Just saying hi

[Sj005a]

Hi I'm new here.
Just saying hi.
Bit confused was due to be tested for diabetes before all this corona stuff started.
But tests got cancelled.
Still in touch with doctors who say they still want me tested as soon as all this is over as they consider my symptoms as very very possible.
But I'm still having to go to work.

 

[Josh DUK]

Hi I'm new here.
Just saying hi.
Bit confused was due to be tested for diabetes before all this corona stuff started.
But tests got cancelled.
Still in touch with doctors who say they still want me tested as soon as all this is over as they consider my symptoms as very very possible.
But I'm still having to go to work.

Hello @Sj005a .

Thank you so much for joining the Diabetes UK support forum. I'm so sorry to hear your test was cancelled and I can imagine how stressful that must be. Were they going to do a Hba1c test?

Also are you able to work from home?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

What sort of symptoms are you experiencing?

If you are interested in being more proactive, it is possible to purchase a Blood Glucose monitor and test strips relatively inexpensively (meter costs about £15 and test strips are £8 for a pot of 50 if you choose a basic model like the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Health Tee2 meter). Whilst it will not give you a Diabetes diagnosis as such it will enable you to get ahead of the curve and see where your levels are and start tailoring your diet to reduce them if they are high or perhaps provide some peace of mind if they are in the normal range.
Here on the forum we recommend people test before each meal and then 2 hours after eating it to see how they reacted to the food they ate and to keep a food diary with their readings. If you are getting high readings, then reducing your carbohydrate intake is often a very effective means of lowering it and in many situations, it can be more beneficial than medication.
Whilst health care professionals often frown on the idea of people monitoring their own BG levels, many diabetics here on the forum find that it is an invaluable tool in managing their diabetes and since we are left to deal with our condition on a daily basis and only see the doc or nurse every few months, it makes sense that we have access to the best information in order to do that. Knowledge is power.

 

[Sj005a]

Hello @Sj005a .

Thank you so much for joining the Diabetes UK support forum. I'm so sorry to hear your test was cancelled and I can imagine how stressful that must be. Were they going to do a Hba1c test?

Also are you able to work from home?

I'm a mobile maintenance technician for a supermarket so I could just go on call. But the company is making us do a full 9hr shift.
Doing some silly no need jobs.
I find it very stressful

 

[Sj005a]

Hi and welcome from me too.

What sort of symptoms are you experiencing?

If you are interested in being more proactive, it is possible to purchase a Blood Glucose monitor and test strips relatively inexpensively (meter costs about £15 and test strips are £8 for a pot of 50 if you choose a basic model like the SD Gluco Navii or the Spirit Health Tee2 meter). Whilst it will not give you a Diabetes diagnosis as such it will enable you to get ahead of the curve and see where your levels are and start tailoring your diet to reduce them if they are high or perhaps provide some peace of mind if they are in the normal range.
Here on the forum we recommend people test before each meal and then 2 hours after eating it to see how they reacted to the food they ate and to keep a food diary with their readings. If you are getting high readings, then reducing your carbohydrate intake is often a very effective means of lowering it and in many situations, it can be more beneficial than medication.
Whilst health care professionals often frown on the idea of people monitoring their own BG levels, many diabetics here on the forum find that it is an invaluable tool in managing their diabetes and since we are left to deal with our condition on a daily basis and only see the doc or nurse every few months, it makes sense that we have access to the best information in order to do that. Knowledge is power.

Many thanks
I'm really really new to this.
Not even sure what levels are etc
What's normal what's not.
Doctor I spoke to today on phone was very supportive but as she doesn't know me or my situation she could only go off my records and symptoms I'm explaining to here.
She did say she would send out a letter to get test done But not till this is all over.
I would hope my employer would take this letter and sign me off.
But I dont think they will.

 

[rebrascora]

Diabetes is not in itself a reason to be signed off even in the current climate and without a diagnostic blood test your doctor is unlikely to commit herself to saying you are diabetic in a letter and even if she did, it is unlikely your employer would sign you off as a result I'm afraid.

Getting your BG readings into a healthy range is the best thing that you can do for yourself because that puts you at less risk of infections and complications and considering that it may be months before you get that blood test, I would recommend getting a meter and self testing. Normal range is 4-7 mmols before food and no more than 8.5mmols 2 hours after are the recommended levels for a Type 2 diabetic I believe, but ideally rising by no more than 3mmols as a result of the food you ate at any individual meal.

It is up to you if you want to take control of the situation now or sit back and wait until you get that blood test.

 

[SB2015]

Many thanks
I'm really really new to this.
Not even sure what levels are etc
What's normal what's not.
Doctor I spoke to today on phone was very supportive but as she doesn't know me or my situation she could only go off my records and symptoms I'm explaining to here.
She did say she would send out a letter to get test done But not till this is all over.
I would hope my employer would take this letter and sign me off.
But I dont think they will.

Hi Sj005a, and welcome to the forum.

As @rebrascora has said, Diabetes is not itself a reason to be shielded. This would only happen if you have other serious underlying health conditions, so your eventual diagnosis would not impact on whether you can work or not.

As they will not be able to arrange the tests for now, you have the option of taking control of your glucose levels whilst you wait.

These can be reduced by reducing the amount of carbohydrates that you are eating. When I first had to start counting carbs, I was amazed at how much I was eating at each meal. Once we knew we made the decision to reduce them to a target we set ourself. We did this by swapping high carb foods for lower ones, or by reducing the portion sizes. To find the amount of carbs in the food you can find information on packets or tins, but it sometimes takes a bit of working out as it is presented in such different forms.

Another option is to increase the amount of exercise that you do. I realise that this may not be as easy in the current climate of Covid 19, but one strategy we found had a big impact was to simply do something for at=least 15 minutes after each meal. I was surprised how big an impact this had on my glucose levels.

Do come back with any questions you have.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Sj005a

Sorry to hear that your tests were cancelled, and that you’ve been left in limbo by the whole coronavirus circus

While people with established diabetes do have additional risk if they happen to get a severe case of Covid-19, I don’t believe there is much evidence that well managed diabetes increases the risk of actually contracting the virus, or of having a bad case if we do get it (the odds are still weighted greatly towards a mild illness).

Good regular hand-washing, and being careful around any people we do have to come into contact with, are still out best weapons against this pesky virus I think.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

In terms of what you do about your ’is it... isn’t it...’ diabete status, I would suggest you follow other ’at risk of diabetes’ members who have joined over the years, and begin to make changes to your meals as if you already had a confirmed diagnosis. That way, if your metabolism is beginning to struggle, you give it the best chance of pulling back from the brink.

One of the biggest questions when newly diagnosed is often ‘what can I eat’ and while there are obvious things like cakes, biscuits, sweets and sugary drinks that you will be wanting to cut out straight away, you might be surprised how much *all* carbohydrate affects your BG levels, including rice, pasta, bread, pastry, grains, cereals and many fruits.

The really tricky thing is that blood glucose responses to food are highly individual, and it can be impossible to say which forms and amounts of carbohydrate will ‘spike’ your BG without checking for yourself. But the good news is that it is possible to check this for yourself and tailor your own ideal way of eating that suits you and your BG levels.

You can use a BG meter, checking before and after meals, and noting what the differences are to identify any carbs that seem to be causing BG upheaval and experiment with varying the type or reducing the amount (sometimes just having things at a different time of day makes a difference)

If you are interested in using a BG meter to find out how different foods affect you, you may find test-review-adjust by Alan S helpful.

And keep asking questions on the forum - there are lots of friendly experienced folks who can suggest strategies, swaps, and BG-friendly tips.

Don‘t forget exercise and activity too - sounds like your work might be quite physical, but try to build in as much activity into your day as you can 🙂