Hello!

[Lucylemonpip]

I’ve been diagnosed as being T2, with an HbA1c of 50. I knew I was overweight and needed to lose a couple or so of stones in weight, but it’s still a bit of a shock when you have a telephone consult with your GP who says your tests have come back abnormal and you are now classed as a Diabetic. I cried (after the phone call), and blamed myself, as I had the power to do something sooner, but didn’t, as didn’t fully appreciate this could happen. However, being positive, I now have the willpower to step up and be proactive in losing weight and eating more healthily, although wasn’t eating that bad, but obviously bad enough. I’m still annoyed with myself though.

I have a first diabetes check with the practice nurse on Monday, so will learn a bit more then. I’ve gone and bought myself a monitor, to keep an eye on things and fingers crossed, I might well be able to achieve remission by dieting and diet alone. I hope.

It’s been a big wake up call though and am sure I’m not alone in feeling this, but it’s still a shock isn’t it. Have been on a low carb diet since the GP phone call and have lost a few pounds; still a ways to go, but am determined to get there.

 

[Felinia]

Yes it is a shock isn't it? But you are only just into the diabetic range, are very positive, and already taking steps by reducing your carbs and losing those extra pounds, so I'm sure you will soon be in remission. My HbA1c was 57 on diagnosis 3 months ago, and I was not given any medication, just told to exercise and follow a healthy lower carb eating plan. Your nurse will go through some tests and dietary advice, and also refer you for a retinal scan, a session with a dietitian, and a training course (it needs GP referral). You are also entitled to a flu jab each year. Now you are in the system you will be thoroughly tested at least annually and probably have the HbA1c every 3 months until you are stabilised.
This website is an excellent source of information, and the first thing I did was work my way through the Training videos. The Forum members are also extremely helpful, so please ask your questions. We have all had to learn - and am still learning. I got an app which helps me record my food diary and measures cals and carbs for me. My diabetic nurse did not want to give me a monitor, but I got one anyway after advice from Forum members. She warned that some people become obsessed with monitoring but I used it to identify which foods badly affect my blood glucose, and which don't. We are all different - for example I can eat a small slice of wholemeal bread, but potatoes and apples are off the menu! Others have different foods they can and cannot eat. Your next HbA1c will tell you how well you are doing. All the best.

 

[Drummer]

With a ba1c of 50 you are not going to need to try hard - with any luck a few weeks on a low carb diet and you'll be backk in the normal range - and as you have a meter you'll be able to check that your meals are not causing spikes, or you can adjust them until they don't - job done.
You might well be advised that you need to eat carbs and that starches are healthy - why, then, are they used for fattening up farmyard animals? Well - basically because they make them fat - so - really? Healthy?
By eating the essential protein and fats Humans seem a lot better off, and for type two diabetics, it means that we stay fit and healthy so bit of a no brainer, really.

 

[Docb]

Drummer, I love an evangelist, but farmyard animals are mostly designed different to humans and eat different stuff for different reasons using different digestive systems. You can't draw parallels from what goes on in the farmyard with what goes on in us!!!!!!

 

[trophywench]

Well, true - but please don't knock a simple anology that so well illustrates the meaning that someone is trying to get across.

 

[Lucylemonpip]

Thank you for your advice Felinia and Drummer.

As you say, Felinia, a monitor is a handy gadget to have and I got one because I didn’t want to have to wait 3 months to have my next HbA1c test, to know whether or not I was going in the right direction and eating the right things.

Re the “spikes” and finding out which foods do and do not cause these, is this so that the less spikes you have, the better it shows how well (or not) one is at controlling the blood glucose levels and therefore, the better the next HbA1c result will be?

 

[Felinia]

I don't know, to be honest, as I'm a new diabetic myself. I use the monitor to see which foods affect me badly. I suppose if you identify these foods and cut them out, it will impact on the 3 monthly HbA1c. Perhaps a more experienced person will know.

 

[Lucylemonpip]

Thank you. I think it might well do. I’m going to list my meals and bg readings and see what appears. It will be interesting to see what foods cause what. I bet it will be the things I like that cause the spikes!

 

[Drummer]

Drummer, I love an evangelist, but farmyard animals are mostly designed different to humans and eat different stuff for different reasons using different digestive systems. You can't draw parallels from what goes on in the farmyard with what goes on in us!!!!!!

I would argue otherwise - feed a goose masses of sweetcorn and they develop fatty livers - no parallel there?
Feed a pig a fatty diet and they gallivant around full of glee, leaping around and cavorting all day long, and losing weight because of it - I can relate to that.
The upper part of the digestive system of a ruminant is very different in its arrangement from that of a Human - but once past those structures intended to deal with the forage, they are very like our own, having converted it into a useable form which can be dealt with in the usual manner.
As one of my teachers remarked to me, the more the differences are studied, the greater the similarities become understood.
English was not his first language, but he had a wonderful ability to express great truths.

 

[Docb]

You may well be right.