Hello - might not be here long I guess

[DavidM]

Hi, like the title says I might not be here long as I've just had a diabetes scare but it seems I'm not now but I remain slightly wary so I thought I'd add some detail and see what you folks think.

I was horribly ill recently, six weeks nearly off work - started as a flu then progressed to 'something else' - which included feeling horrendously lethargic and lots of funny headspin like turns for drawn out weeks. During the process I finally after 4 weeks persuaded my doctors to actually do some blood tests on me. All tests came out OK - slightly high white blood cell count for one thing (but I was ill,hardly surprising) but the big thing that got me called back into the doctors was a blood glucose count of 6.9 mmol/L - right on the cusp of a diabetes diagnosis apparently (note I wasn't told to fast before this but I didn't eat very much - maybe a slice of toast and a cup to tea beforehand)

So I was sent for a HbA1c test and have been reading here and elsewhere about type II diabetes and diets required and such ever since.

But it has come back as 40 mmol/mol - which is in the normal range it appears.

Begs the question of what the hell *was* wrong with me though - and maybe still is.

Looking at the translation of that to blood glucose level though - that still seems on the cusp - 42 is approx 7 mmol/l blood. And my sister was diagnosed type 2 last year.

Seems to me I should maybe keep an eye on this and not get complacent about it.

I'm into long distance cycling although perhaps don't eat as a keen cyclist should -perhaps not a bad thing to lose some weight and eat more sensibly anyway.

Should I remain concerned…?

Many thanks for any thoughts

 

[HOBIE]

Hi David. sounds like you are good example of modern living. Food with carbs sweet things will put any persons readings up. When you were ill you would not be moving around as normal. If I were you I would keep off things that will push blood sugar up ie. sticky toffee pudding cak e 😉 Really good luck & keep on that cycling stuff 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Well I shouldn't panic - but YES! - do keep a close eye on yourself.

Just because your sis is T2 doesn't mean that if you got D, you'd automatically be T2 as well. I was a one off in our family being diagnosed T1 in 1972. Blow me down if in the noughties, my older sister wasn't diagnosed T1. So we've both clearly inherited a faulty gene, that most certainly no-one knew about since none of the grandparents were diabetic and no other rellies were on either side. Not that we're a big family, but ....

Then you have Northerner, our Admin. Keen Marathon runner so terribly fit. About a fortnight before the Stockholm Marathon he was due to run, he got a chest infection. A week later he was seriously ill and only just about managed to dial 999 before it was too late - well - the hospital soon discovered that not only did he have serious chest probs, but was also T1.

His consultant has told him since that probably because he was constantly involved in major physical activity and not eating junk (by which I really mean constantly stuffing himself with carbs) it didn't manifest itself sooner. I always think it's a good job he had the chest infection - otherwise if Stockholm have a Pasta Party on the eve of the run - like London do! - it might have seen him off.

I think it would be worth you requesting a regular check at your GPs if you haven't access to your sister's blood glucose meter (I sincerely hope she has one!) so you can make sure you're still OK in future.

Otherwise especially if you are ill, nothing to stop you visiting more or less any large chemsts, where they do fingertip tests at the drop of a hat.

 

[Mark T]

Welcome to the forum DavidM 🙂

To be honest a good healthy diet and exercise is the best thing for anyone not just for diabetics.

Although it does depend what you call healthy, most breakfast cereals are absolutely packed with carbohydrates and when followed up with a glass of fruit juice, probably not the best thing 😉

42 mmol/mol equates to an HbA1c of 6% - which would not be enough for a formal diabetes diagnosis, that would be higher then it should be. You might want to consider pushing your GP to re-test you in 6 months or so.

 

[DavidM]

Hi again, well thanks for the thoughts all - you are all saying sensible things.

I think I'll definitely keep and eye on this - the blood tests were high enough for me to be still slightly concerned - didn't know chemists do blood tests like that on demand, I may well make use of this just to be sure. My sister lives elsewhere alas but yes she does have a meter.