Stress!!!

[markajpope]

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum but am struggling. I was diagnosed just before COVID reared its ugly head and have really NOT got on top of my diabetes, in any way whatsoever. My blood sugars were 12.8 when I got up this morning (not done them since) and have been in their 20's after meals for a while now. Am expecting an HbA1c and a telling off at the end of the month!

On top of it all I work in theatres in a regional hospital with many COVID patients and this whole thing is stressing me out. I also have high blood pressure and a cardiac concern! No one else seems worried so why am I?

My wife was in tears this morning because I snapped at the kids (17 and 18 year old) because I was fed up with their lack of respect for us and the house they live in, you know the normal, eye rolling, leaving their rubbish all over the place, taking two hours to have a bath. Apparently I am making life awful for everyone.

Anyone got any tips for helping people understand how your feeling!?

 

[rebrascora]

Hi Mark (?) and welcome

Firstly, thank you for the work you are doing as a key worker in the NHS. I cannot begin to imagine how stressful your life must be at the moment with work, let alone 2 teenagers in the house and your BG levels so high, which will make you much more likely to "snap" and also make you fatigued, so trying to bring your levels down a bit will help in lots of respects.
I am sure you know that ignoring diabetes is dangerous to your long term health, but you have come to the right place for help and support.

Are you currently taking any medication for it as that can impact any advice we give you?

Can you give us an idea of the sort of things you eat and drink in a typical day (ie the sort of things you normally have for breakfast, lunch and evening meal) and perhaps we could suggest some simple lower carb alternatives, which might help you. I am sure, you will probably need some grab and go ideas and low carb snacks to keep you going during the day. Does your wife have much spare time to prepare some food for you or are you both busy "on the go" people?

 

[Browser]

Sorry to hear about your problems. I’m not qualified to begin to advise you how to overcome them but one basic observation I would make is that, instead of prioritising helping people understand your feelings, you should try to get strategies to ease the stress you are under in the first place. Your BS numbers are high and that might be very much to do with the stress. For example, is there any form of counselling help in you workplace which might help you cope better? Are you taking medication for your blood pressure and heart problems? Lastly, in addition to stress related high BS numbers, are you in control of your diet? There are folk on here who are more experienced than I am to give advice, so hang around and hopefully things will improve.

 

[markajpope]

Hi, thanks for the reply and the kind words.

I am on metformin (1g twice a day) and Trulicity once a week. My diet isn't perfect, I have lost weight though so I guess that is something. I normally have Weetabix for breakfast with no sugar, or poached eggs if I am not working. Lunch is normally soup and fruit, not home made soup yet but I will get there. Dinner is normally something which the whole family will eat as my wife works as a nurse full time too. The girls have started to cook more and they are trying to help by cooking low carb meals.

I seem to sabotage myself when I am feeling a bit low by eating the things I know I really shouldn't!

Again thank you!

 

[markajpope]

Sorry to hear about your problems. I’m not qualified to begin to advise you how to overcome them but one basic observation I would make is that, instead of prioritising helping people understand your feelings, you should try to get strategies to ease the stress you are under in the first place. Your BS numbers are high and that might be very much to do with the stress. For example, is there any form of counselling help in you workplace which might help you cope better? Are you taking medication for your blood pressure and heart problems? Lastly, in addition to stress related high BS numbers, are you in control of your diet? There are folk on here who are more experienced than I am to give advice, so hang around and hopefully things will improve.

Thank you. I wasn't aware until recently the effect stress has on your sugars. I need to do more regarding my diet. There is counselling available but as you can imagine they are very busy dealing with the whole COVID thing. I have put a call into my GP so hopefully he can put my mind at rest regarding the whole COVID risk factors issue.

 

[rebrascora]

Your overall diet doesn't look too bad although Weetabix probably isn't ideal, I know it is recommended for diabetics but you would be better off with some creamy Natural Greek yoghurt with a few berries and seeds and maybe a sprinkle of low carb granola.

Unfortunately NHS dietary advice for Type 2 diabetics is not the best as they still recommend wholegrains and the eat well plate and low fat which really just sabotages any hope you have of success. Many people here on the forum find that by cutting the carbs right back and eating more fat, that they lose weight and their BG levels come down and it is easy to stick to because the fat stops you from feeling hungry.....

I found the solution to snacking was to find low carb snacks and use them as and when I needed them. Gradually as your body gets used to less carbs and more fat, you need less snacks and less food in general, but it takes time to adjust so having plenty of boiled eggs (I used to boil a dozen at a time) is a good option and just eat one or two with a spoon of mayonnaise anytime you feel hungry. Chunks of cheese are another good option or a pot of olives if you like them or veggie sticks with proper sour cream and chive dip from the cold counter, not the Doritos stuff in a jar. Or a jar of pickled gherkins or onions or beetroot... A handful of nuts... hazelnuts, Brazils and Almonds are the lowest carb options and can be quite satisfying. Or a chicken thigh or drumstick or a cooked high meat content sausage (cheap sausages contain rusk which is carbs) or a salami stick. My guilty pleasure is a packet of pork scratchings... all protein and fat and no carbs.

We have been lead to believe that fat is bad for all our lives but since I started eating a lot more of it, I feel 20+ years younger and I am slimmer and fitter than I have been for that time and I enjoy my food. Start the day with a coffee with real cream and end it with a nice chunk of cheese and a small glass of red and it is hard to feel deprived. I was a sugar addict pre diagnosis so it amazes me that I no longer crave that and I no longer need bread, pasta, rice or potatoes because I have lots of other nice things to eat.

As regards fruit, go easy on it. A few berries each day is about the safest option carb wise, an apple once in a while is OK but exotic fruits like banana or pineapple or mango should be for very special occasions. Obviously avoid, fruit juice and smoothies as they are packed with natural sugars.

 

[Flower]

Hello @markajpope and welcome, glad you've joined us 🙂

I'm sorry you are having such a stressful time and have had a diabetes diagnosis on top. A lot to cope with.

I'd try and extract diabetes from all the other stressful stuff that you can't control and focus on what you can change. High blood sugar and rapidly fluctuating blood sugar really does impact on your mood, emotional well being and reaction to circumstances. It is tough to be given a diagnosis and left to get on with it but diabetes is controllable and when you start to get your blood sugars stable and in range you notice how much of a struggle things have been. This covers some of the issues https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/emotions

A good place to start is by registering with the Learning Zone at the top of this page -Orange box- and have a read around.

 

[DaveB]

Your job must be stressful and that won't be helping the BS. The fact that you are on Trulicity implies you still have some excess weight? Make sure you aren't following traditional NHS diet advice. Keep the carbs down as you say you are but Weetabix for breakfast isn't ideal but as long as your daily total is low i.e. 150'ish gm or a lot less you should gradually lose the weight and BS rise. Keep doing what you are doing with the low carbs and keep up the good NHS work.

 

[Veenorthants]

For a quick low carb brekkie is egg loaf. I personally have individual cases and bake them whilst cooking the evening meal and then once cooled down they are ready to go. I put all sorts in mine, mushroom, sausage meat, olives (not all in the same one lol) in the morning I can just grab from the fridge. Friends make a large loaf and take slices to work with a green salad. Just a suggestion

Is it worth looking at some mindfulness techniques to try and relax you.

Finally thank you for all you do in the NHS

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Sorry to hear about the way your elevated BG (piled on top of tonnes of covid stress) is affecting your mood.

High and erratic BG certainly have a negative impact on my mood and temperament. Hopefully if you can get your BG into a lower range it will have a positive impact on your mood and make your other stresses and struggles easier to deal with.

Frustration and irritability are hard to live with long term. They make me feel far less ‘me’.

 

[markajpope]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words and advice, it is much appreciated.

Managed to speak to the diabetes nurse at my GPs last week who was very helpful and reassuring. Was getting quite excited as my blood sugars had finally come down to single figures only to find out last night that it was because I had been taking double the dose of Metformin for the last 6 days. My wife fills up my weeks pill box on a Sunday evening as she knows I wouldn't be that organised, and hadn't realised i'd been given 1g tablets instead of the 500mg I was on before - so I had been taking 4g a day instead of 2!!!

Anyway, feeling more positive about things now although I am sure the stress will return at some point but I hope I will cope better next time!

Onwards and Upwards (or downwards if its my BG)!!

 

[trophywench]

Metformin does not have a direct affect on BG though Mark - it helps by working on your innards thus preventing your body resisting the action of your own insulin, so much.

So, it may not make a noticeable difference, reducing the dose to what it should be! Hope it doesn't anyway - let us know!

 

[Browser]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words and advice, it is much appreciated.

Managed to speak to the diabetes nurse at my GPs last week who was very helpful and reassuring. Was getting quite excited as my blood sugars had finally come down to single figures only to find out last night that it was because I had been taking double the dose of Metformin for the last 6 days. My wife fills up my weeks pill box on a Sunday evening as she knows I wouldn't be that organised, and hadn't realised i'd been given 1g tablets instead of the 500mg I was on before - so I had been taking 4g a day instead of 2!!!

Anyway, feeling more positive about things now although I am sure the stress will return at some point but I hope I will cope better next time!

Onwards and Upwards (or downwards if its my BG)!!

Glad to know you’re in a better place.

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi @markajpope , nothing to add really, just to say welcome to the forum - you'll find loads of support and encouragement here, and do please ask any questions you like, or come here for a rant 😉

I will just add that I've been through three sets of teenage tantrums and it does get better, honest!

 

[Lastgr8farouk]

Hi everyone, I am new to this forum but am struggling. I was diagnosed just before COVID reared its ugly head and have really NOT got on top of my diabetes, in any way whatsoever. My blood sugars were 12.8 when I got up this morning (not done them since) and have been in their 20's after meals for a while now. Am expecting an HbA1c and a telling off at the end of the month!

On top of it all I work in theatres in a regional hospital with many COVID patients and this whole thing is stressing me out. I also have high blood pressure and a cardiac concern! No one else seems worried so why am I?

My wife was in tears this morning because I snapped at the kids (17 and 18 year old) because I was fed up with their lack of respect for us and the house they live in, you know the normal, eye rolling, leaving their rubbish all over the place, taking two hours to have a bath. Apparently I am making life awful for everyone.

Anyone got any tips for helping people understand how your feeling!?

Hi mate,
I totally understand what you're saying.
Well done for trying to sort it out and not ignoring it.
I've been type 1 for 45 years and I'm far from a model diabetic perhaps its because I will not let it get in the way of my life and the choices I make.
I haven't got the answers but in my experience...
High sugars do affect mood
Being a healthy weight helps with your self confidence, feeling fit and holding down a job.
Keep in close contact with your GP and diabetes consultant.
Attend all appts, diabetic clinic, eyes, feet etc, and be honest with them.
Drink lots of water,
Don't drink alcohol or smoke.
Your Hba1c doesn't lie !!
Apologies if I sound like I'm preaching to you.
I get your stress related to work.
I need to go for a walk after work to chill out.
I'm a front line social care worker working with people who don't understand social distancing.
Try to talk to your partner and kids when the time is right and be honest with them about how you're feeling.
Fortunately my son is in his 20s and has left home.
If I can help in anyway, like many others I/ we will.
Regards
Matt.