affects me as the diabetes nurse won’t let me test my blood glucose levels as she says I’d just be even more obsessive than I already am! I’ve given up cereals and potatoes but have a wholemeal sandwich a couple of times a week and occasionally the small portion of rice or pasta recommended on this site which I precook, freeze and reheat. My husband sits and rolls his eyes at the portion sizes then eats a Wall’s Magnum!

Is the diabetes nurse just giving you general advice about you not needing to test, or is she saying that specifically because of your ‘fear of eating’?

If it’s the latter, don’t dismiss her advice. Consider whether she has a point and how you’d react to ‘bad’ test results or, indeed, to seeing your blood sugar go up and down in response to food.

 

[Sheepish1947]

We too end up with a mini magnum sometimes where the carbs are well below our target.

Many on here choose to test in spite of the advice from the DSN. They are rarely funded by the Practice but find that it helps them to manage their D effectively so choose to self fund the test strips.

It still irritates me when I hear nurses telling people testing will make them obsessive!!!! I think they are from the times when many were told to just continue and take the meds. Nowadays so many want to take control of their food intake and adjust it exactly as you have already done. It is your Diabetes so do what helps you.

I realise she has a point. I know I’m borderline OCD but can’t help but think this would give me a semblance of control. I told her I didn’t expect the NHS to fund it. I think because my HbA1c levels are low: 47 at last test and never above 56, they feel I shouldn’t be worrying but this was only recently explained to me. When I was diagnosed I was made to feel as though I was near to catastrophe!
Thank you for all your help. I’ll continue working my way up the therapist's avoidance ladder and maybe I’ll be able to go out for a meal eventually without it feeling like an endurance test!

 

[Nick Cliff]

Hi @Sheepish1947
I've had the "unwelcome guest" for 10+ years and no sign of insulin on the horizon. Just a diet free of added sugar plus regular exercise. My father and mother were both T2 and never progressed beyond Metformin.
So try not to worry about needles and focus on all the lovely food you can still eat.
Good luck. Nick

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I realise she has a point. I know I’m borderline OCD but can’t help but think this would give me a semblance of control. I told her I didn’t expect the NHS to fund it. I think because my HbA1c levels are low: 47 at last test and never above 56, they feel I shouldn’t be worrying but this was only recently explained to me. When I was diagnosed I was made to feel as though I was near to catastrophe!

Sorry to hear about the negative MH impacts you are experiencing @Sheepish1947

I think it is wise to reflect on the advice you are being offered, but also you are free to take your own decisions. If you believe monitoring would be helpful and support you, you may decide to undertake a limited trial (meters tend to come with a small number of strips) and just keeping an eye on your levels of anxiety and whether you can sense that BG monitoring is triggering for you. There are links to fairly affordable and accurate meters in the ‘useful links’ thread if those are helpful.

Do be mindful of your mental health though, particularly your difficult relationship to food, and be kind to yourself.