Hello...(Anxious 63)

[Anxious 63]

hi there just registered this morning i was diagnosed 2 years ago with type my latest 3 month blood test was a week or so ago , my reading was 8.2 is that very high ? , my gp said my cholesteral was still a bit high and put on a statin called Enzimeb and increased my emplagfication to 25 mg i am also on metformin , but i feel very confused and anxious about all this

 

[Northerner]

hi there just registered this morning i was diagnosed 2 years ago with type my latest 3 month blood test was a week or so ago , my reading was 8.2 is that very high ? , my gp said my cholesteral was still a bit high and put on a statin called Enzimeb and increased my emplagfication to 25 mg i am also on metformin , but i feel very confused and anxious about all this

Hi Anxious 63, welcome to the forum 🙂 If the 8.2 was the result of an HbA1c test then it is somewhat on the high side - ideally it needs to be 6.5% or lower. What sort of steps have you taken since your diagnosis to try and manage your blood sugar levels, and how did your original diagnosis come about? It may be that, with the help of the good members here, you can make changes that will help you get things under better control 🙂

It would be useful for us if you gave us an idea of a typical day's food. I'd suggest reading the excellent Maggie Davey's letter and seeing if the type of diet she suggests following is anything like the one you have been following - unfortunately, a lot of people are given very poor advice at diagnosis which then makes it very difficult to improve their situation and can result in increased levels of medication Understanding how your food choices impact your body is of the greatest importance if you are to manage things well. I'd recommend starting a food diary, writing down the amount of carbohydrate in everything you eat and drink. This may seem like a tedious exercise but it can be extremely helpful in assessing your overall carb consumption, and revealing areas where you might improve your diet so it is kinder to your blood sugar levels 🙂

I'd also recommend getting hold of a copy of Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker - although this isn't your first year it can be helpful to take a fresh look at things and put the past behind you 🙂

Testing your blood with a home blood glucose monitor before and after eating will show your tolerance for your different food choices so you can see whether certain elements are OK, or need reducing or removing and replacing with better alternatives. Read Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand how this works 🙂 If you don't have a monitor then I would highly recommend getting one, as this is the only way you can know how you are personally affected by things, and people-s tolerances can vary considerably. The cheapest option we have come across is the SD Codefree Meter which has test strips at around £8 for 50.

Please ask any questions you may have and we will be happy to help! 🙂

 

[Anxious 63]

Thanks northerner i was diagnosed about 2 years ago i do try to keep a good diet but had issues with my stomach for years ie gallbladder out ten years ago , but currently my sleep is poor and ii have had anxiety and depression for a long time so this is very worrying , also had left leg swelling a bit which isnt good either

 

[Northerner]

Thanks northerner i was diagnosed about 2 years ago i do try to keep a good diet but had issues with my stomach for years ie gallbladder out ten years ago , but currently my sleep is poor and ii have had anxiety and depression for a long time so this is very worrying , also had left leg swelling a bit which isnt good either

I'm sorry to hear this Are you receiving any help for the anxiety and depression from your doctor or nurse? I know if can be hard to motivate yourself when you feel this way, especially if you are not getting much sleep. Are you able to exercise much? I find this really helps me, and it would also help with the blood sugar levels.

 

[Anxious 63]

hi again northerner yes i am out patient at my local psychiatric unit and have been for a long time , but since this diabetes diagnosis i have gone worse and im now terrified that im going to die very soon from something which they havent diagnosed yet , i would love to exercise like i used to but feel very fatigued and very anxious

 

[CathyB]

Hi Anxious, it’s a horrible situation when you feel afraid like that, not knowing what to do for the best I get it, before my diabetes I had pretty much given up on any quality of life, I have heart disease so exercise was difficult.....so I didn’t do it just in case. I wasn’t sleeping as I spent most nights listening to my heart beat and waiting for it to stop!
My diabetes was a real kick up the butt for me, a reality check that if I didn’t do something then my greatest fear would be my reality. All I needed to learn about my diet came fro this forum so that was my first step, then I started walking, at first it was to the lamp post and back, I shivered and shook all the way scared to do it and just as scared not to 😳 I borrowed my neighbours dog so I had an excuse to stop and catch my breath whilst the dog sniffed at everything. Bit by bit by confidence grew as I managed to get further and further, now 6 months in I’m walking for around an hour each time, I sleep like a baby, I’m calmer, my bg levels are within normal range from my starting point of 22 😱 and I’m not waiting to die anymore, I’m too busy living Take it slowly, read as much as you can, ask any questions you have and most important, know you are not alone, we will all be here for you and support you along the way

 

[Anxious 63]

hello there cathy thanks for telling me about issues and progress , yes a pet like what you have described can be really helpful , so your readings were 22 which yes are quite high you have done brilliant to get back into normal range

 

[CathyB]

hello there cathy thanks for telling me about issues and progress , yes a pet like what you have described can be really helpful , so your readings were 22 which yes are quite high you have done brilliant to get back into normal range

You can do it too, be patient, take the time to learn what you can eat and what’s best to avoid, have faith in yourself and take the best advice I received from the forum, it’s a marathon not a sprint 😉

 

[Maz2]

Welcome anxious63. I am sorry you are feeling so low. I am an anxious person too and it is very difficult when you are like that. I think you will find Cathy Bs post very helpful as sounds as if she has been in the same boat.

I was told a few months back I had low neutrophils and white blood count (they are a bit better now), and iron deficiency. Also I had been pre-diabetic, got out of it but was back at 42). I got very anxious about it until my husband said I had probably had these sorts of problems before but as I had not been tested I would not have known. That did make a lot of sense.

After a chat with my GP it seems I had been the lower side of normal with them before and he feels it is probably just the way I am and not that significant. What panicked me was when the Duty GP rang me on the Friday night about the results but, as he was Duty GP, he had just looked at patient's results and alerted those with abnormal ones and had not had time to check everybody's records at the same time. They re-did them a few days later and they were better.