1 week in.

[Pulley_]

Hi there,

7 days of endless research and finally somewhere I can find real life information that doesn't seem contradictory.

I was diagnosed with diabetes out of the blue last Wednesday. The doctor is convinced I am type 1, the nurses believe type 2. I am waiting on the blood test to be certain. Unfortunately I have absolutely no clue as to my hba1c number.

I have been prescribed 12 units of levermir once a day, 500g metformin once a day and the lowest amount of gliclizide once a day. I test my bloods 5 times a day but have had to do a few extras when I have thought I'm edging towards a hypo (my readings then are anything from 8-10)

The nurse has said I'm not a "typical" case (but as I am finding out on here, "typical" doesn't necessarily exist) I am not especially overweight and the symptoms I had experienced were extreme tiredness, increased visits to the loo and thirst. I didn't experience anything particularly bad and had only mentioned the tiredness to the gp to understand if my anxiety meds would make me lethargic.

At my initial appointment last week I was told I was going to feel "much better" which I felt was perhaps a little optimistic considering I didn't feel bad - but my god I feel worse. I have headaches the whole day (trusty nurofen is failing me) I pop in and out of light headedness and the only way I can describe the lethargy I feel is to compare my body to a huge lump of heavy goo that can't do anything.

My readings have reduced but bounce between 8 and 14 most days (from reading a few threads on here I feel this is paradise to some) my initial readings last week we're 16-18.

I have embraced my diagnosis as a positive enforced "get healthy" and have left my life of 2 sugar teas with gusto. I have never had a sweet tooth other than this so don't feel I am really losing anything in the way of sweets and choc. (my all time fave is garlic bread - any similar alternatives would be a godsend)

Apart from sharing my life story I was just looking for a little reassurance from some pros...

1) am I feeling ****** because my body/lifestyle /diet is changing? If so, despite us being individual and unique is there a timeline to this?
2) I am career minded but have made a decision to sign myself off of work to get myself in the best position I can as quick as possible. For once I am putting my health first. My contract is 48 hours per week and I mix between travelling and working from home but sat and on the computer. At this point in time I feel I don't have the brainpower to be awake for 10 hours a day, let alone responsibly reply to xx amount of emails. Does anyone have any suggestions as to an appropriate amount of time off to adjust? Or alternatively reasonable adjustments their employers have put in place that have benefitted them? (my employers are super supportive and I am a Hr manager so well informed of my rights etc)
3) I enjoy cooking and would say I lead an already healthy lifestyle although portion sizes were my downfall (I'm on side plates and bowls now) is there q specific recipe book anyone would recommend as mealtimes have me stating blankly at the cupboards as my inspiration has left me and I have no confidence that I am eating, or avoiding, the right things. I think my aim will be the low carb diet in time.

Many thanks in advance for any tips and thanks for being a source of information in a sea of questions.

(ps. Gp and nurses have been top notch, first clinic appointment is next Tuesday)

 

[Mike d]

My readings have reduced but bounce between 8 and 14 most days (from reading a few threads on here I feel this is paradise to some) my initial readings last week we're 16-18.

Many will respond to your post (and welcome !!) and that drop is good ... but 14 as a high is not. But you will get there

Need that hba1c and your diet info from breakfast to dinner. The time to adjust? Different for everyone. Some do it quickly, others do not.

The food you eat is critical. That influences everything

 

[aidanbrown]

I'm on my third week now since being diagnosed T1, and the main thing for me has been reducing my carbs, I aim for no more than 100 a day. My readings have dropped from pretty consistent double digits to within my target range now.

As I am wanting to gain weight (lost three stone via dka at diagnosis) I have begun baking, and I have found both coconut flour and almond flour to be great low carb alternatives for anything!

 

[Pulley_]

Aided that's great to hear! Go you!

When you say 100, do you mean g?! I just have no idea how you achieve that but then I have no guidance as to how to assess really other than reading packets (is it that simple?!)

Have you found any meal plan guidance to follow online at all?

I have bought multi seed whole meal bread but from a couple of posts on here I see there are better alternatives still.

General day would be one slice toast with either mackerel pate or eggs, lunch I've had wholemeal pasta and veg or melba toast slices with cucumber and tuna and then in eves anything from shepherds pie (sweet pots top) or wholemeal pasta bolognaise or salmon asparagus and mini pots. I tend to feel my best in the late eves, typically when my bloods are at the highest. When I've felt groggy I've had a slice or two of malt loaf. I fear you guys will say that this is not good!

My nurse has just called and told me to increase my metformin, stick with the same levimir but cease taking gliclizide.

 

[GeoffersTaylor]

Hi,
Sorry to read about another diabetic, but welcome. I'm Type 2, and have been since May 2015.
As with most things in life, there are various schools of thought about food for us. If you read around here you will see reference to a LCHF (Low Carb, High Fat) lifestyle.

Very basically, the idea of LCHF recognises that all carbohydrate foods convert to glucose sugar during digestion. Some do it quickly, some slowly but they all get there in the end. Since for many T2 diabetics the problem is that we can't process glucose properly, it makes sense to not have so much of it. Many of us who adopt LCHF drastically reduce our intake of carbohydrates, including bread, pasta, rice, grains & potatoes. I'm at the extreme end, aiming for 30g or less per day, but many folks allow themselves up to 100g.

Instead of carbs, we get the body's energy needs from fats. Now I know that seems odd, but the body is perfectly capable of running itself from fats (if it couldn't, why would it store fat in the first place?). It can take a few days of adjustment whilst the body stocks up on the correct digestive juices and dumps the old ones but once it's done the body is quite happy to be in "fat-burning mode" (nutritional ketosis, to give its proper name).

Please be clear, I'm not recommending this to you because I know nothing about your condition and it may not be suitable, but it's what I adopted last year. My blood sugar has improved to near-normal levels, I've lost 2 stone in weight and my cholesterol has improved significantly. I no longer eat bread, pasta, rice, grains or root veg. Instead, I eat eggs, cheese, good meats, cream, fish, & veggies. And I've switched to red wine instead of my lovely lovely beer (boo!)

My typical day contains about 30g of carbs, 90g of protein and around 100g of fats
30g x 4 calories per gramme = 120 calories carbs
90g x 4 calories per gramme = 360 calories protein
100 x 9 calories per gramme = 900 calories fats
Total - 1380 calories


So, from what I've just said, you'll have guessed that I would not eat the menu you described, and it may be that you decide not to, either. Best advice I can give would be to read carefully about the options, pick a course of action and stick with it for a while to see how it works.

 

[Pulley_]

Oh wow! Sounds like a huge change for the better! I'll definitely do some more research. Thank you

 

[Stallen]

Oh wow! Sounds like a huge change for the better! I'll definitely do some more research. Thank you

If you don't have a set or kitchen scales, my advice would be to invest in some, food becomes very formulated when trying to gain control of your BG numbers and to test before and 2hrs after meals, as different foods can spike your BG testing will help you to eradicate or limit those that spike your levels.

 

[LinsT]

Hi Pulley and welcome . There's a very useful little book you can get called 'Carbs and Cals' - my GP recommended it when I was diagnosed - and it really did make things easier. It gives you pictures of different food types in differing portion sizes then gives you a break down of its nutritional properties. Obviously its not as accurate as weighing things yourself, but its extremely useful in giving you a good estimate of the carb content of various foods, as well as calories, fat content etc. It was my bible for a good few weeks!

 

[Pulley_]

Ooh great minds, I have that and downloaded the app. I have the intention of becoming quite the geek! I think I am just wary at the minute as i don't have a definitive diagnosis.

Doing some research into the LCHF diet. I do like some rules and boundaries! ☺

 

[TorqPenderloin]

I was in your shoes a little over 4 months ago. I know what it's like to be in "Diabetes Limbo" as it took my doctors about 2 weeks to definitively diagnose me (Type 1 at age 27).

You seem to have your head wrapped around your diagnosis which I believe is the most important thing. That makes managing the physical aspect of the disease 100x easier.

Many people offered some great suggestions, and I eventually adopted some of them myself. However, the best thing I can say is to be patient and don't try to change too much at once. You will realize that there are many changes you don't need to make, many changes you can choose to make, but only a handful of changes that are required.

If it were me (and it was not long ago), I'd get a definitive diagnosis first, continue to read and learn as much as you can, work with your doctors to decide what changes need to be made, and then decide for yourself what else is worth modifying.

 

[Daibell]

Hi and welcome. if fairly young and with only a little excess weight, T1 is quite possible. Keep going with the Metformin and a low-carb diet. Read the food packaging and look for Total carbs. Yes, with Levemir you don't need the Gliclazide. It may be that the blood sugar comes down and your use of insulin can be reviewed. If it doesn't then T1 is more likely and the insulin may be continued and a meal-time insulin added as well at some point. There are some tests for T1 but as they cost money they may not be offered. At least you are on insulin; I had to fight ignorance for mine.

 

[Pulley_]

Ahh thank you. I am 27 and have no family history. My anti bodies blood test at for T1 should happen this week. It's a shame that others haven't had the same medical support I have received in the last week. The Watford area seem to be excellent. I bought a LCHF book today and am really buying in to it to be honest. I really appreciate you guys taking the time to answer my questions and ease my mind. Feel pretty hungry today but all my BG numbers today are below 10 which I understand to be good (!?)

 

[4ratbags]

Hi and welcome. There is a great LC garlic bread recipe at www.cutthewheat.com and I find most of my LC recipes on Pinterest.

 

[Pulley_]

@4ratbags you have made my day! Haha simple things ey!

 

[Andy-Sev]

Hi, when you said "The doctor is convinced I am type 1, the nurses believe type 2" radiates with me, and I know a few others on here, as this is what happened to me last September and I was left in limbo. Unfortunately as I have discovered there is nothing simple about diabetes and almost 4 months later I am still in diabetic limbo when it comes to type although I go with what the specialist said to me which is Type 1 as my first few months of easy, tight control and a few other signs I have is typical of a Type 1 in their honeymoon phase.

All I can say is that take your time to get your head around things, if you do research on the internet bookmark pages so you can come back to them because although I felt I was with it during those first few weeks looking back I wasn't and was flying from one site to another looking for information and then weeks later wishing I remembered where I had seen something. As for your levels, well we are all different and after 3 weeks mine had come down from initially being in the 20s to in the 5s and 6s and have had to come off of insulin for now due to it causing hypos.

As for diet well I decided to trim back on my carbs when I was diagnosed and I have a 50/30/50 split which allows me to eat many things which others on here wouldn't be able to such as oats and pasta, although I am aware that may change as things progress. But you need to find a level which works for you gradually changing things as a big change to your eating will leave you feeling worse as it is a shock to your system. For example in the first two weeks the only changes I made to my diet was drop the white potato and have sweet potato instead and switch out bread for wholemeal pittas and just those intial small changes helped before I then looked at another part of my diet and changed that.

Anyway good luck and you will find plenty of good advice on here.

 

[TorqPenderloin]

Ahh thank you. I am 27 and have no family history. My anti bodies blood test at for T1 should happen this week.

Just be patient and wait for the tests to come back.

I have no history of type 1 in my family but a quite a bit of type 2 (although none of them take care of themselves). It makes it less common, but then again so is getting diabetes at the age of 27 (no matter which type).

 

[Pulley_]

Lowest reading after dinner tonight 5.1!!!!

I trust I can pat myself on my back and not blame it on my cold.

 

[4ratbags]

Awesome, it is a great feeling to see that number 5

 

[Pulley_]

Don't understand how I can feel so horrific at 10.1 but sat here chill at 5.1?! Is this one of those strange diabetes phenomena?

 

[Jane!]

Hi. I was diagnosed as Type 1 in August & had 3 months off work. As others have advised I read as much as I could & found Dr Bernstein's 'guide to achieving normal blood sugars ' ( bought it on amazon) invaluable. Low carb eating & exercise seems to be working for me. I feel grim at 10.0 ( blood sugar's too high) and great at lower numbers. It takes time but the advice, information & support on here really helps. And it does get easier!