Wow, where to start...Need help, been silly, time to make an effort.

[Littlerestraint]

Hi all,

Forgive me, this will be fairly long-winded I reckon...

I need help due to my own stupidity, here's the scenario;

I've been overweight for probably the last ten years or so, I'm 37 now. In my younger days I was a chronic binge eater and drinker and have never take care of myself in terms of diet & exercise. By the time I got to 30 I settled down with my partner and the drinking and debauchery stopped. Nowadays I'm just an average guy with a stressful job and not enough hours in the day.

Despite my lifestyle I have been lucky in that I've never been seriously ill, never broken a bone, never had a stitch. However, around 3-4 years ago I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

At the time it never really bothered me, and I continued to eat the wrong things at the wrong times. I no longer drank alcohol regularly, and I had switched from real cigarettes to e-cigs, which I still use today. I have a history of depression, and I've been on Seroxat for several years now, but that side of things are pretty much under control (sorry, just trying to give you as much info as possible).

Anyway, fast forward to now....I have not been watching my health at all. We're talking fast food and sugary stuff galore with zero regard for my health, diabetic or not.

Yesterday I decided to try and turn things around, starting with my diet and my diabetes, but I've never (until now) educated myself properly, meaning that I'm now in panic mode.."Have I left it too late", "Should I get down the hospital", etc etc.

My doctor has been chasing me for a couple of years now, trying to get me to get my retinopathy done, my blood & urine tests, etc, but I've really just made the excuse that I'm so busy at work (I am, but my health should come first, I know). I'm now terrified that I've buried my head for so long that I've gone too far. I tested my BG for the first time in ages earlier, and then again a couple of hours later.....both results were around 18mmol. I suspect I've been running at that level (or probably higher) for many many months now.

I am meant to be taking metformin but never had until yesterday when I decided to start.

I read about this ketoacidosis (?) and now I'm really worried as some of the symptoms I have lived with on a daily basis for well over a year. I do have other complications that I am certain are linked to my diabetes. Nothing crazy, just stuff (cryptic, I know).

Do I need to ring NHS direct like now, or should I just get in with my diabetic clinic ASAP?

Where do I go from here? Please don't shout at me, I know I'm an idiot

 

[Robin]

nobody here is going to shout at you! Congratulations on realising you need to take things seriously.
If you feel very unwell, then getting yourself to the doctor is obviously a priority. Otherwise, make an early appointment to see whoever should normally be looking after your diabetes. Arrange to have all the checks, feet, eyes, blood tests,etc, then at least you'll know where you stand.

Keep testing. First thing in the morning, as a baseline, then before and two hours after meals. This way you'll find out which foods you can tolerate without spiking your blood sugars, and which are best avoided.

Have a browse on the newbies section, there's a lot of information there, do some reading.

Do things a step at a time. Don't try and reinvent the wheel overnight. Make small changes you feel,you can stick to, then when you've stuck to them, make a few more, til you've got to where you want to be

Oh, and keep checking in here for help, questions answered, morale boost, or just a good rant. Good luck!

 

[Littlerestraint]

Thanks a lot Robin, I am glad I found this place as I think some support will help. I'm terrible for putting things off, and I'm so worried about finding the right foods and sticking too it, I'm so used to sausage, hash browns, etc etc.

It's been hard in terms of health as I am overweight, have been a smoker in the past, and various other things, so sometimes I find it to be a vicious circle, i.e. which which thing caused which problem.

With all that said, for saying I'm overweight I am very hard working and mobile, which I think contributes to my "not got time for that" mentality.

I've really got to change my entire outlook on life. I'm a stubborn b*gger, which doesn't help, and obviously I'm ALWAYS right 🙂

 

[trophywench]

Hi Mr Restraint - I actually prefer not to use the first part of your handle, since that part is so clearly in the past - hope you agree with that otherwise we're all wasting our time! LOL

Look - there is no point in having a guilt trip about anything we've done in the past since we can't turn the clock back and do it 'better' - eg I have hardening of the arteries. Ooopsie - I am not 65 so I've smoked for over 50 years - so really it's entirely self inflicted. I can't unsmoke all those fags, so if I've shortened my life and caused myself pain, it is entirely my own fault. Just got to make the best of whatever - so that's what you need to do. So do go to the doctor, and have all the tests that are overdue - then you can stocktake that side of it once you know what the current bottom line is.

However I suggest you make a start on something like this "Test, Review, Adjust" advice fron Alan Shanley http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html

In fact, you could do a lot worse than read his entire Blog from start to finish. It's all jolly sound and helpful advice - and he's a lovely bloke anyway!

 

[Littlerestraint]

Hi Mr Restraint - I actually prefer not to use the first part of your handle, since that part is so clearly in the past - hope you agree with that otherwise we're all wasting our time! LOL

Look - there is no point in having a guilt trip about anything we've done in the past since we can't turn the clock back and do it 'better' - eg I have hardening of the arteries. Ooopsie - I am not 65 so I've smoked for over 50 years - so really it's entirely self inflicted. I can't unsmoke all those fags, so if I've shortened my life and caused myself pain, it is entirely my own fault. Just got to make the best of whatever - so that's what you need to do. So do go to the doctor, and have all the tests that are overdue - then you can stocktake that side of it once you know what the current bottom line is.

However I suggest you make a start on something like this "Test, Review, Adjust" advice fron Alan Shanley http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.co.uk/2006/10/test-review-adjust.html

In fact, you could do a lot worse than read his entire Blog from start to finish. It's all jolly sound and helpful advice - and he's a lovely bloke anyway!

Thanks a lot, I'm going to have a look at that blog this evening. Hopefully I'll be able to get booked in with the diabetic clinic tomorrow, fingers crossed.

P.S. Love your handle 🙂

 

[Lynn Davies]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Well done on ditching the stinkies. I'm coming up to my first year of being smoke free Vaping nicotine down to 6mg and hope to kick that habit in the next year.

What I am saying is to take it steady and don't beat yourself up too much.

Make that appointment tomorrow and use it as your first step to a brighter future.

 

[Stitch147]

Hi littlerestraint. Welcome to the forum. I've been diagnosed since August last year. This forum is a great place for help. Get yourself an appointment and get your blood tests done. Making changes to your diet, even small changes will make a difference to both your weight and blood glucose levels. Depending on where you work do you have time in the mornings to walk there? I commute to central London for my job, there is a tube station right outside my office but I always walk from the mainline station, about 35 mins. Hope you manage to get the appointments you need and the "willpower" to make the changes with your lifestyle.

 

[Littlerestraint]

Hi and welcome to the forum. Well done on ditching the stinkies. I'm coming up to my first year of being smoke free Vaping nicotine down to 6mg and hope to kick that habit in the next year.

What I am saying is to take it steady and don't beat yourself up too much.

Make that appointment tomorrow and use it as your first step to a brighter future.

Thank you Lynn. I'm down to about 8mg (mix my own), and I feel so much better for giving up the cigs

 

[Littlerestraint]

Hi littlerestraint. Welcome to the forum. I've been diagnosed since August last year. This forum is a great place for help. Get yourself an appointment and get your blood tests done. Making changes to your diet, even small changes will make a difference to both your weight and blood glucose levels. Depending on where you work do you have time in the mornings to walk there? I commute to central London for my job, there is a tube station right outside my office but I always walk from the mainline station, about 35 mins. Hope you manage to get the appointments you need and the "willpower" to make the changes with your lifestyle.

Cheers Stitch 🙂

I work out in the sticks so walking isn't an option, but I am in the process of trying to take a step back, as my working life is absolute chaos, flat out all day and then sorting work issues out many evenings and weekends. I'm guilty of neglecting my health in order to sustain being a workaholic but it's nearly driven me into the ground. I do love my job but I also need to learn to turn off my phone and take care of myself.

Add that to the fact that I hate exercising and will make all the excuses under the sun to avoid it! I am an avid photographer though, so I try to tie that in with some amount of walking so that it doesn't seem like exercise, lol

 

[Stitch147]

The only exercise I enjoy is walking. I'm lucky really where I work and with the job I do that I get a chance to walk everyday. Hope you can get some time to do a small walk with your camera and take some pics soon.

 

[Littlerestraint]

The only exercise I enjoy is walking. I'm lucky really where I work and with the job I do that I get a chance to walk everyday. Hope you can get some time to do a small walk with your camera and take some pics soon.

I've made it one of my new year's resolutions - Get out with my camera more

Thanks again 🙂

 

[trophywench]

I like the idea of that, to go out camera in hand - rather like the opposite of the definition of golf being a good walk spoiled, this is potentially a walk made good !

The moniker comes from when my husband and I both joined a motorbike forum. Being in possession of a Triumph Trophy and our surname being Chapman - he called himself Trophychap. He kept the name when we subsequently bought a Blackbird and we both joined B.I.R.D. so it made sense to call myself that, I always was the younger my grandpa's two 'little wenches' - a wench merely being a young female where I come from! (Black Country; up the Baggies! LOL)

Nob all to do with prizes !

 

[Littlerestraint]

Lol, I like it.

A fellow biker too, great stuff. Just about to take possession of an old Blackbird myself. Also have a VTR1000, love my late 90's / early 00's Hondas.

 

[HOBIE]

A speed demon ! I have not been out on my GS 1200 for a while but been to Asia on it. Welcome & good luck with plans to sort things 🙂 Them there Blackbirds shift 😱

 

[Littlerestraint]

A speed demon ! I have not been out on my GS 1200 for a while but been to Asia on it. Welcome & good luck with plans to sort things 🙂 Them there Blackbirds shift 😱

Thanks Hobie. Really bought the BB with the sole intention of doing a few road trips on it, Europe etc. Would use the VTR but tank range is awful!

 

[Markmids]

dude, stop the smoking, kick the carbs, cut the sugar, walk 30 mins a day at a pace you feel clammy, drink plenty water, I'm 38 and never gave a flying F@😛 about myself...found out loads of advice on here and lost 2 stone..now feel better than ever..its not a life sentence its a wake up call, don't be scared be releved.

 

[trophywench]

B.I.R.D. (Blackbird International Riders Domain) is a brill forum with shedloads of tech info and also general banter, and we're still mates with JAWS who runs it - what a top bloke. There are still photos and instructions of (my) Pete and Rolfy in the Tech Help section, fitting a cruise control to someone else's bike! Really useful when blasting across the country at whatever speed ! Rolfy knew how but Pete being of engineering background, had slightly changed the config to make it more user friendly!

(Sorry - off topic LOL - but these things are important to some of us!)

 

[Caroline]

you have made a very important first step in asking for help. It is never too late to take control of things but would suggest making small manageable changes and do it over a period of time. I don't suggest binging on sweets and biscuits or cakes, but they are allowed. A slice of cake or a couple of biscuits as part of a meal will help you feel not too deprived. Things like Green & Blacks chocolate is nice, and the packs with the mini bars last for ages as you don't want as much of it.

Can't add to the advice from others apart from saying look in often and see what everyone has to say. Sometimes someone else's question and the answers they get will help you too as it may be something you hadn't thought of.

 

[Littlerestraint]

you have made a very important first step in asking for help. It is never too late to take control of things but would suggest making small manageable changes and do it over a period of time. I don't suggest binging on sweets and biscuits or cakes, but they are allowed. A slice of cake or a couple of biscuits as part of a meal will help you feel not too deprived. Things like Green & Blacks chocolate is nice, and the packs with the mini bars last for ages as you don't want as much of it.

Can't add to the advice from others apart from saying look in often and see what everyone has to say. Sometimes someone else's question and the answers they get will help you too as it may be something you hadn't thought of.

Thank you.

First day back at work today, eaten carefully but still not really sure about testing, i.e. what times and what to expect.

I tested as soon as I woke up and I was at 19.8, then tested throughout the day a few times just to check. The results were 19.8, 16, 14.3, 12, then right down to 9 late afternoon. Final time I tested was just before dinner and it was back up to 20.5! Will do a final test in an hour or so.

I've had 3 Metformin today, so 1500mg total. I've only started taking it recently as I never bothered, and was originally put on 1 a day, but been taking 2 or 3, not sure if that's advisable or not...

 

[Stitch147]

I usually test when I get up, 2 hours after brekkie, before I eat my lunch, 2 hours after lunch, before dinner then 2 hours after dinner. That way I can see what type of foods push my blood glucose levels up. I can safely say pasta always puts it up but porridge helps bring it down.