Concerns over family history and high mmol results.

[Stormsmum]

Hi everyone, I am so pleased to have found this forum, I hope to learn so much on here. I have recently been diagnosed with T2D, with no pre-diabetes stage. My HbA1c went from 41 to 68mmol/mol in a matter of 6 months. Following 28 days of massively improved diet and increased exercise it had increased to 70mmol/mol. Along with a host of MSK and gastric issues, I have mild heart failure, NFALD (Liver disease) and Fibromyalgia, and am awaiting an op on my shoulder to repair a torn tendon, all of which have restricted any exercise programmes. I have had a very traumatic 9 months, and this has led to me falling off the rail's food wise. An urgent CT scan of my Pancreas was negative for cancer - thankfully.
At my first visit to see the GP surgery's Diabetes Nurse, I felt she was very judgemental, and she brushed off my concerns re complications. I have yet to have a full diabetic assessment as I broke down in tears when she scoffed at my level of exercise, despite my physical limitations, and the appointment overran the allotted time. I have recently lost my mother who had lived with Pancreatic dysfunction for 50+ years, had a stroke at my age, and had developed Giant Cell Arteritis, Peripheral Arterial Disease and Atherosclerosis / Arteriosclerosis with multiple DVT's, requiring multiple surgeries to save her life and limbs, but not diabetes. Should I be overly concerned at, what, to me at least, are very high mmol readings, or am I being paranoid? Thanks in advance, apologies for the long post.

 

[Antje77]

Hi @Stormsmum , welcome to the forum!

Wow, that sounds like you've been through the wringers lately, and to get a judgemental nurse on top of that sounds horrible.

HbA1c went from 41 to 68mmol/mol in a matter of 6 months. Following 28 days of massively improved diet and increased exercise it had increased to 70mmol/mol.

Can you tell us in what ways you improved your diet?
What's healthy for non diabetics isn't always healthy for people with T2.

 

[MattInUSA]

I have recently been diagnosed with T2D, with no pre-diabetes stage

An overachiever I see! I'm sorry for everything you're going through. That's a seriously fast climb in numbers. It could be possible if you went from low-carb to binge eating, but I wouldn't expect it if you had a normal, high(ish) carb diet and then started overeating. The improved diet and exercise doing nothing to lower the A1C is also concerning. I think you're well within your right to have concerns, and your other health issues are not helping, in particular the NAFLD and constraints on activity. Per Antje77, more information would be helpful. I think more tests should be in order as well since a lot of things can impact glucose.

 

[MrsA2]

Following 28 days of massively improved diet and increased exercise it had increased to 70mmol/mol

What was your improved diet, and what are you eating now?
What medication are you on? All of it, not just diabetes meds

 

[Stormsmum]

Hi @Stormsmum , welcome to the forum!

Wow, that sounds like you've been through the wringers lately, and to get a judgemental nurse on top of that sounds horrible.

Can you tell us in what ways you improved your diet?
What's healthy for non diabetics isn't always healthy for people with T2.

Hi Antje77, thanks for your reply to my post. Over the last 9 months I had basically stopped cooking and had been living off highly processed foods, ready meals, takeaways and cakes, biscuits and chocolates, and had become a couch potato with virtually no exercise at all. I have cut right back on carb and sugar intake, have been eating much healthier, and have been using a manual treadmill every day, gradually upping the time I use it, losing over 4kgs since 19th May - though I am not sure how much of that is the diabetes and how much is through the changes I have made.

 

[Stormsmum]

An overachiever I see! I'm sorry for everything you're going through. That's a seriously fast climb in numbers. It could be possible if you went from low-carb to binge eating, but I wouldn't expect it if you had a normal, high(ish) carb diet and then started overeating. The improved diet and exercise doing nothing to lower the A1C is also concerning. I think you're well within your right to have concerns, and your other health issues are not helping, in particular the NAFLD and constraints on activity. Per Antje77, more information would be helpful. I think more tests should be in order as well since a lot of things can impact glucose.

MattinUSA, Thank you for your reply to my post. Over the last 9 months I had basically stopped cooking and had been living off highly processed foods, ready meals, takeaways and cakes, biscuits and chocolates, and had become a couch potato with virtually no exercise at all. I have cut right back on carb and sugar intake, have been eating much healthier, and have been using a manual treadmill every day, gradually upping the time I use it, losing over 4kgs since 19th May - though I am not sure how much of that is the diabetes and how much is through the changes I have made.

 

[Stormsmum]

What was your improved diet, and what are you eating now?
What medication are you on? All of it, not just diabetes meds

Hi MrsA2, Thanks for your reply to my post. I am on multiple medications, and have been stable on them for years, I do suspect this to be a cause of my liver disease., The only changes to my medications have been the addition of Metformin 500mg twice daily and the Dapagliflozin 10mg once a day in early June. Over the last 9 months I had basically stopped cooking and had been living off highly processed foods, ready meals, takeaways and cakes, biscuits and chocolates, and had become a couch potato with virtually no exercise at all. I have cut right back on carb and sugar intake, have been eating much healthier, and have been using a manual treadmill every day, gradually upping the time I use it, losing over 4kgs since 19th May - though I am not sure how much of that is the diabetes and how much is through the changes I have made.

 

[Outlier]

I'm sorry you had such an unhelpful nurse. You've been through a lot, and there are far worse coping mechanisms than eating junk food, so don't beat yourself up about it. You are now in a position to make really helpful changes. We will help you every step of the way. Already you have made some impressive changes and good progress, so I have every confidence in your ability to do the very best for yourself.

 

[Stormsmum]

I'm sorry you had such an unhelpful nurse. You've been through a lot, and there are far worse coping mechanisms than eating junk food, so don't beat yourself up about it. You are now in a position to make really helpful changes. We will help you every step of the way. Already you have made some impressive changes and good progress, so I have every confidence in your ability to do the very best for yourself

I'm sorry you had such an unhelpful nurse. You've been through a lot, and there are far worse coping mechanisms than eating junk food, so don't beat yourself up about it. You are now in a position to make really helpful changes. We will help you every step of the way. Already you have made some impressive changes and good progress, so I have every confidence in your ability to do the very best for yourself.

Thank you for your kind words, I am annoyed with myself for ignoring my inner warnings, but hey ho, I had other things to deal with that were more important at the time. I see it as another challenge to get through, though possibly the hardest one of my life as I have to sustain the changes forever. I am doing my best to turn things around, though I am impatient and want to reach some good results by yesterday!