Hi, I’m 54 and type 2, diagnosed in Feb ‘19. Feeling fairly positive as have lost 5kg and got my HbA1c down from 93 to 36 in that time. It’s taken a massive change in lifestyle though - I sometimes struggle with knowing that this is how things must be for the rest of my life. Also worried that insulin injections loom at some point in my future.
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Hi
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rebrascora
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Wow! Well done Sarah and welcome!
I was diagnosed in Feb too, the day after my 55th birthday. Sadly despite radical and very strict diet change and a loss of nearly 2 stones my HbA1c went up from 112 to 114 in 5 weeks so insulin was necessary for me. I stick to a very low carb diet still to limit the insulin I need and I am discovering new foods that I like, which are low carb, to replace the high carb things I no longer allow in my diet. I will confess that I had a few tears when I got result and was told that I needed to start on insulin and it has been a steep learning curve but it is not so bad and in some respects it gives you more freedom as you can inject extra if you really fancy something "naughty". I worry that having that option means that I might slip back into my old sugar/carb habit bit by bit, so I am reluctant to use it. I have control over my sugar addiction at long last even if I don't quite have control of my BG and I am loath to risk relinquishing it. I am sure we all have some days when it dawns on us that this is for life.... I had a paddy the night before last when our first new potatoes were harvested from the garden and ordinarily I would have had a plate full with butter and maybe a fried egg or some cabbage and bacon. The sight of the 3 measly little things that huddled together on the side of my plate trying to avoid their butter bath really hit home maybe more than giving up the sweet stuff. New potatoes from the garden have been a life long pleasure and my Dad who is sadly deceased, used to grow the best ever, so there was a very emotional aspect to it. I know I am very lucky just to have those 3 and some butter but I had a teary strop anyway. I am back on an even keel now but it is OK to have days or moments when you want to rant at the world or worry that you will not manage to sustain your control. Taking it one day at a time is the only way for me but introducing fat into my diet to replace the calories that I no longer get from carbs was key to making it more enjoyable and therefore sustainable. It also helps to stop the sugar craving and general hunger in my experience. I am quite horrified when I think back to the amount of carbs and calories I put away pre diagnosis. I don't understand how I wasn't like a house end compared to what I eat now and seem to be maintaining my weight reasonable well.
Anyway, a huge well done for achieving such a remarkable reduction in HbA1c and the very best of luck in maintaining it.
I was diagnosed in Feb too, the day after my 55th birthday. Sadly despite radical and very strict diet change and a loss of nearly 2 stones my HbA1c went up from 112 to 114 in 5 weeks so insulin was necessary for me. I stick to a very low carb diet still to limit the insulin I need and I am discovering new foods that I like, which are low carb, to replace the high carb things I no longer allow in my diet. I will confess that I had a few tears when I got result and was told that I needed to start on insulin and it has been a steep learning curve but it is not so bad and in some respects it gives you more freedom as you can inject extra if you really fancy something "naughty". I worry that having that option means that I might slip back into my old sugar/carb habit bit by bit, so I am reluctant to use it. I have control over my sugar addiction at long last even if I don't quite have control of my BG and I am loath to risk relinquishing it. I am sure we all have some days when it dawns on us that this is for life.... I had a paddy the night before last when our first new potatoes were harvested from the garden and ordinarily I would have had a plate full with butter and maybe a fried egg or some cabbage and bacon. The sight of the 3 measly little things that huddled together on the side of my plate trying to avoid their butter bath really hit home maybe more than giving up the sweet stuff. New potatoes from the garden have been a life long pleasure and my Dad who is sadly deceased, used to grow the best ever, so there was a very emotional aspect to it. I know I am very lucky just to have those 3 and some butter but I had a teary strop anyway. I am back on an even keel now but it is OK to have days or moments when you want to rant at the world or worry that you will not manage to sustain your control. Taking it one day at a time is the only way for me but introducing fat into my diet to replace the calories that I no longer get from carbs was key to making it more enjoyable and therefore sustainable. It also helps to stop the sugar craving and general hunger in my experience. I am quite horrified when I think back to the amount of carbs and calories I put away pre diagnosis. I don't understand how I wasn't like a house end compared to what I eat now and seem to be maintaining my weight reasonable well.
Anyway, a huge well done for achieving such a remarkable reduction in HbA1c and the very best of luck in maintaining it.
Thank you for your kind words and support. It’s all been a bit of a roller coaster and like you, I have my angry and sad moments. I was thrilled with my HbA1c reduction - but immediately thought ‘how am I going to sustain this??’! I think taking it one day at a time is the only way. In one way I try not to think too far into the future but at the same time I know that thinking ahead and being aware of the possible complications is what motivates me and keeps me on the straight and narrow. Like you, I’ve dropped a lot of carbs but do enjoy some high calorie treats like cheese - without those things I think life would be unbearable!! So the weight is coming off fairly slowly but it IS coming off - every time I see my lovely diabetes nurse I weigh less than the time before! I must add at this point that I have the most amazing support from her and the surgery I’m registered with. I count myself very lucky as I know it’s not like that for everyone. Sending you best wishes Barbara - my family are very supportive but it’s lovely to hear from someone who knows exactly what this battle is like xx
rebrascora
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I know exactly what you mean. I have had so many highs and lows on the Big D so far. The only thing I have learned is that when you are in one of the low troughs you will come up again and sometimes it doesn't matter what you try to do, it will happen in it's own time. I am hopefully just coming to the end of a 10 day stubbornly high BG spell when short of very radical insulin increase which risks a YoYo effect, I have been unable to sort it. Got an appt with my nurse on Tues but no doubt by then it will be back to normal... it is thankfully slowly heading that way now.
Cheese is bliss. I had no idea I would savour it quite so much or develop a taste for the likes of blue cheese which I used to hate..... I've just finished a pack of Gorgonzola which feels so sophisticated. Olives are another great low carb healthy oils snack. I buy packs from Lidl of Feta with mixed olives and have a few when I get the munchies and big bags of unsalted brazils or mixed nuts.
The weight loss is the big bonus of D. I have needed to lose a stone or so for several years and having lost it now through illness and necessity is definitely the silver lining. I have just been trying on some old clothes this afternoon that I haven't fitted into for 10 years or more and some even have a little room in the waistband now and a leather belt that my mother bought me in Spain nearly 40 years ago fits again!! That feels good and helps to motivate me. There is a bit of toning up to do now though!
It is great that you have a good support team. Mine are nice but not as accessible as I would like and I feel like I have been left to my own devices quite a lot, which at times has been scary with the insulin and having hypos. My sister and a close friend have been absolutely fantastic and this forum has been invaluable.... as you say, getting advice and support from people who have been there and totally understand makes a world of difference.
Anyway, good luck with your day by day journey and keep in touch. X
Cheese is bliss. I had no idea I would savour it quite so much or develop a taste for the likes of blue cheese which I used to hate..... I've just finished a pack of Gorgonzola which feels so sophisticated. Olives are another great low carb healthy oils snack. I buy packs from Lidl of Feta with mixed olives and have a few when I get the munchies and big bags of unsalted brazils or mixed nuts.
The weight loss is the big bonus of D. I have needed to lose a stone or so for several years and having lost it now through illness and necessity is definitely the silver lining. I have just been trying on some old clothes this afternoon that I haven't fitted into for 10 years or more and some even have a little room in the waistband now and a leather belt that my mother bought me in Spain nearly 40 years ago fits again!! That feels good and helps to motivate me. There is a bit of toning up to do now though!
It is great that you have a good support team. Mine are nice but not as accessible as I would like and I feel like I have been left to my own devices quite a lot, which at times has been scary with the insulin and having hypos. My sister and a close friend have been absolutely fantastic and this forum has been invaluable.... as you say, getting advice and support from people who have been there and totally understand makes a world of difference.
Anyway, good luck with your day by day journey and keep in touch. X
KARNAK
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The fear of insulin injections is perhaps far worse that the injections. But what do I know - I have been injecting for 44 years now.
I found doing a finger prick test much worse - I just could not bring myself to release the lancet. It was not that it hurt, I just could not do it. It is not a problem now I just get on and do it.
I found doing a finger prick test much worse - I just could not bring myself to release the lancet. It was not that it hurt, I just could not do it. It is not a problem now I just get on and do it.
louloulou
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Hello and welcome Lou
Drummer
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I think that I must be lucky, have the right temperament or something - I am really happy to think that I will be able to eat this way and have a good argument against changing.
I do not expect to have to inject insulin - as I am sure that I am keeping good control and would expect to see normal readings if I went back to testing.
All the bad advice about eating carbs is - possibly - being shown to be detrimental to good health, and financial concerns will kick in - the NHS has to get a dose of reality before too long.
I do not expect to have to inject insulin - as I am sure that I am keeping good control and would expect to see normal readings if I went back to testing.
All the bad advice about eating carbs is - possibly - being shown to be detrimental to good health, and financial concerns will kick in - the NHS has to get a dose of reality before too long.
Hi Sarah, we are all different and each have our own way of coping, for me the only way I could be sure I could sustain the changes was to first find my acceptable ‘rewards’, for example I love chocolate so I found a good quality high cocoa no added sugar choc that I liked & allow myself a piece a day, of course I kept testing & reviewing to find out how much I could have without pushing my numbers. The second thing was to get my head around the ‘diet’ being part of my treatment plan, no different to taking my heart medication for heart disease, without it I’m going to get sick again! There are times when it’s not so easy but this view for me means it’s no longer that hard, now I love my diet and the positive changes it’s brought for me 😉
SB2015
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WELL DONE
I suspect that with such a big reduction in HbA1c you feel a load better, even though at times you may resent the changes that you have had to make. Stick with them, keep the improved lifestyle and enjoy the improved health.
SB2015
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Injections aren’t that bad. As T1 I was launched into them without a choice. The needles are so tiny now, and there are choices of lengths. I used 4mm before I switched to pump, and T first I was using 10mm!!!!
If it ever comes to that there will be plenty of help and advice on here, but it sounds to me as though you have no plans to be using insulin whilst you can avoid it with the changes that you have already implemented.
So again Well Dine
Injections aren’t that bad. As T1 I was launched into them without a choice. The needles are so tiny now, and there are choices of lengths. I used 4mm before I switched to pump, and T first I was using 10mm!!!!
If it ever comes to that there will be plenty of help and advice on here, but it sounds to me as though you have no plans to be using insulin whilst you can avoid it with the changes that you have already implemented.
So again Well Dine
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Robin
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Do you mean 'Aren't that bad' by any chance?
SB2015
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