Hello all 2 yrs diabetic here still confused

[Layny68]

Hi Everyone I'm Layny, been a diagnosed diabetic 2 yrs now.
Not sure what I'm doing with my diabetes really and right now I have a small cut on my foot that looks like it started to heal but is feeling a bit sore.
Not sure what to do about it.
Any advice welcomed
Thanks
Layny

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome

If it was me, I would clean it up well and apply Germolene and some Micropore but that's just because that works for me with cuts and sores and spots and keens and check how it is doing over the next few days. If it isn't healing then maybe email a photo of it to your doctor or nurse with a few details of how long it has been injured and that you are diabetic

As regards your diabetes, can you tell us a bit more about it.... like your latest HbA1c result and what if any medication you take or if you are diet controlled, what sort of things you eat on a daily basis, like breakfast lunch and evening meal and what exercise if anything you do.... walking is ideal so doesn't have to be anything overly exertive or sporty. It also helps to have a rough idea of your BMI so we have an idea if you have much or any weight to lose.

Do you have a BG meter to test your blood at home? If not you might want to invest in one, perhaps with any Christmas money that came your way.... Basic meter Kit is about £15 but then you need additional test strips and lancets. Test strips are £8 for a pot of 50 and you are best getting 100 strips (or 2 pots) at least to get you started plus a box of lancets. The benefit of home testing is that you can find which foods cause your levels to spike and need to be avoided or eaten very rarely in small quantity and which or what potion size of favourite foods you can perhaps continue to eat. It can be quite individual how we respond to different foods so a meter gives you the data to make good choices. It also helps to keep you on the straight and narrow because it is motivating to see results improving day after day and also worrying when you eat the wrong things and see just what it does to your levels, which means you are less likely to stray. Sadly most Type 2s unless they are on specific medication are unlikely to be prescribed with a self testing kit, but it is an invaluable tool, so many people here self fund to improve their health, diet and lifestyle.

Unfortunately NHS dietary advice is not always helpful for Type 2 diabetics, but you will get lots of helpful pointers from people here who have taken control of their diabetes and pushed it into remission and feel healthier and happier than they have in years and they still eat well and enjoy their food.
I was diagnosed 22 months ago and I am now 2 stone lighter, feel fitter and healthier than I have for 30 years and I can get into fitted dresses I bought in my 20s and look good in them still and I am coming up 57. I appreciate that I am Type 1 rather than Type 2 but I follow a very similar way of eating to most Type 2s here and I no longer have food cravings which I have struggled with all my life, particularly sugar and chocolate, but also bread.

Anyway, good luck with healing the cut on your foot and we look forward to helping you get to grips with your diabetes.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Layny68

Sorry to hear about your foot. For people with diabetes it’s really important to look after your feet, and to seek help and support for any minor injury that doesn’t heal normally. People with diabetes can have reduced circulation and sensation in the lower limbs (you should be getting your sensation and pulses checked annually?).

I think you should call your GP surgery first thing tomorrow and book an appointment to try to get it checked, even if that’s just a video call.

It sounds like maybe you could do with a bit more helps and support - perhaps you’ve just been left to get on with it yourself by your GP? One of the best thigs you can do is start to understand your diabetes better, how it affects you, and how best to reduce your risks of any nasty complications down the line. Members here frequently recommend Maggie Davey’s Letter and Gretchen Becker’s book, as very helpful starting points.

For a bit more background information, the ‘useful links’ thread is a mine of helpful information - useful-links-for-people-new-to-diabetes

Good luck and keep us posted about your foot 🙂

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Layny68.
I notice that so far you've only had Type 1's reply to you. Though I do agree with what they have said, sometimes it is nice to hear from somebody who has been in a similar situation.
I say similar because Type 2 Diabetes covers a very wide range. For example I am/was a TOFI (Thin Outside Fat Inside) meaning that I was always fairly slim and only just got slightly overweight in the couple of years before my diagnosis.
People like me get Type 2 diabetes without the usual warning signs because we have fewer sub-cutaneous fat cells in which to store the fat from eating excess carbohydrates. So instead it is stored around our internal organs and we get NAFLD (Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease) which is the human (self inflicted) version of what the French do to their geese to produce fois-gras.

Once I understood the problem (and that nearly all of the advice was wrong and even made things worse) I cut the carbohydrates (not just sweet things), bought myself a Blood Glucose meter (a Spirit TEE2) and started testing the effect of what I was eating i.e. before and then 2hrs after every meal (aiming for no more than a 2mmol rise and a max reading of 8.0mmol or less.

Unfortunately I discovered that I'm extremely carb intolerant and so I learned to avoid not just potatoes, flour, rice bananas, mango etc. but also beans (except for green beans) and all fruit (except avocado, cucumber and berries). Fortunately I like meat, fish, eggs, cheeses and nuts (though I have to avoid/limit the higher carb nuts).