Chemist tested me for diabetes - sent me to the Dr TODAY urgently...please come and talk to me...

[MyHeadWasInTheSandNowNot]

These are my questions

1: The reading the chemist got was 20 - can anyone tell me what this means (ie how 'serious' it is) and if they think it could be controlled and/or preferably gotten rid of through diet and exercise.

2: What will the Dr do today.

The rest is whittering background.

Also, I just wanted to say that I'll have to go in about an hour and wont be able to get back on line until tomorrow afternoon, but I haven't done a runner and will be grateful for any help/advice.

[I'm a regular - I've namechanged because I'm not sure yet if I want to tell anyone or not and I have a few RL friends on MN. It's not that I mind people knowing as such it's just that I don't want it to turn into A Big Deal]

I have been wondering for quite some time if I might have diabetes. A few things have made me wonder about it such as

• Excessive thirst (always having to have a bottle of water on me)

• Eyes a bit blurry at night (been blaming the overhead light and the small tv screen with tivo bright red background and only a problem at night and spending too much time looking at screens)

• Occasional 'shakes'

• I am overweight and struggle with feeling like my 'blood sugars' aren't right

...but what made me 'man up' to getting tested was that last week & yesterday I had a couple of episodes of light headedness/feeling faint when doing things such as changing a lightbulb, I had also been having them in the shower, but put that down to it being hot/steamy etc

I called the chemist about a year ago to see if they did the tests, but ended up not going

I also went to my Dr about 3-4 years ago with constant tiredness and no real reason for it.... he put it down to my weight (which although I'm overweight was not stopping me doing anything, being reasonably fit etc), he really wasn't interested in looking further. I haven't been back, but am and have been pretty much constantly tired since before then. I know I should have seen another Dr but it's hard when you are overweight and they don't seem interested in seeing past that and accept their might be something other excess weight causing the problem.

I wonder now how long I might have had it for and thus how much damage I might have done already to my body, especially my eyes, that's pretty scary.

I was already overweight, but I was pretty fit - then something quite lifechanging happened and I've put on more weight, stopped exercising and I am not unfit. I'm certainly not can't move off the couch unfit - I could still easily walk 4 miles, run for the bus (i'd be panting but I could do it and would recover pretty quickly) - but something else I've noticed (just yesterday I really 'thought' about it) is that I have been putting off doing stuff like walking places (now I take the car), running up the stairs (now only ever walk), kicking the ball about with the kids etc and I realised yesterday it's because when I do I feel awful - not just tired/worn out but light headed and a bit pukey - it's been a gradual thing.

I am totally committed to exercising - a minimum of 30 minutes every day without fail (have just been for an hours walk - about 3 miles) and to improving my diet (which I fully accept hasn't been great for a while, since this 'thing' happened and for a wee bit before then).

I'm not looking for any magic cure - I just want to know if I can get rid of the diabetes through diet and exercise.

Thank you if you made it this far - or even if you didn't wade through it all but can help.

MOS I have explained in full why I'm not sure about taking Metformin (and no, I'm not taking them at the moment - it has very, very little to do with the side effects) - could you skim through my posts to see why? I have also explained (a couple of times) why I'm not telling my friends/family.

Sazpops you really are a lovely wife :) That pizza sounds interesting! There's also one on the Bootcamp low-carb recipe thread which sounded interesting. I haven't got my meter yet, but I will order one this afternoon which should arrive in a couple of days. I'm cutting things out for my levels and to lose weight - so I'm cutting out a lot more than I would if I just wanted to maintain my levels and weight - but I need to lose the weight to control the levels and hopefully make the amount of insulin I produce enough for my body. I'm carrying far far far too much weight.

Eggs - the thought makes me feel ill. I was vegan for a few years which was fine at home but became very difficult when eating out (mainstream) and travelling - so I regretfully started eating some dairy, which I was actually considering cutting out again just before this dx. But eggs, I just can't face them, to me they are unborn chicks (yes, I know they aren't all fertilised etc).

op - 2 hours after porridge it usually goes back to under 8. I don't measure immediately after as everyone's bg levels go up after food but should return to normal within 2 hours.

Exercise always makes a difference to me so if it measure over 8.5 I go for a brisk 20 minute walk and it brings it down to about 7 or under.

I think everyone is different though.

As far as telling your friends - maybe you should and as Mosgain said, they would support you.
I've just never told mine because lots of them are medics and I really don't want them censoring what I eat. They are so disapproving of patients not following medical advice and some are really judgemental in private about other people's lifestyles and the drain on the NHS. You would be amazed.

Mirry that's interesting. Does it matter what it goes up to after food if it comes down under 8 after 2 hours? Or is there still a level it shouldn't go up to?

I have no doubt my friends would be supportive - but it's the constant 'should you be having that with your diabetes', 'my friend said she eats lots of starchy carbs and that's what diabetics should do' - and when eating out 'Oh there's nothing here for a vegetarian diabetic is there - you should ask for x, do y, think about not being veg'... etc etc etc I've been vegetarian for 20 odd years and I can read a menu, yet they all still seem to need to scan the menu and tell me what I can have It Drives Me Nuts - I can't take it on yet another level, I just can't. Also, my friends and family all know each other & I don't want my Mum worrying. She can't do anything to help and would seriously just worry herself silly (and not stop going on and on and on about it).

I don't think I would be amazed tbh.

OP sorry but I think you are acting irresponsibly. You are wasting the drs and nurses time if you ignore medical advice. I can't be arsed to waste any more time on you and your thread. I've known people die as a result of diabetes, my mother one of them. To ignore medical advice is just stupid. I do hope you sort yourself out and control your condition but feel you are not helping yourself.

MOS I don't think the op is ignoring medicl advice - she had only just been diagnosed and is trying to undertand it all and find the best way to manage her diabetes FOR HER.

Latest NICE medical advice is (although they seem to move the goal posts from time to time) is to keep BG levels below 8.5 but obviously the lower the better. There is no harm in trying to do it without medication and if it works for the op - good on her. It has worked for me for the x number of years but I make sure that I keep an eye on my bg levels and my GP knows that I am sensible and if it starts creeping up, I will ask for metformin. I have the yearly diabetic eye tests to make sure my eyes aren't affected and so far no damage.

That's a bit harsh MOS. I think the OP is just trying to do the best she can in spite of the medical profession.

Mirry and headinthesand, sorry but levels you are discussing are not tight enough IMO I'd you are looking to do this by diet alone, I think you need to either get radical with diet or go down the medication route (diet is still high carb, too many grains and not enough protein and fat).

Post meal, 1 hr reading of 8.5 or more is not a good sign.at all.
2hr should be

Exit ...doing their best "in spite of the medical profession".

YY to this.

MOSagain - I know you are very sensitive to the effects of diabetes after losing your Mum to it (and now you and your DD having it) and I'm sorry my reply to you was short. I should have posted more when I answered you before - but I have explained my reasons throughout the thread (and I was making eye appointments and trying to buy a monitor and strips etc).

I have chosen not to take Metformin (at the moment) as I want to see if I can control it with diet/exercise/weightloss - I don't see how that is being irresponsbile?

Re wasting the Drs & Nurses time - I spent 10 minutes with the Dr (added to the 10 minutes I spent a fortnight ago with the original Dr) - 20 minutes in 5 years isn't exactly a huge burden on the NHS. As for the nurse? Well, she's recommending eating lots of starchy carbs at least 3 times a day, she's said that diet plays no part in diabetes and that self monitoring is a waste of time - so forgive me if I don't think she has any idea what she's talking about. Her routinely prescribling metformin for all of 'her' patients is hardly personalised care tailored to my body, my diet, my needs - as she's not prepared to do that, I have taken control of the situation and will do what I think I need to do. I'm sorry if you feel that's wasting NHS resources.

I'm sorry you feel you are wasting your time.

Mirry & Exit Thank you

Scotchandwry - thanks for your advice but this is exactly why I don't like discussing my diabetes in public. There will always be people around who think I should be doing something differently.

Exit, any high street ophthalmologist should be able to do an eye health check as part of an eye test - inexpensive or for free, and probably you can get an appointment within a week.

Can I point you and your dh in the direction of grain free paleo diet for blood sugar control, while I am stirring things up? Robbwolf.com has all the free info...

Indeed Mirry, but I am not in public . I think you are right about that - I don't discuss it with RL people either with the exception of dh who is a dr who is now starting to recommend paleo some patients, after seeing my results with it.

Scotch Nice to see you again :)

I'm not sure if you were addressing Mirry or me when you said that it was necessary to get more radical with the diet?

I'm not sure I can get much more radical and still eat?

I am eating -

Breakfast: 1/2 avocado & 25g of cheddar cheese OR 100g total yogurt (full fat stuff).

Lunch & Dinner:

Mostly:

Finely chopped red cabbage, grated carrot, a little red pepper (about 1/5), 3 mushrooms and either a half avocado OR 1-2 Tbs of egg free mayonaise OR hommous OR 1-2 tbs of beans or lentils (but I haven't taken this option often)

Monday night I made a Thai Green Curry - it was a 'box' with the coconut milk and flavorings in it - 4.9g of carb per 100g, box being 200g. I made this into two meals (so 4.9g of carb per meal). I used cauli, brocolli, courgette, red pepper, mushroom, asparagus & spinach.

If I can't last without a snack - either a carrot and hommous OR about 15g of seeds.

A latte some days (none yesterday, none today)

I have ordered my monitor and hopefully it will arrive in the next day or so. I will bear your levels in mind.

2hr should be

Scotch - does your DH have any insight as to why the old 'eat lots of starchy carbs and take metformin' is still what's being pushed?

OP - I am not diabetic or a low carber but I am vegan. What you said about a veg dish with a side of veg struck a chord with me and not feeling satisfied after.

I would say that maybe you should, within your restrictions, focus on packing in as much protein in your diet as you can. Meat is an easy, concentrated source of protein, but we can't have that.

Every meal you prepare yourself think, where is the protein coming from. Maybe get a My Fitness Pal account (free food logging) where you can track your calories and your fat/carbs/protein intake.

If you can't stomach eggs can you handle egg whites? And there is always protein shakes if you get stuck.

Remember:
Dairy
Nuts
Pulses
Beans
Tofu
Tempeh
Seitan
Quorn
Edamame
TVP and other meat substitutes...

Eye Test

I got the letter through to make an appointment today, so I rang the clinic, the woman said the first available test was April. April. She said they are really busy and that all the re-testers have been contacted to get them to book their appointments (seems odd but hey) so I said I was newly diagnosed so she said 'That's different, we'll get you seen sooner than that', the first date was the 28thof Feb, which wasn't tooooooo bad - but I asked if they had a cancellation list, which they did and she put me on it. She rang me about an hour later and said I could have it done tomorrow if I could get there. So I'm going at 3pm tomorrow - not at all bothered by the test, but I'm a bit nervous of the results :(

So anyone not too busy tomorrow afternoon, a bit of finger crossing would be lovely :)

Feet

The diabetes nurse checked my feet with a tickly stick pointy thing. The remain sensitive and as far as I can tell, the right colour and no cuts/thick skin or anything - do I need to do anything else?

Other Body Parts

Is there anything else I need to get checked out??

Headache

I have a horrible headache this afternoon and I'm about to have my friends 3 noisy monsters for a few hours... what's best to take? Paracetamol/Nurofen/makes no difference?

MyHead - have you weighed all your veg and worked out the carbs you're eating? I think that was what SCOTCH was meaning. Being a vegetarian (no eggs) does mean you're likely to be consuming a higher level of carbs than if you were basing your meals around meat.

Your headache is most likely to be carb withdrawal. From a weight loss perspective, I would recommend paracetamol rather than ibuprofen - but take whatever you have to hand/prefer to take. No need to suffer.

I'm glad you have managed to get an appointment sooner rather than later. April is bloomin' ridiculous! And fingers crossed for you that it goes well.

ItsAllGoingToBeFine Thank you for posting :) I might be able to join you again (being vegan), but I need to get this sorted first :)

I am not diabetic or a low carber but I am vegan. What you said about a veg dish with a side of veg struck a chord with me and not feeling satisfied after :) Yes, you just need 'something' else don't you to feel satisfied.

I would say ...focus on packing in as much protein in your diet as you can absolutely agree, it's just where to get that protein from (other than vegetables)?

I have been meaning to look into MFP but haven't got that far yet.

...can you handle egg whites? No. Not without heaving.

Dairy - I usually only eat soy yougurt, but have tried the total pot this week. I'm having cheese, but don't want to over do it. Some milk in lattes.

Nuts - Some, but I'm concerned about the fat/carb content

Pulses/Beans - Do I/Dont I, lots of conflicting advice.

Tofu - Looked at it yesterday, can't remember why I decided against it now?

Tempeh/Seitan - will look into these, never really used either, but seem to remember them being high carb? Will check it out.

Quorn/Edamame/TVP and other meat substitutes... I have had some, but they can be quite carby.

I think the problem is trying to do 'everything'.

Vegetarian (no egg)
Low carb
'Whole fat' but not too high fat (other than avocados) as carbs not low enough for ketosis
Cutting out processed stuff
Cutting out grains

... it's a bit like, OK, other than low carb veg... what's left?

BIWI thanks :) I have both to hand. I just wondered if one was better for blood sugars than the other, but I have to go out now, so I'll take the one better for weight loss!! I'm surprised I'm getting 'lack of carbs' headaches now, rather than a week ago?... but it could well be (no latte today! so carbs or caffine withdrawl or both possibly!! :)

I see what you mean about the veg, it's partly why I don't think I'd be in ketosis enough for Bootcamp, but I still didn't think it would be 'far too many carbs' in general, if you know what I mean. I've not been weighing it and I know some (especially the carrots - depending if old or new?!) are high in carbs so I will tomorrow.

Thanks for the finger crossing.

Right - off to the Monsters, back later!

Seitan is mostly made with wheat gluten which is per 100g 80P/8C/1F (and 1 fibre). I get mine from low carbon mega store - it is the cheapest place (you may want to have a look at their other foods too for inspiration).

I think you may struggle going truly low carb on a veggie diet :(

MyHead - sorry, I don't know about the potential impact of analgesics on blood sugar levels, but hopefully others will do.

myhead - hope the head (out of the sand!) is feeling better soon. Re; tofu, I use it quite a bit. We're not keen on the plain, but Taifun (I think) do a smoked tofu with almonds and sesame seeds which is really nice - it's nice straight from the packet as well as to cook with. They also do a basil one, which is nice marinated in olive oil and lemon juice and grilled - also OK cold. They're quite filling and, if I remember correctly, are extremely low carb.

My cauliflower pizza base is made and awaiting it's topping - watch this space!

Sorry headinthesand I wasn't being very clear- I meant being veggie makes it harder to get lots of protein in your diet which isn't also packed with carbs, it just is more difficult - eggs would make it a lot easier! Do you not eat them at all? Would you be jailer to eat them if they came from free range, or from a local free range, small scale farmer?