Confused by GP comment on blood test

[mike@work]

Not cashews? I've been eating loads of them thinking it's good to eat nuts. Are they fill of carbs? Oh dear. Eating and drinking doesn't sound very enjoyable suddenly ...

Hello there @Halfhybrid , and welcome !

Why not try some of these, instead of Cashews...

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/low-carb-nuts

And yes - true that MILK Chocolate is not a very good alternative. Try one of the darker ones, with lower amount of carbs, as said here above already...

Edited to say: Sorry @ianf0ster , noticed a bit too late, that you had a good sample of different nuts mentioned already...

 

[Daibell]

Hi. With regard to test results never accept anyone saying your results are 'OK'. Get the actual figures and go from there. Sign up to your surgeries online system and the level that allows you to see your test results. That way you will know all the figures just before your next DN appointment and can discuss facts and not opinions

 

[Halfhybrid]

Hi NorfolkMell, It took me over 2 years to move house. My sale fell through twice and most of my stuff was packed and ready to go all that time so I was camping out virtually. Now that I've moved, I'm still in the same situation as it takes time to unpack!

I've just had another blood test on Monday and they phoned this morning and have asked me to have another blood test a week on Monday as the result of this one was 53!!!! Things are getting worse. I had the chest infection and antibiotics about 2-3 weeks ago and I have have a cold. If I have another test in a week's time, surely, it's going to show my level as still high and I'll get a formal diagnosis of Type 2. Am feeling very scared and extremely low at the moment. It's my birthday on Sunday and I'm going out for a meal with my family and there will be a cake as well. What am I going to do? I can't tell my family about this anyway but isn't this weekend + my cold going to send my BT levels even higher. Despair.

 

[Halfhybrid]

Hi Halfhybrid,
Low Carb isn't for everybody. Nobody in here says that it is.
Also Low Carb covers a large range of Carbs - from around 130gms per day right down to Zero, which is also Keto.
We each (except Listlad) use our BG Meter in order to test our reaction to carbs and determine the best 'Way Of Eating' for our own body. No two people are exactly the same - I have a bad reaction to even a single raw Carrot where others can tolerate several cooked ones.

But ultimately it is up to you to decide if Low Carb is something worth trying for you.
Can you give up Bread, Pasta, Potato, Rice etc for Cream, Full-Fat Yogurt, Cheese, Butter, Red (and other) meats etc. ?
Perhaps if the only nut you like is the Cashew (the highest in Carbs) rather than Pistachio, Macadamia, Brazil, Walnut, Almond etc. then perhaps it isn't for you and so you may find it easier to try Intermittent or longer Fasting, or a crash diet (Newcastle or 8 Week Blood Sugar) if you can maintain your weight loss after ending it, or even Bariatric Surgery.

But you don't have to do any of these things. You can just follow the orthodox advice and medication route that has been proven to fail (slowly) for the past few decades. Ignore the NHS verified 50% remission rate (after 2yrs) of Dr David Unwin's GP surgery as your condition slowly gets worse, just as most GPs will tell you it must!

The choices are yours. Most GPs won't support you - they still think their jobs depend on sticking to the old tried and failed guidelines, and perhaps they still do! But still the choice is ultimately with the patient.

Hi, sorry I don't understand this bit of your message "Ignore the NHS verified 50% remission rate (after 2yrs) of Dr David Unwin's GP surgery as your condition slowly gets worse, just as most GPs will tell you it must!". Can you explain please?

 

[Norfolkmell]

Hi NorfolkMell, It took me over 2 years to move house. My sale fell through twice and most of my stuff was packed and ready to go all that time so I was camping out virtually. Now that I've moved, I'm still in the same situation as it takes time to unpack!

I've just had another blood test on Monday and they phoned this morning and have asked me to have another blood test a week on Monday as the result of this one was 53!!!! Things are getting worse. I had the chest infection and antibiotics about 2-3 weeks ago and I have have a cold. If I have another test in a week's time, surely, it's going to show my level as still high and I'll get a formal diagnosis of Type 2. Am feeling very scared and extremely low at the moment. It's my birthday on Sunday and I'm going out for a meal with my family and there will be a cake as well. What am I going to do? I can't tell my family about this anyway but isn't this weekend + my cold going to send my BT levels even higher. Despair.

Do not despair you are in the right place for support and a huge wealth of personal experience from members here.
I'm not a medical person but I think you need to get your stress levels down, have you discussed it with your GP? I can't understand why they want to repeat the blood test so soon, as I understand it the test gives an average of BG over 3 months so if my maths are right it will show nine or ten previous weeks BG and two or three weeks since the last one so why are they repeating it so soon? You need to ask them why.
Have you been keeping a record of what you've been eating and test results before and two hours after? This should show that you are being proactive in trying to lower your BG.
Birthdays and family meals can be difficult but you cold tell family that you have decided to eat heathy and have been doing some results and try to chose the tastiest to you thing on the menu but pass on the potatoes or rice, say no to the pudding (if you can) as you are looking forward to a small piece of cake later, all perfectly correct with your healthy eating. Hopefully you will be able to take reading before and two hours after to see what effect it has had.
I was completely stressed out when I was diagnosed, I'd only gone for my annual screening for my asthma and blood pressure. I couldn't believe it when it came back at 59 I thought I was immune to diabetes. My Mum was one of 13 children, all with heart problems, the boys all T1 and the girls all T2 and 3 girls on insulin, Mum was diagnosed when we'd just lost my Dad so you can imagine the stress she was under. My Brother was also diagnosed T2 but I think as he already had a rare genetic syndrome causing numerous complicated illnesses it wasn't really treated and could well have been T1. So having got well past the age of when my Mum was diagnosed I'd assumed I wouldn't get it. I was lucky to have a super GP who suggested LCHF the best way to go, told me about diabetes.co.uk diet doctor and Dr Unwin, told me to look at the all the information, try LCHF and then have the blood test again in three months. My next test was 49 and I'd lost a stone and apart from my last test both BG and weight have been lower every time. BG up this time but I'm stressed, my GP agrees. I keep to LCHF 90% of the time, some weeks it's 100% and my own testing before and after meals is pretty steady, even when I've completely fallen off the wagon, last night was huge carb fest but BG this morning ok. I can only tell you how I've tackled things, we are all different and what works for one of us may be completely different to someone else.
You are only just beginning your diabetes journey and you've come to the best place I've found for support and how others are travelling on their journeys.
Hang on in there, you will always find someone on here for support and advice and we will do what we can to answer questions.
Sorry that this has taken so long to reply but if you follow the football you will understand! Plus we looked through the window of our new home this afternoon which has been being refurbished and the only apparent progress seemed to be the bucket and mop had moved from one side of the room to the other. It was also so windy I couldn't make the 100 yards to the promenade to look at the waves and the pier, I've never known it so windy.

 

[Flora123]

@Norfolkmell. My GP repeated my Hba1c after a week as they weren’t convinced it was correct (112).

Incidentally it went down considerably a week later, but they were still surprised it was diabetic levels. So LCHF can have very fast results!

 

[Norfolkmell]

@Norfolkmell. My GP repeated my Hba1c after a week as they weren’t convinced it was correct (112).

Incidentally it went down considerably a week later, but they were still surprised it was diabetic levels. So LCHF can have very fast results!

It's amazing how everyone results are so different. Because of my collection of other conditions I choose to stay under about 90 carbs, some days I'm much lower and with just over six and a half stone loss in three and a half years was a much better solution than paying out to slimming world and only losing a stone by yo yoing over the previous four years. I still see people from the meetings and apart from a very few exceptions they haven't maintained their losses and are amazed at mine. Naturally I tell them I did it with LCHF!

 

[Halfhybrid]

Do not despair you are in the right place for support and a huge wealth of personal experience from members here.
I'm not a medical person but I think you need to get your stress levels down, have you discussed it with your GP? I can't understand why they want to repeat the blood test so soon, as I understand it the test gives an average of BG over 3 months so if my maths are right it will show nine or ten previous weeks BG and two or three weeks since the last one so why are they repeating it so soon? You need to ask them why.
Have you been keeping a record of what you've been eating and test results before and two hours after? This should show that you are being proactive in trying to lower your BG.
Birthdays and family meals can be difficult but you cold tell family that you have decided to eat heathy and have been doing some results and try to chose the tastiest to you thing on the menu but pass on the potatoes or rice, say no to the pudding (if you can) as you are looking forward to a small piece of cake later, all perfectly correct with your healthy eating. Hopefully you will be able to take reading before and two hours after to see what effect it has had.
I was completely stressed out when I was diagnosed, I'd only gone for my annual screening for my asthma and blood pressure. I couldn't believe it when it came back at 59 I thought I was immune to diabetes. My Mum was one of 13 children, all with heart problems, the boys all T1 and the girls all T2 and 3 girls on insulin, Mum was diagnosed when we'd just lost my Dad so you can imagine the stress she was under. My Brother was also diagnosed T2 but I think as he already had a rare genetic syndrome causing numerous complicated illnesses it wasn't really treated and could well have been T1. So having got well past the age of when my Mum was diagnosed I'd assumed I wouldn't get it. I was lucky to have a super GP who suggested LCHF the best way to go, told me about diabetes.co.uk diet doctor and Dr Unwin, told me to look at the all the information, try LCHF and then have the blood test again in three months. My next test was 49 and I'd lost a stone and apart from my last test both BG and weight have been lower every time. BG up this time but I'm stressed, my GP agrees. I keep to LCHF 90% of the time, some weeks it's 100% and my own testing before and after meals is pretty steady, even when I've completely fallen off the wagon, last night was huge carb fest but BG this morning ok. I can only tell you how I've tackled things, we are all different and what works for one of us may be completely different to someone else.
You are only just beginning your diabetes journey and you've come to the best place I've found for support and how others are travelling on their journeys.
Hang on in there, you will always find someone on here for support and advice and we will do what we can to answer questions.
Sorry that this has taken so long to reply but if you follow the football you will understand! Plus we looked through the window of our new home this afternoon which has been being refurbished and the only apparent progress seemed to be the bucket and mop had moved from one side of the room to the other. It was also so windy I couldn't make the 100 yards to the promenade to look at the waves and the pier, I've never known it so windy.

Hi NorfolkMell, Being new to this, I don't know how often you should have your bloods retested but a 2 week gap seemed a little soon to me especially as I've had a cold for nearly a week and I understand illness can increase blood sugar levels. It's a bewildering world. The surgery have told me that once I have had the next blood test next week, I need to make an appointment with the nurse to talk through the diagnosis.

Sounds like you have been on a rollercoaster with your T2 journey - not to mention the weather!

 

[Norfolkmell]

Hi Halfhybrid
I would listen to the nurse if/when you see her but take a list of questions for her, like why so quick to re- test, when do they propose to do it again, what can you do to bring it down? What sort of dietary advice can she give and what's the science behind it? Do you need medication or could you try with diet alone for say 12 weeks before they test again? Take a list of your BG readings with you along with which foods you've identified as raising your BG, when you are satisfied that they have given a considered reply, tick it off the list and go on to the next question. I do this with consultants especially so that I really understand what I've been told, later on the list helps remind me what I've been told and if I'm concerned about the answer I can research it. Also because of having more conditions than diabetes I'll ask how the one I have the appointment for interacts with the others. Medication I take for a condition is usually contra indicated with another one. All of my medications are conta indicated with each other my GP and I have spent time and energy getting the mix to work for me, something that worries about moving to a new surgery, and chemist as once they have seen what I'm on they are immediately going to say that one doesn't work with the other. Luckily my GP has put notes on my electronic record explaining what we've tried and rejected in the past and that this works for me.
So be proactive and prepared when/if you go back for results but hopefully you won't need to. How did your birthday go, I hope you had a good time with your family and that you were spoilt rotten.

 

[Halfhybrid]

Hi Halfhybrid
I would listen to the nurse if/when you see her but take a list of questions for her, like why so quick to re- test, when do they propose to do it again, what can you do to bring it down? What sort of dietary advice can she give and what's the science behind it? Do you need medication or could you try with diet alone for say 12 weeks before they test again? Take a list of your BG readings with you along with which foods you've identified as raising your BG, when you are satisfied that they have given a considered reply, tick it off the list and go on to the next question. I do this with consultants especially so that I really understand what I've been told, later on the list helps remind me what I've been told and if I'm concerned about the answer I can research it. Also because of having more conditions than diabetes I'll ask how the one I have the appointment for interacts with the others. Medication I take for a condition is usually contra indicated with another one. All of my medications are conta indicated with each other my GP and I have spent time and energy getting the mix to work for me, something that worries about moving to a new surgery, and chemist as once they have seen what I'm on they are immediately going to say that one doesn't work with the other. Luckily my GP has put notes on my electronic record explaining what we've tried and rejected in the past and that this works for me.
So be proactive and prepared when/if you go back for results but hopefully you won't need to. How did your birthday go, I hope you had a good time with your family and that you were spoilt rotten.

Hi, yes I'm not sure why they are re-testing so soon after the last one. As I understand it, HBCA1 (have I got the letters the right way round?) indicates BG levels over the last 3 months so I don't see how it would be any different after only 2 weeks, especially when I've had a cold for over a week. I mentioned the cold to the nurse last week but she didn't think it would make much, if any, difference to the potential result.

Since I was confirmed, I can't stop thinking about it. It feels like life will never be normal again. What worries me is that if I stop thinking about it all the time, I might take my eye off the ball again like I obviously did when I had prediabetes. I just stopped thinking about it because I had a house move on plus the aftermath etc and so I guess I just didn't keep on top of what I was eating and my weight. How on earth do you stop thinking and worrying about it??

 

[Norfolkmell]

It's not easy but it is doable, the information and the support of everyone on here will help and gradually you will realise that this is your new normal. It's just another stage of life you have to get your head around. Moving house is up high in the lists of new normals, along with divorce and loss. The acceptance doesn't happen overnight but for diabetes there is this huge resource here with everyone rooting for you. No question ignored no question deemed silly, someone will have gone through the same process of you. All of us have had to get to grips with diagnosis, in my case with more than just diabetes of all my myriad of conditions diabetes has been the easiest to handle as most of it is in my hands to get on an even keel. With the other conditions I am mostly controlled by medications of numerous sorts to take several times a day, some with food, some before, some after. The only real control I have over this can be whether I take 6 or 8 pain relief tablets in a day, 2 or 3 anti depressants. Whereas diabetes how you handle up is up to you, research all you can, don't believe any claims until you find independent confirmation, look around the forums, input isn't necessary but if you do have a question put it out there I can guarantee someone will have faced the same or similar and will be happy to tell you how they faced it.
Not everyone on here follow LCHF not everybody tests before and two hours after eating, but whatever you choose to do someone else here will be doing it.
Having lived with a family history of diabetes and the information my Mum and her siblings had access to its no wonder they couldn't stick to the diet, had complications and ending up on insulin. I've had the resources of my GP, this site and diet doctor plus my partner and my friends.
The control of your BG is in your hands, it will go down as will your weight but it will happen at your pace because you are you not someone else. There is no right or wrong way to handle diabetes but for me my new normal is test before test after write down what I've eaten differently and the effect it has on my BG. I'll do this several times before I decide whether the results make eating what I did worth it. The odd slice of toast, yes, the odd banana no, the odd Apple yes but my answers will be most likely be different to yours. But whatever you decide it has to be the right decision for you and it won't be the wrong decision if it isn't the same as everyone else.

 

[Halfhybrid]

It's not easy but it is doable, the information and the support of everyone on here will help and gradually you will realise that this is your new normal. It's just another stage of life you have to get your head around. Moving house is up high in the lists of new normals, along with divorce and loss. The acceptance doesn't happen overnight but for diabetes there is this huge resource here with everyone rooting for you. No question ignored no question deemed silly, someone will have gone through the same process of you. All of us have had to get to grips with diagnosis, in my case with more than just diabetes of all my myriad of conditions diabetes has been the easiest to handle as most of it is in my hands to get on an even keel. With the other conditions I am mostly controlled by medications of numerous sorts to take several times a day, some with food, some before, some after. The only real control I have over this can be whether I take 6 or 8 pain relief tablets in a day, 2 or 3 anti depressants. Whereas diabetes how you handle up is up to you, research all you can, don't believe any claims until you find independent confirmation, look around the forums, input isn't necessary but if you do have a question put it out there I can guarantee someone will have faced the same or similar and will be happy to tell you how they faced it.
Not everyone on here follow LCHF not everybody tests before and two hours after eating, but whatever you choose to do someone else here will be doing it.
Having lived with a family history of diabetes and the information my Mum and her siblings had access to its no wonder they couldn't stick to the diet, had complications and ending up on insulin. I've had the resources of my GP, this site and diet doctor plus my partner and my friends.
The control of your BG is in your hands, it will go down as will your weight but it will happen at your pace because you are you not someone else. There is no right or wrong way to handle diabetes but for me my new normal is test before test after write down what I've eaten differently and the effect it has on my BG. I'll do this several times before I decide whether the results make eating what I did worth it. The odd slice of toast, yes, the odd banana no, the odd Apple yes but my answers will be most likely be different to yours. But whatever you decide it has to be the right decision for you and it won't be the wrong decision if it isn't the same as everyone else.

Hi, "Another stage of life" puts a new perspective on it. It will be a lonely journey outside of this website as I won't be able to talk about to family/friends but what you say about help and advice from people on the site is reassuring, thank you. I am also on several medications for other conditions like asthma and osteoarthritis painkillers. The medical people have not mentioned any potential interactions or effect on blood sugar as the focus seems to be almost 100% on diet and movement to a lesser extent. I already have a BS testing kit but I do get confused about what it tells me. I tested my post prandial level twice last night and 10 minutes after the first (which was a high 9.5), the second one said 10.5. How accurate are these things?

 

[Deleted member 308541]

How accurate are these things?

± 15% is the norm.

 

[jjraak]

Hi @Halfhybrid

some wonderful answers on here, so i'll leave that alone,

BUT having had asthma since 11..now 60,
i did find that surprisingly the asthma symptoms reduced considerably, now I've gone Low carb
Asthma check other day, nurse quite impressed by improvement and breath test score,
mentioned the low carb and lack of symptoms, popped my bubble a little bit by saying it might have been the loss of weight,
down from 17 st to 13 st+..so either way a WIN,
but if i'm honest i still thinks it's the low carb

On a side note, i went through a real wretched spell of joint aches, tendonitis (wrist), tennis elbow, swollen knees, dodgy ankles, at one point i had a stick, to help me bear the weight on my knee , almost every month another joint issue

all just getting older i thought...since low carbing (15 months) none of that has come back..weird.

Now it's not arthritis, but i does to me signal that for me, the inflammation, caused by my previous diet of many, many years was causing issues and now the change in diet has done SOMETHING to make it vastly reduced.

can't guarantee it for you , sadly.
but if you try LCHF, and stick with it, it might be worth just keeping a eye out for,
(nurse could be right it IS the weight loss, who knows for sure)

either way it took me by surprise how well i got.
I pray the same can happen for you.

 

[Norfolkmell]

Hi, "Another stage of life" puts a new perspective on it. It will be a lonely journey outside of this website as I won't be able to talk about to family/friends but what you say about help and advice from people on the site is reassuring, thank you. I am also on several medications for other conditions like asthma and osteoarthritis painkillers. The medical people have not mentioned any potential interactions or effect on blood sugar as the focus seems to be almost 100% on diet and movement to a lesser extent. I already have a BS testing kit but I do get confused about what it tells me. I tested my post prandial level twice last night and 10 minutes after the first (which was a high 9.5), the second one said 10.5. How accurate are these things?

You should have a test kit that came with it to check that's it's correct, what you can do is take it with you when you go for your next test, get them to do a finger prick and test on their meter and use yours at the same time, I've done this a couple of times and we always come up with the same result, and I know that the surgery tests their meter regularly. How long after eating did you take the first reading? I know when I started testing if I thought it was too high I'd wait 10-15 minutes and do it again but my GP told me not to stress and because I worried that sent it up a bit. He also told me not to panic unless it went over 15 so when I got a 14.8 I didn't tested another hour later and it was down to 9 and eventually down to 5.
My GP has never told me to exercise more but despite being in a wheelchair most of the time I've started some seated exercises from my audio therapist and where my step counter would struggle to get over the 900 I'm now regularly over 1600 and odd days over 3000. Trouble is when I have a very bad day and don't put it on it still expects me to do at least 2500 the next day, but it's a good incentive.
I worry that you say you can't tell your friends, do you not have one friend that could be relied upon? Have a think and see if you do.
You can always private message me if you need or want to.

 

[Norfolkmell]

Hi @Halfhybrid

some wonderful answrs on here, so i'll leave that alone,

BUT having had asthma since 11..now 60,
i did find that surprisingly the asthma symptoms reduced considerably, now I've gone Low carb
Asthma check other day, nurse quite impressed by improvement and breath test score,
mentioned the low carb and lack of symptoms, popped my bubble a little bit by saying it might have been the loss of weight,
down from 17 st to 13 st+..so either way a WIN,
but if i'm honest i still thinks it's the low carb

On a side note, i went through a real wretched spell of joint aches, tendonitis (wrist), tennis elbow, swollen knees, dodgy ankles, at one point i had a stick, to help me bear the weight on my knee , almost every month another joint issue

all just getting older i thought...since low carbing (15 months) none of that has come back..weird.

Now it's not arthritis, but i does to me signal that for me, the inflammation, caused by my previous diet of many, many years was causing issues and now the change in diet has done SOMETHING to make it vastly reduced.

can't guarantee it for you , sadly.
but if you try LCHF, and stick with it, it might be worth just keeping a eye out for,
(nurse could be right it IS the weight loss, who knows for sure)

either way it took me by surprise how well i got.
I pray the same can happen for you.

My asthma has got worse since I started LCHF by my GP put it down to getting older and going from full time crutch user to 90% wheelchair user and this year stress levels have been even worse than when I was working. But I know that for me LCHF is the only way that works for me weight wise as I'm still losing even when my hba1c rose. LCHF rocks!

 

[jjraak]

My asthma has got worse since I started LCHF by my GP put it down to getting older and going from full time crutch user to 90% wheelchair user and this year stress levels have been even worse than when I was working. But I know that for me LCHF is the only way that works for me weight wise as I'm still losing even when my hba1c rose. LCHF rocks!

aw, sorry it didn't copy my route.

wasn't sure to put hug, for no joy OR like for the LCHf weight loss, decisions, decisions..

Hoping the weight loss helps stabilise the HBA1c, and you find some other benefits in future from this WOE.

best of luck.

 

[Halfhybrid]

You should have a test kit that came with it to check that's it's correct, what you can do is take it with you when you go for your next test, get them to do a finger prick and test on their meter and use yours at the same time, I've done this a couple of times and we always come up with the same result, and I know that the surgery tests their meter regularly. How long after eating did you take the first reading? I know when I started testing if I thought it was too high I'd wait 10-15 minutes and do it again but my GP told me not to stress and because I worried that sent it up a bit. He also told me not to panic unless it went over 15 so when I got a 14.8 I didn't tested another hour later and it was down to 9 and eventually down to 5.
My GP has never told me to exercise more but despite being in a wheelchair most of the time I've started some seated exercises from my audio therapist and where my step counter would struggle to get over the 900 I'm now regularly over 1600 and odd days over 3000. Trouble is when I have a very bad day and don't put it on it still expects me to do at least 2500 the next day, but it's a good incentive.
I worry that you say you can't tell your friends, do you not have one friend that could be relied upon? Have a think and see if you do.
You can always private message me if you need or want to.

I just feel that whoever I tell will be judgemental - perhaps justifiably so - but it would only make me feel worse about the situation so it's best to keep it to myself.

One thing I don't understand - I had a carb free meal last night: meatloaf made with lamb mince, onion and seasoning along with home-made coleslaw made with Chinese leaf, apple, onion and carrot with mayonnaise mix, followed by an apple. Test BG after 2 hours and it was over 10! I don't understand - what went wrong?

 

[bulkbiker]

a carb free meal last night

apple

carbs

onion

carbs

carrot

carbs

followed by an apple

more carbs

At this early stage until you start emptying your glucose stores adding carbs in won't be helping much.

 

[Halfhybrid]

carbs
carbs
carbs
more carbs

At this early stage until you start emptying your glucose stores adding carbs in won't be helping much.

Those things are all carbs???? OMG, what is there left to eat without getting scurvy?