Newly diagnosed

[ChrisD]

Hi there, I had a telephone appt this afternoon regarding my blood pressure, and was told the results of my blood test from a couple weeks ago showed that I have diabetes. The earliest appt I have been given is 2 weeks away. Is this too long to have to wait for a decision on whether I need to have medication or just control it with diet.

Since mid January I have altered the way I eat and have been following the Food Combining Diet. I have never regarded myself as overweight/obese, but have managed to lose just over a stone in weight and now weigh 10st 12lb. I am 5' 9" Just wondering if I am doing anything wrong.

 

[Docb]

Hi Chris. I'm guessing that, because your GP is not wanting to see you urgently, that the diabetes diagnosis is based on you being a bit above the diabetes threshold on your blood tests and not a lot above the threshold. If that is the case then there is no need to panic and I would suggest you spend the next couple of weeks getting informed so that when you see your GP you can have a proper conversation about a plan to sort things. One way of getting informed is to read around this forum and ask questions if there is stuff you need information on.

And you have not done anything wrong. Your weight is OK for your height so I would be a bit wary of loosing any more until you have got things sorted with your GP.

 

[Drummer]

I am not familiar with the food combining diet - but if you are diabetic the key to lower blood glucose is to reduce the intake of carbohydrates - that is starches and sugars - until you find an amount which you can cope with and maintain normal levels.
The usual description is low carb high fat - as the amount of fat is above that normally advised - there is no low fat option as it is used for fuel as carbs are reduced. Overweight people tend to lose weight on the diet as it is a powerful normaliser.

 

[ChrisD]

Hi Chris. I'm guessing that, because your GP is not wanting to see you urgently, that the diabetes diagnosis is based on you being a bit above the diabetes threshold on your blood tests and not a lot above the threshold. If that is the case then there is no need to panic and I would suggest you spend the next couple of weeks getting informed so that when you see your GP you can have a proper conversation about a plan to sort things. One way of getting informed is to read around this forum and ask questions if there is stuff you need information on.

And you have not done anything wrong. Your weight is OK for your height so I would be a bit wary of loosing any more until you have got things sorted with your GP.

Thank you. I will certainly keep reading the forum for any hints/tips. I started Food Combining to hopefully help with my Psoriasis, and found that I had lost weight following it - don't know if that is a coincidence or not, so will wait til I speak to the Dr.

 

[ChrisD]

I am not familiar with the food combining diet - but if you are diabetic the key to lower blood glucose is to reduce the intake of carbohydrates - that is starches and sugars - until you find an amount which you can cope with and maintain normal levels.
The usual description is low carb high fat - as the amount of fat is above that normally advised - there is no low fat option as it is used for fuel as carbs are reduced. Overweight people tend to lose weight on the diet as it is a powerful normaliser.

Thank you. The food combining is not having starch or protein at the same meal. so I have stopped eating processed foods, biscuits, crisps & chocolate etc., but will have a look at the low carb high fat too.

 

[Docb]

You have psoriasis so you will know all about having a chronic condition that nobody can cure but you can, and have to, manage. Gives you a head start in coping with diabetes, especially when sorting the wheat from the chaf when it comes to the advice that comes from all directions promising magic cures. At least with diabetes there is a logic behind the relationship between carbohydrate intake and blood glucose levels and so reducing one should help the other.

There is a pretty good relationship between body weight and blood glucose control and if somebody has diabetes and is overweight then weight reduction is a sensible first target. You are bang in the middle of the sensible weight range for your height so further weight reduction is not an obvious way forward. You are in the group who are sometimes referred to as "skinny" diabetics - there are a few on here - for whom many promoted "diets" are not appropriate because they all focus on loosing weight. If you do the logical thing and reduce carb intake then you need to get calories from somewhere else otherwise you will go underweight and that is not a good thing.

 

[ChrisD]

Thank you very much for your advice. I have calmed down a bit now, it felt like a kick in the teeth, to be honest, and shall carry on doing what I am doing til I speak to the Dr. Thank you all x

 

[Drummer]

Thank you. The food combining is not having starch or protein at the same meal. so I have stopped eating processed foods, biscuits, crisps & chocolate etc., but will have a look at the low carb high fat too.

There should be some meals you can still eat - the ones with the protein.
As a type two diabetic the problem is mainly the carbs - as a type two has loads of insulin, most of which is being ignored. Finding a number of meals which have enough nutrients to keep you going but are low enough in carbs for you to cope with seems to be the key - as it means you have no problem in keeping to the diet.

 

[ChrisD]

Thank you. Just out of interest, if you don't mind me asking, what do the numbers HbA1c 42 mean on your profile? I've seen numbers on other peoples profiles too x

 

[Drummer]

Thank you. Just out of interest, if you don't mind me asking, what do the numbers HbA1c 42 mean on your profile? I've seen numbers on other peoples profiles too x

That is the glycated haemoglobin test results.
It is usual to diagnose diabetes using the Hba1c test results - unless there is something which affects the length of life of red blood corpuscles going on as well.
At diagnosis my Hba1c was 91 - I was told that I was a very bad diabetic.
80 days later I had another test - Hba1c of 47 which made me no longer in the diabetic range. Later I saw 41 - both significant psychologically, as the 41 is just at the top end of normal.
The next test was 42 - but at the time I was suffering with a tooth abscess which the dentist treated by 'fixing' the wrong tooth - and infections cause elevated blood glucose.
You should be able to find out your Hba1c score at your interview, or maybe beforehand from the receptionist if you are curious.

 

[ChrisD]

Thank you. I have an appointment with the COPD Nurse today, I will see if she can let me know the number of my blood test x

 

[ChrisD]

Well, I had my appointment with the COPD Nurse, and my blood glucose is 61 - tad over what I thought it was x

 

[Docb]

That's into the orangy zone so it's likely your GP will be talking about a reduction in dietary carbohydrate and combining that with medication; probably metformin in the first instance. You should be spared the "you need to loose some weight" lecture! When you see your GP I would suggest you take a diary or a note book with you to write down test results and targets and plans so that you do not have to rely on memory. That's not because diabetes makes you forgetful, its just that there might be a lot to take in and a taking a few notes helps. Other things might be an appointment with a diabetes specialist nurse, if the practice has one, and being put on a register which should automate calls for eye screening, foot checking and reviews and the such like. All jolly good fun and key to making sure the diabetes part of your life sits firmly in the background.

 

[ChrisD]

Thank you for your prompt reply - the appt will be a telephone one - but I will certainly have pen and paper ready. x