Thanks for the reply, got my blood test in two weeks, fully expecting it to be terrible and to be told I'm a lost cause.
Who needs feet anyway?
I know it was a flippant comment, but it is not a joking matter and if you start to manage your diabetes better now, it should reduce the risk of things progressing and they could even possibly improve a bit.
As far as I am aware, floaters are not connected to retinopathy. They are just minor ingrained debris/damage to the surface of the eye. The retina is the bit at the very back of the eye which catches and responds to the images coming through your eyes. I think most if not all of us more mature adults have floaters and they don't cause any issues and as said, your brain learns to ignore them. If it is background retinopathy that you have then some of us have had that and then got the all clear a year or two after. The key thing is to manage your diabetes as well as you possibly can to reduce the risk of it getting worse and possibly achieve some improvement.
The tingling in your feet sounds pretty minor at the moment, so again, definitely not too late to take action, to reduce the risk of it becoming agony which is what some people suffer and even the strongest painkillers struggle to take the edge off that sort of pain and many find it worse at night, so it isn't like you get a break from it even when you sleep. Even if it gets so bad that you finally need them amputated, the pain doesn't always stop there, as people still get phantom pain, which is equally agonising.
It sounds like you are a long way off any of that, so use these relatively minor signs as a warning that you need to take this seriously. The medication alone will unfortunately not fix it and you need to make lifestyle changes. We can help and support you with that.
Many of us here can now look back after a few years and see that we are now fitter and healthier and feel younger as a result of making those lifestyle changes. They were not easy at first, but they do get easier and can actually become enjoyable. I love walking and I really enjoy a meal of rib-eye steak with mushrooms, salad and a big dollop of coleslaw and if I can be bothered, I will also make some chips from celeriac, which is lower carb than potatoes. So you see, it doesn't have to be all sack cloth and ashes. We can help you change your diet if you give us an idea of what you currently typically eat for breakfast lunch and evening meal, as we can suggest lower carb alternatives.
Another option is to follow the Path to Remission program which some NHS areas can refer you onto, which is a 12 week very low (800) calorie soup and shake diet to help you lose visceral fat from your liver and pancreas and then support over the following months during the reintroduction of real food to maintain the weight loss.
We have many, many members here who have followed one of those approaches or even a combination of both to push their diabetes into remission and many of them hang around on the forum to support people like yourself who need encouragement.
Your nurses attitude is not good by the sound of it but your fate is in your own hands and if you want help, we will be more than happy to offer you it, but please don't think you are powerless here. Only you can want to change and want to be healthier. You are getting warning signs. They are very minimal at the moment so please heed them and let us help you change.
