Hello from Cornwall

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KernowKate

KernowKate

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I should have chosen Yo-Yo as my username because I've been in remission twice before and now I'm trying to get back there a third time. I'm T2 by the way, retired and 71yrs old.

When I was diagnosed in 2015, so I put myself on the low carb diet and lost 3 and a half stone and went into remission. Then had a few family bereavements within 8 to 9 months in 2018. Food has always been my go to comforter. So after I had got over the grieving, as best as possible I had a shock Hba1c results, all the hard work to get to remission and I was back to square one so I went back on my low carb diet. The GP's kept trying to push meds onto me. But I refused. I'd done it once and could do it again much to their distaste.

Then remission number 2 happened and I felt pretty pleased with myself and the GP's admitted defeat.

So for some reason I was too confident and in the run up to last Christmas which isn't a good time for me as I'm on my own so I'm pretty glad when it's all over and back to normal, what with people giving me boxes of chocolates and biscuits etc as gifts, after re-gifting most of them on to others there were still a few hanging around, so Christmas arrived and I couldn't resist the chocolates and biscuits and actually forgot how easy it is to go back to full blown diabetic and how fast it happens.

I had the last Hba1c last January but didn't get the results until the week before last (late letting me know due to staff shortages they said), my BG was up to 64. I was shocked. I thought it would be up, but not that much. So once again the GP tried to get me on to meds, and once again I refused saying I can do this on my own and didn't want to rely on meds because I believe once you're on them you rely on them and I didn't want to do that. So after much wrangling with the Diabetic Nurse she's agreed to give me until end of June when I have another Hba1c to see if I've got my BG down.

I'm hoping I can. I had got into a good routine in the last remission having adapted the low carb diet with a bit of the Mediterranean diet mixed in which worked brilliantly for me, until Christmas. So that's what I'm doing now and I'm having a Slimfast shake for breakfast and one for lunch then a low calorie dinner at 5 or 6pm.

I only started this 'diet' 3 days ago so not expecting any great changes just yet. Still getting my liver dump in the mornings so that's 10 or 10.5 before breakfast, lunchtime it's around 9 and before dinner at 5 or 6pm it's down to around 6.6 or 7.0. I still do finger pricks 3 times a day, they don't bother me, I must have skin like a rhinoceros hide and I'd rather take finger pricks 3 times a day before meals so I can see how I'm doing. Even tho everyone says it's not necessary. It is to me, I need to know.

phew! So there it is. That's where I'm am at the moment. Bit fed up to be honest, but it's all my own fault I'm having to start again. But I can do it, I just wish I could do it a lot quicker than the 3 to 4 months it took twice before.

If you've not dozed off with boredom by now reading this, hello and it's nice to meet you all and I hope I can get some support and give some too. I really do wish I'd chosen Yo-Yo as my username. Never mind, perhaps next time .... joking. I'm hoping there won't be a next time. 😛
 
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Thanks Inka x
 
Hi @KernowKate, and wow! What a journey you've had with your T2 so far!

Admitting you have gone into remission before, you know you can do it again and I admire the stubbornness to achieve that - good on you. The temptations, especially around Christmas, are unreal. You might have to consider giving your friends and family a bit of a warning to steer away from giving biscuits as gifts, though from experience you still end up with plenty... Gave away and donated the majority of mine last year, only to end up with more boxes in the house. :rofl:

You'll find plenty of support in this forum though, people with similar experiences too. And the fact you've lived with T2 yourself means you'll have a lot of advice for others too!

P.S. I think your username choice is precisely what it needs to be, a 'yo-yo' would imply you're planning to fall back again, and I think with you seeing your target - the only way is forward!
 
Liva
Well hopefully this will be the last time I fall back to full blown T2 again. Thanks for the wise words. I do tell everyone sweets and biscuits are out but like you as soon as you get shot of one box there's two more arrive.

I hope I can help some other newbies. I think the first month is the worse to be honest. If they're like me and watch the finger prick numbers like a hawk it can be a bit depressing when they don't change for a while, then suddenly you can see an improvement. Once you notice that slight change it gives you a boost and you're off on the road to remission hopefully.
 
Hi and welcome.

Many congratulations on your 2 previous remissions and you clearly know what you need to do to get there again. Even with medication, dietary changes are necessary, so you can't just rely on the tablets if you do start on them and we do have members who have taken medication at the start of their diabetes journey and then come off them. Anyway, I am sure we can all relate to your situation and how difficult it can be when life gets tough and temptations are put in our way. The important thing is that you know what you are doing and you have testing kit which is an invaluable tool to helping you to "see" your diabetes because lets face it, it can be invisible to many of us without that ability to monitor levels and it can be very motivational to see numbers coming down as well as helpful in discouraging us from eating things we know we shouldn't, when we see high readings after them. My levels hit 27 once after eating a whole sharing packet of salt and balsamic vinegar Jacobs crackers. I remember how worried and mortified I was that I might have to go to hospital for being a glutton 🙄 , every time I see them in the shops and it keeps them out of my shopping trolley. Difficult when people gift you stuff, but it sounds like you did well to re-gift most of it... but still hard.

Anyway, good luck with your current journey back towards remission and do ask if you need any help.
 
Thank you Barbara x
Yes it is scary when the numbers go up isn't it. Even though I've been here a couple of times before it is still scary and makes me panic. Yes I would recommend everyone do those finger prick tests 3 times a day before food. I don't think I could have beaten this twice before if I hadn't. x
 
Kernow-Debra said:
Hi @KernowKate Great user name

Congrats on previous success and wishing you well for doing it again, proper job!
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Thank you Debra! I'm looking forward to when I can have a sneaky pasty again lol That's a long way off yet though pffft.
 
KernowKate said:
Thank you Barbara x
Yes it is scary when the numbers go up isn't it. Even though I've been here a couple of times before it is still scary and makes me panic. Yes I would recommend everyone do those finger prick tests 3 times a day before food. I don't think I could have beaten this twice before if I hadn't. x
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If I might suggest that testing just before meals and then 2 hours afterwards will give you more helpful information than just testing before. Not suggesting that you test before and after every meal, but keep a food diary and record your before and after results for each meal at least a couple of times, so may be work on breakfast for a few days and see how your body responds to your typical breakfast, and then move on the testing different lunch options and then evening meals. Personally I am not a fan of the shakes. I know it is easy and convenient but I personally think that this can lead people to the yoyo situation because they don't learn how to translate it to a real diet and longer term I don't think these highly processed food replacements are good for our gut. Just my thoughts but I think part of the Type 2 diabetes problem is highly processed foods so I am not sure the treatment should include them, if it can be avoided. Those are just my thoughts. There are plenty of suggestions for low carb meals on the forum but happy to share the sort of things I have. Might not be to your taste or dietary requirements but could give you some ideas if you are interested.
 
I may try testing after as you suggest. I don't stick strictly to the shakes for breakfast after the first week, sometimes I may have air fried bacon and fried eggs (in olive oil) with mushrooms and tomatoes. Today I had a shake for breakfast and one for lunch, and for dinner tonight I'm having a 2 egg omelette with king prawns and one slice of rosemary and olive sourdough bread toasted. Tomorrow I may have egg n bacon for breakfast or scrambled egg, and once the numbers start to come down I sometimes have porridge oats for breakfast. It's a proper old mash up my diet. lol I do keep a food diary though, and put my numbers down for each day too.
 
Testing before and 2 hours after eating will give you a much better idea of what your tolerance is to your meals.
Whatever dietary approach you take has to be for the long term and therefore has to be enjoyable. It need to become your ew way of eating for life.
I found following the principals in this link successful and it is my new way of eating. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Welcome to the forum @KernowKate

Glad you have found us! All the best for your new push to get your diabetes back in its box again. 🙂
 
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