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AnGelA65

AnGelA65

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Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
Hi
I was diagnosed as T2D in July 2021, after all the other health issues with heart rhythm++ this has floored me. I was an ambulance case, HBa1C was 134! No symptoms or indications whatsoever! Went low carb and HBa1C dropped like a stone to 43 within A few months!! No diabetes in my family as far as I know but we seem to have Haemochromatosis, sisters a carrier and younger brother had it. My GP will not give me the genetic test, but random blood tests, so looks like Im going to have to pay but, you have to take a teaspoon of blood, and I’m on Apixaban!!
Husband is a nightmare, keeps buying all the treats I like but shouldn’t eat AND offers me them, so this Christmas I have not been good
HBa1C had gone up a point to 52, so really going to have to get back to more strict eating, I wasn’t being totally over indulging but……… I don’t inject, I have 1 Empagliflozin 25mg, I also try other glucose lowering tips.
If I told you my full story you’d not believe all thats happened to me in 3years including the negligent death of my younger brother last July and stuff still ongoing, so, yeah, STRESSED and suffering mental challenges ‍♀️
‘Happy New Year’
 
Welcome to the forum, you do sound to have had a traumatic time all of which does not help with blood glucose management.
Any blood disorders can affect the reliability of the HbA1C test which relies on a steady turnover of red blood cells so anything which disrupts that can skew the result. There is another test fructosamine which should be used in those circumstances. This may apply to you.
The medication you are on helps the kidneys remove excess glucose via urine so you should make sure you drink plenty but also watching your carb intake as well.
Have a look at this link for some do's and don'ts as well as some meal ideas. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Your husband is very kind in buying you the treats but you could tell him what treats you want and make sure that you keep them as treats. Dark chocolate is a good option or nuts.
 
Leadinglights said:
Welcome to the forum, you do sound to have had a traumatic time all of which does not help with blood glucose management.
Any blood disorders can affect the reliability of the HbA1C test which relies on a steady turnover of red blood cells so anything which disrupts that can skew the result. There is another test fructosamine which should be used in those circumstances. This may apply to you.
The medication you are on helps the kidneys remove excess glucose via urine so you should make sure you drink plenty but also watching your carb intake as well.
Have a look at this link for some do's and don'ts as well as some meal ideas. https://lowcarbfreshwell.co.uk/
Your husband is very kind in buying you the treats but you could tell him what treats you want and make sure that you keep them as treats. Dark chocolate is a good option or nuts.
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Yes I get high percentage of dark chocolate, 80% and nuts, hard when he produces your favourite tart‍ I am also a really good cook of many years, which also makes things difficult. I have and do make recipe adaptions to try any lower sugars and carbs AND only indulge small portion. Tbh, think lot of my problem is stress Also had to get my 2 20 year old cats euthanised before Christmas
 
AnGelA65 said:
Yes I get high percentage of dark chocolate, 80% and nuts, hard when he produces your favourite tart‍ I am also a really good cook of many years, which also makes things difficult. I have and do make recipe adaptions to try any lower sugars and carbs AND only indulge small portion. Tbh, think lot of my problem is stress Also had to get my 2 20 year old cats euthanised before Christmas
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That is hard, we had to do the same many years ago now and it is still sad when I think of it.
If you like cooking then the recipes on the website sugarfreelondoner are good and one of the people who is on here martin62 I think uses it a lot for his weekly bakes of some scrummy biscuits and cakes which are really low carb.
 
Sounds like you are doing amazingly well despite a very stressful time, and some significant challenges

Hope you find comparing notes and experiences with others on the forum helps, and gives you a bit more support. 🙂

Well done on your A1c reduction, and to hold it fairly steady over Christmas was a great outcome!
 
AnGelA65 said:
Yes I get high percentage of dark chocolate, 80% and nuts, hard when he produces your favourite tart‍ I am also a really good cook of many years, which also makes things difficult. I have and do make recipe adaptions to try any lower sugars and carbs AND only indulge small portion. Tbh, think lot of my problem is stress Also had to get my 2 20 year old cats euthanised before Christmas
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Have you tried carolyn ketchum's keto bakery books? You may have to buy some unusual ingredients, but its all so low carb it doesn't make your bs spike...when i was diagnosed the thought of not being able to cook brought me down, and at first her recipes pretty much all failed, but then you learn how to use new ingredients (one down side - many of her recipes are high fat, but then no one eats muffins for the health benefits and its not quite so bad if sub out the butter for avodado oil)
 
AnGelA65 said:
Thanks. I have some books by Katie Caldesi & Giancarlo Caldesi 2 Books Collection Set I do substitute some ingredients for lower carb ones.
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They also do a good book, the Diabetes Weight Loss Cook Book.
You may find that many of the recipes are low carb anyway but make whatever substitution you want or have half the portion and bulk out with extra veg or salad.
You may need to work out the carbs to see what it is so you can decide what is OK for you.
 
I’ve got 2-3 of their books
My Consultant endocrinologist wouldn’t tell me the amount of carbs per day, she said ‘you’ve got to live’! So I don’t count each carb as such, but I think I could be overly low.
My next challenge is going on holiday to Grenada, the heat and food.
 
AnGelA65 said:
I’ve got 2-3 of their books
My Consultant endocrinologist wouldn’t tell me the amount of carbs per day, she said ‘you’ve got to live’! So I don’t count each carb as such, but I think I could be overly low.
My next challenge is going on holiday to Grenada, the heat and food.
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You are lucky as Type 2 to even see an endocrinologist, most have to muddle along with their GP.
They are probably reluctant to say how many carbs because everybody is different in what they can tolerate but a suggested starting point is no more than 130g total carbs per day but people determine what suits them by testing with a home blood glucose monitor looking for meal increases of no more than 2-3mmol/l from before to 2 hours after a meal or when their level starts to come down aim at 4-7mmol/l before meals or fasting (morning) and no more than 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours after meals as that usually puts them in the normal HbA1C range.
Some people do go lower than 130g per day and settle on between 50g and 100g per day.
Home monitors can be bought on line, the GlucoNavii or Spirit TEE2 are basic monitors with the cheapest strips. Many find they give them the control over their diabetes.
 
Ah, I paid to see the consultant, she was recommended by my heart consultant, very good lady. I got given a monitor and strips in hospital, 4Sure I think it is. I’m also lucky to have been sent on a X-Pert health programme.
 
I got told by nurse & Gp that I shouldn’t be testing so much I test 2x day, before bed and before breakfast. I can get the dawn phenomenon.
 
AnGelA65 said:
I got told by nurse & Gp that I shouldn’t be testing so much I test 2x day, before bed and before breakfast. I can get the dawn phenomenon.
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Many find that testing just in the morning to check progress from day to day or week to week is a good plan but tells you nothing about how you are tolerating various meals and foods which for many is the key to bringing down blood glucose as if you can keep your meal increases to within the 2-3mmol/l then that will start to bring overall level down. The morning reading is often the last to come down and sometimes can discourage people but it as you mention Foot on the Floor or Dawn Phenomenon and they therefore find testing before they even get out of bed can make a difference.
What is important is to make the testing you do useful and lead your dietary changes.
For example if I test before breakfast and my level is 6 mmol/l and have a bowl of cereal with milk and 2 hours later my level is 9mmol/l then I would think what I had eaten was too high in carb so would have something else like Greek yoghurt with berries and seeds or nuts which would be half the carbs and hopefully my 2 hour post meal would be more reasonable at no more than 8mmol/l.
Once you establish something is OK then there is no need to test that meal again.
I am never sure what a before bedtime reading really tells you unless in is part of a before and after dinner testing regime.
 
In past the before bed reading had been low meaning I could go lower when asleep and I worry about a hypo. But levels have been high so nothing to worry in hypo.
 
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