• Please Remember: Members are only permitted to share their own experiences. Members are not qualified to give medical advice. Additionally, everyone manages their health differently. Please be respectful of other people's opinions about their own diabetes management.
  • We seem to be having technical difficulties with new user accounts. If you are trying to register please check your Spam or Junk folder for your confirmation email. If you still haven't received a confirmation email, please reach out to our support inbox: support.forum@diabetes.org.uk

Hello

R

Raddyroo

New Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Pronouns
She/Her
Hi. I am really happy to have found this forum. I have already found answers to questions I have just by reading some of the threads. I can see that you all provide a lot of support to each other and I think that is wonderful.

I was recently diagnosed with diabetes after I had routine bloods taken as part of a pre-op assessment. I had a telephone call from a diabetes specialist nurse out of the blue to tell me that I was diabetic and needed to see my GP. My GP explained that my HbA1c was 105. I really need my surgery but I have been informed that I cannot have the surgery until my HbA1c is below 69. I have been put on insulin to try to get my blood sugars under control as quickly as possible.

I am really angry with myself because I did not recognise the symptoms of diabetes. I had sepsis following a surgery in September 2023 and thought that all of my symptoms were related to that. Every doctor I saw told me that it can take months and years to recover from sepsis and it all seemed to fit. I so wish that I had asked for a diabetes test.

I am feeling very overwhelmed by everything at the moment. I am so glad I have found this forum so that I can ask questions and hopefully get answers from people who have the experience to provide answers.
 
Welcome @Raddyroo 🙂 It’s completely normal to feel overwhelmed. It must be extra hard for you if you have the pressure of waiting for surgery too. What insulin(s) are you taking?
 
Hi Inka. I am on humulin. I haven’t found the right dose yet. I am increasing by four units every three days, supervised by the diabetic nurse. My numbers have started to drop but it is taking time.

I am making changes to my diet. I am eating a lot of protein and reducing the carbs. I have never had a sweet tooth but I could eat crisps all day! I have swapped crisps for mixed nuts but it’s not quite the same.

For the last 2 years I have been eating only one meal a day in the evening. The problems with my stomach means that I am in pain after eating. I stopped eating during the day so that I could continue to work. I was used to that routine and never started to feel hungry until around 3pm. I am now eating three meals a day but I seem to be really hungry all day. I can’t understand it.

I would really appreciate any advice you are anyone else could give me about managing my diet.
 
There are different types of Humulin @Raddyroo (think ‘Ford’ where your car might be a Focus, a Fiesta, etc) Which Humulin are you on? There should be a number and/or letter after the word ‘Humulin’. And how often do you take it?
 
You will probably have realised that I am absolutely clueless about my medication etc.

I am taking Humulin M3. I take it before breakfast and before dinner in the evening. My glucose levels are always best in the afternoon.
 
Ok - Humulin M3 is a mixed insulin, containing both slow-acting and fast-acting insulin in one liquid. This means it’s quite inflexible as you can’t increase/reduce one component without also increasing/reducing the other.

However, with a strict and regular routine, it can work fine. By this, I mean eating the same amount of carbs for breakfast each day, for lunch, etc and having your meals at the same time each day. So, while you’re adjusting your dose, you could begin to do this by keeping regular meal times. You could also tot up the carbs in the meals you’re eating, so you’ve got an idea of how the amounts are working with your insulin @Raddyroo

Edited to add, the reason your blood glucose levels are usually better in the afternoon might be because most people are most resistant to insulin in the morning and less so in the afternoon and evening. It might also be that the lunches you’re eating ‘fit’ your insulin well.
 
Thank you so much for this information. It is really helpful and I will definitely take your advice about a regular routine. I appreciate your help.
 
Hi @Raddyroo and welcome to the forum from me - it must be frustrating waiting for your Blood Glucose levels to come down but it is important to do this slowly as it can cause more problems if it comes down too quickly so the mixed insulin approach seems a sensible option - and it is difficult to get the dosage right initially - but you will get there - it does get easier I promise - glad you have found us 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum @Raddyroo Very pleased that you have found us.

It is very common to feel a bit clueless at the start. I knew absolutely nothing about diabetes when I was diagnosed. Lots to learn but you have come to the right place.

With your mixed insulin, and the routine of meals at the same time with the same number of carbs in each that this requires, you may find that you can develop a new routine, and so bring your glucose levels down gradually.

Do ask any questions that arise. Nothing is thought to be silly on here.
 
Hi @Raddyroo welcome to the forum and please please don't be angry at yourself, missing the symptoms is not your fault quite a few manage to do that me included. I was only diagnosed because I thought I had had a cystitis attack as I had suffered with this regularly when younger. When I went to see the doctor they did lots of tests to check my prostate and bladder to see if there was any other cause and it was only when they did the blood tests that they realised the issue.

I didn't feel I had any symptoms and only on reflection after diagnosis did I feel that perhaps the increase number of toilet trips earlier in the year, the constant thirst and the feeling that I had been eating too many carbs may have been linked to it. In my defence all three of those symptoms had disappeared by the time I was diagnosed.

At the end of the day we are human as as such we get things right, some things wrong and in my case make a mess of things when I forget to put in the key ingredient in baking activity :rofl:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top