Newbie - possible T2 in waiting )-:

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mat

mat

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Hello everyone

I’ll try and keep this as short as possible.

I am 49 years old, very overweight at 22 stone, eat pretty badly but a blood test a few months back came back pretty normal apart from being in the pre-diabetes range. I attempted to make lifestyle changes and have lost some weight and walk a lot more but my symptoms seem to have got worse.

For context my father who passed away two years ago was insulin dependent and my mother is on Metformin for T2 diabetes.

Yesterday because of symptoms including blurred vision, frequent peeing, always hungry and being very irritable I did a ‘prick test’ using my mother’s machine, I was shocked to get a reading of 25.4. I did it again today and it was 15.9, so very bad readings, this morning it was 12.3.

I am convinced I now have T2D as the warning signs have been there for ages, I am just scared about how I am going to cope with new medication, frequent monitoring and dietary changes as well as the long term health effects of what I have done to my body with years of abuse, yes I done this, no one else is to blame.

I went for my blood test today after contacting my surgery worried and they done a full blood work up on me including liver, kidneys, thyroid, glucose etc – at least they are being thorough.

I am worried sick but what else can I do apart from accept treatment and this condition for life. Sorry for the rant, just obviously worried waiting for the results.
 
Hi everyone
Posted on general board with my story. Good to be here and good to see so much information and support!
 
mat said:
Hello everyone

I’ll try and keep this as short as possible.

I am 49 years old, very overweight at 22 stone, eat pretty badly but a blood test a few months back came back pretty normal apart from being in the pre-diabetes range. I attempted to make lifestyle changes and have lost some weight and walk a lot more but my symptoms seem to have got worse.

For context my father who passed away two years ago was insulin dependent and my mother is on Metformin for T2 diabetes.

Yesterday because of symptoms including blurred vision, frequent peeing, always hungry and being very irritable I did a ‘prick test’ using my mother’s machine, I was shocked to get a reading of 25.4. I did it again today and it was 15.9, so very bad readings, this morning it was 12.3.

I am convinced I now have T2D as the warning signs have been there for ages, I am just scared about how I am going to cope with new medication, frequent monitoring and dietary changes as well as the long term health effects of what I have done to my body with years of abuse, yes I done this, no one else is to blame.

I went for my blood test today after contacting my surgery worried and they done a full blood work up on me including liver, kidneys, thyroid, glucose etc – at least they are being thorough.

I am worried sick but what else can I do apart from accept treatment and this condition for life. Sorry for the rant, just obviously worried waiting for the results.
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There is plenty you can do, it sounds as if you had started to make some changes but the best thing is to educate yourself about what foods are ones to avoid, only have in small portions and those which most who are Type 2 diabetic are usually able to have fairly freely . Hopefully you will get a confirmed diagnosis from your blood test and they reveal nothing too sinister. More exercise and those dietary changes will help you lose weight which doing so should help reduce blood glucose.
Many find a low carbohydrate approach successful, that does not mean NO carbs but somewhat less than people without diabetes have as it is carbohydrates that people struggle with, not just sugar as many people think. Have a look at this link for some menu ideas and some do's and don'ts which may be suitable depending on what if any medication you are prescribed. If just metformin it will be fine. https://lowcarbfreshwell.com/
Make sure you find out what your HbA1C is as that will indicate how much work you will need to do, not just high, very high but the actual number.
 
Make sure you find out what your HbA1C is as that will indicate how much work you will need to do, not just high, very high but the actual number.
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Thank you, that is useful. If I remember correctly my last bloodwork where pre-diabetes was diagnosed was a HBA1C of 46. Today I have had soup for lunch at midday, 2 digestives around 2pm and I done a check and it showed a reading of 7.9 at 4pm. Hopefully I will get my results this week.
 
Those readings are quite high, but until you get a hba1c you don't for sure - the symptoms do sound about right. I had blurred vision, but I just thought I needed new glasses.

My Dad also died (At 60) probably due to complications related to his T2D, so when I was diagnosed at age 52, I did lots: set about losing excess weigh, stopped eating junk food high in carbs, made sure I got a good night's sleep and exercised every day. It seemed to work.

I didn't do a 'diet', but just changed to foods I enjoy and look forward to, that can be made quickly with fresh ingredients. I went fairly low carb and calorie. There are plenty of resources online for low carb foods.
 
mat said:
Thank you, that is useful. If I remember correctly my last bloodwork where pre-diabetes was diagnosed was a HBA1C of 46. Today I have had soup for lunch at midday, 2 digestives around 2pm and I done a check and it showed a reading of 7.9 at 4pm. Hopefully I will get my results this week.
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A good testing strategy is to test before you eat and after 2 hours, you are aiming at no more that 2-3mmol/l increase and once levels are coming down then no more than 8-8.5mmol/l 2 hours post meal.
It is better to have sufficient at your meals so as not to need to be eating high carb snacks which digestive biscuits are. Having them with some protein or cheese can help the conversion to glucose be slower.
The aim is to be 4-7mmol/l before meals or fasting/ morning and as said 2 hours post meal.
 
Hello and welcome. Of course you will be worried until you have the results of your latest blood work. But on a positive note your HbA1c a few months ago was still in the pre diabetic range, so if you are now diabetic it has been identified very early on. And some people with very high initial readings have successfully made changes, got their readings down and kept them down.
Please consider this as an opportunity to make lifestyle changes. Leadinglights above always gives excellent advice. It is surprising how quickly you can adapt to changes, which will soon become a way of life. Are you able to take advice from your mum on how she manages her diabetes on pills? I take my pills first thing, and plan my daily food using an app. Then I get on with life. I try and make sure my meals are filling enough without added carbs to stop me from snacking. For example, for lunch today I had an omelette packed with onion, peppers, mushrooms, spinach and cheese. But if I do get the munchies I drink sparkling water (the gas fills me up). I personally can't stand it, but I know some people drink diet coke or similar.
Do come back to us when you have your results and I'm sure you will get lots of positive advice.
 
Hi there Mat! Thank you so much for joining us, I hope you enjoy your time on our forum 🙂
 
Welcome to the forum @mat

Glad you have found us! We have all sorts of people finding their own way through the maze of options and strategies that can help manage blood glucose levels.

It’s not uncommon to feel a bit overwhelmed at the beginning - even if you have bad an inkling that something might be ‘up’ for a while. It’s perfectly natural to be worried, but try to be kind to yourself. You can’t change the past, and carrying regret can drag you down and demotivate you. What matters most is what you do now. And how you choose to respond.

Many people on the forum eventually see their diagnosis as a good thing. And reflect that it became a kind of catalyst which prompted them to finally make positive changes towards a healthier and more active life. Perhaps changes that they had been intending to make for years. Some say that they’ve not felt so ‘healthy’ for years! And that various other ailments have improved alongside their diabetes management strategies.

Often you don’t realise how weary, worn down and lethargic you have been feeling. Erratic and elevated blood glucose levels can be exhausting and are linked with low mood, but this may have come on quite gradually. Making positive changes to your menu and lifestyle can give you more energy, a clearer mind, and a brighter outlook. Plus the regular checks you get after a diagnosis with diabetes mean that any potential problems may be spotted earlier, and can be sorted out sooner.

Good luck, and let us know how things go.
 
Hello all, just to keep you updated, I have been checking my on line GP log in for test results the last two days and only my thyroid test has come back from the lab - normal, I expected after 3 days to have my full results but they did say 3-5 days so its a weekend of waiting - this seems the worst part, I just need to know so I can process and move forward.

Today has been OK, I have actually not felt thirsty BUT have been peeing a lot (little but often). Two tests today, one on waking up with no food and drink - 8.9 and one an hour after eating tonight, 11.3 so I have accepted I am over the threshold and a T2 in all but formal diagnosis.

I will update as and when I get my results but another thought I had is maybe I will start on diet only. If it is Metformin my Mother started on these when diagnosed and they gave her bad stomach cramps and she is now on Sukkarto if I remember rightly and I think these are slow release?
 
OK, so here we are. as expected (results are in) - I'll now await formal confirmation and an appointment!

Plasma glucose level 12.6 mmol/L [3.0 - 6.0]; Reference interval is based on a fasting specimen.
This result is consistent with diabetes mellitus.; Above high reference limit

Haemoglobin A1c level 8.3 % [4.0 - 5.9]; Above high reference limit

Haemoglobin A1c level - IFCC standardised 67 mmol/mol [20.0 - 41.0]; HbA1c >=48 mmol/mol (6.5 %) is diagnostic of Diabetes
Mellitus (DM). If asymptomatic repeat HbA1c within 2
weeks for confirmation. If repeat <48 mmol/mol
non-diabetic hyperglycaemia is present.; Above high reference limit
 
mat said:
OK, so here we are. as expected (results are in) - I'll now await formal confirmation and an appointment!

Plasma glucose level 12.6 mmol/L [3.0 - 6.0]; Reference interval is based on a fasting specimen.
This result is consistent with diabetes mellitus.; Above high reference limit

Haemoglobin A1c level 8.3 % [4.0 - 5.9]; Above high reference limit

Haemoglobin A1c level - IFCC standardised 67 mmol/mol [20.0 - 41.0]; HbA1c >=48 mmol/mol (6.5 %) is diagnostic of Diabetes
Mellitus (DM). If asymptomatic repeat HbA1c within 2
weeks for confirmation. If repeat <48 mmol/mol
non-diabetic hyperglycaemia is present.; Above high reference limit
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The HbA1c is quite high but not terribly high. Do not worry, just adopt a pragmatic position on this. My figure was higher still three years ago and I just took action straightaway of a simple nature and quickly got into remission. Many others here have done the same and have achieved spectacular and enduring reversals. It’s not rocket science. Eat less and eat better, in any mode entailing reducing carbs and overall calories, and do it steadily over a few months, no need to act in any dramatic fashion. Do not worry, just take control, and you will get there.
 
Mine was far higher, 83, and a few lifestyle tweaks got it down to 36 in three months.
 
I have had some time to digest these results now and I intend on making lifestyle changes so that I can get this under control. I wonder if I will be diet only or Metformin - I guess I will wait and see what the surgery say as I may need repeat bloods taken.

In addition to these results I had a higher cholestorol reading than normal, I am already on Atorvastatin 20mg so I am guessing an increase in these tablets and a higher red blood cell cound than normal. I do have Essential Thrombocythemia and on Aspirin so that is why my platelet readings are higher than normal (around 600-800)

This is probably the kick I needed to get myself together though so I have to look at the positives rather than just the negatives
 
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