Newly diagnosed at 34 and struggling to accept it

[TheDude80]

Hi there all. No offence to you all but obviously I'd rather not be posting here! But my lifestyle choices and genetics have caught up with me it seems.

My father is diabetic and when I used his testing device my blood sugar was high. Although a test at the doctor's showed I was normal (as I had changed my eating habits), a test which showed the average blood sugar over time was high.

Then I went away and ate much more consciously and my readings came back down to the acceptable 4/5 range and I got complacent, thinking I'd 'beaten' it. Recently I tested and they were back up around the 6-8 range.

I still want to harness the fear and denial I am feeling about this and attempt to quickly lose some weight to reverse the condition. Obviously I am pretty mortified to have been diagnosed at only 34 years of age. The idea of going blind or losing limbs terrifies me.

Reading this gave me some encouragement that maybe I could 'reverse' it if I acted quickly enough: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm

But the 800 calorie diet the guy in the link talked about has been described as flawed by some people, who say they put the weight straight back on after coming off of it.

I also heard a piece on the radio about gastro-something surgery which can have a huge effect on T2 diabetes, but I'm 6 feet tall and 17 stone so I don't think I'd be in the category of 'ultra-obese' people who would have it on the NHS (and I can't afford private).

I'm just feeling pretty scared and was after some words of wisdom and advice. My dad is managing his diabetes very well, he's had it for over a decade now (he's 67) with no real negative effects to date, but I've got it so much earlier than him. His blood sugar was much higher than mine when discovered though, up around the 18 mark! Mine seems comparatively low, and it did respond for the period where I adjusted my eating. I'm now on metformin and trying not to panic. The pills are huge and I have trouble with them.

Please, any words of support of advice massively appreciated. Is attacking this thing and trying to 'reverse' it ASAP the best approach right now, going for quick weight loss? I don't want to overdo the exercise, I've been out on my bike twice today and my legs are feeling tired. Any advice, please folks. I'm just trying not to panic and let it trigger my depressive thoughts I often get.

 

[Andy12345]

Hi, welcome

Breeeeath, hehe its very normal to go through all kinds of emotions when first diagnosed, don't panic! with the obvious will to make yourself better that you possess you will be fine, exercise is terrific but no need to overdo things, a brisk walk is great and counts as getting your exercise, although I'm not saying don't ride your bike either hehe diet is the biggest thing that can help us control Db cutting down on your carbohydrate intake is hugely helpful, you needn't suffer the nasty complications you have referred to as long as you keep your sugars where they should be there is no reason to get anything you wasn't going to get anyway had you not been diagnosed....

gtg skip has turned up lol

best of luck

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You are in the right place for help and support on here.

There is some debate about it, but the general feeling is once a diabetic, always a diabetic. You can, with hard work, get your blood sugars under control and back in the non-diabetic range at all times. However, if complacency slips in, weight goes back on, lifestyle changes go by the board, the diabetes will come back. This is certain. At the moment there is no cure, just good control.

You do have a lot of weight to lose, and how you do it is up to you. Some people prefer a quick solution, others prefer the slow but sure tortoise way. I was a tortoise. I lost 3 stones to get to goal weight and am now struggling to keep it there - I keep accidentally losing more. Others may be along to give their experiences.

In the meantime you need to sort out a diet that suits both weight loss and blood sugars. This means cutting carbs right down to minimum and getting your own home meter to help you discover just what food does to your blood levels, meal by meal.

Ask any questions you like, and keep us posted. Good luck.

 

[sanguine]

Hi Dude, welcome. Yes it's a shock to be diagnosed, especially at 34, but don't panic this can be managed. You mention a high 'average blood sugar over time' - that would be an HbA1c, what number was it? Are you on any medication?

Many on here successfully manage their T2 with diet (see www.dietdoctor.com/lchf) and exercise - which needn't be more than regular brisk walking most of the time. This combination is also good for losing weight.

Getting BGs under control is the key to managing your diabetes. You have clearly gone some way to doing this already but relaxed a bit thinking that was it. It doesn't work like that unfortunately, this is likely to be a change for life in order to avoid the unpleasant complications. The jury is out on reversal, the Newcastle diet seems to have some positive results but the 800 calorie diet is a bit extreme for many. There's a section of the forum which discusses it. For most of us, it's a case of getting back to non-diabetic levels but accepting that this is 'controlled' and not 'cured'.

Anyway, you're in a good supportive place here. Read around and come back with any questions.

 

[zand]

Yes welcome from me too. I agree with the others, simply reduce your carbs - even if you did choose the more drastic measures you would have to reduce carbs anyway. Most people seem to lose weight and sort out their blood sugars by doing this. As Bluetit1802 says a home testing meter is essential.

 

[TheDude80]

Thankyou for all the replies, my father is coming over tomorrow and we are going to go for a walk and a talk about this. And we're going to do a shop as well.

I have a home testing kit, and I'm aware that normal blood sugar should be between 4 and 6 approx, but I'm not sure what the process should be for testing after meals. How long should I wait and what should the reading be at? I tested a couple of hours after a jacket potato and beans (which I discovered only afterwards is NOT a good idea) and it was at around 9.4 I think.

I need to start writing these down. The problem is I'm not a very organised person. I need to step my life game up big time to deal with this. I had the eye test and it came back as normal (no risk) but I was waking up this morning with pins and needles in my hands and of course I can't help but think it's to do with blood sugars now.

I'm also a very all-or-nothing person, so I'm tempted to try the extreme liquid diet + low starch vegetables approach and just at least TRY to get as close to 'reversing' this as possible. It may be a hope against hope, and I've at least accepted that I have it for the time being at least (my denial stage is OVER now, once I read the levels had raised for the 2nd time),

Anyway I should do some reading around here but thankyou for any replies! Still very freaked out but trying to think constructively. Thanks again all.

 

[jack412]

Your bg isn't that bad with 9's after spuds
Under 8 at 2hr is ok

 

[Loobles]

Hi there, I'm currently undergoing diagnosis (looks like I may be in the prediabetic range but waiting for 2nd test to confirm) but i'm arming myself with as much info as possible before I meet with any uninformed health professionals lol. I've come to those who are "in the know" first - people with diabetes. Like you, I've kind of been scared into action and I'm taking this window of opportunity to make some radical lifestyle changes. I'm only 38 and like you have parents who are diabetic - it kind of felt inevitable but, now it's right on my doorstep, I want it to go away. I have a lot of shrinking to do size-wise and have adopted the low carb high fat approach which has been working well - reduced by about 10 pounds in 2 weeks. I've recently started to feel hungry so I'm looking at introducing some more fat..but otherwise it's been easy and my blood sugars have been good (7.4 was the highest reading 2 hours after a meal)..

With respect to tracking and organising, check out the MyLifestyle tracker at http://www.diabetes.co.uk/myLife/index.html. I've found it incredibly useful for keeping my appointments, BP and BG readings etc.

 

[Bluetit1802]

Yes, do a lot of reading around. Some brilliant advice is to be found.

I advise you to keep a strict food diary of everything that passes your lips, including portion sizes. Test before you eat, then to begin with at 2 hours after your first bite. It can also be useful to test at 1 hour after your first bite and again at 2 hours. Everyone peaks high at 1 hour, but non-diabetics wil be all but back to base at 2 hours. Diabetics will take longer. The NICE guidelines for 2 hours for a diabetic is under 8.5mmol/l. However, this is old guidance and needs revising. Initially you should aim for under 7.8 at 2 hours, then as time passes you can reduce this target. There are no official guidelines for 1 hour readings. Yes, this does take a bit of organising, but its part of the game if you are to learn and keep those levels down.

 

[mo53]

Good luck. You dosound as though you are making a lot of positive steps

 

[Randburg]

Hi and welcome
I find this site pretty helpful in answering blood Sugar questions
http://www.bloodsugar101.com/
Good luck, control is the important part

 

[daisy1]

Hi and welcome to the forum

Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it useful. Carry on asking questions and you will get lots of answers from everyone.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEWLY DIAGNOSED DIABETICS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find over 100,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. The important thing is not to go on 'a diet' but to permanently change your eating habits to make them more healthy. This means ignoring much of what is on the supermarket shelves and largely ignoring TV cookery programs and so on. It means reducing the carbs to, say, 150gm per day or less. It means reading the labels on everything as sugar is usually added e.g. baked beans. Blood sugar 2 hours after a meal should be a max of around 8.5 mmol (see Daisy's post)

 

[Scandichic]

As Sanguine says I would recommend LCHF and am a firm believer in diet doctor. I weighed 16 st 1lb on 28th of jan I now weigh 13st 3-4. Would definitely buy a meter and test immediately before eating and 2 hrs after eating. Keep a food diary at first. Then you get to know what suits you and you won't need to test so much. For meters see
http://www.homehealth-uk.com
This one has the cheapest strips on the market.

 

[Alan S]

Hi there all. No offence to you all but obviously I'd rather not be posting here! But my lifestyle choices and genetics have caught up with me it seems.

My father is diabetic and when I used his testing device my blood sugar was high. Although a test at the doctor's showed I was normal (as I had changed my eating habits), a test which showed the average blood sugar over time was high.

Then I went away and ate much more consciously and my readings came back down to the acceptable 4/5 range and I got complacent, thinking I'd 'beaten' it. Recently I tested and they were back up around the 6-8 range.

I still want to harness the fear and denial I am feeling about this and attempt to quickly lose some weight to reverse the condition. Obviously I am pretty mortified to have been diagnosed at only 34 years of age. The idea of going blind or losing limbs terrifies me.

Reading this gave me some encouragement that maybe I could 'reverse' it if I acted quickly enough: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/magres/research/diabetes/reversal.htm

But the 800 calorie diet the guy in the link talked about has been described as flawed by some people, who say they put the weight straight back on after coming off of it.

I also heard a piece on the radio about gastro-something surgery which can have a huge effect on T2 diabetes, but I'm 6 feet tall and 17 stone so I don't think I'd be in the category of 'ultra-obese' people who would have it on the NHS (and I can't afford private).

I'm just feeling pretty scared and was after some words of wisdom and advice. My dad is managing his diabetes very well, he's had it for over a decade now (he's 67) with no real negative effects to date, but I've got it so much earlier than him. His blood sugar was much higher than mine when discovered though, up around the 18 mark! Mine seems comparatively low, and it did respond for the period where I adjusted my eating. I'm now on metformin and trying not to panic. The pills are huge and I have trouble with them.

Please, any words of support of advice massively appreciated. Is attacking this thing and trying to 'reverse' it ASAP the best approach right now, going for quick weight loss? I don't want to overdo the exercise, I've been out on my bike twice today and my legs are feeling tired. Any advice, please folks. I'm just trying not to panic and let it trigger my depressive thoughts I often get.

I agree with your caution over the low-calorie diet. I am one of those who expressed concern on the web when it first appeared: The 600 Calorie Diet for Type 2 Diabetes

For a more effective but less drastic approach, please read this: Getting Started

As a first step, please obtain your own meter and strips.

 

[TheDude80]

sanguine, I'll be able to find out my HbA1c at my next appointment which is on the 20th. All I remember is it was high, the nurse probably told me the exact number but I was in a bit of a daze.

I have my own meter and strips. My reading was 6.2 this morning, which was disappointing as I had not eaten a great deal the day before, but it is back on the way down again. It should not take a lot to get it back in the normal range (it only went up the 2nd time because I drifted back into my old habits of going to the bakery, KFC, McDonalds etc... terrible, I know!)

Alan S, I can appreciate your words of caution, but the Newcastle University report is just too tempting not to try. I've started on the Atkins shakes to replace some meals today, and I just can't help but want to take as drastic action as I can, it's just in my nature! Keeping the weight off after the initial loss will require discipline, but the chance of actually reversing the diagnosis is just too tempting, especially at my relatively young age. I will keep this thread posted with how I go. Today I have not consumed enough calories even for the extreme diet, I'm kinda scared to eat right now, but when my blood sugar is back in normal range it will help me relax a little.

I should probably have another banana with my next shake though. Anyway, will keep you posted. Oh, one question is if I do stick to the low calorie diet, I shouldn't be out riding my bike, would that be too much exertion? I'm quite prepared to spend most of the day in bed recovering (I only work evenings).

I've kinda shifted from panicking about going blind and losing limbs to going into battle mode about this. Unfortunately I'm just not a very sensible person lol. Any input here very appreciated, I'm mostly reading the University of Newcastle links because they give me so much hope.

 

[Loobles]

@TheDude80 did you check your BG when you just got out of bed or did you potter about a bit first? From what I can gather, some people find it makes a significant difference if they test a little while after getting up, because your body releases glucose into your bloodstream in readiness for providing energy to start your day. In fact, I've noticed my own BG is higher on waking than when going to bed...and I've obviously not been eating anything while I sleep

 

[TheDude80]

Well, I'd done a little pottering, true. I need to get more used to testing 2 hours after eating, or as you say at night. I work an evening shift and I most definitely won't be eating after work anymore, so my late night test should be at least 4 hours after my final meal of the day.

I just want this weight gone, trust me to require a scare of this kind to get me motivated! Now I'm counting calories and everything lol

 

[Bluetit1802]

@TheDude80 Kick the bananas in to touch. Instant glucose. Not good at all.

 

[TheDude80]

Oh one question is: metformin wouldn't hurt any chances of me eventually trying to do this without any medication, right? I mean my dad's had diabetes for over ten years and he managed to cut his dosage down to only 2 a day. The doctor told me it would help me lose weight so I'm keen on continuing using them, but then if I do go the low calorie route would that be wise?

Haha this is kind of exciting in a way, got to see it as a challenge right.