In remission and it is an amazing feeling!

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

abtastic

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi all.

Got great advice from my new specialist (if you are not making the progress you expected, why not try to get referred to a different trust/specialist). Took it and acted upon it. I have lost 90lbs so far (BMI down to 22.4), am in remission and eating well and getting fitter.

I start an MSc in Psychology in the autumn and am going to focus on mental health in diabetes. I know how hot affects us. I have been there!

Happy to share how I did this if anyone is interested.
 
Excellent. Some people make it look easy! :D
 
Wow, @abtastic, well done! When my surgery told me I was in remission I was over the moon - I still find it hard work though!

Good luck with your Psychology course 🙂
 
Pine Martin - it is hard work. It has taken a lot of time and management but it is really worthwhile to do it.

Ditto - it isn't say and it is a really difficult thing to do. I had some very good reasons for doing this and motivation, I found was the key. For years I had just carried on as if there was nothing wrong. My little girl was the motivation I needed.

Grovesy - I wasn't under a specialist. I asked to be placed under one and it went from there.

I think I have found a manageable way to do this. My specialist gave me support and the right advice, and she made the right moves with regards to medication changes. I can never thank her or my surgery enough.

I am still happy to share with anyone how I managed this. I think it is important that we all stick together and support each other.
 
abtastic said:
Pine Martin - it is hard work. It has taken a lot of time and management but it is really worthwhile to do it.

Ditto - it isn't say and it is a really difficult thing to do. I had some very good reasons for doing this and motivation, I found was the key. For years I had just carried on as if there was nothing wrong. My little girl was the motivation I needed.

Grovesy - I wasn't under a specialist. I asked to be placed under one and it went from there.

I think I have found a manageable way to do this. My specialist gave me support and the right advice, and she made the right moves with regards to medication changes. I can never thank her or my surgery enough.

I am still happy to share with anyone how I managed this. I think it is important that we all stick together and support each other.
Click to expand...
Again many Type 2 don't even get referred and even if they ask they are not accepted to be seen or if seen discharged back to GP care.
 
Grovesy - sad to hear that and I think it is wrong that it seems to be 'the luck of the draw'. This is all the more reason we diabetics should stick together, support each other and share advice.

I am here if you want to talk.
 
This is great to hear @abtastic and whilst I don’t know your journey, I’m glad you’ve reached your ‘destination’ so successfully. Sounds like weight may have been a major issue for you.
I don’t even see my GP about my type 2 and have a diabetic review with a non specialist nurse once a year. Advice has been non existent but I can’t say I’ve sought much...I’m a DIY diabetic. I’ve never registered in diabetic range on a Hba1c since diagnosis 5 yrs ago and never taken meds. Often more down to good luck than good management I must admit.
I still test and never take my diabetes for granted but in honesty I unfortunately have greater health issues to battle. Sounds like your diabetes was quite a serious issue at diagnosis to receive a specialist referral.

Keep on keeping on, Amigo 🙂
 
Happy to do so and thank you for your kind words everyone. I will give the thread a little more time and then tell you what I did. It might not work for everyone but it could help some.
 
The start was September when I took my four year to school for the first time. Weighing over 18 stone at 6 foot tall, I struggled every step of the ¾ mile walk there and the same back. I counted the days when I hit home and it added up to over 1400! No way could I do that.

being in my fifties, yes with a four year old, no I am not a rock star or Hollywood celebrity, I knew I had to change my lifestyle if I wanted to see my daughter in her adult years. I had the motivation, it was my turning point. This was the first thing I needed to change. Before this I was in denial.
 
Sorry if I am writing a lot of words but I truly want to hel people.

The second important point was to proactively seek good advice. I felt that the way I had been treated to date was to give me drugs of different types to treat the symptoms, not to help cure the illness.

I decided to change my advisors, my specialist and was fortunate in that I have a great surgery locally and had changed doctors, with an excellent diabetes nurse attached. She referred me to a different hospital and the specialist listened. She cared. She believed in me and from the first meeting I knew I could do it. Yes you can ask for this:https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-qu...ents/can-i-choose-where-to-receive-treatment/

Point two - if you are unhappy with your treatment, ask to be referred elsewhere.
 
Many congratulations on getting into remission @abtastic
I'm sure you will be finding many benefits, and more importantly able to enjoy some precious times with your daughter.

it sounds like an amazing journey, to reach your goal, and I look forward to hearing more about it.
 
Well done @abtastic
A successful journey, and good to hear.
 
Thank you.

The next step on the road to remission was to find out as much was I could about diabetes.

With that aim I read as much as I could about a wide variety of things, using books, forums and websites like this one, with the three most influential things being: The Newcastle Diet and professor Taylor's website and book to research completed in Israel about food, its effect on the body, blood glucose levels and preventing diseases. This was brilliant for explaining that different foods affect different people's BGL in different ways - they really did for me - Dr Eran Segal. I also bought and read a brilliant book by Dr William Li about the five defence systems the body has.

Point three - Find out as much as you can about diabetes. There is an improved amount of information out there. It can be daunting but these three people were inspirational for me and I took on board what they said and feel a lot better for it.

Again, thanks to everyone who has replied for being so kind.

Step four tomorrow - dietary lessons I have learned along the journey.
 
abtastic said:
Thank you.

The next step on the road to remission was to find out as much was I could about diabetes.

With that aim I read as much as I could about a wide variety of things, using books, forums and websites like this one, with the three most influential things being: The Newcastle Diet and professor Taylor's website and book to research completed in Israel about food, its effect on the body, blood glucose levels and preventing diseases. This was brilliant for explaining that different foods affect different people's BGL in different ways - they really did for me - Dr Eran Segal. I also bought and read a brilliant book by Dr William Li about the five defence systems the body has.

Point three - Find out as much as you can about diabetes. There is an improved amount of information out there. It can be daunting but these three people were inspirational for me and I took on board what they said and feel a lot better for it.

Again, thanks to everyone who has replied for being so kind.

Step four tomorrow - dietary lessons I have learned along the journey.
Click to expand...

Ditto on Roy Taylor's sutff - I reached remission via weight loss. And the Israeli research is indeed really interesting though it has been questioned a bit by other researchers.
 
Hi Eddy - well done!

I know there is some questions being asked but I have to say that it has worked for me. However, it has been not just their input but a whole range fo things. I had to keep trying combinations until I found. lifestyle that works for me.
 
Good morning everybody.

Point four...a little bit later than I had planned.

Diet is essential and one of the first things I did was to plan round what are perceived to be foods that are good for diabetics. With the books I had read about different foods spiking your blood in different ways, I started to test after I ate certain types offends. I was then able to see which spiked my BGL and which were ok.

There were some surprises. Shredded was not good for me. My blood sugar levels rose quickly and the same story for bananas. Interestingly, I can eat dark chocolate at 85% cocoa or higher. Lower than that and my BGL began to rise. I slowly acquired a list of foods and drink to avoid and those I could have without causing BGL spikes. Correspondingly, my HbA1C and day-to-day sugar levels began to stabilise and then improve.

I created a spreadsheet anbdreocrded every single thing I ate and drank, along with a rough estimate of calorific intake. This helped me to focus and ensured what I wasn't deceiving myself. I knew what I ate, when I ate it and what the results on my BGL were. This took immense discipling and will-power at first but slowly it became a habit. I read sonmehwree that it takes around 65 days to form a habit. In my case that was about right.

I am now feeling healthier, fitter and stronger both physically and mentally and am not struggling with my diet at all. I expected things to be difficult over Christmas. I was fine (I started the journey in September). My only veering off the path has been: 4 roast potatoes at Christmas and a glass of wine and four tablespoons of cheddar mash potato. I don't miss things now that I used to reach for, like digestive biscuits or the odd chocolate bar.
 
So pleased to hear you have foind approaches that work well for you @abtastic

And what you found mirrors many people’s experiences on the forum over the years:
  • Begin by feeling slightly lost and overwhelmed
  • Become dissatisfied with the treatment options and/or lack of information
  • Begin to find out more about diabetes, alternative blood glucose management strategies, and how much effect different foods (even supposedly ‘healthy’ choices) can be having on you as an individual
  • Keep a food diary
  • Begin using a BG meter and ‘test, review! adjust’ approach to develop a satisfying, flexible and BG friendly menu for you as an individual
  • Lose weight (either intentionally or as a happy by-product of improved BG outcomes)
  • See reductions in HbA1c, with or without the support of medication
  • Feel happier, healthier, more energetic. And see improvements in other health markers too
  • Reach a ‘maintenance phase’
It’s a story I’ve seem playing out on the forum for years!

So pleased it has happened for you too :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top