So glad I have found this site

[Bev2053]

Hi All,

I have type two diabetes which I found out 12 years ago when I tried to give a kidney to my sister.
Until just recently my doctors didn't have a diabetic nurse and things were not going well for me.
I'm now on insulin and feeling much better. May I just say I'm not over weight and do watch the carbs I eat but sometimes my reading just get out of hand.
I use a Libre freestyle senor which I pay for myself and I think they are great (hate picking my finger) and they do keep me on track.
Well that's about it for now all help welcome. nice to hear some good advice.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Welcome to the forum @Bev2053!

Wow! What a journey you have been on. Sorry to hear about your sister’s kidney problems, and must have come as a real shock when getting yourself geared up to do something to kind (and so major) only to discover that you had diabetes unawares!

Great that you are using Libre - we have a few T2s who self-fund and find it incredibly helpful.

Sounds like you’ve built up a pretty good set of skills, but I often think in the forum that your don’t know what you don’t know’ and sometimes it’s only by comparing notes and sharing experiences (and frustrations or triumphs) that quite big pieces of the puzzle can fall into place.

So ask any questions as they arise - nothing will be thought of as too obvious or too silly, and others reading may have been just as confused, but not really realised it!

 

[Bev2053]

Thank you for your reply, even after so long I'm still learning and didn't realise how tried and odd I felt. Find it hard giving up a lot of the lovely food (cream cakes, chocolate) but once I start eating them it's hard to stop.
I get thirsty at night and need the loo at least twice is this normal with diabetes

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Thank you for your reply, even after so long I'm still learning and didn't realise how tried and odd I felt. Find it hard giving up a lot of the lovely food (cream cakes, chocolate) but once I start eating them it's hard to stop.
I get thirsty at night and need the loo at least twice is this normal with diabetes

increased urination and thirst are associated with elevated blood glucose over a long period. Once your levels go over the ‘renal threshold’ (about 10mmol/L) your kidneys try to flush out the excess glucose in urine, so you were more... so you get thirsty...

What sort of levels do you generally see on your Libre? And do you know what your most recent HbA1c was?

Monitoring your BG before and after food (either with Libre scans or finger pricks) will allow you to see the effect different foods and portion sizes have on your system, and to tailor your diet so that your body can use the food properly. Test Review Adjust is a very useful framework for this - https://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html

As it sounds like you already know, usually it is reducing the amounts and changing the types of all carbohydrates (not just sugary things, biscuits and cakes) that make the biggest difference. High BG often makes you feel sluggish and under the weather, but sometimes people don’t realise how tired and run down they have been feeling, because it has come on gradually over months or years.

 

[Toucan]

Welcome to the forum Bev.
You are in the right place for a lot of experience and help as you will already have seen from Mike's messages.
It is also worth spending some time browsing around the site, as there is always a lot of information being exchanged on all sorts of topics.
Best wishes

 

[Ralph-YK]

Welcome to the forum Bev from a fellow T2.