Giving up hope.

[Stephen Lewis]

And I just got my latest A1C. Down to 6.5% from 6.9% in February and 8.5% last May when I was on 60 units of Humulin per day. I was hoping for better but it is not hopeless and slow but sure...

 

[Resurgam]

Gluten and lactose are things you don't need - and there's no need to eat large meals - though it can be difficult if you are used to 'feeling full' and go by that rather than your actual appetite.
Low carb does reduce appetite - this morning I ate some mozzarella cheese and a tomato and had a mug of coffee with cream and then did not eat for 12 hours.
Low carb foods can lower blood glucose very effectively, and I can only advise cutting out the heavy carb foods and replacing them with lighter ones in the hope that it will lower your blood glucose levels from the highs you are having - then keep testing and adjust amounts and composition of meals to get good control.
I am a very lucky type two in that low carb intake is all I need to get right back to normal - but there are many eating low carb who find it helps them to keep control of their blood glucose varying from diet only through all the different types of medication including insulin.

 

[micksmixxx]

{{{{{Hugs}}}}} to you Jenround. Welcome to the forum. I'm sure that you'll have already realised that you get a great deal of support, advice, and guidance here.

After reading your responses to suggestions already offered, ma'am, I can see that YOU are a Winner!

From reading what you've said here, you seem to know what you need to do ... things such as see your doctor again and request that you be referred to see an endocrinologist; ask to be referred to attend an X-PERT or a DESMOND course. These are both aimed at helping type 2 diabetics get 'on track'.

IF you are truly a type 2 diabetic, ma'am, losing weight WILL help you, as well exercise. (When I speak of exercise, I am NOT talking about you going to the gym and/or signing up for anything. Walking, if you are able, is a good exercise to begin with.)

It's understandable that you're not feeling psychologically 'on top of the world', Jenaround. Having any long-term (chronic) condition tends to have that effect on many people. Coupled with the lack of support that you seem to be getting from your doctor(s), it really isn't surprising at all.

To be frank with you ... if you don't mind me changing my name for a second ... I am shocked that your doctor(s) haven't done more for you. With blood sugar (glucose) levels running as high as yours are, you are on a hiding to nothing. All the time your blood sugar levels are higher than the 'normal' range, damage is slowly being done to your organs, blood vessels, and nerves. This can lead, hopefully in the future and NOT now, to the development of diabetes-related complications. Some of these can be a real pain ... literally; some can prove embarrassing; and some could even prove fatal. In my humble opinion, your doctor(s) SHOULD be looking at preventing these from occurring.

I certainly do hope that you follow through with things that you've read on here, and you say that you will follow through with, and I truly do hope that you'll continue to visit and let us all know how you're progressing.

Lots of Love and Light.

Mick
x x x x
x x x

P.S. Please don't be offended, or alarmed, at the 'x's'. It's merely a logo, of sorts, that I've used for the past 40-odd years.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi everyone. I’ve just finished work, late as always and just had chance to read your replies. I’m truly overwhelmed by your helpful and truly kind responses. I am actually gluten and lactose intolerant which causes some difficulty depending on which way you look at it. Pasta and bread are cheaper ways to pack out food but I’m unable to eat them without being stuck in the bathroom all night.

Honestly you’ve all given me so much advise and hope, more so than the doctors and nurses I have spoken to. I suffer with a few other medical conditions including bi polar but it’s very mild and kept in check with relaxation and medication. I think I must rattle when I walk sometimes. I’m recently getting over flu but like someone above stated they suffered many infections and thrush which is something I felt so alone with. Thank you all soo much, for the love and hugs

Quite a few diabetics have Celiac's, and I was quite unable to deal with (cow-) dairy for a long time, as it aggrivated my rheumatism. (Not the same as lactose intolerant, but it does make following certain diets a little complicated). Getting a little better now, but I still stick with goat's cheese instead. The low carb route often doesn't clash all too much with gluten intolerance diets, so it's just taking it a step further. So bread and pasta are out anyway, as they're too carby. (As is rice, corn, cereal etc). Even if your pancreas is too knackered to contribute insulin, permanently, lowering carbs is still a good way to avoid spikes in bloodsugar and regain some control. Dropping weight, fighting fatigue and never-ending thrush. As for mentally; high bloodsugars affect mood something afwul, making people without other issues depressed, irrationally angry, having moodswings etc.... Throw being bipolar in the mix (or as in my case, depression, anxiety and introverted borderline personality disorder), well, then life doesn't get any easier when you're running high all the time. Not for you, and not for the people around you. But it is doable to tackle it through diet. As a celiac, you already know the impact a change in diet can have on your gut and over all well-being. Tweak it some more and tackle the T2 that way as well, alongside the insulin.

Most people don't "just" have T2, there's usually co-morbidities. So you're certainly not alone there. You'll figure it out. You've got help.

 

[Member496333]

Just to add re: gluten intolerance. It’s probably far better to completely quit all grains than to seek out gluten-free products specifically. They’re very often loaded with even more carbohydrate and other nasties.

 

[daisy1]

@Jenround
Hello and welcome to the Forum Here is the Basic Information we give to new members and I hope you will find it both interesting and helpful.

BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you'll find well over 600,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.

There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes.

Over 145,000 people have taken part in the Low Carb Program - a 10 week structured education course that is helping people lose weight and reduce medication dependency by explaining the science behind carbs, insulin and GI.

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to blood glucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic.

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.