My wife was unaware that she had diabetes when she was taken seriously ill 11+ years ago aged 47. One day she was just unwell, next a blue light race to hospital thanks the a sharp doctor on a home visit and all hell broke loose there. Major Crisis is putting it mildly, hospital Doc's pulled her back and then straight on to Insulin regime as Type 1 diabetes was the problem. A steep learning curve, but not helped by medical profession and others with the 'diabetic' tag/line.
Myself I weigh in large build close on 2 metres tall and 118 kg. Life and work style, very active and I work in a very busy industry and have to keep up with youngsters in there 20's and 30's. I lived overseas as a child and have always eaten a pretty darn good meditteranean low fat diet and even more so since my wife was diagnosed with type 1. I've not taken sugar in drinks or on breakfast etc for 44 years and no extra salt, never smoked and low alocohol consumption. Yep, I liked food but still had a pretty darn good diet compared to most Brits and being diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes was a bit of a surprise.
So, I've had the doctor's and diabetes nurses, with cut out the between meal snacks and choccie bars, cut sugar in drinks, no sweet breakie cereals. All things I've not done in over 40 years! That's it, the truth! But the silly looks and disbelief have been a pain in the ****.
I'm very anti medication so diet control was my 1st and only choice unless I'm forced to take tablets, the reaction from the medical practitioners was basically, give it a go for a month and then we'll put you on tablets. Do these medico types listen? In my experience and what I've witnessed with my wife, NO, not a lot. My wife had a a hospital eye appointment check up last month. "Why the hell have we got so many diabetics today" came out of the mouth of the senior staff not realising we were sat by the door.
OK, so I'm now 94 kilos in just a few months, 24 kilos off what I was, all but veggie diet and minimal carbs, I had a few blips re hunger, but with a severe loathing of being pumped with any pills it's been easy and I feel really well and keep good on my sparrow portions of bunny foods and veggies.
My wife and children know that I have Type 2 diabetes but other family and friends and work associates have no idea. I've told my insurers but that's it, I'm self employed so I don't have any work/employer issues. Learning from my wifes experiences and a friend who is a vegetarian, I made a choice that has worked well for me at this stage. No one bothers as to why my friend does not eat meat and no one bothers that I don't don't do sweet or carbs. I have to eat with my customers quite often and at restaurants, my choice of diet has not been an issue so far, I find that I can keep to my regime with out any trouble. If I publicly wore the 'Diabetic' label I'm sure I would have been spending time explaining what I was eating and doing. People have always accepted that I always drank alochol in moderation no matter what my peers were doing. I keep quiet about my choices and no one really bothers.
If I could change my GP's and the nurses and other people I feel that would also be beneficial to me and others.
I'm still the same person I was before being diagnosed, I've not gained another head or become a Martian. Please Note. Treat Diabetes, be it as a condition, illness, suffering or whatever but drop the "Diabetic" tag PLEASE
Myself I weigh in large build close on 2 metres tall and 118 kg. Life and work style, very active and I work in a very busy industry and have to keep up with youngsters in there 20's and 30's. I lived overseas as a child and have always eaten a pretty darn good meditteranean low fat diet and even more so since my wife was diagnosed with type 1. I've not taken sugar in drinks or on breakfast etc for 44 years and no extra salt, never smoked and low alocohol consumption. Yep, I liked food but still had a pretty darn good diet compared to most Brits and being diagnosed as having type 2 diabetes was a bit of a surprise.
So, I've had the doctor's and diabetes nurses, with cut out the between meal snacks and choccie bars, cut sugar in drinks, no sweet breakie cereals. All things I've not done in over 40 years! That's it, the truth! But the silly looks and disbelief have been a pain in the ****.
I'm very anti medication so diet control was my 1st and only choice unless I'm forced to take tablets, the reaction from the medical practitioners was basically, give it a go for a month and then we'll put you on tablets. Do these medico types listen? In my experience and what I've witnessed with my wife, NO, not a lot. My wife had a a hospital eye appointment check up last month. "Why the hell have we got so many diabetics today" came out of the mouth of the senior staff not realising we were sat by the door.
OK, so I'm now 94 kilos in just a few months, 24 kilos off what I was, all but veggie diet and minimal carbs, I had a few blips re hunger, but with a severe loathing of being pumped with any pills it's been easy and I feel really well and keep good on my sparrow portions of bunny foods and veggies.
My wife and children know that I have Type 2 diabetes but other family and friends and work associates have no idea. I've told my insurers but that's it, I'm self employed so I don't have any work/employer issues. Learning from my wifes experiences and a friend who is a vegetarian, I made a choice that has worked well for me at this stage. No one bothers as to why my friend does not eat meat and no one bothers that I don't don't do sweet or carbs. I have to eat with my customers quite often and at restaurants, my choice of diet has not been an issue so far, I find that I can keep to my regime with out any trouble. If I publicly wore the 'Diabetic' label I'm sure I would have been spending time explaining what I was eating and doing. People have always accepted that I always drank alochol in moderation no matter what my peers were doing. I keep quiet about my choices and no one really bothers.
If I could change my GP's and the nurses and other people I feel that would also be beneficial to me and others.
I'm still the same person I was before being diagnosed, I've not gained another head or become a Martian. Please Note. Treat Diabetes, be it as a condition, illness, suffering or whatever but drop the "Diabetic" tag PLEASE