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.

Myhead you do get free eye check ups, just tell the optician you're diabetic and they'll tell you what you need to do to claim entitlement. Dad gets them because he's diabetic, I get them because my eyesight is so crap

Hi headinsand, read over my post of 15.53 yesterday, I tried to explain the Ketones and high blood sugar thin the best way I know how!

I spoke to my dh and he says he just doesn't know the answer to your question about the safety but if you are testing bs frequently, you would be able to keep an eye on it - of bs stays lowish and you have ketones it should be fine... But he is also saying go on the metformin at least for now.

op - Tazzles and herculees are talking sense. Your BS aren't all that high and I suspect won't take much to get them lower. Don't deprive yourself of an occasional treat and youm may also be able to eat those chippy suppers etc but not so often and just much smaller portions.

Try eating your usual meals and see which ones send your BG levels soaring the next morning. It will give you an early indication of what is really bad for you. I said in one of my previous posts that white bread did it for me so I very rarely eat it - but I DO eat it ocassionally.

Dh also suggests that a blood ketone meter would be more accurate than pee sticks if you want to go down that route you will almost certainly have to buy it yourself.

He thought maybe someone at the British diabetic association might be able to advice you on specific questions which your diabetic nurse or consultant haven't answered - worth a try?

Interesting linky! I don't know if I know how to do a live link from my phone but here is the address -

thelowcarbdiabetic.co.uk

I'm not panicking!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't panic, it's not in my nature I leave that to my mother who panics enough for the whole family

I was whinging!!!!

I have vodka and I have slim tonic - no carbs, no sugar, no nothing... (probably no flavour in either, but hey, I have alcohol ). I may not have any tonight, I may not have any for weeks... but I have it :) I assume that's OK for my blood sugars?? If not, I have part of my friends birthday present!

I have also found a few convenience things that I think might be OK for my blood sugars, which if they work out, will semi-solve the problem of eating at my friends house most of the time. They might not be OK - but it's worth a try.

When I got home from work there was a card through the door to say there was a package at the Post Office Depot for me - it's either my monitor or test strips and lancets. I wish I knew which, it's an pain in the bum to have to go there to collect one tomorrow and then go back on Monday to collect the other (I wont be home tomorrow when the postie comes - what happened to leaving parcels at the neighbours??) I want to go and get it if it's the monitor, but would leave it if it was the other.

It is bloody cold here!! The heating's taking an age to kick in... supposedly slushy sleet tomorrow :/

SCOTCHandWRY Thank you so much for this link. The best I've read about the low carb way of reducing readings. I will recommend it to others.

Nice to see you around again MyHead. I'm sat here nursing a gin and diet lemonade. Just a small one you understand Hic! *

Tazzle

... dont panic mr mannering !!!!!!!! That made me laugh, I used to love that show when I was little :)

in RL I would proably just invite you to join me sitting by the fire and offer you a and a chat That would be lovely :)

I don't feel like you are shouting or telling me what to do.

In actuality your BG are not THAT high I get told they are, then I get told they aren't - I actually really don't know anymore.

... not so high that you need to drastically cut your carbs back to what you have been You don't think so? Cutting back quite drastically on the carbs is two fold - both not eating things that will make my levels shoot up and dropping weight so that they are generally better.

and if trying to get to boot camp levels of carbs on the practicallly vegan diet is streeig you ...... well stress is another thing that will put BG UP up up That was one reason I didn't want to join in the Bootcamp, I don't need the extra pressure. But then I was pretty much told off for not commiting to this properly :/

yes if you decide to lower carbs it may be harder for you ( or anyone) than if you take metformin and "eat normally". Loads of people do that and have ok BG levels and dont get the complications Really? I was under the impression that you either needed to go low carb or just keep increasing your meds?? I haven't really come across people who are eating normally, taking minimal metformin and maintaining at that.

Yes it can indeed be scary, ...... and frustrating cos the path you choose means you cant have the foods you previousy loved.... I don't think I can have them even if I take the metformin can I?

thats why folk have been saying not to cut back too much on the carbs to start with until you have a bit more knowledge and support around you (even on line support if not local/ RL) ..... cutting back before you have substitutes sorted out is not good.......... and a week or so more wont cause any other problems I don't think going low carb can hurt anyone - so I'm sure it's fine :) It's just bloody boring as an almost vegan.

feel free to pm me if you want to chat in private and if you want it the offer of *holds out a hand ... is here at thei scary time

When are you getting your results back??

Thank you :) You have all been brilliant and it's been invaluable to have so much support and so many different opinions.

MrsHP Yes, I had a 10 min sob-fest last night (mind you, it was coming anyway, I have my period, my uncle died last week & there's some other crap going on too!), but as you say - onward and updownward :)

I have to go back in 3 months for another set of fasting bloods (she wants fasting bloods to re-check my cholesterol and to try to get me on a statin - but that's not going to happen. I'll take my chances without that).

I can see what you are saying - but I think I'm going to try to do it seriously low-carb (well, seriously low carb as in no potato, rice, bread etc no so much worrying about whether carrots are low-carb enough or not) and limiting beans, lentils etc as much as possible. I have read quite a bit about 're-starting' your system with regards to becoming less insulin resistant. I need to read more to explain it better, but I just feel if I can keep my diet as 'pure' as I can for now, it might help. It will definitely help with the weight loss, which will - in turn - help with the bgl's... I hope.

If I get really fed up, I'll try some of the other things - such as porridge for breakfast and check my levels.

There was some lovely looking bread at lunch today, an Ocado wholegrain baguette (never seen it before!?) - it looked like the kind of bread one should have if one wanted to see how ones levels coped with bread.... it was tempting, but I didn't have any I will have a look on line and see if they have the nutritional info available.

Thank you for the and the hugs - they really do mean a lot to me x

Exit 43, soon 44. Although I've no idea which bastard swiped the years between 24 & 44! I think I blinked...

FryOneFatManic - Thanks for that :)

I hope you're feeling a bit better now, MyHead. I can see that all of this is a bit overwhelming.

How are things for you on the exercising front, as it seems that this can be very helpful as well?

SCOTCH I have read your post again and it does make sense, I'm just not sure which I fall into I guess. I wonder if that is why they say diabetics should have carbs? Tell your DH thank you for his suggestions! :)

Mirry - thank you again. It really does mean a lot that you all keep posting :) x As I said to MrsHP, I think I'm going to keep this low-carb thing going for now, it's certainly working for weight loss - which is a good thing for bsl's, so it can only be good... It is boring, but I need to seek out things that make it a bit nicer and cook more. There are lots of recipes on the bootcamp recipe thread. I'm just so bloody exhausted all the time that I just want quick, easy things - but hey ho, I'm going to have to woman-up and get on with it!! Must check out that cauliflower pizza!! I haven't had dinner tonight - I'm not sure if I'm not hungry or just not hungry enough to cook something and I'm certainly not hungry enough for more red cabbage

Is is bad to skip meals??

MNM - sounds good!! (Why just a small one? What would be bad about having a big one, or several?). I'm avoiding for weight reasons not bgl reasons... well I think so anyone, until someone tells me why I should be avoiding for bgl levels as well

Yes, MyHead - it's definitely bad to skip meals! Especially for you. You have to make sure that you are keeping your blood sugar levels stable, and if you're not eating regularly then this is more likely not to happen

myhead well done on avoiding the bread - small victories like that always make me feel very virtuous! Keeping it pure and as low carb as poss sounds a good plan.. When you get your monitor be meticulous about writing down everything you eat and drink, how you are feeling, exercise etc to help you work out what is going on for the first few weeks.

There are people who seem to simply eat everything in moderation and exercise and this works for them. For me, I'm not very good at moderation hence going low carb. Whilst it is progressive it can, if well controlled, progress extremely slowly to the point where it appears not to progress at all. You sound much calmer in your last post and more upbeat with a plan, i hope that is how your are feeling too.

I think with alcohol it can inhibit judgement a bit, make you crave hangover carbs if you have a lot the night before etc.. For insulin dependent diabetics it can cause a delayed hypo. In your case it should be fine, but remember your body will burn any alcohol first before carbs then fat... Not that I'm saying you are a lush and about to fall into a litre bottle!!!!

BIWI - Hi again :) I had started walking again, starting with 2-3 miles a day. However, it was completely zapping every last bit of energy I had out of me, so I've stopped again for a few days, while I try to find out more info online. I've been told I need to be careful not to overdo it while my blood sugars are so high (by both the nurse and by the guy who did my eye check yesterday who seemed very clued up) and as I wasn't feeling very good when doing it, I thought it best to stop and see what I could find out - I don't want to do more harm than good. However, it's (apparently) a really good way of lowering bgl so I want to do it if I can.

BIWI - OK, will try not to skip any others, it just seems odd to eat when you aren't hungry.

MrsHP - No problem at all re-writing things down - I'm an anal accountant I'm not so fab at 'moderation' either - so in some ways it's easier to say I'm not eating xyz (for the moment) and while the lbs are dropping off the sides of the scales I can stick with it - the hard part will come when that stops happening!

(Alcohol) In your case it should be fine, but remember your body will burn any alcohol first before carbs then fat... Not that I'm saying you are a lush and about to fall into a litre bottle!!!! LOL it's the weight loss aspect that's keeping me this side of the vodka bottle!!

Not being hungry is a good sign if you are low carbing for weight loss. It means that you are controlling your insulin levels well. Hunger is actually something dictated by our hormones as much as it is empty stomachs!

But whereas if you're low carbing to lose weight, and it might be OK to miss a meal, I'm not sure that the same should apply to you - and I wouldn't risk it, not until you've got your monitor and you know what's happening to your blood sugar levels.

In actuality your BG are not THAT high I get told they are, then I get told they aren't - I actually really don't know anymore.

roflma..... depends entirely one individuals experiences / defintitions ex -ostrich ... yes they are high enough that one needs to do something but not high enough that you are gonna go inot a coma right now. There are some diabetics that live with numbers like that daily. Thats not to say its brilliant and I would not want them that high either .... but its not a disaaaaaaaster

... not so high that you need to drastically cut your carbs back to what you have been You don't think so? Cutting back quite drastically on the carbs is two fold - both not eating things that will make my levels shoot up and dropping weight so that they are generally better.

again maybe a mix up over definition over amount / timing ... I was looking at the post where you appeared stressed / said you were crying and I wondered if doing it hard like that before you got the meter and more info was maybe counterproductive right at this moment in time, not as a general long term choice. Also you might have been able to significatnly affect the BG without going so low... there is a wide variation in the levels at which good numners are acheived, not all need to go down to 20 -30g per day... and if you were finding that difficult to do and still get the protein you needed I though it might be easier in the learning period

and if trying to get to boot camp levels of carbs on the practicallly vegan diet is streeig you ...... well stress is another thing that will put BG UP up up That was one reason I didn't want to join in the Bootcamp, I don't need the extra pressure. But then I was pretty much told off for not commiting to this properly :/

you will find that anyone who passionately believes is obsessed in something will always be critical if you dont join "their way" . There are something yes that do need wholehearted commitment to achieve what you want.... but a few extra days at less than that while you learn will not harm anyone

yes if you decide to lower carbs it may be harder for you ( or anyone) than if you take metformin and "eat normally". Loads of people do that and have ok BG levels and dont get the complications Really? I was under the impression that you either needed to go low carb or just keep increasing your meds?? I haven't really come across people who are eating normally, taking minimal metformin and maintaining at that.
Well there are some ...... not everyone gets complications .... and again its defintion of whats "normal" with regard to the diet....... if the person is stuffing themselves with carbs and junk food then no, its not that defintion of "normal" . I really meant "normal eating" as a diet that contained some carbs... eg 150G - 200G per day and is generally what one would accept as healthy and eating "usual" things rather than a huge turnaround. or severely restricting ..... again its dependant on how much the pancreas is damaged, how much insulin is being produced , how resistant one is

Yes it can indeed be scary, ...... and frustrating cos the path you choose means you cant have the foods you previousy loved.... I don't think I can have them even if I take the metformin can I?
some people can and do, some people cant. some people can still have bread, some people cant have a sniff of it, some people can eat past, some cant. .... this condition is such an individualistic one noeone can tell YOU what will affect YOU and what you can or cannot eat...... that is why imo the meter and testing for YOUR individual responses is so important. Also visitng forums and talking to other people who are diabetic and who manage it using different ways ... one thing you will for sure learn is that passions can get aroused and that there is more than one "truth"

When are you getting your results back??

waiting for doc to come back from hols so i can make appt

gosh this is lon ... seems you are not the only one that can write long ones

ps glad you feeling better

I think that the confusion over very high/just a little high is from the original reading of 20 (very high) and your blood test hab1c of whatever it was (9 something? High but not extremely high).

How are you feeling today? Did you collect your package yet? Do you have anything nice arranged this weekend?

Gosh, so much has gone on here since i last dropped in!

I hope your feeling perkier today myhead and that your parcels bring your monitor and strips so you can get testing.

The realisation that this is for life must be a hard one to come to terms with, I know it gave my DH quite a shock when it sunk in. But that means you have to find a way of eating which is also for life and which will fit in with your lifestyle, and not rule your life.

I haven't any more advice I'm afraid, but there seem to be loads of knowledgeable people here - just wanted you to know I'm still thinking of you and wishing you well! Have a good weekend.

oops, 'hope you're' not 'your'

Hope you're feeling a bit better op. I wouldn't drop exercise completely. just go for a daily 15-20 minute walk for now. The reason you feel so tired and grotty is most prbably your high BG levels. Once they're lower, you should feel the benefit even if they don't reach the ideal level.