Pre diabetes

[grovesy]

I don't know.

 

[TWLL]

The GlucoNavii or TEE2 are a couple of monitors with the cheaper strips but still worth shopping around. The strips are the consumable bit so worth looking at the price of those as well as the monitor. ON line cheaper than the pharmacy and you don't need to pay VAT so remember to tick the box.

Thank you so much for this,being a newbie is a bit mind boggling, I will get looking

 

[TWLL]

As you are so close to normal numbers just a few changes could make all the difference.
All starches and sugars are carbohydrates, so cutting out those least important to you could do the trick.
Avoiding bananas or eating swede or cauliflower instead of potatoes, fewer packets of crisps or dividing up packs of sweets - it is all about the same impact, so you chose the option most likely to work and can stick to it.

Thank you for that, allhelp gratefully accepted

 

[silentsquirrel]

Perhaps I need to pay back all the VAT I must owe then as I have always ticked the box even when I was not over the threshold, does that mean if people now are at normal level they should pay VAT?

If you have been diagnosed as T2, then you are still diabetic (maybe in remission) even if your HbA1c is at prediabetic levels.

 

[Lucyr]

Perhaps I need to pay back all the VAT I must owe then as I have always ticked the box even when I was not over the threshold, does that mean if people now are at normal level they should pay VAT?

If you’ve had a diagnosis of diabetes then you don’t need to pay VAT on diabetes supplies even if your a1c is below the diabetic range.

If you’ve never been diagnosed with diabetes but have only been diagnosed with pre diabetes then you don’t qualify for VAT exemption on diabetes supplies.

 

[Leadinglights]

If you’ve had a diagnosis of diabetes then you don’t need to pay VAT on diabetes supplies even if your a1c is below the diabetic range.

If you’ve never been diagnosed with diabetes but have only been diagnosed with pre diabetes then you don’t qualify for VAT exemption on diabetes supplies.

That makes sense but it is a shame that people cannot benefit by not having to pay VAT when having the tools to help reduce blood glucose before they slip over the threshold.

 

[s'nic]

But if you have a home testing blood glucose monitor then you can keep a regular check, even if it is only a couple of times a week to make sure you are on track rather than waiting a year. You would then be able to see the trend on your blood glucose from week to week.

I'm really not good with needles, and it would need a pin prick wouldn't it?

When I say not good, I'm a person who could watch open heart surgery while eating ... but show me a TV program where a fake needle is used for a fake injection and I'm cringing and can't look.
A nurse once told me I could hold her hand while blood was being drawn ... boy did she regret that .. she won't offer her hand again in a hurry 😳

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I'm really not good with needles, and it would need a pin prick wouldn't it?

But it is just a pin prick. So it's quite different to an insulin injection (which many of us familiar with, obviously), though even insulin injections nowadays use a 4mm needle (so quite different to most injections).

And usually there's a lancet device so you don't really see it happening anyway.

Here's a short video demonstrating a popular device,

(The demonstrator doesn't actually use the device. I'm sure there'll be videos demonstrating using whatever BG meter and lancet device you might use.)

 

[s'nic]

But it is just a pin prick. So it's quite different to an insulin injection (which many of us familiar with, obviously), though even insulin injections nowadays use a 4mm needle (so quite different to most injections).

And usually there's a lancet device so you don't really see it happening anyway.

Here's a short video demonstrating a popular device,

(The demonstrator doesn't actually use the device. I'm sure there'll be videos demonstrating using whatever BG meter and lancet device you might use.)

yeah .. even watching that vid made me cringe ... I'm such a wuss! I'll see what next years results are - I'm only pre, and I'll be dropping a fair bit of weight

 

[Leadinglights]

yeah .. even watching that vid made me cringe ... I'm such a wuss! I'll see what next years results are - I'm only pre, and I'll be dropping a fair bit of weight

Do you do any sewing? the lancets are only the size of the point on a needle and about 2mm long.

 

[Maz2]

I can understand your being shocked. This happened to me in 2018 and it was very unexpected. I was taking part in medical research and they noticed a high fructose level so wrote to my GP who did an hba1c which came out as 42. Four months later, despite going down from 9 1/2 stone to 7 stone 10 lbs (I was not overweight to start with) it went to 43. GP told me not weight related and I must stop losing weight as my BMI was too low. He thought it was increased insulin resistant with age but was not certain.

I got mine back to normal in 2019. Another test in 2020 was normal, as was 2023. As they missed 2022 due to Covid they upset me last week and said I had to have another one which I have just had so don't know result yet.

I had a lot of help from this forum and read books by Michael Moseley and a book by Dr David Cavan which helped.
Welcome to the Forum. You will find it very helpful.

 

[Maz2]

Thank you. I have a very sweet tooth, so am cutting sweets out completely, I don't really have a problem with cakes or biscuits, so that's good. Carbohydrates is an issue with potatoes and bread, but I love fruit and veg so will up those. Thank you for your help

I did not eat loads of desserts, cakes, biscuits etc but did stop them altogether I cheat occasionally now. I have to say I no longer have a sweet tooth since I changed my diet. People often ask me when they are sitting eating desserts if it bothers me to which I reply "no" because I don't miss them. Just cheat occasionally now.

 

[Maz2]

But if you have a home testing blood glucose monitor then you can keep a regular check, even if it is only a couple of times a week to make sure you are on track rather than waiting a year. You would then be able to see the trend on your blood glucose from week to week.

I did that and found it helpful. It is a very good idea. I am always unsure how often to do it but a couple of times a week sounds about right. I check if I have a food I don't normally eat or if I cheat so that I can see if I ought to do it occasionally or not. One thing I have not checked in cappucinos and lattes. I only have small cups not the large take away ones. I don't have the chocolate sprinkles and never have flavoured lattes or put sugar in them, just purely milk and espresso. Most of the places I go put them in ordinary cups, not even mugs so it is not as though they are huge like some of the takeaway ones from Starbucks.

 

[Maz2]

That's the worst part isn't it? Just a yearly test, cutting out everything but have to wait a year to see how we are doing

It is. I kept on at my GPs and practically pleaded with them to do them more often but they would not budge. It is an awfully long time but, as leadinglights says, you can get some idea from checking yourself with a monitor.

 

[Maz2]

I'm really not good with needles, and it would need a pin prick wouldn't it?

When I say not good, I'm a person who could watch open heart surgery while eating ... but show me a TV program where a fake needle is used for a fake injection and I'm cringing and can't look.
A nurse once told me I could hold her hand while blood was being drawn ... boy did she regret that .. she won't offer her hand again in a hurry 😳

I am the biggest wimp around. I cannot even look at a doctor or nurse or phlebotomist when they are taking blood or giving a vaccine but I do not find the blood sugar needles a problem at all.

 

[s'nic]

I've never really considered if i have a phobia or not, but many years ago I had blood taken and ended up with a 3-4mm cut on my skin above the target vein (caused purely by my inability to hold still).
After that incident I devised a strategy of ensuring I was told immediately before a needle was inserted so that I could 100% brace myself, go against my instinct and force my arm to be still.
This needle scratch is the result of vaccination staff failing to understand what a silly pathetic person I am in the presence of needles. I knew full well she had a loaded needle in her hand, but she failed to give that 'needle incoming' warning.
The only time I sew anything is if a button falls off 😳