Slippylizard
Member
- Relationship to Diabetes
- Type 2
I have a rather long question to ask and would value other’s opinions on it. Apologies for the length however I have taken so much information from this forum I value its reaction.
9 weeks ago I was DX with a Hba1c of 94. (FBG of 14.1) Bit scary, came out the blue during a pre op. Op didn’t happen however the treatment had involved me taking steroids for 2 of the three months previously and stopping 3 weeks before the DX. No one looked at this or mentioned it at the time. I’d spent time in hospital last summer for something unrelated and no issues were identified then. I remember them checking my blood sugars a couple of times.
My reaction was the usual complete shock however I felt I needed to understand it a lot better and this forum is where I came. The advice seemed second to none.
So I decided to test and quite a lot, maybe 6-10 times a day until I could see and understand patterns. The first one that came out was that within 4 days I had no more waking up above 7. In fact since then I’ve not had a reading anywhere near that, for the last 6 weeks the average has been 5.3, in the last 3 average has been 5. I have also measured before and after meals. For the last 6 weeks my average post breakfast reading is 6.1, for lunch 5.3 and for tea 5.2. At night it drops to around 4.7 to 5 ish. I have peanut butter before bed. I have checked it in the middle of the night a couple of times and it’s never been below 4.5. I have had a couple of 4’s after exercise but now eat before I exercise not after. I felt absolutely fine, I deliberately left it once and within 20 mins was back to 4.4 having done nothing.Everything is on a spreadsheet. 🙄
I walk at least 10,000 steps a day and have also increased my exercise by doing at least 30 mins in the gym or 50 lengths in the pool every day, doing more at the weekend. Given what I am eating, low carbs but loads of vegs and salads I have also lost nearly 2 stone, very deliberately. Still just in the BMI obese range but nearly “just” overweight. Before my diet especially leading up to DX was horrendous & I think that may well have contributed. I feel in really good health but had no symptoms previously. Although I do seem to feel the cold slightly more. I have eaten chips twice, don’t eat bread now and not had any rice/potatoes or pasta. Cauliflower has been a real saviour. I actually eat really well. One friend said “so you now eat a healthy diet”. But I learnt most of it from here.
So 9 weeks ago Nurse wanted to put me on Metformin and I said no. I wanted to try my own route first of all, however she said come back in 8 weeks and expect to go on it. I’m going back to have bloods taken in 3 weeks (12 weeks since first time) and I’m not sure if the “residue” from the first time will still be in there? I believe it is weighted slightly more to the last 6-8 weeks or so, is this right? The other major point I have though is I started reading about the side effects of steroids on blood sugar levels and it can be quite a lot, especially the steroid I was on. I’d been taking it for 2 months. I don’t think the nurse or anyone else has taken this into account as my numbers came down so quickly. (I’ve not been over once since 4 days after DX). I was also absolutely hyper over my “procedure” that didn’t happen eventually. Steroids & major stress I feel contributed to a fairly big change is BG levels.
I’m not claiming to be non-diabetic but I do think the initial numbers were inflated by circumstances and medicines. Any thoughts on the above and where my Hab1c may land? I’ve decided to go and see my Dr before I go back to the nurse on a couple of points one being my current levels, progress and the desire not to go on medication. Sorry for the length and thank you for all your help. 🙂
9 weeks ago I was DX with a Hba1c of 94. (FBG of 14.1) Bit scary, came out the blue during a pre op. Op didn’t happen however the treatment had involved me taking steroids for 2 of the three months previously and stopping 3 weeks before the DX. No one looked at this or mentioned it at the time. I’d spent time in hospital last summer for something unrelated and no issues were identified then. I remember them checking my blood sugars a couple of times.
My reaction was the usual complete shock however I felt I needed to understand it a lot better and this forum is where I came. The advice seemed second to none.
So I decided to test and quite a lot, maybe 6-10 times a day until I could see and understand patterns. The first one that came out was that within 4 days I had no more waking up above 7. In fact since then I’ve not had a reading anywhere near that, for the last 6 weeks the average has been 5.3, in the last 3 average has been 5. I have also measured before and after meals. For the last 6 weeks my average post breakfast reading is 6.1, for lunch 5.3 and for tea 5.2. At night it drops to around 4.7 to 5 ish. I have peanut butter before bed. I have checked it in the middle of the night a couple of times and it’s never been below 4.5. I have had a couple of 4’s after exercise but now eat before I exercise not after. I felt absolutely fine, I deliberately left it once and within 20 mins was back to 4.4 having done nothing.Everything is on a spreadsheet. 🙄
I walk at least 10,000 steps a day and have also increased my exercise by doing at least 30 mins in the gym or 50 lengths in the pool every day, doing more at the weekend. Given what I am eating, low carbs but loads of vegs and salads I have also lost nearly 2 stone, very deliberately. Still just in the BMI obese range but nearly “just” overweight. Before my diet especially leading up to DX was horrendous & I think that may well have contributed. I feel in really good health but had no symptoms previously. Although I do seem to feel the cold slightly more. I have eaten chips twice, don’t eat bread now and not had any rice/potatoes or pasta. Cauliflower has been a real saviour. I actually eat really well. One friend said “so you now eat a healthy diet”. But I learnt most of it from here.
So 9 weeks ago Nurse wanted to put me on Metformin and I said no. I wanted to try my own route first of all, however she said come back in 8 weeks and expect to go on it. I’m going back to have bloods taken in 3 weeks (12 weeks since first time) and I’m not sure if the “residue” from the first time will still be in there? I believe it is weighted slightly more to the last 6-8 weeks or so, is this right? The other major point I have though is I started reading about the side effects of steroids on blood sugar levels and it can be quite a lot, especially the steroid I was on. I’d been taking it for 2 months. I don’t think the nurse or anyone else has taken this into account as my numbers came down so quickly. (I’ve not been over once since 4 days after DX). I was also absolutely hyper over my “procedure” that didn’t happen eventually. Steroids & major stress I feel contributed to a fairly big change is BG levels.
I’m not claiming to be non-diabetic but I do think the initial numbers were inflated by circumstances and medicines. Any thoughts on the above and where my Hab1c may land? I’ve decided to go and see my Dr before I go back to the nurse on a couple of points one being my current levels, progress and the desire not to go on medication. Sorry for the length and thank you for all your help. 🙂
