Hello

Status
Not open for further replies.
L

littlelight

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi.
I’m Littlelight and I’ve just had the news that I’m type 2 DM. To say it’s a shock is an understatement but I thought it wouldn’t happen to me. Who does though?

So I’m here to find out what I need to know to go into remission. Luckily(?), a brother is diabetic (type 2) as well and I’ve told him.

I’m reeling from the shock but am determined to achieve the best possible health I can.

Thanks
 
Welcome @littlelight 🙂 You’ll get lots of support here. We’re a friendly bunch🙂 Ask anything you want. Nothing is too trivial or ‘silly’.

Do you know what your HbA1C was at diagnosis?
 
littlelight said:
Hi.
I’m Littlelight and I’ve just had the news that I’m type 2 DM. To say it’s a shock is an understatement but I thought it wouldn’t happen to me. Who does though?

So I’m here to find out what I need to know to go into remission. Luckily(?), a brother is diabetic (type 2) as well and I’ve told him.

I’m reeling from the shock but am determined to achieve the best possible health I can.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forum, it is often a shock but at the same time it can be a relief in that it explains symptoms you may have been having. It should be good to have your brother for support but if he has been diagnosed for a long then some of the dietary measures he may be following may not be quite what newer thinking is and it also may depend on what medication he is on, if any. Similarly what dietary measures may be suitable for you will depend on what medication you may have been prescribed and that will be indicated by your HbA1C.
Any way have a look at this link for good information and some ideas for modifying your diet, it is a low carb approach which many find successful in both reducing blood glucose and losing weight if you need to. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
 
Welcome to the forum @littlelight

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but glad you have found us.

Great that you are seeing this as an opportunity to improve your health. You wouldn’t be the first forum member to have found their diabetes to be a sort of catalyst for transformation. 🙂

The concept of type 2 remission is only relatively recently acknowleged. It is often defined as 2 or more HbA1c results below 48mmol/mol while taking no medication

There seem to be two ways that forum members achieve this condition - by significant weight loss (especially visceral fat around the organs). Alternatively by moderating their carb intake to a level that their metabolism can cope with.

There are stories shared in our remission section which may interest you.
 
Inka said:
Welcome @littlelight 🙂 You’ll get lots of support here. We’re a friendly bunch🙂 Ask anything you want. Nothing is too trivial or ‘silly’.

Do you know what your HbA1C was at diagnosis?
Click to expand...
I was discharged from hospital yesterday. My blood sugar was 8 and Hb is 94. I’ve no idea what the Hb means. Nor really the blood sugar.
 
The HbA1C test is the one used for diagnosis and is in simple terms the average blood glucose over the previous 3 months and in your case is 94mmol/mol. The diagnostic threshold is 47mmol/mol so yours is pretty high so very likely you have been prescribed medication. If you say what that is then that will help people make appropriate suggestions.
The other reading you have been told is a moment in time and is in mmol/l in your case 8, whether that is high, low or not bad depends on when the test was done in relation to eating as the thing which affects that is what you eat, which is why it is important to look at your diet.
 
Thanks for this.
On the discharge letter, it says
HB 88(94) which I took as haemoglobin level.
I am anaemic. And it was a major hospital (Edinburgh Royal Infirmary) and being in for over 2 months, I think if I had been needing medication, I would have been prescribed it. At least I hope so.
Other people in the ward were.

But they didn’t mention it to me (type 2) which is surprising. I’ll get an appointment with the doctor on Monday.

Thanks for your advice
 
I'd be very surprised if you aren't prescribed medication with an HbA1c as high as 94. Let us know how things go with your doctor
 
littlelight said:
I was discharged from hospital yesterday. My blood sugar was 8 and Hb is 94. I’ve no idea what the Hb means. Nor really the blood sugar.
Click to expand...

Are there any units by the Hb? As you were in for anaemia, I wonder whether that’s actually your Hb result (ie to do with your anaemia) rather than an HbA1C (which is to do with your blood glucose).

I think it would be wise to find out to be sure.
 
Inka said:
Are there any units by the Hb? As you were in for anaemia, I wonder whether that’s actually your Hb result (ie to do with your anaemia) rather than an HbA1C (which is to do with your blood glucose).

I think it would be wise to find out to be sure.
Click to expand...
Actually I was in for pneumonia and I had a rare complication with it. I had an empyema (internal abscess in my pleural sac) which had to be removed under a general anaesthetic.
I was in a bad way (in intensive care before the op) and was discharged after being in hospital over 2 months.
And my pneumonia is no more.
 
Inka said:
Are there any units by the Hb? As you were in for anaemia, I wonder whether that’s actually your Hb result (ie to do with your anaemia) rather than an HbA1C (which is to do with your blood glucose).

I think it would be wise to find out to be sure.
Click to expand...
No. Just HB (88) 94. I do bleed internally and have chronic anaemia.

I’m severely disabled too. Do doctors prescribe Metoformin straight away?
 
Inka said:
Are there any units by the Hb? As you were in for anaemia, I wonder whether that’s actually your Hb result (ie to do with your anaemia) rather than an HbA1C (which is to do with your blood glucose).

I think it would be wise to find out to be sure.
Click to expand...
Good point. From what I'm reading anaemia is diagnosed in adults when Hb falls to 100 or less. It might also explain the absence of diabetes medication.
 
I think before making any changes you need to be sure exactly what your diagnosis is and what your HbA1C is as that is going to determine your treatment. The HbA1C may not be the most appropriate test for diagnosis as being anaemic can affect the result and another test, fructoseamine would be better so I suggest you ask about that.
Any infection can result in increased blood glucose as can from stress which I expect you were getting being in hospital. Also if you were given steroids they can also increase blood glucose.
Metformin would normally be the first medication that would be prescribed when blood glucose is high but when just over diagnostic level then people are hopefully given the opportunity to make some dietary changes first.
 
I never knew that. I do know that even with Diarrhea relief tablets, I’ve never been off the loo all day.

I thought it was because I’d been on so much morphine.
 
Leadinglights said:
I think before making any changes you need to be sure exactly what your diagnosis is and what your HbA1C is as that is going to determine your treatment. The HbA1C may not be the most appropriate test for diagnosis as being anaemic can affect the result and another test, fructoseamine would be better so I suggest you ask about that.
Any infection can result in increased blood glucose as can from stress which I expect you were getting being in hospital. Also if you were given steroids they can also increase blood glucose.
Metformin would normally be the first medication that would be prescribed when blood glucose is high but when just over diagnostic level then people are hopefully given the opportunity to make some dietary changes first.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that. I’ve lost the weight before, but now it will be for good this time.
 
Hi and welcome from me too. Really sorry to hear that you have been so unwell. That must have been scary.

Were/are you on steroids for the pneumonia as that can cause elevated Blood Glucose levels, so it may be transient, if it is steroids, once they are withdrawn.

The BG level of 8 is a bit higher than you might like but not as high as an HbA1c of 94 would suggest, so I wonder if that figure is in fact an indication of your anaemia rather than HbA1c which would be given with the units of mmols/mol
 
littlelight said:
I never knew that. I do know that even with Diarrhea relief tablets, I’ve never been off the loo all day.

I thought it was because I’d been on so much morphine.
Click to expand...
Are you saying you have been prescribed metformin, if so it does have the reputation for causing stomach issues as you mention. The dose is normally increased gradually 1 per day for a week or more then increasing if needed. People find less effect if taken with food, mid meal to help. For many people it will usually settle down.
 
My arthritis was out of control so I had 5 different times I was on steroids from December 2022 (when I was originally hospitalised) until May this year. I completely indulged in chocolate plus other high carb and high fat foods then wound up in hospital with what I thought was a pulled muscle in my side. (A typical symptom of pneumonia).
The rest you know about.

I’m hoping it’s a blip (can it be ‘just a blip?) or at least it can be managed by me.
Either way, it’s depressing. But I’m trying to be positive with my diet.

And I’m now back on my biological drugs for my RA which were fantastic last time.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top