Ooh, you're a runner! 🙂 Me too! I was diagnosed a week before I was due to run the Stockholm Marathon! 😱 Like you, my times had been deteriorating for several months - three months before diagnosis I ran my slowest ever half marathon and finished three paces ahead of the sweep up ambulance 😱 I put it down to overtraining. I also lost about 20 pounds in the 18 months prior to my diagnosis - put that down to the training too - then lost 17 pounds in the 3 days leading up to diagnosis when things really went haywire 😱
The good news is that I am back running again and currently running at the pace I was 20 years ago! I've run several half marathons and Great South Runs since diagnosis and have never felt fitter or healthier - well, certainly not for many years - so don't lose hope 🙂
As for weight gain, I was in a similar position to you. I was always on the slim side, but at diagnosis my BMI was 17. I didn't consciously try and do anything to regain weight, just let it build back on naturally. For me it took about 2 years, I would say, to get back up to my 'ideal' weight and I currently have a BMI of 22.4 🙂 One thing I have found is that I started to snack on peanuts instead of my former carby snacks, and I think they really helped put the weight back on. They are quite high calorie, but contain protein and good fats, and are relatively low carb. Cheese is also a good choice as it will give you calories without affecting your blood sugar levels 🙂
Regarding your levels - it's not unusual to have confusing readings in the early months. There's a possibility that your pancreas may still be producing small amounts of insulin, but erratically. This is sometimes termed the 'honeymoon' period, and can take an indeterminate amount of time to disappear - usually weeks or maybe a few months, but I have encountered people whose honeymoon has lasted for up to two years. Plenty of testing before and after eating, recording of carbs in your meals each day, you will build up experience of how your body reacts over time, but it can be quite a slow learning process. Don't worry though, your numbers are not excessive. Have you been offered a diabetes education course and/or been taught how to count carbs so you can match your insulin doses to your food choices? If not, do ask your DSN about it 🙂
It does sound like neuropathy, but hope fully it is just 'transient', and once your body has settled down into better blood sugar levels the pain will ease. I suffered this to some extent for about 3-4 months after my diagnosis but now only occasionally get a stinging/burning sensation in my toes (usually at night) when my control hasn't been as good as it could be.
