Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type 2"?

anniep

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

a previous doctor diagnosed me as pre diabetic/borderline diabetic/impaired glucoce tolerant - various terms were used, but he gave me strips no problem.

However my current practise when I was diagnosed as now diabetic weren't keen, as i said upthread I had to argue for them. It is the postcode lottery.
 

hellofrompaul

Member
Messages
18
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Rob, (first) - hello! :)

Thanks for sharing your experience here. (I have to say there's never two stories alike on this forum , even though a lot of peeps seem to be virtually in the same condition/medical treatment etc?).

Yeah. I see where your coming from regarding testing to avoid the "spiking thing". I suppose two of my concerns are - (apart from deciding whether to do it or not), are:
1. How little/often to test?
2. How quickly would the results of changing a food type, (say changing from pasta to rice), or changing the volume, show up in the anticipated improvement in the BS level?

If I was going to self test, my idea would be to do it initially over a two week period - before each meal and two hours afterwards, (which, I believe is the "recommended" testing frequency?). As my diet doesn't really change that much, i.e. porridge every day for brekkie, and three fruits each day etc etc - then I could see if anything was "spiking" in the first week.... change towards the end of the first week - and hopefully see the "spikes"...er.... "flattened" in the second week :)

As for numbers - I had a glucose blood test where the levels were 7.4 before drinking the jar of gloop, and then afterwards it was 7.1.... and the HbA1c test I had a few weeks later was 6.4. My cholesterol was 5.1 and now 2.9. Now subsequent blood tests on cholesterol and lipids are fine. The next HbA1c test is in a few months. Oh yes - and I've lost about 2 stone from all this diet and exercise :)

Soooooooooooo - I'm still stuck with the old "If what I'm doing is working... do I need to do more, i.e. self test, to make things better, or do I need to self test to check for "spikes" because I should do it and I just haven't received the correct information - and the fact that my GP won't refer me to a diabetic nurse to get a meter and get strips on prescription?"

You're also right Rob - knowledge is well worth listening to - thanks :)

Viv - hello again :) Lectures? Not at all - just sharing of knowledge and experience - most helpful - thank you.

Yup - low carb diet. I've sort of worked out a kind of diet based on what I've read, diet examples etc which consists of basically the same brekkie, (porridge, maybe some grapes, and coffee), and same lunch every day, (including a couple of fruits), and an evening meal of some kind of carbohydrate starchy food, (brown rice/pasta; new potatoes etc) + meat, (+ salmon twice a week), + veggies. And that seems to work for me. It's quite generic - but it seems to work.

I think one of the things I came away from the Desmonds meeting was this - "I don't seem to have such a radical reaction to changes of foods as other people had in that group" Of course, that may be because they were at a different stage with their diabetes and on different medication. But that was another reason kicking around in my head for not self testing, as it didn't seem to me, (a mere apprentice at being diabetic and not a medical practitioner at all! :wink: ), that it was necessary as different foods didn't seem to be effecting me that much. Equally, some of these general symptoms of diabetes - tiredness, thirsty, "toilet activity" - I've just put down to "being me", and it's been like that all my life.

Viv - ramipril is used for kidney problems associated with diabetes, (without getting too technical!).

Testing = knowledge = power - but is unnecessary testing leading onto unnecessary paranoia about constantly thinking I have to change food sizes/types/meals in an attempt to reach a "happy medium" on random BS spot checks? And bear in mind that the HbA1c test will still show me an average result anyway - and as long as that average result doesn't get any worse - then that should be okay - shouldn't it?

Interesting questions, eh?

Annie - hi. (Ops - Sorry if I didn't see your comment before). And being that you argued for them, (the testing strips) - I guess you felt the need to self test. Was this something that you were advised upon, (clearly not by your doctor)? I only ask this as you seem to be diagnosed in a very similar fashion to me, and probably are undergoing your own "self help" activity of diet/exercise, and you're on metformin as well - was that decisive in your choice to self test?

Thanks Rob, Annie,(and Viv again), for dropping in to chat. I appreciate that I am probably asking a whole host of questions and issues that have been raised a bazillion times over at the forums here. But, I am extremely appreciative of the time and effort that everyone has put in here to help me try and clear my head on a few issues - and just generally to discuss this Type 2 diabetes in general.

And, as ever, if anyone reading this does want to chip in with any knowledge, advice, experience - please feel free to comment and join the party :)

Paul
 

angieG

Well-Known Member
Messages
725
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Paul,
A couple of comments from your information.

Your lunch with a couple of fruits would most probably spike me, depending on what the fruits were...me and fruit seem to have a love / hate relationship (I love them / they hate me!!)

As for testing, I am a coach driver and type 2 and I have to test before I drive to ensure I am safe to do so. I have tested a lot of the foods I regularly eat and you would be surprised how small a portion of certain things like rice, pasta and potatoes will spike you.

Hope you get sorted in yourself what you are happy to do but I would personally recommend testing, even if you only try the odd meal to get a bit of an idea what is happening with your body....when all said and done you have got your body for life your doctors etc haven't, they don't have to cope with any complications in the long term (only maybe to give you a few more drugs to take that is!!).
Good luck, we are all here to help.
Regards
Angie
 

anniep

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

How was I diagnosed - well my mother is diabetic (T1 or T2 unknown) but my brother is T2, my uncles are and several females in the family had gestational diabetes.

Knowing all of this I went looking for it and asked my doctor for a blood test, I had one every year after that and so knew the moment that I tipped into pre-diabetic. Then at one test the doc said if you don't get do something, you are going to be diabetic soon and gave me one month to bring down my BG and weight, I read up in diabetes and saw the very different advices given. MY brother was managing his diabetes successfully so I asked him how he was doing it.

He lives in Australia and had been told to test and keep carbs below 100gm a day spread over the day, so I followed the advice given to him and bought a meter and cut the carbs down. And I was also used to seeing my insulin dependent mother test all the time so it seemed a natural thing to do.

When he saw how this was working my doctor was happy to prescribe the strips.

Moving on a few years, my life changed we moved around the country and I got complaisant I suppose, and things went to pot. I had had to go to my new doctor and tell them I was pre- diabetic and ask for a blood test, and of course it was very soon found to be now diabetic. I spoke to the practice nurse about low carbing and was told in no uncertain terms not too, she sent me to the dietician who told me I MUST not low carb.

I followed their way and put on more and more weight, got hungrier and hungrier, and my BG went higher and higher.

I joined this forum and with the support gained here I gained the courage to stand up to the HCP's and low carb and argue for strips which I was reluctantly given. My Hba1c came down from 7.4 to
6.00. I only did this by testing, testing, testing I found out that the 'healthy foods' they were insisting that I eat were actually raising my BG significantly.

SO no I don’t think I could have done it without strips as I would never have realised what was causing the problems if I hadn't seen them on the meter.
 

viviennem

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,140
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Football. Bad manners.
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

OMG, I'd just typed about half a page and it's disappeared! I'll try again . . .

Paul, the diet you list would send my BG levels through the roof! I aim to eat between 20g to 50g of carbohydrate per day - which is admittedly very low carb, and you might want more - but (eg) grapes are full of fructose; any sort of grain product (wheat, rice, oats etc) is definitely a no-no for me. Everyone is different. This is why you need to test; you don't know what these foods do to your blood glucose. By the time you have your next HbA1c, in 3 months, things could have got worse.

Other people manage on 70g to 100g of carb per day, or even higher - but they need to be low GI so they affect your blood glucose slowly.

I'm going out for a meal next Saturday. I shan't demand a 'diabetic menu', but I shall make informed choices from the standard menu - cheese instead of pudding; no potatoes/rice/pasta/pizza - and test carefully to see the effects of my meal. I will also drink - red wine!

I keep a daily record of my blood glucose tests and of my food intake. My last HbA1c was 5.2. I expect that next time (end of March) it will be the same or lower. If it is higher, I have a full record of what I've been eating and what my daily tests have been, so that my doctor and I have some figures to work from. I'm confident it will be lower; if it's higher, there may be problems that need investigating.

I've only been registered since December; once we get through this initial 'bedding in' period, I will know what I can and can't eat, and may be able to test only as 'recommended', twice a week (but I expect I'll do my a.m. fasting test for the rest of my life)!

Get yourself a copy of the 'Calorie, Carb & Fat Bible' for 2011 (available via Amazon) and check everything that you eat. You'll be surprised at the carbohydrate content.

I am a complete Atkins fan. I base my diet on his 'Induction Phase' - see 'Viv's Diet' somewhere on the Low Carb Diet forum (you'll have to Search). This is quite high fat, and is not suitable for everyone, but it does work. I would also recommend that you get a book called 'Atkins Diabetes Revolution' (Vernon & Eberstein), maybe via your library, and read it thoroughly. This is my personal opinion, you understand! You don't have to follow the diet if you don't want to, but it does give a good explanation of what Type 2 diabetes is, and how you get there.

You say your cholesterol is 2.9. Now, I'm older than you, and female, but I would be very worried about a cholesterol level that low - for me! It may be fine for you. Admittedly, I prefer mine higher than is recommended, but I've never heard of one that low and would be interested in anyone else's opinions. Did your doctor give you the breakdown of those readings? Conventionally, your total cholesterol should be less than 5.18 (and the lower the better); your HDL above 1.04; and your triglycerides (the real killers) below 1.70, and the lower the better. LDL is worked out from those figures. Last time mine was 3.2, which I'm told is fine.

You should have a total cholesterol/HDL ratio somewhere in the range of 3 to 5 (I can't be accurate about that, but mine has been up to 4.1 and down to 3.3, and I'm told both are within the acceptable range.). You really need to discuss this thoroughly with your GP or specialist, so that you understand it. Don't be afraid to ask questions - they're your medical records, and you're entitled to a copy.

As far as I understand it, diabetes is not a life sentence - but it is a life style. You can take control, and live a good life, like my mad friend Celia who has been Type 1 for 50+ years, is 90, still driving, and runs rings round me! Or you can ignore it, let it take control of you, and suffer the consequences.

This forum has changed my life; the amount of advice and support is phenomenal, and I've learned so much. We're all in this together.

:) :) :)

Viv
 

primmers

Well-Known Member
Messages
175
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Hi Paul, I was diagnosed Type 2 in January and started self testing pretty much as soon as I found this place. I'm planning to do fasting tests, pre food and two hour tests for a few weeks until I'm confident I can anticipate what sort of reaction my bod will have to the different foods and then reduce the testing. At the moment I'm still diet controlled, my first HbA1c test is next week. I hope that it's not so high that the GP feels it appropriate to start me on meds, if that is what happens I hope that the records I've got of what I've achieved by then inform a discussion on whether that's neccessary before I've given the diet control a good go.

Amongst the things I have learned is that a whole banana pushes my blood sugar way up but I can have a half in the morning and the other half later on and be ok. Oats in any form really push the blood sugar up for me; I get a worse reaction from a smaller amount of oatcake carb than a bigger amount of ryvita carb - go figure. I really need to eat regularly, erratic meal times throw my values for the rest of the day. Also, the other day I grazed a bit of fruit cake that I sort of knew was a bad idea, when I checked my blood sugar two hours later I was horrified and won't be grazing again. That certain knowledge is more likely to get me to change my behaviour than the vague 'I shouldn't really' approach I had pre diagnosis and trying to lose weight. A three month retrospective value could not have done any of that for me.

I think frequent testing could make some folk feel bad, it depends on what type of person you are and how much responsibility you want to take. I feel much better (ie less scared of complications) testing than just passively sitting and waiting to be told by someone else what's happening in my bod. I had a very healthy diet pre diagnosis - wholemeal bread, brown rice, between five and ten portions a day of veg, textbook stuff (though I had enormous trouble losing weight even when attending the gymn three or four times a week) so I find it hard to accept the idea that that sort of diet is good for diabetics. Since I reduced carbs my blood sugar levels seem to be more stable, though still towards the top of the range and the weight is literally falling off. I don't believe this is just a symptom of diabetes as I first visited the GP with the symptoms that turned out to be diabetes last September and lost no weight until I cut back on carbs.
 

hellofrompaul

Member
Messages
18
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Angie, Annie, Primmers, Viv - hello! :)

Again, thank you to you all for offering your help, advice and sharing your diabetic experiences.

What amazes me the most about diet, (taking into consideration what all of you have said), is that for a "standard" Type 2 diabetic, (of which I know no such beast exists, but surely there are enough examples of different BS levels/prescribed drugs to be able to say "Treatment X" is the drug/weight loss treatment the average doctor would prescribe?), why are there not a range of standard "Starter Diets" available for consideration/testing by newly diagnosed diabetics?

Seriously, without going to see a dietitian, (which clearly I will never do in my NHS area, given the "non-complexity" of my diabetes and treatment), how am I supposed to understand exactly what I'm supposed to be eating? Okay, I've stated what I am doing eating wise, and when the results are in and the votes counted - it would appear that numerically, (on average), my BS is okay from the HbA1c result - and all other numbers look good. And, as with the "porridge for breakfast" thing, (which was the only big change I made in meals after reading about GI foods), I really have had no other guide about what I should be eating with the exception of a general chat about it at the Desmonds meeting. Anything else I know about has been through reading a myriad of web forums, (one even suggested by my doctor when she told me I wasn't eligible to see a dietitian!?), and being advised to read this book or that book. In short - I am confused.

The Type 1/taking metformin or insulin folks are clearly in the "carb reduction/no or low carb" camp; whilst the Type 2 gang appear to have such a wide ranging opinion on what is the general starting point for a diet, that every Type 2 person on here that has popped up in this thread, (thank you all again :) ), is either:

1. Low carbing
2. Or aiming for a particular weight of carbs a day (I was thinking of your 20g to 50g a day Viv)
3. Or "doing their own thing" based on self testing.

And just in that point Viv when say that some folks aim for 70g - 100g of carbs a day, it was only when you said that they then would probably need to be low GI that a chink of light shone through. :) But...... at the Desmonds group, (and it was what all the other more "experienced diabetic" attendees knew and agreed with), the following was considered to be the average measurements for food portions on a plate:

1. Carbs - a "fist" sized portion
2. Meat - a "palm of your hand" sized portion
3. Fish - a "hand sized portion"
4. Vegetables - a "two cupped hands" sized portions.

Now, I've not seen that mentioned anywhere to me so far. So where does that come from? (Anyone know?)

Angie, I saw your point about rice, pasta and potatoes, and, given my experience of what I've learnt I would probably say that for me, (so far in my short time of learning - ha!), from my understanding of starchy carbohydrates in a meal would be that as long as they were the right sort, for example low GI carbs/brown rice etc, and as long as they were in the right proportion, i.e. a "fist" sized portion, then, as part of a meal with equally proportioned types of protein, vegetables etc, then that meal would be "acceptable".

So, what I've stated above was my starting point for understanding and structuring what I should be eating throughout the day. Having a few fruits and a few vegetables, (with the evening meal), is also just following the eating healthy practice of having 5 fruits/vegs a day.

I do like your point Angie about it being my body not the doctor's...lol.... :p

Annie - yes - genetics. One of my uncles was diagnosed Type 1 quite late in life, and my mother tells me I had a second cousin somewhere that was also diabetic. But I think the doctor ruled "genetic diabetes" out for me.

But I have read "your story" Annie with great interest. It does throw a whole new light on the "low carb" argument. Looking at my little leaflet from Diabetes UK "Know Your Labels" it does recommend that the maximum daily intake, (GDA's) for women of Carbohydrates is 230g, and "of which total sugars" is 90g. Of course, you've found out through testing that these levels were too high for you?

And, I guess, looking at what I'm doing with my "makeshift starter diet" I think I may be just hitting the low/medium carb values for men by accident? When I say "By accident" I am also religiously careful about reading labels for carbs/which sugars; fat; salt and sodium content - these have been my other guideline, (as well as the "sensible eating policy" I laid out above), that I use when I go shopping. If they don't meet my guidelines - I don't buy it/eat it! :)

And Viv, (have no fear - I have the "vanishing text" happen to me before as well!), I saw your recommendation for the "Calorie, Carb & Fat Bible" book. And this brings me to another general question I have. I have a general eating plan consisting of:

1. "Healthy eating" generally - 5 fruit/veg a day
2. Label Reading Guidelines as per Diabetes UK
3. Portion sizes, e.g. "fist" size of carbohydrates.

So, if I go into self testing BS levels I can add:

3. Self testing, and potentially making all kinds of changes to points 1,2, &3.

If I also throw into that:

4. Counting calories
5. Counting carbohydrate intake

Just how complicated can eating be?? For example - why should I be counting calories and counting total carb intake if I've managed to control my BS through the management of points 1,2, and 3? Or is there something about this I'm just "not getting". Whilst I understand managing ones BS levels can be a tricky business and what's best for one person is not necessarily best for someone else......... it can't be as complicated as this surely? We've put rockets on the moon with less planning, haven't we? :wink:

Overall, I think I am tending towards the "Limited testing" to begin with just to see if my "makeshift starter diet" isn't spiking me. What do y'all think?

Primmers - yes the old "erratic meal times" thing. Thankfully, I've always been a big fan of eating regularly, so I have no problem in maintaining three meals a day. And your diet sounded pretty much like mine was - wholemeal bread etc before diagnosis. "That certain knowledge" - I like that phrase! :) To be honest, you may well said the thing I've been wanting to read and understand, i.e. facts about facts - these are the things we can make conscience decisions with. And then I didn't have a problem losing weight when I started going to the gym on the diet I am on. I guess this is where one thing is good for me and not for you because the progressiveness of our respective diabetes may be different - and we are of course different folks anyway and our build & metabolism will be different?

And, Primmers, you also bring up an interesting psychological point here - are people being made scared about NOT testing? You say: "I think frequent testing could make some folk feel bad, it depends on what type of person you are and how much responsibility you want to take." And I'd say to that - if diabetes was a religion and self testing was a show of just how much you believed in diabetes - then you'd be the head Spin Doctor for the cult.....lol.... :D - (That is just a joke I'm making there by the way). But you do seem to strongly imply that not testing would be a sign of weakness because you couldn't handle the responsibility of the results? It's just a funny way of looking at, I think. For me, all I really want to decide to decide is to whether to self test or not?

Again thank you to Angie, Annie, Primmers & Viv and everyone else who have been helping me to "lift the fog" on this Type 2 diabetes "thing". I am amazed that there is not a more clearly defined route for resources or co-ordination between the agencies, (NHS, Diabetes UK, commercial organisations), to help people understand and tackle this from the word "go". If "learning about diabetes" was a money making company - the banks would have foreclosed on it years ago as a "Loss making concern" because clearly so many people have no real clue about what to do about anything....

p.s. thanks again everyone! :)

Paul
 

anniep

Well-Known Member
Messages
561
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Paul

Te thing about this diabetes, is that it is as different as each of us is, so there is no one size fits all answer. And we all are different in how we deal with the testing buisness.

It seems complicated to begin with, but once you 'get it' you will be fine. I spent a lot of time in the begining testing and finding out what suits my body. For example I can't touch wheat based things at all but can get away with a small amount of potato and I can't eat oats.

How I dealwith it as a metformin user and not at risk when driving etc is - I now test if I am changing someting in my life eg new exercise (ha ha....) new food, if I am sick, otherwise I do random tests in the week to keep a check on things. On morning, one night, one afternoon etc. If I never test I can easily fool myself into letting things slip.

Otherwise I avoid the obvious things, cake, sweets etc and I don't eat any of the starchy carbs no bread/potaotes/rice/pasta. I can't eat fruit at all, it either spikes my BG or give me the runs.

But I don't count carbs so I can't tell you whether I low carb or reduce carb, I am a vegetarian which makes low carbing difficult. But fortunately veggies don't affect my bg hugely, though I don't eat many carrots. But I have found out that I can eat a reasonable amount of peas and sweetcorn, though others here will tell you that htey can't eat them at all. This is our individual bodies and unless youtest you will never know which are your 'can eats' and which are your 'must avoids'
 

primmers

Well-Known Member
Messages
175
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Paul, I must have clumsily worded my post if I left you with the impression that I felt folk who choose not to test are weak, in my defence I was posting late at night.

I work in an area of the NHS, maternity, where there is a lot of patient choice. The range of approaches to delivery is wide, from all natural, no lighting, in a pool of warm water through to I'd like an epidural and elective section and I'd like it now please. I have never believed that it was for me to tell women that what they want is wrong or if they want one thing over another they are weak or strong but rather to give them enough information to make choices that are most likely to get them what they want.

Anyone who works with patients will tell you that there are some who want to engage with processes and some who are very, very passive and prefer to have life happen to them. That is who the person is and that is not for others to trample on. There are some areas of my life (mostly financial) where I tend to passively go with the flow because I find the whole **** business so frightening. My more clued up friends despair of my what will be will be approach but the alternative fills me with horror. I am fully aware that there might be different outcomes for me from this approach but it's what I am currently comfortable with.

I have some knowledge of health matters so am not so scared of the subject, and some experience that patients who engage often improve their own health outcomes. Both these factors enable and inform my approach to my diabetes. Folk who choose not to engage are not in my eyes weak, they are folk who have a different set of emotional and psychological needs and find they are satisfied by a different approach.

Anyway, you have to decide for you what meets your needs.
 

viviennem

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,140
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Football. Bad manners.
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Hi Paul

I think this is getting unnecessarily complicated. Stand back and take a deep breath!

Pre-diabetes, I followed the standard 'healthy' diet for years, using the conventional food pyramid and eating organic/wholemeal wherever possible. I ended up weighing 20 stone.

I cut my carbs right back to 20g per day, following Atkins, and lost 5 of that 20 stone in 18 months. I wasn't counting calories (you don't on Atkins) and that proved to me that it was the carbs causing my weight problem, not the protein or fat or fresh veg. Then my circumstances changed, I went back to 'normal' eating and my exercise dropped, and in 4 years I'd put back that 5 stone, plus a bit more. Then I was diagnosed as diabetic.

I'm back on Atkins now because it suits me; it doesn't suit everyone. 20g of carb is a very low carb diet. I would not lose weight on yours. We are all so different!

I use testing as a tool, to help me learn what my body is doing and to help control my blood glucose. I'm not paranoid about it - I'm fascinated!

If I were you, I'd get yourself a meter and some strips. Continue eating just as you are, but for a week, test on getting up (fasting), before each meal, 2 hours after each meal, and at bed-time. You'll find out what is happening to your blood glucose on this diet.

NICE guidelines for a Type 2 diabetic are: 4 - 7 mmol/l before meals; less than 8.5 mmol/l 2 hours after. I'm in that range all the time, so I'm confident I'm doing the right thing for me.

If you're hitting those targets, your diet is fine for you, and if you feel you have no further need to test you can pass on the meter to someone who needs it, or sell it on ebay - whatever! I wouldn't, but your choice. I would keep it and test a full day once a week or once a month, whatever, just to make sure there were no spikes and things were still going on okay. Once I've finished what I consider to be my 'research' testing, which I'm doing now, I might do that. Then again I might not!

My personal belief is that the high carbohydrate/low fat diet that has been promoted for the last 3 decades is the wrong one, and may well be responsible for the 'obesity and diabetes epidemics' that are now sweeping the Western(ised) world. That's personal to me, and I don't argue about it, because there's no point. Everyone, diabetic or not, has to discover the lifestyle and diet that suits them - if they are lucky enough to have a choice!

You'll have realised from all these posts that there is a great deal of variation in diabetes care across the country. The only way to get the care you deserve is to learn as much about your diabetes as possible, so that you can fight your corner from an informed position of strength.

Viv :)
 

hellofrompaul

Member
Messages
18
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Annie, Primmers, Viv - thanks again for coming back and helping me out.

Firstly, Primmers - thank you for correcting my misinterpretation of what you were saying. And I see what you're saying about "engaging with a process", or just let it happening around you. And I think you're right about the need/want to engage can also be just satisfying that particular type of person's set of emotional and psychological needs. In fact, all that was very well said - and understood! :) Thank you. It was all very well put.

Annie - new exercise, eh!? :wink: I've reached a point with all the cardio running machine activities I get up to in the gym, that it's taking a couple of hours to do the whole gig now - I don't think I can fit any more in!? :) And, of course, being vegetarian, I can see that you may have to self test simply to make sure that everything is "okay" with the type of diet you have. (Which, I can guess, that this is always the case when there are other dietary/medicinal "things" which also can effect BS for other people).

Viv - in short - you're right - far too complicated :)

Based on everything I have learnt, read about and have been coached on so far here in these wonderful forums...... my decisions are to continue with:

1. "Healthy eating" generally - 5 fruit/veg a day
2. Label Reading Guidelines as per Diabetes UK
3. Portion sizes, e.g. "fist" size of carbohydrates.

NOT to self test. This decision is based upon:

1. Taking in all the points, opinions, suggestions talked about here in this excellent forum thread we've been having here, (thanks to everyone again! ;) ). No two people are alike, and the reasons why some people test are quite varied - and quite often don't apply to me.

2. My doctor told me it wasn't necessary (And even though my doctor isn't a diabetic specialist, or send Type 2/"borderline" people to diabetic nurses - I would like to think that she has had some experience of the ranges of Type 2 symptoms/test results over her desk to enable her to make her recommendations, i.e. for me not to test ).

3. Seeing other Type 2 people here on this forum with similar "situations" to myself who are also not testing.

4. Waiting to see if the HBCA1 test in a few months is the same/better than the last one.

5. Feeling more confident in the knowledge I have gained here in order to make this long thought about decision.

And so, (without making a HUGE role call! :wink: ) I would like to thank everyone who has happened by here and helped me with my huge list of questions and concerns. I'd also like to thank those who shared their diabetes experiences in order to give me an insight into "how it all works" :)

I'm not going to disappear from the forum...lol.... indeed - I shall be popping around here and there - and may even ask some more questions etc elsewhere! :)

But seriously - thank you all for taking the time, (and I know it is time consuming typing replies in a forum), to talk in here. I really do appreciate all the help, advice and suggestion etc that I've been given. You are all very special. Thank you.

Paul
 

viviennem

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,140
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Football. Bad manners.
Re: Diagnosed "Borderline" Type 2, and now.. er.. just "Type

Your choice, Paul.

let us know how you go on! :)

Viv