Two weeks in!

[cm369]

Hi there,

I have been diagnosed with T2. After a scary admittance to hospital I am home now on insulin and determined to work at this to, if possible, not need the insulin.

I am a Brit, living in Houston TX (where I was diagnosed). The plan is that we will return to the UK to live over the summer.

I have decided to fight this head on, I am walking everyday for at least an hour, I have reduced carbs and have just started a Weight Watchers Diet (their plan has worked for me in the past). At my last Dr's appointment the Dr. was very pleased with my 'numbers' which are now generally all in the 'normal range, for the USA. I have been researching on line and it would seem that 'normal levels' in the UK are lower than 'normal levels' in the USA? I guess I will find all this out on my return.

After being put on insulin, 4 times a day, one slow release, taken every morning and then one dose before every meal, I read about the side effects etc. What has scared me the most has not been what I have read (living in the US one gets used to the disclaimers etc. made by the drug companies) but the fact that about a week after starting on the insulin my eye sight has gone very blurry (typing this message is hard). I had no warning about this but have been told it is normal and not to have my eyes tested until the blurriness goes - there by lies my main question, everyone I ask gives me a different response to how long this could last - anything from days to 3 months, if anyone has experience of this I would love to hear from you.

This will not define me and I will turn this into a positive - what's not positive about loosing the weight and having to buy new clothes?

 

[leslie10152]

Hi there,

I have been diagnosed with T2. After a scary admittance to hospital I am home now on insulin and determined to work at this to, if possible, not need the insulin.

I am a Brit, living in Houston TX (where I was diagnosed). The plan is that we will return to the UK to live over the summer.

I have decided to fight this head on, I am walking everyday for at least an hour, I have reduced carbs and have just started a Weight Watchers Diet (their plan has worked for me in the past). At my last Dr's appointment the Dr. was very pleased with my 'numbers' which are now generally all in the 'normal range, for the USA. I have been researching on line and it would seem that 'normal levels' in the UK are lower than 'normal levels' in the USA? I guess I will find all this out on my return.

After being put on insulin, 4 times a day, one slow release, taken every morning and then one dose before every meal, I read about the side effects etc. What has scared me the most has not been what I have read (living in the US one gets used to the disclaimers etc. made by the drug companies) but the fact that about a week after starting on the insulin my eye sight has gone very blurry (typing this message is hard). I had no warning about this but have been told it is normal and not to have my eyes tested until the blurriness goes - there by lies my main question, everyone I ask gives me a different response to how long this could last - anything from days to 3 months, if anyone has experience of this I would love to hear from you.

This will not define me and I will turn this into a positive - what's not positive about loosing the weight and having to buy new clothes?

I was put on insulin 11 years ago, and had no problems with eyesight. I admire your strength and hope you can get off the insulin soon. It is a trial to manage at first but you get used to it. I was admitted to hospital after collapsing at home. After two weeks of relentless illness, sleepness nights and dramatic weight loss, I woke up in the emergency admittance ward to be told I would be on insulin for life. I hope this does not happen to you. Good luck!!

 

[cm369]

I was put on insulin 11 years ago, and had no problems with eyesight. I admire your strength and hope you can get off the insulin soon. It is a trial to manage at first but you get used to it. I was admitted to hospital after collapsing at home. After two weeks of relentless illness, sleepness nights and dramatic weight loss, I woke up in the emergency admittance ward to be told I would be on insulin for life. I hope this does not happen to you. Good luck!!

 

[cm369]

Thank you!

From what I am being told and researching it is possible for me to get off the insulin - just need to work hard at it and try my best. Not giving myself a timescale just taking each day as it comes etc.etc.

Thank you again for your reply - both encouraging and helpful.

 

[leslie10152]

Thank you!

From what I am being told and researching it is possible for me to get off the insulin - just need to work hard at it and try my best. Not giving myself a timescale just taking each day as it comes etc.etc.

Thank you again for your reply - both encouraging and helpful.

If I can getat least one person off the treadmill, it makes the situation easier for me.

 

[Deleted Account]

I believe blurry vision is caused by your body releasing excess sugar. This affects the composition of the tears (mine tasted sweet) your lens is trying to focus through. As your BG is reduced, the composition of your tears will return to normal and your eye-sight will improve. How long this takes depends on how long it takes to bring your BG down which is different per person.

 

[Freema]

welcome here cm369

try count you carbs , grams of carbs a day , try to get it as low as 100 grams a day, and your blood sugar will soon lower, but as you are now on insuline dont go lower than 6.5 and before sleep no lower than 7 mmol ... good luck with it.

foods like eggs , meat all kinds , fish (without coating ) and nuts coconuts , salats veg above ground those will not raise your blood glucose... broccoli , kale , legumes, cream and berries in smaller amounts (100 gr), stevia-sugar substitute-natural tomatoes all kinds , zuchinni

so start changing all sweets breads and cakes and rice and potatoes, sugar all kinds with the above foods

 

[red1mot]

I ended up in hospital when I was diagnosed bs of 52 now around 7 insulin 2 a day no side effects meds been prescribed but only taking sitaglipin metformin terrible side effects so stopped taking plenty exercise and correct food is key

 

[Chook]

Hello.

I'm one (of many I'm sure) that used to inject insulin. It took a long time to wean myself off it - because due to insulin resistance I was injecting lots - and it involved an increasingly low carb diet and lots of patience.

It only really works if you use a carb counting regime to calculate how many units of fast acting insulin to inject. Basically as you reduce carbs you reduce fast acting insulin and - at the same time - very, very slowly reduce the background insulin all the while repeatedly testing your BG. At each reduction waiting a few days before the next reduction to be sure your levels are stable - it's no good attempting it unless your levels are stable. It took a couple of months to get down to losing numbers without insulin but it was worth the hassle.

Of course you should seek advice from your HCP before starting this.

 

[Resurgam]

Eating low carb foods can reduce your BG levels quite sharply, so you need to watch your insulin levels and adapt them for what you intend to eat, or you could be having hypos.