Confused

[SlayerKat]

Hi I'm new here and have been reading lots of threads. I had a routine blood test arranged by my GP because I've been tired all the time and not sleeping. I phoned through for my results and was told everything was normal apart from test for diabetes showed borderline. And they made me an appointment to see a nurse in 4 weeks time. When I came away from the phonecall I assumed she meant prediabetes as in borderline. But out of curiosity I bought a monitor as I have been prediabetic before (5 years ago) and successfully reversed this with diet and exercise. However having checked my numbers for past few days I was really shocked to find I am 7.3 mmol after fasting and I have never had a reading below 6.9. These numbers fall within the realm of actual diabetes don't they? Not just prediabetes. So when she said I was borderline I wondered if she meant I was borderline diabetes not borderline prediabetes. Am I making sense? lol
I was really surprised that they made me an appointment for 4 weeks time when this is quite serious. Or is it not that serious? I'm so confused. I have all the symptoms of type 2 and I feel so unwell. I need help. I am already trying to change my diet and exercise I have been for a while so I hope to see a difference soon anyway. Thank you for reading my rambles.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi I'm new here and have been reading lots of threads. I had a routine blood test arranged by my GP because I've been tired all the time and not sleeping. I phoned through for my results and was told everything was normal apart from test for diabetes showed borderline. And they made me an appointment to see a nurse in 4 weeks time. When I came away from the phonecall I assumed she meant prediabetes as in borderline. But out of curiosity I bought a monitor as I have been prediabetic before (5 years ago) and successfully reversed this with diet and exercise. However having checked my numbers for past few days I was really shocked to find I am 7.3 mmol after fasting and I have never had a reading below 6.9. These numbers fall within the realm of actual diabetes don't they? Not just prediabetes. So when she said I was borderline I wondered if she meant I was borderline diabetes not borderline prediabetes. Am I making sense? lol
I was really surprised that they made me an appointment for 4 weeks time when this is quite serious. Or is it not that serious? I'm so confused. I have all the symptoms of type 2 and I feel so unwell. I need help. I am already trying to change my diet and exercise I have been for a while so I hope to see a difference soon anyway. Thank you for reading my rambles.

Can you test around your meals? A fasting blood glucose if affected by dawn phenomenon, and while the numbers don't look particularly good, (sorry!) the most important bit is what your blood sugars are doing around meals. Test before a meal and 2 hours after the first bite, that'll tell you loads. But yeah, it may be time to brace yourself a little. There's no way to tell what she may have meant, but can you log in over at your practice's lab results and check what your HbA1c was? Or call back and get a number? It'd be quite helpful to know where you are right now.

You came back from prediabetes once, it could be quite possible to do it again. Cut carbs, and go from there. https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/blog-entry/the-nutritional-thingy.2330/ should help, but if you want to list the things you eat and drink every day we could help you sort something out as well. Whatever you wish.

Good luck eh.
Jo

 

[Resurgam]

All my adult life I could never cope with carbohydrates, was never happier than when I found Dr Atkins New Diet Revolution. It took until I was 65 to diagnose full blown diabetes, but I suspect that I would never have got so bad if I'd been left to eat the low carb way I had settled on.
Maybe you will need to be careful about the carbs you eat each day - but at least you have been detected early - just a few changes - possibly permanent ones - could slide you back into normal numbers.

 

[SlayerKat]

Thank you so much for your quick reply Jo. I will call GP again and ask for the actual results.

I eat rubbish every day. I'm trying my best but I'm depressed and constantly comfort eating. 2 years ago I was running marathons and since covid I hurt my knee and have been household for nearly 18 months. Only just getting out about again after an operation last month. I feel totally deflated.

Re daytime numbers say for example I was 8.4mml before a meal and 6mml 2 hours later. What does that actually mean? Thank you

 

[Resurgam]

@SlayerKat It means that your meal was something you can deal with easily.
I make myself stews - pack of chopped beef, pack of frozen veges, stuff from the fridge plus gravy from previous cooking, simmer gently for a while, or bubble and squeak made with swede rather than potato, real comfort foods for Autumn, and still low carb.
When my joints were painful I found that using Nordic walking poles took a lot of the stress away, I could walk more confidently, go further even on the rutted pavements - I increased my distances far faster than I ever expected once I had the poles to steady me.

 

[SlayerKat]

@SlayerKat It means that your meal was something you can deal with easily.
I make myself stews - pack of chopped beef, pack of frozen veges, stuff from the fridge plus gravy from previous cooking, simmer gently for a while, or bubble and squeak made with swede rather than potato, real comfort foods for Autumn, and still low carb.
When my joints were painful I found that using Nordic walking poles took a lot of the stress away, I could walk more confidently, go further even on the rutted pavements - I increased my distances far faster than I ever expected once I had the poles to steady me.

Thank you so much. I have early osteoarthritis and had loose bones removed from my knee. My body is a bit of a mess !

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you so much for your quick reply Jo. I will call GP again and ask for the actual results.

I eat rubbish every day. I'm trying my best but I'm depressed and constantly comfort eating. 2 years ago I was running marathons and since covid I hurt my knee and have been household for nearly 18 months. Only just getting out about again after an operation last month. I feel totally deflated.

Re daytime numbers say for example I was 8.4mml before a meal and 6mml 2 hours later. What does that actually mean? Thank you

Well, if you're eating rubbish, then that leaves room for improvement. Which I'd consider a good thing. Better to be able to pinpoint something and be able to tackle it, than not find any clues as to what to do. Being 8,4 mmol/l and going to 6.0 mmol/l is actually pretty good. You're aiming of a rise of no more than 2.0 mmol/l, between the first test and the second test, and the second was lower than where you started out...! That's excellent. (Unless of course, the meal was pizza. That does strange things to the metabolically impaired. ).

If we put a dime in a pot for every person who comes in here saying covid triggered depression and comfort-eating, we'd have made a very nice nest egg indeed. It happened to a LOT of people, yours truly included. Except that I took comfort in low carb foods that just upped my weight. (More fats than I reasonably needed. That's back to good now though, which did take a while). So you're not the first to say that, certainly won't be the last either, and the bravest thing to do is recognise it happened, dust yourself off, and start over. And it kind of sounds like that's exactly what you're doing, so good on you! Especially with the osteoarthritis & surgery and all in the mix, you've had quite a bit on your plate. That also makes it a little hard to prioritise your blood sugars and healthy eating. Take it a day at a time, and let us know if there's anything we can do: sort through meals or whatever.

 

[SlayerKat]

Well, if you're eating rubbish, then that leaves room for improvement. Which I'd consider a good thing. Better to be able to pinpoint something and be able to tackle it, than not find any clues as to what to do. Being 8,4 mmol/l and going to 6.0 mmol/l is actually pretty good. You're aiming of a rise of no more than 2.0 mmol/l, between the first test and the second test, and the second was lower than where you started out...! That's excellent. (Unless of course, the meal was pizza. That does strange things to the metabolically impaired. ).

If we put a dime in a pot for every person who comes in here saying covid triggered depression and comfort-eating, we'd have made a very nice nest egg indeed. It happened to a LOT of people, yours truly included. Except that I took comfort in low carb foods that just upped my weight. (More fats than I reasonably needed. That's back to good now though, which did take a while). So you're not the first to say that, certainly won't be the last either, and the bravest thing to do is recognise it happened, dust yourself off, and start over. And it kind of sounds like that's exactly what you're doing, so good on you! Especially with the osteoarthritis & surgery and all in the mix, you've had quite a bit on your plate. That also makes it a little hard to prioritise your blood sugars and healthy eating. Take it a day at a time, and let us know if there's anything we can do: sort through meals or whatever.

Thank you so much. Your advice is invaluable and I appreciate it.

 

[SlayerKat]

There's no way to tell what she may have meant, but can you log in over at your practice's lab results and check what your HbA1c was? Or call back and get a number? It'd be quite helpful to know where you are right now.

They gave me the number 44 does that mean anything to you? I'm assuming this is prediabetes?

 

[Resurgam]

@SlayerKat That is most likely your Hba1c, or glycated haemoglobin for long - that is very close to the top of the normal range - with any luck you could be in normal numbers by your next test.
You are right in the middle of the prediabetic range, which is 41 to 47.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

They gave me the number 44 does that mean anything to you? I'm assuming this is prediabetes?

That's a prediabetic HbA1c! Yay, that's easily fixed! Just cut down on the carbs some and you should improve those numbers right quick.

 

[SlayerKat]

That's a prediabetic HbA1c! Yay, that's easily fixed! Just cut down on the carbs some and you should improve those numbers right quick.

Really helpful. Thank you. I'll let you know how I get on in a few weeks time.

 

[SlayerKat]

@SlayerKat That is most likely your Hba1c, or glycated haemoglobin for long - that is very close to the top of the normal range - with any luck you could be in normal numbers by your next test.
You are right in the middle of the prediabetic range, which is 41 to 47.

Thank you.!

 

[Impoftheyard]

I totally get the eating rubbish bit from feeling depressed - it's especially hard when joint pain stops you from exercising. That's also the situation for me. I also got a recent prediabetic HB a1c and then when I checked my own blood glucose had very similar readings to you. I've found a lot of information here and I've found that regular checking of my blood glucose through the day has helped me a lot with avoiding the foods that affect me badly. I also found that many of my readings were more in the full diabetes range when I tested them - 11.1 after eating a small amount of pasta. I've found that since working on lowering my blood sugar even without startling results in terms of blood glucose, I have way more energy and feel a lot better. Good luck. There is a wealth of information on these pages, Irene x

 

[SlayerKat]

I totally get the eating rubbish bit from feeling depressed - it's especially hard when joint pain stops you from exercising. That's also the situation for me. I also got a recent prediabetic HB a1c and then when I checked my own blood glucose had very similar readings to you. I've found a lot of information here and I've found that regular checking of my blood glucose through the day has helped me a lot with avoiding the foods that affect me badly. I also found that many of my readings were more in the full diabetes range when I tested them - 11.1 after eating a small amount of pasta. I've found that since working on lowering my blood sugar even without startling results in terms of blood glucose, I have way more energy and feel a lot better. Good luck. There is a wealth of information on these pages, Irene x

Thank you Irene. I spoke to my diabetic nurse and she felt my monitor was not reliable. She also said that my handcreams/wash/wipes etc could be interfering with my readings even though I'm really careful. :***: