Newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes prescribed Metformin

[everydayupsanddowns]

However, do you know that you if you click on someone's avatar you can select 'Ignore' and you won't see any comments from that member?

Yes that’s right Martin.

If there is a particular member whose posts, replies, and threads you would prefer not to see, you can click their avatar, and add the, to your ”Ignore” list.



Then you’ll view the forum without seeing any of their content.

People on your ‘Ignore’ list won’t know you are ignoring them.

 

[maryjaneholland]

@everydayupsanddowns @Martin.A @RJN123 thanks for all your feedback and advice and support, I guess I can confirm that after my first birthday living with T2 diabetes, I am completely fed up of vanilla extract and vanilla as flavour as I realise it can have the opposite effect of causing cravings for the full sugar full carb full fat version of vanilla flavoured birthday cake sponge with vanilla buttercream, but my worst "birthday junkfood" was granola slice full of brown sugar, but also seeds, grains, oats and dried fruit ha!

I am also guilty of substituting carbs for sugars on bad days, but after at least three months on NHS waiting list, there's still no sign of any appointments with diabetes course, weight management course, sleep clinic and my most recent NHS appointments I have been asked bluntly about "erectile dysfunction" and been misgendered by the most senior GP specialising in diabetes management where this professional person has studied medicine for seven years, lives and works in big city with student halls near the GP surgery and there's some kind of poster on the wall about the practice being awarded "LGBT+ friendly NHS service certificate" with rainbow, which appears to have pretty low threshold!

I am an assertive adult and I corrected the misgendering clearly and directly, but nope, the NHS has pronounced I am quote "part of the latest surge of men living with diabetes" so instead of casually dying by my own hand as all phobic messaging in our society points to, where clearly subtlety is lost, there's no respect or dignity for me or people like me and my next in person appointment I will be attending my GP surgery in full rainbow pride drag and giving performative drag queen responses to questions about my quote "erectile dysfunction" as standard NHS question for quote "men living with diabetes", which reminds me, I must post some jokes and banter about that very subject to let off some steam... But all in the best possible taste! RIP Kenny Everett!

Oh, and here's video clip of RuPaul in action if my post has unintentionally confused you, please ask me questions and I will try my best to explain clearly and politely without meaning to cause offence! 😉

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear you aren’t getting access to training, education, or weight management courses in a timely way @maryjaneholland

And really sorry about the misgendering. Must have been particularly frustrating in an environment declaring their LGBT+ credentials, and with a senior member of staff who could have been expected to do better. Well done on calling it out.

For some T2 background you might want to check out the Learning Zone (orange tab above) which has a bunch of bite-sized modules you can work through at your own pace.

For Birthdays, Christmas and other celebrations, I read a blog post many years ago that really resonated with me, and helped me navigate some of those food quandaries. I have no idea whether it will chime with your thinking, but here it is if it helps

Thanksgiving and other Feasts

Managing blood glucose levels for type 2 diabetes. Learning how to achieve long term control by testing and diet.

loraldiabetes.blogspot.com

 

[maryjaneholland]

@everydayupsanddowns thanks so much for the article, you are star and real fountain of knowledge, I forgot to add that it sounds like Chromium supplements are yet another way for people struggling with complex medical conditions to be ripped off and all we have to show for expensive daily supplements is expensive urine ultimately, and I realise there was truth in another member higlighting the trickery around the language used by supplement and diet industry such as "this may help with blah symptoms of blah blah" which is as meaningless on product label as the words "natural" or "as part of healthy balanced diet" or "sharing size" etc!

I would also encourage anyone living with diabetes and struggling to access NHS healthcare and treatment they want and need and have right to, please don't give up at the first hurdle, ignore the NHS gatekeepers and keep asking for in person GP appointments, referrals, health screening and prescription medication as diabetes is preventable (type 2 only) treatable and manageable condition with the right support, and I am accessing advocacy services to ensure my case about being refused physical health checks and health screening when I was pre-diabetic is listened to as an example of NHS health inequalities, where someone in the same circumstances as me but in different postcode area of the UK where NHS health screening is more prevalent would have been warned of the risks of developing Type 2 Diabetes and could have managed or lowered their bood glucose levels before the progression into T2 Diabetes - even going to GP appointment with friend or family member to ensure you are heard is making progress and sticking up for your self too!

Please look after yourselves, I will start eating more fresh fruit and vegetables and salads tomorrow after falling off the wagon during my birthday celebrations, and mostly dreading Christmas Holidays in England and navigating grocery stores during "The Great Binge" to mark the shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice, whatever your religious beliefs are, celebrations! 🙄

 

[maryjaneholland]

In response to certain comments on support forum about the murder of young trans woman Brianna Ghey for context here as original thread I posted embargoed until further notice...

As for "boo hoo I win the oppression olympics" it's all subjective pain and suffering, and nobody has the right to steal someone else's narrative and state that lived experiences are not valid, or battlescars are not earned, it is an established medical fact that I have been diagnosed by qualified GP with Type 2 Diabetes and I happen to be part of the LGBTQIA+ Community, and this reminds me of something RuPaul once said...

"Im too black for the gay community, and I'm too gay for the black community".

My right to live my life authentically as my self is not up for debate, and my existence is not up for discussion.

PERIOD! To quote 21st century feminists like Julia Serano, Look It Up!

 

[Blue-16]

@maryjaneholland the good news is that, if you are a plain ordinary type 2, like me, then you could be back in normal number in 6 months. The bad news is that if you are, like me, sensitive to Metformin's side effects you could be in for explosive incontinence and a lot of weeping and wailing.
Luckily for me, I decided to throw the tablets in the bin and do low carb even if it was a long slow process, but as it turned out, it wasn't.
Having started out with a HbA1c of 91 I went down to 47 at the first retest, and 41 at 6 months. I do need to stick to fairly low levels of carbs - but I was already very familiar with Dr Atkins way of eating, so it has been no trouble but I do wish that when I was first showing signs of glucose intolerance in blood tests that the GP had mentioned it rather than continuing to hammer on with low fat and lots of healthy carbs, even though I never felt right eating that way.

Hi All,

At the present time, I'm a Pre-Diabetic. I keep reading that some people whom have Type 2 - say that they are Plain Ordinary Type 2. If there are Type 2? Please explain!

Blue-16
(Susan)

 

[harbottle]

Hi All,

At the present time, I'm a Pre-Diabetic. I keep reading that some people whom have Type 2 - say that they are Plain Ordinary Type 2. If there are Type 2? Please explain!

Blue-16
(Susan)

There are different 'phenotypes' of T2 diabetes, the biggest group being the 'weight related' one - i.e. weight causes insulin resistance which after a while leads to beta dysfunction and the lack of insulin to keep levels normal, but it's possible to just be insulin resistant without beta cell dysfunction or just have beta cell dysfunction without being obese. There's also age-related T2 and T2 related to pregnancy and PCOS.

 

[Blue-16]

There are different 'phenotypes' of T2 diabetes, the biggest group being the 'weight related' one - i.e. weight causes insulin resistance which after a while leads to beta dysfunction and the lack of insulin to keep levels normal, but it's possible to just be insulin resistant without beta cell dysfunction or just have beta cell dysfunction without being obese. There's also age-related T2 and T2 related to pregnancy and PCOS.

Hi @harbottle,

Thanks for you help in explaining the different types of Type 2 Diabetes to me!

Blue-16
(Susan)

 

[Drummer]

@everydayupsanddowns thanks so much for the article, you are star and real fountain of knowledge, I forgot to add that it sounds like Chromium supplements are yet another way for people struggling with complex medical conditions to be ripped off and all we have to show for expensive daily supplements is expensive urine ultimately, and I realise there was truth in another member higlighting the trickery around the language used by supplement and diet industry such as "this may help with blah symptoms of blah blah" which is as meaningless on product label as the words "natural" or "as part of healthy balanced diet" or "sharing size" etc!

In Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution he writes that chromium supplements can help change things for the better, most pertinent for diabetics, it can help with insulin working properly at a cellular level. Of course if you don't actually need it it makes no difference at all - which is true for a lot of supplements. Soils are often found to be lacking in some elements and overburdened with others, when analysed - but such things are expensive and I think the results are more likely to be supressed than revealed.

 

[maryjaneholland]

Thanks @Drummer I have heeded the warnings about products aimed at diabetics with various claims, and I have moved on thanks to Diabetes UK Northern Office Staff to the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme, waiting for confirmation of GP referral, so the next year fingers crossed as I meet all the criteria will be all about soups, shakes, low calorie low sugar low carb diet, exercising, seeing dieticians & nutritionists, losing weight, and hopefully taking control back over my linked health issues and medical conditions, like fatty liver, not managing blood glucose levels, sleep apnoea and insomnia.

Feel bit frustrated that apparently nobody at my GP Surgery mentioned anything about remission, or this fully-funded NHS programme where the organisers are constantly looking for patients to be referred by GP's to their programme, so technically could have been referred months ago, but have to see bigger picture and long-term goal of remission and maintaining lifestyle changes.

I am posting the NHS England remission programme link to encourage others to consider this option if they meet the criteria and there is an update from the original press releases and info from beginning of 2023, and in September 2023 this NHS programme was expanded to include more regions of England, and if anyone knows about similar funded programmes for NHS patients in Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, then please post as I have no idea why an important programme based on scientific medical research and case studies with evidence is not fully rolled out in the UK...

NHS England » NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme

The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is a joint initiative between NHS England and Diabetes UK available to eligible people in England. This programme provides a low calorie, total diet replacement treatment for people who are living with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight...

www.england.nhs.uk

 

[maryjaneholland]

Welcome to the support forum @Blue-16 I apologise for not being more supportive or informative about your valid questions as I am newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes also, and got bit sidetracked by the murder trial of Brianna Ghey everywhere in the news currently, but just reacting to negativity is not very helpful or friendly either.

I highly recommend posting your own thread in the "newbies" section with your own questions as the support forum prioritises new threads in chronological order, and I'm certain the sagest wisest kindest support forum members will respond to you, as many people have lived their entire lives with diabetes and I guess sometimes it's annoying to have newbies making unqualified comments or muddling through meaning well but providing inaccurate feedback.

Good Luck for your journey, I highly recommend from my own lived experience pestering your GP Surgery, whether that's meds side effects or chasing up referrals or requesting appointments or health checks, be assertive, put everything in writing if phonecalls don't work, as you can't get POM prescription medication or GP only referrals via Pharmacists, in an emergency NHS111 can get you prescription but not much else, and educate your self with Diabetes UK publications, reading books, researching your self online or in libraries and bookshops, knowledge is power! 🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

and I have moved on thanks to Diabetes UK Northern Office Staff to the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme, waiting for confirmation of GP referral, so the next year fingers crossed as I meet all the criteria will be all about soups, shakes, low calorie low sugar low carb diet, exercising, seeing dieticians & nutritionists, losing weight, and hopefully taking control back over my linked health issues and medical conditions

Thanks for sharing the link @maryjaneholland

I am sure others will find it helpful.

We have a few members who have found this programme (and variants of it) helpful, and there are a few personal accounts in the Remission section, such as this one:

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

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...

forum.diabetes.org.uk

Hope it works well for you 🙂

 

[trophywench]

When the NHS roll out anything whatever new to their staff and patients it has always been the practice to try it in a manageable area to begin with before rolling out to all and sundry. The first foreseeable concern is to train all the staff likely to have anything whatever to do with medically or healthcare wise advice to people with that particular health problem. That does not happen overnight so it simply takes time to do it. Meanwhile because it's 'just ordinary people with T2' who ARE getting on the trial and eg one of them gets a cyst on their little toe or a wart on the end of their nose one of their friends asks him on social media puts 2 and 2 together and makes 5 and starts telling other people that this regime has been proven to cause cysts/warts so they wouldn't do it themselves if they were you. Some healthcare professionals still think patients are incapable of thinking for themselves and indeed, some of em are.

The deep shock a lady's face years ago when at a DUK meeting when we'd finished the Agenda we'd gone there for, the DUK staff asked if we'd kindly give our own opinion on the NHS giving us access to our own test results, cos the NHS had just asked DUK for their and their members opinions. Did we want them or not, give reasons. I said Yes I do please - because IMHO they are actually, basically MINE!! - and I like to track what's been and is happening with my body some of which those results evidence, as time passes.

She said She was deeply shocked at my own and others reactions in wanting them because No they definitely aren't not mine - they belong exclusively to the NHS and neither I nor anyone else should have access to medical test results because after all, No Way could any of us possibly have any input whatever to the treatment given.

Why would anyone need to do whatever ourselves - we all give the NHS the money to do all that for us, don't we? So let them get on with it I say! Not my job.....

Aaaargghh.

 

[maryjaneholland]

@trophywench thanks for your insights it's very interesting anecdotes about the underbelly of the NHS beast and you must be psychic, as I am unfortunately having let's say similar "heated debate" with my GP Surgery Practice Manager regarding my diabetes healthcare and the lack of health screening despite developing other health issues, turning 40 (think that's roughly "deceased" on the "gay scene" but who cares!), and presenting with all the symptoms of diabetes I wasn't aware of several years ago...

Typical NHS risk averse response, they point to small handful of missed appointments over several years (not relevant as I was fully assessed at documented in-person consultation where they checked my terrible feet and knees for skin condition and told me to submit my own samples for fungal nail infection as sign of diabetes-related foot problems and no blood test or physical health checks) so I basically chucked the NHS remission programme info at them and asked clearly "please explain why I wasn't referred to this fully-funded programme by GP several months ago thanks" and awaiting their response in writing...

I need to add, please don't be put off the NHS remission programme by my experience with dysfunctional GP practice and Diabetes UK staff also encouraged me to be responsible adult and make direct request to GP if your region is covered and you meet all the criteria, as basically if you don't ask you don't get! Good Luck! 😉