up and down FBS

[confusedgran]

Hb1Ac 54 mmol. last Aug, I am type 2 aged 75.This AM was 7.4 /7.8./8.1/10.1/ 7.5 last ate 1 am & took BS 10.30 am 2 day.why do BS's do this?
i hate it when my fasting blood sugar is over 7. when it is i wait a short while and then do it again, and again and again until its under 7. that is why i did it so many times(as above) this morning. my Hb1Ac had been 66 both the previous February and the august before that. after a pretty traumatic year involving illness in the family and an unexpected move for the person just recovering from that severe illness. this was one of my grown up kids so pretty stressful for me, particularly because being elderly with a multitude of conditions, 6 of which are major are limiting as far as being able to do a lot to help. however i did what my body allowed me to do. but it still stretched me physically , mentally. emotionally, and financially for that 18 months or so,therefore it affected my diabetes quite a bit. eating was on the hoof drinking was minimal, still not recovered completely financially. however a year ago i started looking into low carbing. and it worked except i was warned by my dietitian and med staff not to go too severe with it. was told to keep it to 50 g per meal x 4 meals a day/however after 2 bouts of illness we suspected (and the diabetic Dr thought was more than likely though couldn't be sure) was down to not eating enough carbs for my needs i upped them to 60 g per meal. this is why my Hb1Ac went down finally last august. however i now find that in the evening, i get hungrier than i was doing. but my appetite for protein has diminished a lot, i crave my seeded bread and will often have 2 slices just buttered. about 2 hours after my supper at 9 pm. i'm a late bird. always have been. i go to bed anytime between 12 midnight (occasionally 11 pm ish) but often dont get to sleep till around 2-3 am. reading till i'm tired enough/ then dont get up till 10-11 am, but I've very little to get up for most days unless someones coming next day or i have an appointment. my disabilities are such that i cant even walk my dog these days,i live on top of a hill, can get down it but not up again and its not on a bus route. and i cant take him by taxi. unless hes in his carrier which i cant cope with if we go someone flat for us to walk, i cant do with having to carry his carrier, my walking stick and my handbag (i have to have my asthma sprays, painkillers ,purse and various other odds n ends i may need while out. bottle of water etc. and water for the dog.) so i have to have walkers for him(forgot to mention the cost in taxi fares too. 7 days a week at a cost of £14 return on average per trip (over £7 just to go to my daughters 5.6 miles away single fare) cheaper to pay a dog walker. so exercise is limited to my fortnightly visit with my daughter to our nearest town. plus a walk to my gate and back when weather allows any other days
anyway. thats me........... but would like to find out why blood sugars start at 1 result on waking (and after washing my hands by the way) and if i retry it goes up and up etc when i haven't eaten for over 9 hours.

 

[Northerner]

Hi @confusedgran, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about all the stress and difficulties you have encountered recently When you wake in the morning (and often before you wake, as dawn approaches) your liver starts releasing extra glucose into your blood stream to give yo a 'boost' of energy to start the day. Unfortunately, when you have diabetes, your body can't respond very well to this extra glucose so your levels will climb even though you are not eating. This is a very common thing to happen and is called 'Dawn Phenomenon'. There is a very good explanation of this here, with some tips on how you may be able to deal with it:

http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=143

 

[Davein]

Welcome Confusedgran.
Personally. I think you have done extremely well to overcome all your recent problems.
I'm the opposite to you in that I go to bed early and rise at first light. I then test after I have fed the cats and prepared breakfast. My first test is usually in the 5 to six range .As Northerner states about the dawn phenomenon possibly affecting your readings I think the recent stresses you've been under will also have an effect on BG levels.You're also getting anxious about being higher than you would like so you test several times. I personally would only test once before you eat then see what your levels are like 2 hours after. Many members on here make a note of what they eat and by comparing a test reading just before eating and one two hours later, they can see the effect the food eaten has had on their BG levels and are able to adjust their diet accordingly. It is not an exact science but it gives you a good idea on how you can 'control' your blood glucose levels more accurately.
Is your nearest bus route too far away to walk to. or get a lift to. I'm sure you realise you could save the travelling expenses by using your free bus pass. What would the taxi fare from your house to the nearest bus stop cost? Are there any near neighbours who could occasionally take you to the nearest bus stop or station? There must be a solution somewhere!

 

[Ditto]

Are you on benefits? Can't you get taxi vouchers?

 

[confusedgran]

Hi @confusedgran, welcome to the forum 🙂 Very sorry to hear about all the stress and difficulties you have encountered recently When you wake in the morning (and often before you wake, as dawn approaches) your liver starts releasing extra glucose into your blood stream to give yo a 'boost' of energy to start the day. Unfortunately, when you have diabetes, your body can't respond very well to this extra glucose so your levels will climb even though you are not eating. This is a very common thing to happen and is called 'Dawn Phenomenon'. There is a very good explanation of this here, with some tips on how you may be able to deal with it:

http://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=143

Hi to you all., thanks for your answers... I've heard of this dawn phenomenon before but when i asked my diabetic team about it they hadn't a clue.had never heard of it........ however,looking back, in my log book for my morning and bedtime BS (which is all i'm supposed to do and all the test strips i'm allowed to get from my Dr's... (i cant afford to buy extra ones very often/ far too expensive.my sister uses same type of meter and supplies me with excess strips at times so thats why i can do several tests on the mornings ) ... i can see that on most pages this has happened only 2-4 times or less on each page of 15 days. so its not all that many really. and most are only 7.1-7.4 though occasionally its been more like the other morning..its just worrying when it does happen. my brother in law is type 2 on insulin injections. lost a lower leg 4 years ago, is on oxygen .. has sleep apnoea, bloods all over the place. his right leg looks set to go same way as his left one and he now weighs over 35 stone. hes about 25 years younger than me. i look at him and think,if i dont get my bloods on a more level key, get out more(finances stop me going out more.) i will land up like him..... buses are not an option as i have problems getting off bus and train seats when on my own,so dont do it.I have to have someone with me to help me. taking away the independence taxis give me.
@Ditto there is no such thing as taxi vouchers. as far as i know.(do you know something i dont?If so would be grateful for the info.thanks) our disability allowance is supposed to pay for them but fares go up much more than our benefits do. I'm a pensioner and get pension credit. low carbing means buying more protein stuffs. meat and fish are expensive.i buy chicken breasts and salmon, odd bit of cod and Basa fillets. i can only afford to eat those twice a week each.(fish x 2, chicken x 2) the rest of the week i have to either have sandwiches . cooked meats, cottage cheese (cant eat normal cheese uncooked.. gives me migraines) for sandwiches but was told only have sandwiches once a day.
The Atkins diet i've heard of but i think its far to strict for me. as i said at 50g of carbs PER MEAL i had 2 episodes that were definitely due to eating too few carbs as i felt better once i ate some bread or other carbs. no way could i only eat 40-50 g per DAY.
@Davein. ... i haven't walked to the nearest bus stop in over 10 years. a taxi would cost £2.50-3 to get there but as explained above, i cannot get off bus seats very easily at all. my thigh muscles have had it. ( BEEN TOLD BY A PROFESSIONAL THAT THE THIGH MUSCLES ARE FIRST TO GO AS YOU GET OLDER AND I WAS LUCKY THEY HADN'T GONE MUCH EARLIER THAN THEY DID..(sorry caps lock again)..its such a narrow space between seats which means its hard to get the leverage you need to pull up on any rail there may be.assuming there is one wherever you've found a seat. i have spinal spondylosis which also limits these things.
i was doing a database of what i ate, my blood sugar readings. how much carbs in each item etc. but when there's a family crisis all that goes out the window. one of my children although accepting i have diabetes, doesn't seem to understand how i need to keep a check on my blood sugars and meals.or why. she herself was a diabetic until she was ill. lost 9 stone in weight and although they found out she had crohnes/vit B12 deficiency (they've not given it any other title but as far as i remember from my long ago nursing days ,thats pernicious anaemia.)plus another condition anyone from abroad may know of. a rare one called HS. . the sickness however was caused by metformin./ copious vomiting several times a day for 10 months.the other conditions were found during investigations to determine the cause of the vomiting.....(apart from HS which shes had for over 15 years). the next HB1aC AND SUBSEQUENT ONES WERE ALL WITHIN NORMAL RANGES SO SHE BEEN TOLD SHE IS POSSIBLY NOT DIABETIC BUT IS CONTINUING TO BE TREATED AS PRE DIABETIC..(sorry. hit caps lock again).. now she thinks if she can do it so can i/. cant understand it doesn't work like that for most people.i weigh 11 stone not 21 as she had done., went to 10stone 7 and got told i looked ill and to stop dieting (by both her and my sister), they had got it in their minds that i was cutting carbs to lose weight. i wasn't. (although i did lose some which was a bonus.) so basically i have no support on the diabetes front. even though my sister is also type 2 and weighs 16 stone+ i dont want to get to that weight. (if i say anything like that to my daughter though she takes offence.) so basically i have no one here to turn to. 1 friend on the phone lives over 100 miles away. she has been a rock. but too far away to help other than to listen. in fact we listen to each other. all the time.) plus my 2 dog walkers for 5 mins each side of my dogs walk Mondays and Fridays. as for neighbours, the only ones with cars.. one is 85 and now has to get a relative to drive him in his car the other a racist, sexist, nasty man i wouldn't want to know. the rest? i hardly ever see as my lounge is at back of bungalow, bedroom at front. in a cul de sac so no passers by either. my other child, a son,. has fibromyalgia. has a shattered electric cycle only now capable of going on the flat i'm told. lives in upstairs flat. smokes so the room is full of it when i have gone. takes me all my time to get up the stairs to the flat. then the smoke hits you when you go in. he does open doors and windows.(or did till he got a cat) cant do it now. so easily. with asthma and COPD i hardly dare go and i suffer afterwards when i do. he doesn't visit me , wont even use a taxi even if i offer to pay. says he suffers from anxiety which i hadn't heard of him doing before. that's not to say he doesn't but its not stopped him using taxis before. . so a lot going on yet its all in the background. and yes its affecting me, mentally and physically. i have my Hb1Ac blood test next monday. and diabetic review a week later. so ill be discussing a lot of this with them, but all they've wanted to do before is put me on antidepressants. i dont need antidepressant that will send me into a zombie state i want help and answers. preferably someone to make my daughter see that we are all individuals,. i am not imagining any of my conditions. or the severity of them/.or the prognosis if i dont look after myself and take the steps i need to. with support from my family /not being knocked down/stressed out etc.)according to my daughter.. diabetes doesn't kill neither does asthma or COPD.even though she knows my cousin ,who she grew up knowing as we were very close, died in an asthma attack at 39 yrs old. i am constantly trying to combat these beliefs of hers. denial of her mothers conditions is what comes to mind but how do you combat that?. i think ive rambled on far too much now.sorry. thanks for reading this. (assuming you read to the end. wouldnt blame anyone if they didnt.

 

[Ditto]

Travel vouchers are for people who are not able to use ordinary buses, trains or Metrolink and who have serious walking difficulties or are registered blind. They can be used to pay for taxis and for travel on accessible bus services such as Ring and Ride and community transport.
Google for info. I can't think that it would only be in my neck of the woods.

 

[confusedgran]

@Dittoxxoo i have googled it now. and its for thouse in greater manchester only.
Who qualifies for Travel Vouchers?
You may qualify for travel vouchers if you are a resident in Greater Manchester and:

• you are registered blind with your local authority, or
  
  
• you are in receipt of DLA (Disability Living Allowance Higher Rate Mobility Component), or
  
  
• you are in receipt of Higher Rate (formerly known as 24 hour) Attendance Allowance, or
  
  
• you are in receipt of the War Pensioners Mobility Supplement, or
  
  
• If you do not receive any of the above benefits, you may still be entitled to travel vouchers if you are not able to walk 100 metres (110 yards) or more, or climb steps of 300 millimetres (approximately 12 inches) or more, however, this must to be certified by your doctor on your application form.
  these things are not all done from one central place like pensions and/or job centre.(formerly known as one thing only/ DSSS... some things ,like social care loans, which used to be processed by the dsss are now processed by local councils. so it depends on which aspects of care and help they deign is top priority or they can afford on the reduced annual amounts they are now given by central government.
• 
  
• as i am a Yorkshire lass not a Lancashire lass.... i aren't eligible. and its not that i cant get off bus seats at all. I can ,with help but not alone.and as i do have a carer, i am expected to travel on buses with her 24/7. depends on the day, where i have to go and how much pain i am in as to whether or not i can do it on my own. but then its by taxi.only. i dont want to go with her all the time. i'm limited to how far she can go as well, (due to crohnes) and she wont go very far at all. hates going to another town. for instance. by way of a change.) it also means if i want to visit my son, my sister etc who are not far away i cant unless my daughters with me, im not ready for that yet. i am still independent to some degree. anyway. i guess i will just have to do what i can and can what i cant.

 

[Davein]

Hi
Just another suggestion: Have you ever considered a wheelchair. My father in law was quite mobile around his house and garden but whenever we went out with him which involved walking we would use a wheelchair. I must admit he didn't like the thought of it at first but he soon realised the benefits of being able to go further than he would normally go. Now businesses have to comply with disability laws and provide disabled facilities it should be relatively easy to get about.

 

[confusedgran]

@Davein .... i do have a wheelchair. provided by my Dr as an experiment. not specifically for me to sit in, but to push. (its easier than having to carry my bag with all the bits n bats i need (including believe it or not a first aid kit/ i have thin skin due to the steroid sprays and age i am told,and frequently catch myself on things causing skin tears . so elastoplasts/mepore dressings etc are needed then.). my grandaughter and I tried using it.i walked most opf thre time only gettin in it after walking as far as i could.then she pushed me. and it was great to put bags in. so i didnt have to carry shopping. but then she fell pregnant. after baby was born she lost the room she was renting, was in temp accomodation..firstly a hotel for a few days then an upstairs flat miles away from me. now lives closer to me but has enough opn her plate trying to get her new home together and with a teething 5 month old baby. no one else is able to push me in it anyway. just as well as i am not going down that road until or unless ive got no option and have someone to push me. i hate being in it anyway. feel so unsafe. but i can walk. its not the walking thats the problem. i am slower than i would like admitted, but providing i keep my painkillers up i can walk reasonably well. unless my breathing is compromised...its the inability to get off bus seats. and the high cost of going out more than once a fortnight. lack of exercise.