Is the forum always supportive or can it sometimes seem a little oppressive?

[Emmotha]

How very dare you blasphemy LCHF?? Lol.
Good point though. I would love to eat carbs and get constant good readings but it doesn't work for me personally. When I've seen LCHF as a suggestion it's been as an alternative way to manage levels, never got the cult vibe on this forum - you. Must. Low. Carb. Low. Carb. Is. Best. But having had it suggested to me on here and trying it (when I manage to stick to it) really really helps me so I for one am glad of the advice

 

[Andy_D85]

Lol - that's great for you if it's helping though!

Think we've just seen/interpreted different posts -it always comes across to me as very 'you MUST do it because it's so good!'...I remember the first post I seen on it was someone, in response to a person asking 'what can I do to lower my sugar levels, they're at 8-11 constantly' (which firstly, I wanted to ask the person 'how the hell do you achieve numbers like that! I can dream about them! lol!) was firstly asked 'what do you eat' so they then listed off 'rice, potatoes, fruit, yogurt etc to which the immediate reply was:

"You NEED to lose those carbs! They're all bad for you! If you get rid of them your numbers will come down to what you're looking for!'...that to me is the difference between what you were suggested/have seen and how I see the LCHF (blasphemy, schmasphemy!) - if it's an option then great, it's my choice to consider that pro's/con's of that option and make a choice - being told I *HAVE* remove the carbs & that doing so will act as some sort of miracle 'cure' to my higher BG's is where it stops being advice and starts being propaganda in my eyes =).

 

[Spencer67]

There is not many places on the web where you are going to get information on diabetes like this one, it helps to spot the new trends and i'd probably never have come across the LCHF regime and i never new about the Libre either until it was mentioned here, i've learnt a lot already after having my head up my denialing a** for too long,

a few pips have already dropped a good bit of advice that has made me question my own regime and cukoo ideas about 'cures', its helped me get motivated and i really need that at the mo and without it who knows, my 5 minute nhs appointment with the doc gives me jack inspiration and i know its because they cant get involved we are just one of their statistics.

Having diabetes is pretty isolating, i don't know many people with it so its good to hear real people with real probs and views. Its no joke to be here i'm scared of T1, i'm scared of what diabetes can do to me.

I want to stay on top of it and i know im not but i need to try for me, my family and friends and be better at this damb diabetes lark, i didn't ask for it, but i'm stuck with it. This is where we are all at it seems, diabeticaly challenged, ****** off but determined. But i'm glad there are people here who feel like me too. it makes it all feel a little less scary.

 

[lildanfen]

I too have been very afraid to post my diet on here, I was diagnosed in 2001, and enjoyed my high carb diet, I was diagnosed in Ireland and was a regular speaker at young diabetic groups. I was never taught to count carbs and even though being back in the UK since 2006 have never been on a NICE or a DAFNE course. In fact my Diabetic specialist has cancelled my last 4 year appointments. I was an ultra runner running 150-250 miles a week so my diet was pure carb and protein.

When you stop running your appetite still remains and due to a business a wife 3 children, I graze, I eat a couple of digestives at lunch time, at about 8:30-9pm I have my evening meal, Lasagne, Sausage and mash, McDonalds, Dominoes, Chicken Doner Kebab, Steak Diane with chips and Veg, Full Roast. I am not keen on sweets but am partial to a couple of large bags of Phileas Fogg crisps 4 large bottles of Estrella, This carries me through my work till a bout 4 am where I take my Lantus and go to bed and am up for the 6am feed of youngest and off to work, my average BG levels are 6.9 my cholesterol is 3.9 even though doc keeps trying to put me on statins, I have explained to him when he can tell me the exact science behind cholesterol and the effects of statins with a low cholesterol count, I might consider it. My liver function is a tad high but hey I would like to die before someone else has to wipe my backside.

I am very partial to Jelly Snakes mm mm.

I hope no one tries my diet. It works for me, I cook for my wife and kids but by the time I have cooked for them eating is farthest from my mind.

Find out what works for you again I mention that as a diabetic, YOU are your own experiment. Record your results and adjust accordingly. Always remember there is no such thing as a stupid question. If in doubt ASK

I would like to add that I am very interested in removing corn syrup from my diet, I feel governments have let us down in this aspect and our diets have been infected with this disease, it blocks our body from sending messages we are full, it is addictive and when we die our kids will carry on. If we block it now our children may live more fulfilling and longer lives.

 

[Spencer67]

I don't know if you have read this article by a Type1 diabetic?

He relays his his thoughts on why he does not strive for perfection when he answers a question from a diabetic . (He is a Diabetes Educator).

http://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/ask-dmine-how-low-carb-is-low-enough#1

"Hell, I'm not even sure most Navy SEALs could stay on the Bernstein diet long-term." lol, looks like a challenge.

Is it not really about breaking the sugar addictions we have? We never had this drug in our earlier history of foods it was introduced as a luxury in the 1800s as far as i understand.

 

[tim2000s]

Refined sugar maybe, but people in the middle ages still ate turnips!

 

[donnellysdogs]

We are all guinea pigs with diets and will go down in history books as the persons that lived with diabetes before 'x' cure came along.

I think this forum is just personal experiences of lifestyles and trying to help people that have struggled with living with diabetes.. Whether young or old.

The NHS have approximately (up to) 3 hours a year with their diabetic patients. This depends on the average of well patients like me with less than one hour and persons needing more time). So they only grt glimpses of our lives.

When I had my difficulties a good 4 years ago with a driving incident I got help and friendship here that I could never have got that support grom NHS staff or non diabetic friends. Sure, I had people that were less helpful in their support but they were only voicing their opinions.

The forum isn't just about food and diets. Its about living with diabetes and thats always going to be a roller coaster if support and real understanding cannot be gained from our family, friends and NHS.

We all have one thing in common here.. And as much as others try to support the thing that we get here is talking with others that really understand..

 

[czj]

To answer the original question, or at least the first part "Is this forum always supportive?" I'd say the answer from me is a No. Behind the question is the fact that you are asking the barber if you need a haircut. I.e. the people likely to reply are those that have decided the forum is for them, not those that have joined, asked a couple of questions and then never returned.

This post and the first reply is one of the forum's memorable posts for me.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/type-2-apprehension-new-symptoms.51189/#post-463156

It seems a shame that many folk move on so quickly.
.

 

[Patricia21]

I have always found this forum supportive and friendly .
It has helped me a lot and I now feel that I can help others.
I do feel sad at times reading the posts and learn what people suffer,and continue to help people.

 

[Robinredbreast]

Tbh I think most medical forums have a high % of supportive and helpful members, there are always going to be others that do not always show at least some empathy,or start by ramming their own 'diets' and you should do this or that' down peoples throats, not altogether helpful, but it's life and it's forums.
I would like to say I have had such a lot of support and help due to recent injuries and an eye operation, which helped me immensely with recovering and trying to get better again. Some truly wonderful members on here

Best wishes RRB

 

[Pasha]

The answer for me is yes, its very very supportive. Its other outstanding value is that it gives one a great sense of proportions through its array of "everybody is different' case histories.

 

[AnnieC]

I too have been very afraid to post my diet on here, I was diagnosed in 2001, and enjoyed my high carb diet, I was diagnosed in Ireland and was a regular speaker at young diabetic groups. I was never taught to count carbs and even though being back in the UK since 2006 have never been on a NICE or a DAFNE course. In fact my Diabetic specialist has cancelled my last 4 year appointments. I was an ultra runner running 150-250 miles a week so my diet was pure carb and protein.

When you stop running your appetite still remains and due to a business a wife 3 children, I graze, I eat a couple of digestives at lunch time, at about 8:30-9pm I have my evening meal, Lasagne, Sausage and mash, McDonalds, Dominoes, Chicken Doner Kebab, Steak Diane with chips and Veg, Full Roast. I am not keen on sweets but am partial to a couple of large bags of Phileas Fogg crisps 4 large bottles of Estrella, This carries me through my work till a bout 4 am where I take my Lantus and go to bed and am up for the 6am feed of youngest and off to work, my average BG levels are 6.9 my cholesterol is 3.9 even though doc keeps trying to put me on statins, I have explained to him when he can tell me the exact science behind cholesterol and the effects of statins with a low cholesterol count, I might consider it. My liver function is a tad high but hey I would like to die before someone else has to wipe my backside.

I am very partial to Jelly Snakes mm mm.

I hope no one tries my diet. It works for me, I cook for my wife and kids but by the time I have cooked for them eating is farthest from my mind.

Find out what works for you again I mention that as a diabetic, YOU are your own experiment. Record your results and adjust accordingly. Always remember there is no such thing as a stupid question. If in doubt ASK

I would like to add that I am very interested in removing corn syrup from my diet, I feel governments have let us down in this aspect and our diets have been infected with this disease, it blocks our body from sending messages we are full, it is addictive and when we die our kids will carry on. If we block it now our children may live more fulfilling and longer lives.

Well not exactly the diet most would recommend here but it works for you so that is all that matters.As you say we are all our own experiment and have to find what suits us best whatever that happens to be

 

[Emmotha]

I think I'm just the kind of person that scans past comments that aren't relevent for me but I have found this forum extremely extremely useful and sometimes you even get a good laugh with random zombie threads

 

[Patricia21]

I was in hospital abroad in the new year,I frightened my family to death.
It was nothing diabetic related,but I posted on the forum when I felt better,and people were realy great and I felt cared for and always someone to talk to .
We also have a lot of laughs.

 

[Robbity]

I'm being harsh, but there are and always will be some people who want to have their cake and eat it - they want the easy way out of having a fix without having to take their medicine, so to speak, and so they're not going to be happy if the advice given to them is "if you want to reduce your glucose levels, reduce your carbs"... And that message may well come across as unsupportive if it' s not what they want to hear. It's a fact of life for many of us that high carbs = high blood suger = high carbs... and to a certain extent the remedy lies in our own hands.

Robbity

 

[Andy_D85]

and so they're not going to be happy if the advice given to them is "if you want to reduce your glucose levels, reduce your carbs"... And that message may well come across as unsupportive if it' s not what they want to hear.

Good point. *IS* that the only way to achieve that outcome though for that person though? I for instance have reduced my sugars in the last 2 weeks and if anything have increased the carbs I've eaten, rather than reduced them. I'm testing more, and using a bolus calculator that is better at accounting for bolus-on-board than I am on my own.

But you are right, being people on the other end of these posts, we very often get 'upset' when we see/hear something we don't like. I'd like to think that person wouldn't view the post as unsupportive in that case, but would rather discount it as an option if they don't feel it's suitable. Very valid though =)

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

I too have been very afraid to post my diet on here, I was diagnosed in 2001, and enjoyed my high carb diet, I was diagnosed in Ireland and was a regular speaker at young diabetic groups. I was never taught to count carbs and even though being back in the UK since 2006 have never been on a NICE or a DAFNE course. In fact my Diabetic specialist has cancelled my last 4 year appointments. I was an ultra runner running 150-250 miles a week so my diet was pure carb and protein.

When you stop running your appetite still remains and due to a business a wife 3 children, I graze, I eat a couple of digestives at lunch time, at about 8:30-9pm I have my evening meal, Lasagne, Sausage and mash, McDonalds, Dominoes, Chicken Doner Kebab, Steak Diane with chips and Veg, Full Roast. I am not keen on sweets but am partial to a couple of large bags of Phileas Fogg crisps 4 large bottles of Estrella, This carries me through my work till a bout 4 am where I take my Lantus and go to bed and am up for the 6am feed of youngest and off to work, my average BG levels are 6.9 my cholesterol is 3.9 even though doc keeps trying to put me on statins, I have explained to him when he can tell me the exact science behind cholesterol and the effects of statins with a low cholesterol count, I might consider it. My liver function is a tad high but hey I would like to die before someone else has to wipe my backside.

I am very partial to Jelly Snakes mm mm.

I hope no one tries my diet. It works for me, I cook for my wife and kids but by the time I have cooked for them eating is farthest from my mind.

Find out what works for you again I mention that as a diabetic, YOU are your own experiment. Record your results and adjust accordingly. Always remember there is no such thing as a stupid question. If in doubt ASK

I would like to add that I am very interested in removing corn syrup from my diet, I feel governments have let us down in this aspect and our diets have been infected with this disease, it blocks our body from sending messages we are full, it is addictive and when we die our kids will carry on. If we block it now our children may live more fulfilling and longer lives.

Just out of curiosity, why do you eat like that? Do you consider this a healthy way to eat? I'm pretty sure there's more to health than blood glucose levels.

 

[gin]

Well said!

 

[Kat100]

A great forum , great community and support ...
As in life it does have its little bumps and bruises ...but this can be dealt with ...
Sometimes saying you must, you have to , do X Y and Z does concern me ...
However everyone is allowed their view
I find sharing experiences is helpful ...
I do what I choose to do for my diet and my health ...that is the most important ....individual needs ...
I will always aim to support anyone if I can help ...but not tell someone what to do ....individual choice ...unless you are supporting an emergency and you know you are giving the correct information ...making suggestions are welcomed ...
And well as for the sense of humor and chat ...it is I am learning one of the best diets I have ever been on ....such a healing tool ....

 

[Robbity]

Good point. *IS* that the only way to achieve that outcome though for that person though? I for instance have reduced my sugars in the last 2 weeks and if anything have increased the carbs I've eaten, rather than reduced them. I'm testing more, and using a bolus calculator that is better at accounting for bolus-on-board than I am on my own.

It definitely IS very often the only way if the person concerned is a type 2 who may be trying to cope with diet (and perhaps some medication .e.g. metformin) alone. And in my experience, it's the type 2 diabetics who are most generally in need of the reducing carbs advice. If you're taking insulin then you have the "luxury" of (hopefully) being able to manage any higher carbohydrate intake better, as you've just pointed out.

Robbity