Just another newbie...!

Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Other
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Insulin
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Hypos! Chocolate withdrawal....
Hi,

I'm Kirsty from sunny sunny England and I'm a diabetic. (Sounds like I'm at an AA meeting!)

I don't have a 'Standard' type of Diabeties, mines steriod induced Diabeties. I have been on steroids and other medicines for so long that I don't really produce much insulin anymore, what I do produce I'm fairly resistant to so I'm treated pretty much as a Type 1, on MDI of basal/bolus insulin. As well as Diabeties I have a severe form of asthma which doesn't respond to standard treatment, hence the steroids and subsequent Diabeties! It's all complicated but basically my body is pretty rubbish and doesn't work properly!

I am a student studying English Literature in Cambridge, I would like to become an English teacher at the end of it all. I'm a big fan of music aswell and play far too many instruments for my own good - its really a very expensive hobby.... My poor bank balance takes a regular bash in!

Anyway, I don't really know what else to say - except I am looking forwards to chatting with you all.

Bye for now,
Kirsty.
 

daisy1

Legend
Messages
26,457
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Cruelty towards animals.
Hi Kirsty and welcome to the forum :)

Here is the information we give to new members and I hope you will find it helpful. Ask as many questions as you like as there is always someone who will be able to help.


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 30,000 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

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes ... rains.html

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

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.
 

GraceK

Well-Known Member
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Hello Twinkle and welcome ... what a lovely, chirpy, bright and vibrant introduction you've made. You seem to be a woman who knows what she wants to achieve and is determined to achieve it.

You love music and play lots of instruments - so tell us what you play and what kind of music you like. I'd love to hear more about your music.

I became interested in harmonics and healing through music because I've been greatly affected positively and negatively, mentally and physically by certaintypes of music in the past and began to realise that certain vibrations can heal or harm us and that each of our organs resonates at a different frequency and so when we listen to music, particularly of an aggressive nature, it can actually affect us physically.

Also the spine is similar to piano keys in that each vertebrae corresponds to a musical note which is why we experience chills up and down our spine and goosepimples when we 'hear' music. We're actually responding to the vibrations and that response registers in the body.

Here are a couple of websites you might find interesting :)

http://www.songofthespine.com/Song_of_t ... /Book.html

http://www.vortexmaps.com/harmonic-sounds.php

http://educate-yourself.org/pnl/solfeggio01dec06.shtml
 
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Hypos! Chocolate withdrawal....
Thank you for your kind words and welcome!

I decided that I could either mope around feeling sorry for myself and not live, or stay positive and live the life I want to live. Sadly my health is very unstable and if I'm not in hospital I'm waiting for something to force me back in! For that reason I receive high rates of DLA and ESA, and I could live off of benefits all my life but I want more! I want to be a teacher, and I will do my best to achieve that!

I play the flute, violin, cello, clarinet, saxophone and guitar. I also play the recorder and piano rather poorly! I like all sorts of music, jazz, pop, classical - anything so I play a wide range of music.
 
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Hypos! Chocolate withdrawal....
Oh, and thanks for the links, I'm having a browse now :))
 

diy6530

Newbie
Messages
3
" Your Lucky " to get the high rate of dla,.....I only recive the lowest of dla and have been for numberous of years as I suffer from diabetic typ 2, CPDO on my lungs, Rhymatoiad arthrities on my lower limbs and artyhrities on my upper limbs, also I am epileptic grandmal I have high blood pressure and poor eyes sight as well I suffer greatly with my kidneys not funcationing properly or filtering and not giving myself the protien that my body needs as well too I suffer from asthma,....and I Have 3 spinal slip discs and and high blood pressure and Diabetic retinophy , and you ask for more money from dla ???? I only get £65.00 pounds a week to live on and reviewd my claim many of times etc and still they claim I am not ill enough to recive the highest rate further more by law I am not allowed to drive or use a scooter etc because of my epilepsy and my mobility needs are more serious than others who claim dla when their is hardly anything wrong with them ,..........makes myself sick when people get more than others so you may wish to think what you have been given before asking for more think about other people that are worst off first than your self ,........
 

diy6530

Newbie
Messages
3
Hi :wave: TwinkleToesKirsty

I wonder if you can help myself some time please email myself at [email protected] or add myself to your messenger would like to chat with you on certain forums that you have put down on here as well also would like to pick your brains too hope to hear from you soon ,......

Take care

diy6530
 

diy6530

Newbie
Messages
3
TwinkleToesKirsty said:
Hi,

I'm Kirsty from sunny sunny England and I'm a diabetic. (Sounds like I'm at an AA meeting!)

I don't have a 'Standard' type of Diabeties, mines steriod induced Diabeties. I have been on steroids and other medicines for so long that I don't really produce much insulin anymore, what I do produce I'm fairly resistant to so I'm treated pretty much as a Type 1, on MDI of basal/bolus insulin. As well as Diabeties I have a severe form of asthma which doesn't respond to standard treatment, hence the steroids and subsequent Diabeties! It's all complicated but basically my body is pretty rubbish and doesn't work properly!

I am a student studying English Literature in Cambridge, I would like to become an English teacher at the end of it all. I'm a big fan of music aswell and play far too many instruments for my own good - its really a very expensive hobby.... My poor bank balance takes a regular bash in!

Anyway, I don't really know what else to say - except I am looking forwards to chatting with you all.

Bye for now,
Kirsty.
hi can you email me at [email protected] would like to pick your brains thanks ,...........
 

Finzi

Well-Known Member
Messages
366
diy6530 said:
" Your Lucky " to get the high rate of dla,.....I only recive the lowest of dla and have been for numberous of years as I suffer from diabetic typ 2, CPDO on my lungs, Rhymatoiad arthrities on my lower limbs and artyhrities on my upper limbs, also I am epileptic grandmal I have high blood pressure and poor eyes sight as well I suffer greatly with my kidneys not funcationing properly or filtering and not giving myself the protien that my body needs as well too I suffer from asthma,....and I Have 3 spinal slip discs and and high blood pressure and Diabetic retinophy , and you ask for more money from dla ???? I only get £65.00 pounds a week to live on and reviewd my claim many of times etc and still they claim I am not ill enough to recive the highest rate further more by law I am not allowed to drive or use a scooter etc because of my epilepsy and my mobility needs are more serious than others who claim dla when their is hardly anything wrong with them ,..........makes myself sick when people get more than others so you may wish to think what you have been given before asking for more think about other people that are worst off first than your self ,........

Wow, Kirsty "makes you sick" but then you want her to chat with you and give you advice? <blinks>

It sounds like you have a lot of very unpleasant medical conditions, but as I'm sure you know, to get HRM DLA you have to be "virtually unable to walk". There is no lesser degree of mobility that counts - lower rate mobility is for people that can walk but need to be supervised (eg blind, cognitively impaired). Kidney disease, COPD, arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, retinopathy, bad back are not conditions that "entitle" you to DLA - you get HRMDLA if you can't walk - end of.

It is very unfortunate that your epilepsy means that you can't drive. I would recheck the advice about the scooter - while I am sure you would not be allowed to use a road scooter, I am not sure the same applies to the smaller scooters that can't be used on main roads (ie only on pavements).


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GraceK

Well-Known Member
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Big cities
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Finzi said:
diy6530 said:
" Your Lucky " to get the high rate of dla,.....I only recive the lowest of dla and have been for numberous of years as I suffer from diabetic typ 2, CPDO on my lungs, Rhymatoiad arthrities on my lower limbs and artyhrities on my upper limbs, also I am epileptic grandmal I have high blood pressure and poor eyes sight as well I suffer greatly with my kidneys not funcationing properly or filtering and not giving myself the protien that my body needs as well too I suffer from asthma,....and I Have 3 spinal slip discs and and high blood pressure and Diabetic retinophy , and you ask for more money from dla ???? I only get £65.00 pounds a week to live on and reviewd my claim many of times etc and still they claim I am not ill enough to recive the highest rate further more by law I am not allowed to drive or use a scooter etc because of my epilepsy and my mobility needs are more serious than others who claim dla when their is hardly anything wrong with them ,..........makes myself sick when people get more than others so you may wish to think what you have been given before asking for more think about other people that are worst off first than your self ,........

Wow, Kirsty "makes you sick" but then you want her to chat with you and give you advice? <blinks>

It sounds like you have a lot of very unpleasant medical conditions, but as I'm sure you know, to get HRM DLA you have to be "virtually unable to walk". There is no lesser degree of mobility that counts - lower rate mobility is for people that can walk but need to be supervised (eg blind, cognitively impaired). Kidney disease, COPD, arthritis, diabetes, epilepsy, high blood pressure, retinopathy, bad back are not conditions that "entitle" you to DLA - you get HRMDLA if you can't walk - end of.

It is very unfortunate that your epilepsy means that you can't drive. I would recheck the advice about the scooter - while I am sure you would not be allowed to use a road scooter, I am not sure the same applies to the smaller scooters that can't be used on main roads (ie only on pavements).


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With all due respect I do think the DLA rules should be changed where 'walking' is concerned. There are many reasons why a person may be unable to walk, and it's not always because they have a limb missing etc. There are people who can only walk very short distances due to breathing problems, balance problems, arthritis, incontinence, epilepsy etc. and although technically they may be able to stand on two feet it may take them all day to get to the bottom of the garden, it may be extremely painful, nauseating, humiliating, terrifying even - and THAT'S what should be taken into account when assessing a person's level of disability.

We see athletes fitted with false legs who can sprint and run marathons and good luck to them if they can do that and lead a fairly normal life. But there are those whose normal life and daily activities are 'constantly interrupted' by pain, incontinence, seizures, dizziness but somehow that kind of disability seems to not be so visible. I suffered with Meniere's Disease for several years. I was afraid to walk for the simple reason that I never knew when an attack would come on and I would end up bouncing all over the place. If anyone has seen the Poseidon Adventure where the ship turns upside down, that's what a Meniere's attack is like, the person cannot get their balance, cannot stand up, constantly falls over because the world around them is constantly spinning. I developed agoraphobia due to that, I had more falls than I care to remember, I was constantly nauseous and throwing up, I was completely deaf in one or both ears for months and then suddenly my hearing would return - but I wasn't considered physically disabled enough to claim anything. Why? Because those who make these decisions are not qualified or competent enough to understand the true ramifications of these 'not very visible' medical conditions. As usual, broken or missing limbs can be SEEN, therefore the disability is deemed more serious but truly without minimising the problems that amputees may have, there are many, many people out there whose daily lives are a total misery because of disabilities that aren't as obvious as having a missing limb.

And the financial impact, the impact on their working lives is very very overlooked. Try going to work with Meniere's for example - Deafness. Nausea. Sudden loudness when hearing returns. Can't stand up. Fall over. Bounce off walls. Roll around on floor. Vomit. Room around you constantly spinning. Safer to lie on the floor. Hmmm ... daily activities - capable of none. What do most people actually know about Meniere's? Zilch. Most people including DLA and ATOS ask you questions like "And how does your Meniere's affect your hearing?" The balance problem and the fact a person can't even stand up is hardly acknowledged if at all - it's minimised.

I'm lucky in that my Meniere's burned itself out and my hearing and balance have returned to what I'd think is a little less than normal for my age, but livable with. But when I had it, I had it for several years before anyone realised what it was, they just thought I was getting doddery and falling over for no reason until I woke up in the night feeling sick, tried to get out of bed and found the room was spinning so rapidly that I couldn't stand up. The damage I did to myself bouncing off the walls and floor and furniture was incredible. Even my GP didn't realise the extent that a Meniere's attack can affect your life. I was actually asked had I been drinking!!! :x

I wish.
 

Finzi

Well-Known Member
Messages
366
Oh I quite agree. And I would have no problem awarding DLA to somebody with Meniere's, if it was causing them that many problems. Can't speak for ATOS - they're a law unto themselves but it doesn't surprise me. But none of that is Kirsty's fault, which is why I felt the poster's attitude was unfair.


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Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Other
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Hypos! Chocolate withdrawal....
Crazily enough, I've only just read that post, due to being MIA for a while!

How dare you say that I make you sick. You don't know hardly anything about me. I'm not saying that I'm worse off than all others but I get what I get because I am actually very unwell, and obviously receive HR because I need it.

I'm sorry that you have so many health problems, but if you want to play the who's got it worse game, then I'm not interested, I'm not lucky enough to have a life expectancy above 40 so I don't have time to waste.

I wasn't saying I want more money anyway. If you read what I said I was saying that I want more for myself than a life on benefits, and I want to be a teacher.


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Mazzer

Well-Known Member
Messages
282
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Crazily enough, I've only just read that post, due to being MIA for a while!

How dare you say that I make you sick. You don't know hardly anything about me. I'm not saying that I'm worse off than all others but I get what I get because I am actually very unwell, and obviously receive HR because I need it.

I'm sorry that you have so many health problems, but if you want to play the who's got it worse game, then I'm not interested, I'm not lucky enough to have a life expectancy above 40 so I don't have time to waste.

I wasn't saying I want more money anyway. If you read what I said I was saying that I want more for myself than a life on benefits, and I want to be a teacher.


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Hi Kirsty, welcome to the forum. Well said, you are a very bubbly and happy go lucky individual despite your problems and I admire your determination to become a teacher.

Most of us are lovely people, who only want to help others and share information, so I hope you haven't been put off by that post. Keep posting and let us know how your are getting on and if you have any questions please ask.

Take care

Marilyn x
 

Mazzer

Well-Known Member
Messages
282
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Hi Kirsty, lovely to meet you too. I have been T2 diabetic since February this year, so fairly new and still in the trial and error stage, however, I have learned so much from this site.

I have no family history of diabetes, I felt very isolated and scared when first diagnosed and eventually plucked up the courage to join this Forum., and really glad I did. I am now much more confident about dealing with this condition having received so much excellent advice from the other members on here.

It is really nice being able to talk to people in the same boat and share information. You sound really bubbly and positive about your future and hope you achieve your goal of becoming an English Teacher.

Take care

Marilyn x
 
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jack412

Expert
Messages
5,618
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
See your dr, you may still need to treat the IR with 2000 metformin and a reduced carb diet as well as the insulin. Or you may find you have to keep increasing the dose of insulin
 

gfmoore

Well-Known Member
Messages
354
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Welcome Kirsty, looking forward to your input and contributions. We get a lot of support from each other on this forum. I have to say it's probably one of the nicest forums I've ever been on, I think you were unfortunate earlier, It's the first time I've seen that sort of thing.

Probably best not to give out email addresses on a forum, do it privately and only then if you are very sure. Most of us say what we want publicly There are lots of creeps out there in the interweb and some unfortunately want to cause trouble wherever they can. You can get a good initial idea of people from the likes people get and/or number of posts.

As an ex school teacher (and there's quite a few on here) you will find the same warning applies to giving personal info to kids - don't. (I have been in teacher education too lol)

Are you wanting to teach little uns or big uns?
So let us know what books you recommend - there's a kindle thread going and I for one am starting to build up my summer reading list from there. - There'll be trouble if the recommended book aren't any good mind :)

How are you dealing with your diabetes now, are you having any issues?

Anyway, enjoy the forum and all the best to you.