New here

[AdamEdwards]

Got hit with a Type 2 (60mmol) diagnosis end September and have a few questions two months into this journey.

First of all, the blood test also picked up an insane ferritin reading (8000) and i was wondering if anyone else here has experienced that and if so, what implications did that have?

Secondly, I've signed up to Oviva's remission programme, with a kick off in January - I had to put my foot down about not running over xmas as my personal mental health is suffering from high stress levels. I would be interested in hearing from anyone on or just completed that programme as I am finding their approach impersonal, patronising and isolating.

I am also on the NHS healthy you thing, but I am feeling overwhelmed by the amount of information, the number of trackers and duplication going on. Are there local groups - preferably Cambridge-based - to meet and chat?

My final frustration is that I keep being told to exercie, but am unemployed and can't afford a gym or other club memberships, and keep injuring myself with the self-driven exercies like couch to 5k - currently nursing a blister that's gone horribly wrong and due antibiotics.

 

[JITR]

First of all, the blood test also picked up an insane ferritin reading (8000) and i was wondering if anyone else here has experienced that and if so, what implications did that have?
...
My final frustration is that I keep being told to exercise, but am unemployed and can't afford a gym or other club memberships, and keep injuring myself with the self-driven exercises like couch to 5k - currently nursing a blister that's gone horribly wrong and due antibiotics.

Welcome to the forum, and bad luck about the blister!

My GP went into overdrive over my ferritin level at diagnosis,1200, correctly suspecting hemochromatosis. The treatment for that is venesection (regular blood letting) until the ferritin comes down to about 50, then quarterly checks and further venesections as necessary. My ferritin came down to 600 before the venesections started after I lost 15 kg on a real food version of the Newcastle diet/NHS remission programme.

I think you should have your ferritin level checked and properly investigated.

About exercise. I find stretching, squats, press-ups, and abdominal routines make a big difference. Also walking. Last year I worked up to running a very slow 5K in a couple of months, then put my knee out overdoing it. Took months to recover. I have just started jogging again, short distance repetitions, and will increase them gradually to avoid a relapse - I hope.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @AdamEdwards

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. well done for leaping into action, but you are right - it can be an overwhelming time.

We have a few members who have had great success with the Newcastle Diet / Path to Remission Programme. Though we’ve also had others for whom it wasn’t so successful.

Different people seem to use different providers (or perhaps just different providers are offered in different parts of the country). Oviva is certainly a familiar name, and @Kreator wrote about his experiences at length here:

Thread 'NHS Low Calorie Diet - Type 2 Remission Programme - Oviva (aka Newcastle)'

Jul 24, 2021

Hi All,

25/08/2021 - Link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/diabetes/treatment-care/low-calorie-diets/ - Includes links at the bottom to DiRECT Year 1, DiRECT Year 2 & DROPLET Trials 😉

25/08/2021 - Link: https://oviva.com/uk/en/programme/diabetes-remission/#join - This explains the programme specific to Oviva

Hope everyone is safe & well!

Copied from my post from the newbie section, and thought it would be better to re-post into the weight loss section...

Just joined the forum after being diagnosed with type 2 in 2018...found this forum and have been hooked ever since! - some...

• Kreator
• Replies: 252
• Forum: Community - Chat with People about Remission

• 

Sorry to hear about your blister having turned a bit nasty. Hope the ABs help clear it up.

 

[Leadinglights]

Walking can be just as effective as going to the gym and costs nothing other than having a decent pair of shoes and socks.

Whilst you wait for your Oviva program there is much you can do by looking to reduce the carbohydrates in your diet.
Have a look at this link for some ideas for that as there is a budget menu plan that may suit you. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/

 

[AdamEdwards]

Many thanks both.
I've been carb-watching mainly through portion control and dropping starches by about 80-90% - only had rice twice in the last eight weeks.

Blister healed up very quickly, but did allow for an excellent chat with the GP nurses - all of them are trained on diabetes symptoms and treatment. My GP is a moonlighting health professor, so having confidence in the GP practice is making for a solid sense of optimism. He was very good at talking me through the health studies - I react better to factual presentations and have been irritated by the slathering on in the materials.

My understanding of the drill is to drop 10% of body weight, then push for some extra kilo losses to max the chances of remission. My start weight was 100.5kg (178cm), giving a 31.7 BMI. I set the target of 91-92kg by end of December, with a stretch of 90kg.

Coming up to the two month diagnosis mark. So far, I have managed to beat off high blood pressure (high stress job and high stress volunteering role were both dropped, funny how the stress eating and the regular beer also stopped...). Operating at about 100g of carbs a day, and a roughly Med diet eating style, I managed to hit 95.3kg on Tuesday (BMI 30.1).

Next set of bloods at the beginning of January and I have hope this effort will show up in those results. Also tracking liver triglycerides. Oviva kick off scheduled for 22nd January.

 

[Leadinglights]

Many thanks both.
I've been carb-watching mainly through portion control and dropping starches by about 80-90% - only had rice twice in the last eight weeks.

Blister healed up very quickly, but did allow for an excellent chat with the GP nurses - all of them are trained on diabetes symptoms and treatment. My GP is a moonlighting health professor, so having confidence in the GP practice is making for a solid sense of optimism. He was very good at talking me through the health studies - I react better to factual presentations and have been irritated by the slathering on in the materials.

My understanding of the drill is to drop 10% of body weight, then push for some extra kilo losses to max the chances of remission. My start weight was 100.5kg (178cm), giving a 31.7 BMI. I set the target of 91-92kg by end of December, with a stretch of 90kg.

Coming up to the two month diagnosis mark. So far, I have managed to beat off high blood pressure (high stress job and high stress volunteering role were both dropped, funny how the stress eating and the regular beer also stopped...). Operating at about 100g of carbs a day, and a roughly Med diet eating style, I managed to hit 95.3kg on Tuesday (BMI 30.1).

Next set of bloods at the beginning of January and I have hope this effort will show up in those results. Also tracking liver triglycerides. Oviva kick off scheduled for 22nd January.

It sounds as if you are doing really well with what you are already doing and may not actually need to go on the Oviva program when the start date comes round.

 

[AdamEdwards]

It is a thought I am entertaining, but I am keeping my place on it as something in the back pocket should there not be enough progress, and as an inverse goal.

Something I have noticed with the Healthy Living, Diabees UK and Oviva advice is their "wellbeing" commentaries are very light touch and don't seem to take stress and mental health situations (that are not centred on the diabetes) into account. Cortisol is a bitch.

 

[JimmyBlue]

Hi @AdamEdwards, welcome to the forum and I'm sure you'll find the support you need from the people who are on here. Since my diagnosis end of September I have seen and received lots of advise and guidance about my type 2 and in the main I feeling good about my current position and positive that my check up in Jan will also be positive allowing me to stay of the meds.

I noted your comment about stress and can agree with your that there is not a lot of guidance on what to do about it. I work in quite a high stress role but I am counting down the days to December 19th when I stop work and begin my early retirement. Feel very fortunate that I can do this, although I was hoping for a big lottery win rather than diabetes being the driver for it , for me the best tricks to manage my stress are to watch something funny, use my personal humour to reduce the stress of issues I am dealing with and/or go for a run/walk.

On the mental health side I know that I have some anxiety issues about my diabetes but I don't seem to struggle to much. I am also fortunate that my wife is a great listener and my two adult daughters, who still live at home, are also good for bursting any depressive bubble I might get into. However, I do think that there are a lot of people out there who suffer badly with both stress and mental health and some of them may be able much better advice than I can.