Overwhelmed

[MrsJRandy2]

I've been lurking for a few months, but I'm taking the plunge with an intro post in an effort to try and sort out my overwhelming thoughts.

In October 2016 I was told that I appeared to be pre-diabetic. Standard glucose level was borderline, so an A1C was ordered. If I recall correctly, that result was the bottom # on the chart for what is considered high by the lab. Bear with me as I don't have exact #'s in front of me, and my "story" is lengthy.

Prior to this, I had been told on multiple occasions that my glucose was low. I was never advised to do anything other than keep a pack of crackers around in case I felt shaky. In retrospect, I see that wasn't very good advice.

Because I felt I wasn't getting the best medical advice for that reading, the odd thyroid readings that had also been discovered during health screenings at work as well as both how tired and run down I felt, and the fact that I struggled to lose weight- I was actually rapidly gaining more and more - I decided to find a new GP. So that first high glucose visit in Oct 2016 is from my new GP.

I am on the low end of being classified as morbidly obese and have followed LCHF off/on for years, but I struggle to stay on plan. Frankly, this was a wake up call.

I was a little shocked to hear the results were high and immediately asked if I could try LCHF to regulate it before it got out of control. To my surprise, my new GP was very much on board and highly recommended LCHF.

Fortunately or perhaps unfortunately, during this first visit he found my thyroid to be enlarged. Another shocker, as the former GP refused to think there were thyroid issues. Since I was to return in 6 months for standard lab work and A1C the GP said he would check the thyroid enlargement again.

Fast forward to April 2017. Glucose high, A1C high (both were just 1 # off the limits) and thyroid still enlarged. I actually admitted I had failed to get the LCHF back in gear, not surprised at myself, because I had been worrying about the thyroid. My GP ordered a FNA biopsy of the thyroid, and I begged for another chance to lower the reading and/or at the very least deal with the thyroid issue first. He obliged. However I will have the lab work done again in July and if it hasn't decreased we will talk medication.

I was truly a nervous wreck. I tried to see if I could find some correlation with thyroid and blood sugar, and I found this forum.

After a series of medical "errors", for lack of a better term, we will fast forward a couple of months to today, and I'm scheduled for a total thyroidectomy in 2 weeks.

I've yet to confirm that the thyroid can alter the glucose readings when the thyroid #'s appear to be "in range", and I've neglected to get the LCHF back on track. I know I will have to take thyroid meds after the removal. Hopefully, the pathology will show no cancer and I will just have a standard recovery.

With all that being said, I'm sharing my story with the hope of getting some feedback: tips, tricks, advice and perhaps a little encouragement.

 

[azure]

Welcome @MrsJRandy2

Let me tag @daisy1 for some basic information for you. I know we have members here with thyroid issues so hopefully they'll be along later.

In the meantime, do browse around and ask any questions you want

 

[daisy1]

@MrsJRandy2

Hello Mrs Randy and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope it will be useful to you. Also useful will be the Low Carb Program, link below. Ask as many questions you want and someone will be able to help.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

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 well over 235,000 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

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.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a free 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

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 blood glucose 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.

Take part in Diabetes.co.uk digital education programs and improve your understanding. They're all free.

• Low Carb Program - it's made front-page news of the New Scientist and The Times. Developed with 20,000 people with type 2 diabetes; 96% of people who take part recommend it... find out why
• Hypo Program - improve your understanding of hypos. There's a version for people with diabetes, parents/guardians of children with type 1, children with type 1 diabetes, teachers and HCPs.

 

[kokhongw]

@MrsJRandy2 Welcome to the forum.

This chart helps to provide a good perspective where we stand along the T2D timeline.

This graph helps to give some perspective.
Chart from (http://www.ejinme.com/article/S0953-6205(09)00098-3/fulltext)

Why is this important? Because it shows that many researchers and doctors are actually aware of what is happening...but are not actually seeing the problem. It is like an illusion...

When it comes to T2D almost everyone and all medical treatments are focused on the top chart..Glucose chart.

But if we look at the bottom chart, we can clearly see where our problem lies...years before the glucose rise, and even up to 10 years after diagnosis, the increased insulin levels and decaying beta-cells function. The excessive insulin response is usually the cause of the the intense/ravenous hunger and shakiness that many of us have frequently experienced years before diagnosis.

To reduce the excessive insulin response in order to extend or recover our beta-cells function. With that in mind, it becomes clear what we need to do....to maintain insulin/glucose stability.

The one thing that most directly triggers the excessive insulin response is carbs, refined carbs especially. Followed by proteins and minimally fats. That is the reason for the remarkable effectiveness of LCHF and intermittent fasting.

All the best.

 

[Resurgam]

Thyroid problems can be difficult to diagnose - mine stopped working on and off for ages, but when it was eventually 'caught' taking a couple of tablets each day has sorted it out. Hopefully, even though you will be losing yours completely your outcome will be good - the Thyroxine tablets seem to work very well for me and are reportedly working well for lots of other people.
Just regaining proper thyroid levels might help with losing weight, but low carb does seem to work for many people as it can be adapted to sit the individual, dropping foods which don't suit and concentrating on those which do so it becomes more effective as time goes by.

 

[Brunneria]

Hi and welcome!

Glad you decided to post

Have you also discovered the various thyroid forums? I've not needed them myself, but my mother has found them a mine of useful info (she has an underactive thyroid and a number of other issues too).

I suspect that you won't find out the true state of your glucose tolerance, and blood sugar situation until the thyroidectomy and recovery are finished AND your meds have been adjusted and fine tuned. However, please stick around, let us know how you get on, and keep reading. I hope the op goes well!

LCHF can be a tricky adjustment, so don't worry that you haven't yet settled into it. You've had a heck of a lot of things going on,

 

[Freema]

I've been lurking for a few months, but I'm taking the plunge with an intro post in an effort to try and sort out my overwhelming thoughts.

In October 2016 I was told that I appeared to be pre-diabetic. Standard glucose level was borderline, so an A1C was ordered. If I recall correctly, that result was the bottom # on the chart for what is considered high by the lab. Bear with me as I don't have exact #'s in front of me, and my "story" is lengthy.

Prior to this, I had been told on multiple occasions that my glucose was low. I was never advised to do anything other than keep a pack of crackers around in case I felt shaky. In retrospect, I see that wasn't very good advice.

Because I felt I wasn't getting the best medical advice for that reading, the odd thyroid readings that had also been discovered during health screenings at work as well as both how tired and run down I felt, and the fact that I struggled to lose weight- I was actually rapidly gaining more and more - I decided to find a new GP. So that first high glucose visit in Oct 2016 is from my new GP.

I am on the low end of being classified as morbidly obese and have followed LCHF off/on for years, but I struggle to stay on plan. Frankly, this was a wake up call.

I was a little shocked to hear the results were high and immediately asked if I could try LCHF to regulate it before it got out of control. To my surprise, my new GP was very much on board and highly recommended LCHF.

Fortunately or perhaps unfortunately, during this first visit he found my thyroid to be enlarged. Another shocker, as the former GP refused to think there were thyroid issues. Since I was to return in 6 months for standard lab work and A1C the GP said he would check the thyroid enlargement again.

Fast forward to April 2017. Glucose high, A1C high (both were just 1 # off the limits) and thyroid still enlarged. I actually admitted I had failed to get the LCHF back in gear, not surprised at myself, because I had been worrying about the thyroid. My GP ordered a FNA biopsy of the thyroid, and I begged for another chance to lower the reading and/or at the very least deal with the thyroid issue first. He obliged. However I will have the lab work done again in July and if it hasn't decreased we will talk medication.

I was truly a nervous wreck. I tried to see if I could find some correlation with thyroid and blood sugar, and I found this forum.

After a series of medical "errors", for lack of a better term, we will fast forward a couple of months to today, and I'm scheduled for a total thyroidectomy in 2 weeks.

I've yet to confirm that the thyroid can alter the glucose readings when the thyroid #'s appear to be "in range", and I've neglected to get the LCHF back on track. I know I will have to take thyroid meds after the removal. Hopefully, the pathology will show no cancer and I will just have a standard recovery.

With all that being said, I'm sharing my story with the hope of getting some feedback: tips, tricks, advice and perhaps a little encouragement.

hey dear I have a killed thyroid gland, and can tell you it is very possible to live a normal life with artificial thyroid hormons, I also was morbidly obese and the low calorie and low carb diet has been a life changer for me...I can really recommend this way of eating and when you get your level of thyroid hormons right then you´ll also be able to loose a lot..... do start the low carb eating style .. you´ll be happy to see how well you´ll feel on that... unless of cause your trouble with thyroidism takes a lot of your life quallity away from you... but don´t despair , when you and your GP find the right level of thyroid hormons you´ll feel much better... Remember to tell your new GP that metformin do change the level of thyroid stimulation hormons and make it look like one have much higher level of thyroid hormons than one in fact has... this mean he/she has also to look on the t3 and t 4 levels in your blood samples.. and in my case I have to be in the high end of those to even be able to loose any weight... and tell him to try you to also be in the high end as it is actually important that you can be able to loose weight

the very fine thing about the low carb diet is that as I am informed is the only banting way where a lot of people have a little trouble keeping weight on when they have lost and therefore have to twist their diet untill they know have to keep a steady goal weight.. well some that have had gastric bypass operation also can have that problem...

I wish you all the best of luck... look at my results and see it is actually possible to loose weight... I think my BMI actually was even higher than 40... more like 42 and that I might have died from a blood cloth if I haden´t been diagnosed with type 2...and changed my eating style and also my sedentary lifestyle, by the way my cronic fatigue also has disapeared by going lower carb

 

[MrsJRandy2]

Thank you all so much! You have supplied lots of information, and I'm so appreciative.

My initial weight loss years was 50#'s years ago using the Atkins LC program. I changed everything and lost that in about 6-9 months, then something happened (as usual) and somehow I got off plan and then spiraled out of control.

That initial loss was based on a 20 carb per day regime. When I tried to change my lifestyle again years later, there were net carbs in play ... and then I added in bars and sugar alcohols. I just couldn't lose anything.

I tried to make these changes multiple times and use the original plan but never could lose more than 5#. With all that being said I'm very familiar with the Atkins plan, but it is my understanding that thenLCHF for T2D is a bit different when counting, etc. So, I appreciate those links as well.

Brunerria, I will try and navigate to those forums on my phone. Thank you for your thoughts on my correlation theory. I'm praying it all works out and will be an easy recovery, medication regulation and that I can work on the LCHF plans!

Thank you all again!

 

[MrsJRandy2]

Just an update ... I'm still quite overwhelmed, but feeling a little better physically.

I had my surgery and return for another post-op appt tomorrow. The masses on my thyroid were benign. It appeared to be a mass on both sides if thyroid. However, it was one huge mass (the size of a baseball). It was so large it has pushed my trachea 2" to the side. Obviously, that alone would have caused shortness of breath (more of a "can't catch your breath" feeling) and fatigue. He was able to leave the left lobe.

Because it was only a partial removal I was not immediately placed on meds. They redrew the labs on Friday and I get the results and plan tomorrow (for thyroid levels). I may not need any meds.

My glucose was bouncing between 275 and 375 the day I had the surgery. I was given 3 different doses of insulin. Really scared me! However, my surgeon assured me that it was a post op reaction (stress, steroid, etc). Not sure my primary MD is going to agree. I will see him this Friday and will see my A1C (which will most likely be skewed from the post surgery #s) and find out his plans!

 

[MrsJRandy2]

I've tried to visit and read, and am still so overwhelmed. My A1C was 7, and the fasting sugar was 168 - there was no avoiding the diagnosis of T2. My MD has given me Metformin (this is the 2nd week and it kills my stomach) and Lisinopril in addition to my regular blood pressure meds. Thyroid levels are within range at this point, so meds are not needed for this.