Newbie here

[Leebroath]

Hello everyone

Decided to sign up for this forum due to recent news

Was at a recent opticians follow up appointment due to my vision was blurred with new glasses

I have an appointment next week at my local hosptital to give blood

Fingers crossed everything is ok

 

[HayleyR]

Hi @Leebroath and welcome to the Forum 🙂, hope all goes well and keep us updated

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Leebroath

Hope your blood tests come back clear, but rest assured there is lots of help and support available for you here if you need it.

Do you have any other factors or symptoms that have made you suspect diabetes? Eg a close family member who already lives with diabetes? Or thirst and needing the toilet more often than usual for you.

 

[Alan44]

Hi @Leebroath and welcome to the forum.
Do let us know how you get on

Alan 😉

 

[Leebroath]

Thanks all,

I work Offshore and at both my previous (every 2 year) Medicals, the doctor has “advised” to book my bloods getting checked after testing my urine sample. Which I have been putting off until 2 weeks ago at my optician appointment…

My new pair of glasses (stronger prescription) I received was making my eyes struggle to focus, it was like my eyes were fighting to focus. So I made an appointment with my local optician to have the glasses checked, but he confirmed they were fine. He then pulled out the manual glasses (silver briefcase) and placed them on my face, then flipped a +5 and -5 white lens chart in front of my eyes. On one flip my eyes focused well, then next they were out of focus…he did this several times. Then he sat back and said he was using the same flip lens and was just tricking me, he then said ‘have you got diabetes’ which I replied no, then I mentioned the previous Offshore Medicals and how I was “advised” to have my bloods checked.

Knowing this info, he said to the same, as this could be the reason my eyes were on / off focusing with the same lens, and to get checked.

Which leads me to speaking to my own Doctor and now to going to my local hospital on Tuesday next week.

I do sort of have symptoms of going to the toilet a lot, but then I always thought that was just me. I also for the last 2 years noticed a sharp shooting pain in my head but this only happens occasionally. Noticed that any scars I have take a very long time to heal. My weight has always stayed around the same.

Just out of curiosity, could someone having Type 2, is that something which could have been easily been picked up, and would I have known something is up? Or could I be siting here right now with Type 2 and unaware?

 

[SB2015]

Welcome to the forum @Leebroath . I am pleased that you have found us.

The blood test that you have been advised to get done over the past two years is what is needed. From that diabetes can be picked up. I suspect from what you have said you are in the right place, as you are displaying many of the symptoms associated with diabetes. Many people have these symptoms for a while and just put them down to other things, so I am pleased that your optician has picked this up and encouraged you to go and get checks done.

From what you have said, you have picked up the symptoms but not associated them with diabetes. When I looked back to the time before my diagnosis I was definitely showing symptoms (Tired, Toilet visits, Thirsty) but had no idea as I just put these down to other factors. When I lost 1 1/2 stone in a week, I got diagnosed (Thinner - the four Ts) . Very pleased that you have now followed up on the advice to get bloods done.

The eyes are very sensitive to high glucose levels in the blood, and what you describe is a common situation for those with elevated levels. I was prescribed new glasses the week before my diagnosis of Type 1, which once I was treated became useless as my eyes settled back down. I was pleased that the opticians refunded my lenses since they felt that they should have picked up the diabetes.

Keep us updated and let us know how the tests go.

 

[rebrascora]

Hi and welcome from me too.

Many people who are diagnosed with Type 2 have no or very minimal symptoms that they are not really aware of until treatment stops those symptoms and then they look back and realise that they had them for a while.
It is more common for Type 1 diabetics to have symptoms because there is usually a more sudden and significant increase in Blood Glucose (BG) levels. Mine literally came on in the space of an hour when I had been out at a pub for a meal and suddenly developed a raging thirst that pint after pint of water would not quench.... and of course the very frequent trips to the loo overnight after which I needed to drink yet another pint of water.... and go back to the loo an hour later 🙄. After a couple of weeks of that I had pretty much self diagnosed diabetes and had cut back on anything sweet in my diet but still drinking water and needing the loo far too frequently and was like a walking zombie because my sleep was so disturbed. Initially they assumed I was Type 2 as they do for most people who are mature adults and perhaps carrying a bit of extra weight as many of us do, but 5 weeks of increasing oral Type 2 meds and drastically reducing all carbs and my HbA1c had gone up to 116 instead of come down and I was started on insulin and a couple of months later my tests for Type 1 came back positive.

It is a shame that you didn't follow up the urine tests with a blood test sooner (or have it explained to you how serious that is) as having glucose in your urine usually indicates that your BG levels are persistently quite high and 2 years of unmanaged diabetes puts you at increased risk of complications developing. Hopefully the sight issues will resolve once your diabetes is treated.

I am quite surprised that the medical for working offshore does not include a blood test that would have picked it up sooner or that your GP didn't do the HbA1c blood test there and then when you were seeing them about a possible diabetes diagnosis. Sending you to the hospital for a blood test a week later seems an undue delay.

Not sure that the sharp shooting pain in your head is diabetes related but you should get that checked out too.

Please let us know when you get the result of your blood test. Results usually come back very quickly for the HbA1c test as it is a very routine test for diabetes which is used to diagnose and monitor your diabetes management over the years after diagnosis.
I can normally access my results the next day via the GP System Online website or the NHS website. It might be worth getting signed up to these if you are not already.

 

[harbottle]

Blurred eyesight was my major symptom, it came on quite suddenly the year I was diagnosed. I also had been suffering with gum disease for a few years. I suspect I'd been pre-diabetic for some time without knowing it.

My dentist should have told me to talk to my GP, though, given my age and being overweight. Quite often gum disease is an early sign of undiagnosed problems. I believe dentists are encouraged to act proactively with gum disease, but mine didn't. I changed dentists afterwards.

 

[JimG]

I was diagnosed type 2 in 2009. The reason I went for the test was because an insect bite took a very long time to heal. After being diagnosed I looked back at the symptoms, drinking a lot, thirsty and sweating but not becoming tired. I was too busy to be tired. Diet and tablets sorted out the blood sugar levels. My eyesight did not seem to be a problem but the diabetes had caused some diabetic retinopathy. That is bleeding in the smaller vessels at the back of the eye. I needed laser surgery but that was straightforward. I have since developed cataracts that have been removed. I don't think the cataracts were directly caused by diabetes. I am 71. However, I had had a major bleed in the eye 18 months ago and the treatment I needed for that accelerated the cataracts. The bleed was probably caused by retinopathy and so the sooner you can get your eyes checked at the hospital, the better. So, you are on the right track. Incidentally, diabetes is not something that you can "pick up". The causes are complex. Diet can often reverse the symptoms but never "cure" diabetes. I've not explained that very well but your GP/nurse/consultant will explain that more clearly and there is plenty on this website. If looking at the web in general be careful. There are some good websites but some dangerously misleading ones as well..

 

[saffron15]

@Leebroath welcome to the forum. I believe I had had diabetes for at least a year before I was tested. I remember going to Eye casualty with very blurred eyesight but it was a Saturday they didn't have a photographer and I wasn't given a follow up appointment. I remember i was tired and peeing a lot at night. However I'm fat retired and female and took peeing at night as normal. I have uveitis which flares up occasionally less than once a year and I self refer. It maybe some of the blur could have been diabetes. At the beginning of last year the peeing became more of a problem. I asked to be tested last June when I had an appointment about creeping cholestral. I have had high blood pressure for 15 years and have a blood test once a year which used to include a urine sample which I assumed was tested for sugar in urine but they stopped the urine sample and I assumed given my age and weight I was being tested but I wasnt! I would hope if your urine sample had flagged up something serious they would have sent the result to your GP and advised you. I live in an area where lots of people work offshore and a local GP practice does many of the medicals. The test for diabetes is called an hba1c and the results are quick. With luck you may be teetering on the edge of diabetes ie below 48. I discovered I was tested in 2014 and was 40 but that test was never repeated. I wish someone had told me and advised me on diet and exercise.
Usually a second test is done to confirm. My first result was 69 and second 64. I don't know if a second test is done if you are close ie between 42 and 47.
Moving more and reducing sugar is a good idea. I assume if you work offshore you are moving a lot whilst there but temptation can be to rest when back home. Carbs need to be reduced if you are in the diabetic range.
It is a good idea to have a blood test and be advised thereafter. If you are diabetic there is loads of advice and info here. Whatever you do don't panic.