Other changes and benefits from being diagnosed - positivity thread

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Jenny65

Jenny65

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I have just had a bath and noticed my arms were no longer like crepe paper. I am 57 and always had youthful arms and hands until a couple of years ago I noticed they were very dry and had the texture of crepe paper, I assumed it was the menopause and aging, but my arms are once again smooth and young looking. I wonder if the change in lifestyle, low carb, giving up smoking, exercise and drinking more water, lowering sugar levels is the reason for it. I was quite low when I first noticed how elderly they appeared previously, and thought about my mum who sadly died at 80, but never had arms as old looking as mine, despite being a keen gardener out in the sun all day.

A list of things that I have noticed improving since diagnosis and lifestyle change are:-

  • Heartburn gone
  • IBS cleared up (although I had an upset stomach today, I used to go 12 times a day, now just normal)
  • I can actually sleep at night instead of being awake until silly o clock
  • I dont get out of breath (I used to huff and puff just going up stairs or taking the bins out)
  • I wake up refreshed and ready to face the day
  • Depression has lifted ( I was in a very dark place, getting fatter and fatter, and not going out anywhere before this not caring if I lived or died, smoked a lot, and ate all the wrong food)

What are the positives you have noticed since being diagnosed? I honestly think I was sinking fast into a very deep hole and this has been a wake up call, nothing like being told you are seriously ill and may not live too long or well to make you want to take back control and appreciate what you have is there
 
john e said:
Well done! I am losing some weight slowly and steadily, energy levels are rising, eating lots of home made curry, my favourite food, exercising more ( well I was until the temperature hit the 90s ),
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oh, please share a homemade curry recipe, I love curry but not sure how to make it suitable to this way of eating, well cone by the way on the steady approach, just been reading on Quora about how losing weight slowly is better for you. I have lost it quickly but I am trying to avoid medication, so I have now lost over 10% of my body weight, so should make a difference at my next appointment 🙂
 
No more (not a single one) migraines since I changed my diet to low carb and they were a roughly once a month regular occurrence which were extremely debilitating and getting quite dangerous as I was occasionally vomiting and passing out with them as well as losing a day of my life.
Joint pain is significantly reduced to the point I can run or skip downhill whereas before I was hobbling at a walk.
Bones and teeth feel stronger and dental health is improved.
A bit slimmer..... wasn't desperately overweight to start with but lost 1.5 stone due to diabetes but have put a little back on recently that needs addressing.
Now you mention it, yes my skin is much improved too..... My gut feeling is that this is due to increased fat intake. I have always had dry skin from being a child but my skin is not flakey like it used to be and more supple.
I have more control over my disordered eating now thanks to my low carb higher fat way of eating. I rarely get cravings for comfort food anymore and if I do, it is usually after I have slipped with my carb intake and had too many, particularly bread and grain products. I have my sugar addiction under control.
My digestive system and bowel in particular is the best it has been probably all my life. This is down to consciously incorporating more soluble fibre into my diet as a result of cutting back on grain products which previously supplied fibre but I do also wonder if there may have been an element of gluten intolerance.
My asthma (which was relatively mild and seasonal) has improved to the point that I have hardly used an inhaler at all in the last 3.5 years since diagnosis.
Oh yes, and I sleep like the dead most nights although I think that was improved by HRT after battling pretty severe menopause symptoms for 5 years prior to starting that treatment.

Whilst these benefits are mostly to do with my dietary and lifestyle changes rather than the diabetes itself, they would not have happened without the kick up the backside my diagnosis gave me and I feel healthier and fitter and younger as a result and to me my diagnosis may well have extended my lifespan and quality of life rather than limited it..... Not saying diabetes isn't a royal pain in the backside and frustrating but I have enjoyed significant benefits from my diagnosis.
 
rebrascora said:
No more (not a single one) migraines since I changed my diet to low carb and they were a roughly once a month regular occurrence which were extremely debilitating and getting quite dangerous as I was occasionally vomiting and passing out with them as well as losing a day of my life.
Joint pain is significantly reduced to the point I can run or skip downhill whereas before I was hobbling at a walk.
Bones and teeth feel stronger and dental health is improved.
A bit slimmer..... wasn't desperately overweight to start with but lost 1.5 stone due to diabetes but have put a little back on recently that needs addressing.
Now you mention it, yes my skin is much improved too..... My gut feeling is that this is due to increased fat intake. I have always had dry skin from being a child but my skin is not flakey like it used to be and more supple.
I have more control over my disordered eating now thanks to my low carb higher fat way of eating. I rarely get cravings for comfort food anymore and if I do, it is usually after I have slipped with my carb intake and had too many, particularly bread and grain products. I have my sugar addiction under control.
My digestive system and bowel in particular is the best it has been probably all my life. This is down to consciously incorporating more soluble fibre into my diet as a result of cutting back on grain products which previously supplied fibre but I do also wonder if there may have been an element of gluten intolerance.
My asthma (which was relatively mild and seasonal) has improved to the point that I have hardly used an inhaler at all in the last 3.5 years since diagnosis.
Oh yes, and I sleep like the dead most nights although I think that was improved by HRT after battling pretty severe menopause symptoms for 5 years prior to starting that treatment.

Whilst these benefits are mostly to do with my dietary and lifestyle changes rather than the diabetes itself, they would not have happened without the kick up the backside my diagnosis gave me and I feel healthier and fitter and younger as a result and to me my diagnosis may well have extended my lifespan and quality of life rather than limited it..... Not saying diabetes isn't a royal pain in the backside and frustrating but I have enjoyed significant benefits from my diagnosis.
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You have made incredible improvements to your life and its good to see all the benefits paying off. I forgot about migraines, because I haven't had one either, and your post just reminded me.

Reading all the good parts in your post was so encouraging, you must be incredibly pleased and proud of yourself. I think the constant need to take my glucose level before and after eating makes me conscious of what I am putting in my body, and things like folate which although I am within normal range (4.26) and the range is 2-20. I am at the bottom end so decided to read up on what I can do to improve my levels, so today I ate loads of leafy green cabbage and had some nuts and seeds as a snack, I think we learn so much about good nutrition when we are diagnosed and managing our diets and sugar levels.

I missed of one other improvement too, a main one that actually got me having the blood test in the first place, I had a rash that itched all over and sores from where I had made myself bleed from the constant scratching this was over 2 years since March 2020 and led to the dermatologist organising a blood test. They have all cleared up, no more itching, no more waking to find blood on my sheets where I have itched so hard. Its a massive improvement and one thing that had been the leading cause of my depression, not wanting to go out as I was self conscious of the scars and then not being able to sleep due to the incessant itching but all gone now and smooth almost blemish free skin! I was reminded how bad my skin was when I got a notification from Reddit, I had initially decided I had scabies and joined a forum and posted photos of my skin along with others, and I looked at those photos and read my desperate posts about trying to get ivermectin etc (a cure for scabies but not in the UK) I tried everything, salt baths, bleach baths, sulphur, aloe Vera, permethrin, clove oil, tea tree oil, boil washed my bedding, threw my mattress away as was convinced I had parasites crawling over me at night. Anyway - nope i didn't have anything like that, I was diabetic! All that year long battle...had to wait to see a dermatologist because of COVID, and he initially diagnosed a rare skin condition called Nodular Prurigo and ordered a blood test, well the rest is history...sorry for the long post but its important I remember what made me arrive here and could be the thing that saved my life.
 
No more constant headaches
No more breathlessness
More energy
Happier overall
Fitter
Slimmer (by miles. Clothes no longer fit!!!)
Better eyesight (but that was due to cataract surgery)
Way better balance
No more sweating or itching
No more extreme thirst
No more diarrhea
Better coordination ( but still lousy spelling)
No more minor neuropathy
No more slurred speech
Easily now exercise at least 2 hours a day (before I struggled to climb the stairs)

Essentially because I am a T2 and aimed straight at remission, all the bad stuff eventually disappeared. I am so much better for it.
 
Gwynn said:
No more constant headaches
No more breathlessness
More energy
Happier overall
Fitter
Slimmer (by miles. Clothes no longer fit!!!)
Better eyesight (but that was due to cataract surgery)
Way better balance
No more sweating or itching
No more extreme thirst
No more diarrhea
Better coordination ( but still lousy spelling)
No more minor neuropathy
No more slurred speech
Easily now exercise at least 2 hours a day (before I struggled to climb the stairs)

Essentially because I am a T2 and aimed straight at remission, all the bad stuff eventually disappeared. I am so much better for it.
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what a long list of positives, you have turned your life around, well done xx
 
My Type 1 diagnosis was some time ago. Long term, it has not made a big difference to my life. Which is very much the way I want it. I still eat, drink, work, exercise, travel (when there’s not a pandemic) what and when I want.

But at the time of my diagnosis, I was shocked and scared but also grateful to get my energy back, to sleep again, to spend less time seeing, to stop losing weight, …
The remaining benefit has been equally frustrating as positive but I know it’s worth it. I know i am healthy. My kidneys, liver, cholesterol, eyes, feet, blood pressure, etc get tested at least once a year. I know I am living in blissful health rather than blissful ignorance.

And I get to play with cool tech 😎
 
Jenny65 said:
oh, please share a homemade curry recipe, I love curry but not sure how to make it suitable to this way of eating, well cone by the way on the steady approach, just been reading on Quora about how losing weight slowly is better for you. I have lost it quickly but I am trying to avoid medication, so I have now lost over 10% of my body weight, so should make a difference at my next appointment 🙂
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Don't do the rice.
(Although Basmati may work)
Chuck in more chick peas.
Avoid squishy sides, like Dahl, go for crunchy ones like bhajis and Samoas.
 
Butternut squash, cauliflower and chick pea curry is one of my favourites. Use a curry paste like Pataks or dry spices. You can add Paneer, halloumi or boiled eggs.
 
Almost a year in and benefits are definitely there. I’m a healthy weight now, no longer repeatedly slipping in and out of consciousness multiple times a day, still have neuropathy pain but more manageable (most days) back into working out (weights and cardio are my go to) learning to enjoy food again. Being able to go out for the day without worrying to much where the nearest loo will be is an absolute dream. My kid has her parent back and not the shell I was last year+ before diagnosis.
In the grand scheme of things after coming so close to death, I think just being able to live and live for it all again is amazing (even if I do shout it the libre more times than I’d like to admit haha)
 
What a lovely thread to read. Well done everyone, and thanks for starting it @Jenny105

🙂
 
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