Greetings,
Being diagnosed was a huge shock and when I found this forum I gained so much information and support from reading other peoples contributions I think that it's only fair I share my story too.
I was tested in early May after having had a bad bout of something fluish at the end of January and being constantly tired, I'm in my early sixties, had a very mentally challenging job,was borderline depressed and, honestly, very obese, my mother was diagnosed with type2 in her early seventies.
I was recalled for a fasting glucose absorption test after the gp's first blood test results came back. My result was 10.2 (random). At the fasting glucose test my fasting was 9.0 and my 2 hour reading 17.8.
The 'practise nurse' I had an appointment with turned out to be the 'diabetic' nurse, I was given the diet advice sheet (yes the 'eat carb' one), and a couple of web addresses for the NHS and the charity website and told to go away, try to eat 'properly' ,lose some weight and make an appt. in three months for a repeat blood test and appt. at which time we would discuss my being put on metformin.
I came away in shock, my appointment was after I finished work for the day and co-incidentally for some holiday so I sat in the car park and cried, went home and cried to my DH, ate half my dinner and sat down to start learning. My way of dealing with things is to keep my head down and try to become informed and over the next few days I spent a lot of time reading online. Mr G was already retired and he was wonderfully supportive (though he was worried I was being a bit obsessive), he found bits online for me, looked at the diet guidelines I had been given and packed up some things and gave them to the local foodbank.
Following the supportive advice on this forum I decided that, as I had the opportunity to improve my results, I would give it a serious shot. I downloaded a food diary app. (dietorganiser) and started to restrict carbs. to small portions of low GI types as per the diet guidelines. DH had put on weight after retiring, been put on blood pressure medication and been told he would probably need it to be increased at his next check, so he said he would join me.
shortly after that we began to reduce to under 100g of carb per day and to restrict our calories to 1000 -1200,
We don't have potatoes, seldom eat bread and don't have rice or pasta. it was a huge change. I bought a bg meter in July but was frightened to use it, (because I thought if I'd gone through making the diet change and my bg was still the same then it might derail me). Metering began on 16th August and I took a download to my nurse appt. with a copy of my food diary so I could show her I was serious about managing my diabetes.
So, after all that verbiage ^^ here are the stats to back up my belief that I am a success story in progress.
Starting from 31/5/16
BG - fasting 9.0 / 2 hr glucose 17.8 - weight 161kg ( :***: yes too high for the surgery scale, had to use the industrial one at work, I'd put on a
lot of weight in the previous year).
at 3 month appt. 30/08/16
HbA1c result was 39
weight 139.1kg.
The nurse was astounded and told me she was delighted with the steps I've taken and to be able mark me as 'currently diet and exercise controlled', she has asked me back for an appt. in three months in early Dec. No blood test but I have to take my bg meter record and diary and she will weigh me again and has told me to book a double appt, so we can discuss my diet regime - which has made me think well of her willingess to learn about LCHF). I'm hoping to get down to 125kg by then, still obese but I'm a work in progress.
To date Mr G went from 81.7kg to 69.5kg and using his own blood pressure monitor has gone, with current medication, from being in the hypertension band to being at the lower end of the pre-hypertension band. He's maintaining his weight at @70kg now and still mostly LCHF with the occasional cracker or roast potato.
His support has been a huge plus for me.
sorry this got so long and
thank you all for your help
quick update edit - 6 month from diagnosis visit on 6th. Dec. Nurse weighed me at 119.8 Kg so that's both of us pleased with progress so far
