yes - thanks
@pm133 ,
@Docb and the other contributors. I have indeed learnt quite a bit - seems I wasn't quite right about the carbohydrate definition and also hadn't appreciated the blood sugar lowering effects of alcohol.
as from where I go from here....well - after a couple of days of zero carb (just to settle my system down a bit) I bought new testing sticks and tested at 4.8 on waking the following morning, 5.5 2 hours after a large (with carbs) meal, and 5.0 the next morning (after drinking just over a bottle of wine the night before). I know this isn't proof, but I'm minded to take it as a very encouraging sign that the odd neuropathy symptoms I've been seeing are not actually diabetes related.
cheers!