Need help

[Wendy Lorraine]

Hi it’s been awhile but looking for some help. I’ve had diabeties type 2 since 2007. But it’s been uncontrolled for years, anyway I don’t have diabetic issues. But my eye test saw a haemoridgebin my eye and cupping. Doctor told me it’s coz it’s not controlled. I really don’t want to lose my sight. But he’s the big problem. I have a sweet tooth I’ve cut down on chocolate been eating cake what a lady does and I binge eat any tips or suggestions. I will be cutting down but do you think I can have something sweet still and if so what.
If you read this far thank you.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about the changes you have been told about in your eyes.

High glucose levels over time can cause damage to eyes and nerves, so it’s great that you want to gradually reduce your levels.

If you are used to eating a lot of sweet things, your tastebuds will be numbed to sweet flavours, and you’ll have been tricked into having more and more sweetness over the years.

But the good news is that tastebuds can be retrained. When I was i initially diagnosed I had sugar in coffee, and it was undrinkable without. I ditched the sugar, had a week or two of adjusting, and from then on it tastes undrinkably sickly with sugar in it!

The trick is to reduce the amout of sweet things, and the frequency. Your taste buds will catch up in no time 🙂

Longer term, if you enjoy baking there is the website sugarfreelondoner which has recipes for lower carbohydrate cakes, cookies, and treats.

 

[rebrascora]

Really sorry to hear you have a bleed in your eye, but this is one of the risks with long term uncontrolled diabetes.

But it’s been uncontrolled for years, anyway I don’t have diabetic issues.

This is the real danger with Type 2 diabetes. It is very easy to kid yourself it is not causing problems because you cannot see or feel it until suddenly parts of your body start to suffer damage from the long term effects of high blood glucose.

What medication are you on now to help manage your diabetes?

I was a comfort eater/binge eater pre diagnosis and had a very sweet tooth. For me, the answer was to cut it all out. I can't moderate it and as soon as I have some, I want more and then it becomes really difficult not to give in to temptation and binge, so the only way was to stop altogether. It has been the best decision I have ever made for my health. I no longer have migraines, I have much less joint pain which I thought was old age, my skin is less dry and my digestive system is so much happier. It was difficult at first but now I find it relatively easy and a lot easier to do without altogether than to have something sweet once a week or every other day or whatever. I have always been a bit of an all or nothing person, so this works for me. Only you will know if you can moderate your eating or whether you need to be like me and cut out the sweet stuff altogether. For me, cutting out the savoury carbs was equally important because they were also causing me to crave more. Now I eat a lot less and I don't get hungry and I have more energy.

Losing your sight is a very scary prospect, so I hope you have been referred for assessment of the haemorrhage and treatment if necessary but to prevent deterioration of your sight and quite possibly foot pain/numbness restricting your mobility and making life very challenging, please consider if each piece of cake or biscuit or chocolate bar/sweets or big plate of carbs is worth it.
The responsibility to manage your diabetes well is ultimately down to you with support of your health care professionals and whatever medication they feel will help. Use this damage to your eyes as a warning and turning point to manage your levels better by making better dietary choices before it is too late. I know it is not easy, but having done it myself, I know that it is well worth while. I feel 20 years younger and fitter and healthier, rather than feeling old and tired like I did before. I really hope you can find the determination to take control of your diabetes and start making yourself healthier. Sending (((HUGS))) because it isn't easy but it is the right thing to do for yourself and for those who love you.

Good luck with getting the retinal bleed sorted. Let us know how that goes.

 

[goodybags]

RHi @Wendy Lorraine
I just saw your post and felt it could possibly help to say something both to support you and share my experience, having myself received such great help & support on this forum both in the past and still do

OK so nobody but you understands exactly what your going through

and please excuse my bluntness, 🙄 but I’m thinking to myself, how can you say you don’t have diabetic issues, and in the same post ? you say you have been uncontrolled for to many years ? ((Sorry for being frank ))

Some of the people on this forum certainly were, and still are a major factor in me turning things around
OK so I’m still not “normal” but in a much better position that I was

totally agree with what @rebrascora posted, regarding the fear and realism of any sight loss can be very frightening, I know 😱
I’ve still got my eye sight, It’s not what it was & l can still drive (at the moment)
Currently I am still receiving treatment (they told me last Monday it’s been 10 years they’ve been treating my eyes at the eye department in the hospital) mostly to my right eye, by what has for me turned out to be a fantastic team (at my local hospital) they seem to have sorted my left eye, it’s not perfect (but it’s not concerning them at the moment)
this post isn’t about me, but you, as far as what both @rebrascora & @everydayupsanddowns has said just now really is I think good advice.

I’m happy to share with you (or anyone else what I’ve been through) I often share to much, but I was helped by so many on here.
I can honestly say I was so scared the day the Consultant at the DMO clinic gave me a well deserved lecture, but after time TBH I probably still didn’t for to many years take care of myself properly

in-fact it got to the point where when my Mum passed away, reality kicked in and I said to myself
I need to take on board the advice of the HCP’s yes but most of all do this for myself

Not many people know, in-fact nobody on here knows (they do now) but my lost a half a leg to Diabetec complications 25 years ago, that kind of still scares the C😳AP out of me, I always though if I find out one day I was in that situation and would then say to myself I did that to myself
My father didn’t actually know he was Diabetic until he had a heart attack aged 69 then passed away 10 years later with a long long list of complications)

TC & let us know how you get on

 

[Jodee]

Hi Wendy, so sorry to hear of your situation, I know its hard to give up on all the sweet things, To me fruits in the diet are very important but I have adjusted the amount I eat at any one time. I also still have chocolate biscuits but I try to just stick to that only and making the packet last a week. A lot is about the quantity you eat at any one sitting, so binging is not a good idea to help your blood glucose levels. I am wondering (and I hope you don't mind my saying) if you can access a self help group through your GP or other. The binge eating could be related to a psychological disorder which may well go away once the real trigger for it is addressed. Its like a food addiction and like any addiction it can be helped.

Getting back to your eyes, was the haemorrhage picked up in your annual diabetic eye screening? If so the letter or email they send will indicate if the damage was caused as a result of your diabetes.

A few years back my screening showed I did have a bleed in the eye and was referred to the hospital eye clinic. The consultant at the hospital said my eye vessel had grown a new vein and re routed the supply around the rupture, amazing really. Since that episode my retinopathy scans are showing no damage from diabetes blood sugar levels.

Any way the list of sweet things that may be an improvement for you or not, others would be horrified doing this even, but I figure if it is an improvement on what you are already doing then its a good adjustment and you can always adjust reduce it further later on if you want to;
A small banana cut in half and eat one half at a time the other half 2-3+ hours later
Large banana cut into 3 pieces and repeat as for small banana
No more than 5 grapes at a time.
Once a week maybe a whole Mango so delicious and sweet.
I think eating a whole apple in one go is safe (keep in mind these suggestion are not to be eaten all in one sitting)
A handful of blueberry with breakfast or with unsweetened yogurt for dessert.
A biscuit with at tea break or afternoon cuppa.
These things can still spike your blood glucose but if you space them out a bit that will help your situation.
Also before you want to eat anything have a glass of water and see if by doing so you can delay the desire to eat something.
Occasionally you may want to have some honey on a buttered cracker, go for it, (just one mind 😉 with all your efforts you deserve a sticky treat now and then.
Fruit teas may or may not be helpful depending how many you drink, I do enjoy lemon and ginger tea first thing in the morning and also this morning I had MerryMint Green tea which was also very enjoyable.
Cake is a rarity for me now, but I do indulge maybe once a month or every two months, if that is an improvement on what you are currently doing maybe aim for that, or really just anything you can manage will help.

Any effort you make on improving things for yourself at this time is a great move in the right direction. Think about taking good care of yourself and being your own best friend. One of the ways to do this is taking good care of your health situation. Your body will help you if you help it.

Wishing you every success with all your efforts and here's to looking toward the brand new you

 

[Leadinglights]

It is easy to bury your head in the sand and ignore what is a serious condition with potentially some horrendous consequences but at the moment there is only one that is having an effect of you so you should take that as a warning.
There are many ways that people manage to reduce blood glucose but many do find a low carbohydrate approach works for them, it is not NO carbs, have a look at this link ad you will see what a variety of foods and meals you can still eat, just not those high carb sugary foods except as rare treats.

Freshwell Low Carb Project - Home

lowcarbfreshwell.com

People will be all to willing to give you suggestions but it will help to know what medication you are on. But you must also do your part by engaging with making some changes.

 

[Lucyr]

I’ve had diabeties type 2 since 2007. But it’s been uncontrolled for years, anyway I don’t have diabetic issues. But my eye test saw a haemoridgebin my eye and cupping. Doctor told me it’s coz it’s not controlled. I really don’t want to lose my sight

It sounds like you do have diabetic complications with the uncontrolled blood sugars and eye problems. Have you had a diabetes appointment recently or do you have one coming up?

 

[Wendy Lorraine]

Hi everyone
Thanks for the replies. I haven’t got diabetic retinopy in my eye. Which is good just the other issues. I’m at hospital on 15th oct for an eye appointment and checkin for glaucoma. I have my apt with my diabetic nurse in nov and currently my highest numbers was 13. So a lot better. My last hbc1 was 77 at its highest was 89. So lots of changes to make. I’ve told my son and my friends to not buy me sweet stuff. I’m gunna not buy the sweet stuff now. But I will have something sometimes but the bingeing needs to stop. Lost time issue with eating problems since my teens.
Anyway thanks again the meds I’m on are sukkarto 2 in the morning glizerzise 2 in morning and teatime. Plus just swapped my simvastin to atorvastatin as my chlostroly was raised. Plus I’m on other stuff.

 

[Chelseagirl]

Ok. I was like you in my 30s. No issues so didn’t take meds prescribed, didn’t go to appointments, ate and drank and smoked. Then when I was 41 I had a heart attack, followed by a stroke 2 years later. Both mild, but it was a warning. I started to change my life around and for several years, did all that I was supposed to and got down to an average of 44 on blood tests. Then my leg started hurting, and was diagnosed with Peripheral Artery Disease. Emergency 7.5 hour surgery to save leg by doing a bypass. Now, while none of these can be attributed directly to uncontrolled diabetes, the fact that I didn’t help myself contributed enormously. The problems were being caused despite me having no symptoms and I wouldn’t want anyone to have to deal with anything like this. Please take it seriously and follow treatment plans and advice from your doctors.

 

[CliffH]

Hi everyone
Thanks for the replies. I haven’t got diabetic retinopy in my eye. Which is good just the other issues. I’m at hospital on 15th oct for an eye appointment and checkin for glaucoma. I have my apt with my diabetic nurse in nov and currently my highest numbers was 13. So a lot better. My last hbc1 was 77 at its highest was 89. So lots of changes to make. I’ve told my son and my friends to not buy me sweet stuff. I’m gunna not buy the sweet stuff now. But I will have something sometimes but the bingeing needs to stop. Lost time issue with eating problems since my teens.
Anyway thanks again the meds I’m on are sukkarto 2 in the morning glizerzise 2 in morning and teatime. Plus just swapped my simvastin to atorvastatin as my chlostroly was raised. Plus I’m on other stuff.

You may find that exercise (even just going for short walks) more than you are currently will be a big help, in lots of ways.

 

[CliffH]

Hi everyone
Thanks for the replies. I haven’t got diabetic retinopy in my eye. Which is good just the other issues. I’m at hospital on 15th oct for an eye appointment and checkin for glaucoma. I have my apt with my diabetic nurse in nov and currently my highest numbers was 13. So a lot better. My last hbc1 was 77 at its highest was 89. So lots of changes to make. I’ve told my son and my friends to not buy me sweet stuff. I’m gunna not buy the sweet stuff now. But I will have something sometimes but the bingeing needs to stop. Lost time issue with eating problems since my teens.
Anyway thanks again the meds I’m on are sukkarto 2 in the morning glizerzise 2 in morning and teatime. Plus just swapped my simvastin to atorvastatin as my chlostroly was raised. Plus I’m on other stuff.

I think you make a crucial point about not buying "sweet stuff" and not allowing other people to buy you it either: that's exactly what I had to do when I was diagnosed with diabetes! Your son and friends need to understand that you have a life-threatening condition (even though it's invisible) and that you need their support with it.

Don't have sweet stuff in the house: if you're motivated enough at times to go to the shop to buy it then make a deal with yourself that you have to walk there, to 'earn' it! If your son has to change his lifestyle too - tough.

 

[saffron15]

@Wendy Lorraine I feel your pain. I have a little greedy gene that every now and then encourages me with just one more. My sister used to buy me a tin of quality street for Christmas many of which I'm not keen on. I would leave it in the boot of my car as if I was keen enough to go to my car I could have one or a few. I didn't open the tin till April. I think sometimes I do it when bored. It can be savoury things including cheese. When told my cholesterol was a bit high and waiting for a diabetes test I'd asked for I just cut all the naughty stuff out. If it's not in the house i cannot eat it then was motivated with a steady weight loss. I have slipped a few times. Last week as I've been battling a horrid cold I bought fish and chips and the next day two chocolate éclairs my first for 9 months ie well before diagnosis. A friend sent me a thank you box of chocolates in July. I had had my first test result 69 and was waiting for the second. I toyed with the idea of rationing myself but in fact gave them to a charity shop for staff to eat. I have had a piece of cake in a cafe twice since diagnosis both times chosen with care and enjoyed. If I buy in a cafe I don't have temptation at home. I usually like mince pies in December but I am not going to buy them. If I am somewhere where I am offered one I might enjoy one. My sister all 8 stone of her will occasionally pig on chocolate but still had an unopened box I bought her for her birthday months later. My brother was the same. As kids I would rush through eating my Easter eggs, my sister would take a lot of care and my brother would hoard for months.

You have a huge motivation to change. Only you know if it has to be total abstinence or whether something will give you such joy you can have it as an occasional purchase. Even labelling something as a treat has its dangers. Some people on here who are keen bakers have used a site where a Londoner has modified her baking so it is diabetic friendly. If you were to bake once a month you may enjoy the process and perhaps share with your family so you don't overindulge and just have two special days the baking and the shared eating.

Maybe find something to occupy yourself walking, sewing a jigsaw puzzle or gardening. I never eat sweet treats in the garden.

Good luck

 

[CliffH]

@Wendy Lorraine I feel your pain. I have a little greedy gene that every now and then encourages me with just one more. My sister used to buy me a tin of quality street for Christmas many of which I'm not keen on. I would leave it in the boot of my car as if I was keen enough to go to my car I could have one or a few. I didn't open the tin till April. I think sometimes I do it when bored. It can be savoury things including cheese. When told my cholesterol was a bit high and waiting for a diabetes test I'd asked for I just cut all the naughty stuff out. If it's not in the house i cannot eat it then was motivated with a steady weight loss. I have slipped a few times. Last week as I've been battling a horrid cold I bought fish and chips and the next day two chocolate éclairs my first for 9 months ie well before diagnosis. A friend sent me a thank you box of chocolates in July. I had had my first test result 69 and was waiting for the second. I toyed with the idea of rationing myself but in fact gave them to a charity shop for staff to eat. I have had a piece of cake in a cafe twice since diagnosis both times chosen with care and enjoyed. If I buy in a cafe I don't have temptation at home. I usually like mince pies in December but I am not going to buy them. If I am somewhere where I am offered one I might enjoy one. My sister all 8 stone of her will occasionally pig on chocolate but still had an unopened box I bought her for her birthday months later. My brother was the same. As kids I would rush through eating my Easter eggs, my sister would take a lot of care and my brother would hoard for months.

You have a huge motivation to change. Only you know if it has to be total abstinence or whether something will give you such joy you can have it as an occasional purchase. Even labelling something as a treat has its dangers. Some people on here who are keen bakers have used a site where a Londoner has modified her baking so it is diabetic friendly. If you were to bake once a month you may enjoy the process and perhaps share with your family so you don't overindulge and just have two special days the baking and the shared eating.

Maybe find something to occupy yourself walking, sewing a jigsaw puzzle or gardening. I never eat sweet treats in the garden.

Good luck

Great points: so much of what you say resonates with me that I think I may be your long-lost (evil) twin! Things that I'm taking from your post:

1) Make 'forbidden fruit' an effort to get hold of, rather than having it in plain sight in the house;
2) Give away (unopened!) edible gifts and tell (not ask) people to not buy such things for you any more: they wouldn't buy you cigarettes, so they need to know that (for example) chocolates are dangerous to you too.
3) Forget the word 'treat' in relation to food: life's not fair and you're going to have to start rewarding yourself in other ways. You 'deserve' treats of some kind (as we all do) - but in your case, those treats will have to not be "sweet things". Again, we don't think of giving kids cigarettes as treats: we give them other things.
4) Find active things to do to take your mind off food.


So, as I've found, much of living with diabetes is breaking rules that were instilled in us in childhood:

1) "Don't waste food";
2) "Buying someone a box of chocolates is a special thing to do";
3) "It's nice to give ourselves food as a treat".

 

[BobbleHat]

@Wendy Lorraine: welcome to the forum. I was diagnosed Type 2 in July and the 2 best things I did at diagnosis was find this forum and download the Freshwell app that @Leadinglights recommended above. The support here is amazing and the guidance in the app (from 2 GPs who support their patients with diabetes) is invaluable.

I am a carb junkie: hugely hugely sweet tooth and a definite binge eater. I'm diet controlling my diabetes at present - I see you're on medication so you might need to be a little bit more careful than I was about cutting carbs drastically.

Like @rebrascora, I needed to be quite drastic so I cut my carbs very quickly and got rid of bread, potatoes, pasta and sweet treats from my diet immediately. I set myself a limit for my carbs but, actually, I've naturally settled lower than my initial target without trying. I expected it to be very, hard. I expected to get 'keto flu', I expected to find my vision blurring/temporary neuropathy. I expected to throw some very ugly tantrums about being the unfairness of it all.

None of those things happened: I can honestly say that I've had barely any cravings. I think the real key for me has been to increase the protein and healthy fat in my diet. Both helped me fell very full and I think 'mopped up' the cravings. I also make a point of eating 'nice' low carb food (so, sometimes I'll have a steak with mushrooms and a creamy sauce and it's lush and I'm happy!). I'm aware that this still means I'm treating food as a reward but it's better than it was - and we're all a work in progress!!

What keeps me going now is how much better I feel generally. I hadcso many symptoms that I thought were menopause related. The brain fog and the joint aches are so much better and I've realised that I'm someone who (quite aside from diabetes, or maybe it's related) doesn't do well on refined carbs. I might love them but they clearly don't love me! I had a wheat flour wrap the other day - I was out and caught short for food and tried to make the best choice I could from the options available. I was wearing a monitor at the time so saw my blood sugars climb steeply before crashing. But I didn't need the monitor to know as I felt it go high then I felt awful with the crash and I realised that I felt like that a lot before my diagnosis but didn't even notice but it was so normal for me to eat like that.

That's long but I suppose I just want to say - Welcome!! I totally get the sweet tooth and the binge eating. I'm suggesting that you make sure you get plenty of your other micronutrients, protein and fat, to help you manage the cravings and see how you go. You might surprise yourself by feeling so much better, you no longer want to give in to cravings.