Will know tomorrow if I am diabetic

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Cornish Graham

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I suppose I am jumping the gun but I am expecting to be told that I do have diabetes tomorrow morning. Recent tests have shown my blood glucose is high. I have had treatment for bowel cancer, including chemotherapy, which of course makes you tired etc etc. So I am just feeling bewildered right now and I know I have put on weight and need to exercise more but equally get annoyed when health care professionals say that and ignore the fact I have been on steroids which make you eat more. I feel tired right now and weary and it'd be nice to feel more well again.
 
{{{hugs}}} Cornish Graham - it's not nice to be given the news, and I'm sorry to hear about your other health problems. One of the best things you can do is come here and seek support, information, advice, or indeed just let off steam and have a good rant. I'm sure others will be along shortly to offer support and give you some links that you can follow up (I'm not very techy when it comes to linking things :confused: !). Do let us know how you get on.

All the best.
 
Thanks Pine Marten. I do appreciate that if I am diabetic it's good to know that so that it can be treated and I can feel better hopefully. I have got through life with good health and am now 59. I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September 2014 and was operated on to remove the tumour on 5/11/2014. However, healthy you are as soon as you hit 50 your chances of getting cancer shoot up. My stoma has played up recently and was bleeding badly but that has been treated now. I'd like to exercise more and eat less, in other words improve my health generally but also know I have to be well enough to do that. I probably sound like a wimp but I promise I am not. I worked all through my chemotherapy & not many cancer patients can say that!
 
Hi
Cornish Graham said:
Thanks Pine Marten. I do appreciate that if I am diabetic it's good to know that so that it can be treated and I can feel better hopefully. I have got through life with good health and am now 59. I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in September 2014 and was operated on to remove the tumour on 5/1//2015. However, healthy you are as soon as you hit 50 your chances of getting cancer shoot up. My stoma has played up recently and was bleeding badly but that has been treated now. I'd like to exercise more and eat less, in other words improve my health generally but also know I have to be well enough to do that. I probably sound like a wimp but I promise I am not. I worked all through my chemotherapy & not many cancer patients can say that!
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Graham, welcome to the forum 🙂 Really sorry to hear about the problems you have had, and that a diagnosis of diabetes appears likely. Seroids can affect blood glucose levels, so they may have played a part in raising your levels. The good thing about diabetes is that it can be controlled with the right knowledge, tools and application, and hopefully as you learn more about how you are personally affected (for it is quite an individual condition) and adapt, you will start to feel healthier.

I'd recommend starting by reading
Jennifer's Advice and Maggie Davey's letter which should give you a good understanding of what it's all about. Even if you don't get a diagnosis it's worth behaving as if you do, since a diet and lifestyle which is healthy for people with diabetes is in fact healthy for everyone - no 'special' foods or hugely restrictive diets! The main thing to be aware of is your carbohydrate consumption - bread, potatoes, rice, pasta etc., not just sugar. It's worth starting a food diary and counting up the grams of carbs in everything you eat and drink for a few days then going over it and looking to see if there are any areas where you might substitute items for more diabetes-friendly ones. I'd recommend reading up about the GL Diet, which is a diet that releases energy slowly and steadily, reducing the impact on your blood glucose levels -
The GL Diet for Dummies is a useful introduction.

Ideally, you should get a meter and ask your GP to prescribe test strips so you can monitor your levels and discover what food items/meals you tolerate well, and what you might need to re-evaluate. Have a read of
Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S to understand why this is a useful, if not vital element in getting your levels under control, whilst at the same time retaining maximum flexibility in your food choices 🙂

Please ask any questions you may have, and we will be happy to help. Let us know how the appointment goes - good luck! 🙂
 
Welcome Graham and whilst I hope tomorrow brings better news, it sounds like you are anticipating a diabetes diagnosis. As northerner says, sometimes steroids can increase the chance of developing diabetes.

Good for you coping with and getting over the bowel cancer and it's rough to have another serious diagnosis so soon after. But you can make such a difference to your life with a healthier, 'diabetic' diet I've found. I have leukaemia which regrettably is only treatable but not curable. And I need to be as healthy as possible for when the treatment becomes necessary. Diabetes impacts on all aspects of our health and stabilising it leads to better overall health. I'm much more prone to infection and this affects glucose control so it's an ongoing battle.

You may not be able to exercise as much at the moment but I've found its the reduction in carbs which has had the most beneficial effect. Some gentle exercises and walking where possible too. But in terms of keeping your nutritional needs right for your stoma care, you'd maybe benefit from the advice of a dietician with a specialism in this.

Wishing you all the best for tomorrow but if you need ongoing advice and support, this is certainly the place to find it. And insist on the means to self test if you're diagnosed. You have particular reason to stop levels getting out of control.
 
Hi Graham,

My dad is type 2 and has also had bowel cancer this year - hoping for a stoma reversal op before the end of the year. I know he certainly struggled with the dietary requirements for his ileostomy conflicting with his type 2 as it is currently diet controlled so I would really recommend pushing to speak to a dietician who can weigh up the impact of both. My dad had two dieticians who never collaborated so the diabetes dietician was advising trying to cut down his carb intake and the one on the cancer team was pushing a diet heavy in bread, pasta, rice, potatoes etc!

Also everyone has already said it but push for the means to test! Especially important when you may be likely to have slightly more difficult dietary decisions to make.

All the best for today.
 
Just got back from my GP and still not really any the wiser. I have just been told to come in again in two weeks time for more urine & blood tests. The doctor did not offer any advice and guidance to me eg I am ok to work, drive etc etc. I have rung the surgery back just now and spoken to a different doctor and I feel a little happier. He has suggested a phased return to work and to keep things under review. The big problem is that although I have finished chemotherapy I still have side effects from that treatment and that some of those such as fatigue, tiredness & altered blood sugar levels can be the same as diabetes.
 
Sounds like your levels might be borderline for diabetes Graham, so they are giving it a little longer to get a more conclusive result either way. I hope you continue to recover well from the chemo, let us know how things go or if you have any questions 🙂
 
Perhaps you have tried already, but I wonder if it's worth asking a cancer charity, such as Macmillan, for advice regarding fatigue, return to work etc?
 
Looks like you don't have a definitive diabetes diagnosis yet Graham but as I'm also on the cancer bus I've learned a lot of the whys and wherefores along the way relating to fatigue. To reinforce some of the points Adresteia made above, make sure you do get proper nutitional advice because post chemo we can be deficient in certain essential vitamins leading to tiredness. In particular Vit D and B12 but not exclusively and in attempt to moderate your diet, you may impact on them even more which is greater reason to consult a dietician who may be attached to the stoma care team.

Chemo is physically and emotionally draining so make sure you pace yourself and devise a return to work schedule which allows you to phase back in gradually. Good luck with the diabetes diagnosis.

As Copepod had said, Macmillan have a wealth of advice on your work rights as a cancer survivor. I have all the links should you need them including your employer's responsibilities. Amigo
 
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