Type 2 18mmol for over a year, I’m scared to go to drs…

[Lee83]

Hi all,

I’ve had diabetes for a few years now - when I first got it - I did low carb for 8 weeks, got it back to a point where I had blood of non-diabetic again.

But over time - I put weight back on, and just stopped taking metformin, and was depressed about it. I checked my blood, it was like 14mmol.

Now, any 40yrs old, about a year later - I checked it today for first time, it’s 18mmol. I haven’t been to drs, or eye test, I can’t face it - I can’t face if I need insulin when I can’t even take 4 tablets a day.

I can’t can’t go for an eye test to be told I’ve caused damage to my eyes because I can’t stick to a diet and take tablets.

I’m just gutted. I’ve told myself today is going to be the start - I’ll start taking my metformin. I’ll get on a diet - and in a few months, I’ll go to the drs.

But is it too late? Will a year of being 18mmol have done too much damage?

 

[zand]

It's never too late to start again.
I've delayed my annual checks recently for the same reasons as you. I had my blood tests yesterday and am dreading the results.
Bite the bullet, make an appointment today to minimise any further damage.
Today is a new start for you and you can start low carbing now, before your appointment date.
Good luck.

 

[Ukgal]

There is a lot of help and support on this website. You can do it. Wish you all the best.

 

[Guilty]

Ah, sounds a bit like me telling myself 'I just need to deal with one thing at a time'. And I have paid the price for it.

Best thing to do is to go to the doctor now.

But if you're using it as motivation to make some permanent lifestyle change in the meantime then great.

Please don't put it off longer than 3 months though. In my experience, easy for 3 months of putting it off to turn to 3 years.

A year of high blood sugar will have caused underlying damage. But in terms of damage with symptoms you might be worrying over nothing. Even if it's affected your eyes a lot, after the screening they can treat it to stabilise it.

This is why I say get checked. Your best thing you can do for yourself and your body is to get help. Let them worry about and deal with the other bits. While you focus on what you can deal with right now.

 

[EllieM]

A year of high blood sugars isn't great but from personal experience (multiple years of high blood sugars in my pre glucometer teens) it doesn't have to have caused permanent damage.

But the sooner you get things like your eyes checked the better. Eye damage is treatable if you catch it early enough.
As regards going to the doctor ... Are you afraid that they will judge you or that they will tell you that you have done yourself irrepairable damage? If the former then bolster up your courage and don't let them get to you.You will get lots of moral support here if your medical team aren't supportive towards you.

If it's the latter ... A lot (most???) of damage is reversible or at least can be ameliorated with better control, and diabetic complications generally come after years and years of poor control. One year isn't great, but I suspect that if you go to the doctor and get yourself checked and tested you are more likely to end up feeling relief than anything else. It;s very easy to imagine that things are very much worse than they are.

So please, make that appointment, specially the eye one. I suspect that many folk here will be cheering you on if you do. (Well, I will anyway).

Good luck

 

[MissMuffett]

@Lee83 you could have been writing my my life story and no it’s not too late. I made an appointment with my GP and had an Hba1c test so I had a starting point, even though I knew it was going to be bad, it was 93! I started taking metformin again and told my doctor I didn’t want insulin as I knew the low carb lifestyle worked. He said we’d discuss options again after the next hba1c (3 months)
I did have a small retinal bleed but a year on I’ve lost 2st, the retinal bleed has healed and as long as I don’t fall to temptation (which I still find hard) my FBG is in the 6s and occasionally in the 5s.
START TODAY and don’t look back, you can change from now but if you ignore it and carry on it will only get worse!

 

[jaywak]

As a type 1 from 16 and thought I knew it all I didn't do the then urine tests and when the finger prick tests came along it was a case of what do I need to know that for ,for about 20 years I carried on like that I do feel ashamed of myself for thinking that way but here I am 48 yrs later with no complications and now with a completely different attitude I take pride in looking after myself , start today it's never to late and i'me sure you'll feel good when you get those results that i'me hoping like me won't be that bad .

 

[mariavontrapp]

I understand where you're coming from. I had these fears too, when my bg was high. But it was such a relief to get my eye test and foot test done. Regarding the insulin, I was terrified of that too. But it turns out it's much easier than you think - not an injection but an insulin pen that is really easy to use and you hardly feel a thing. I LIKE taking my insulin because it is bringing my glucose right down and that feels good. Also, I don't get the side-effects that I do with other medication. Please just make the appointments and get it sorted, because you can't run away from diabetes

 

[AlexMagd]

Lee I have exactly the same story as you. Look at my signature for my initial results - controlled it extremely well and honestly, got cocky and complacent about it. I think because I knew what to do, I told myself I could always do it tomorrow. Terrible logic, in retrospect.

It's been five years for me without paying attention to T2 - skipping HbA1Cs because I was embarrassed (I knew it would be bad) but being reassured by eye and nurse appointments that everything was OK. Well, this year they warned me I had very mild, but very real, background retinopathy. What a wake-up call. Now I'm back controlling it, and have booked my first HbA1C in years. The doctor is gonna be furious with me, and I will be embarrassed. But better that than the alternative of letting this thing progress. I put a Libre on and was *shocked* at how high my blood sugar was. And I'd just been walking around like that for years!

The bottom line is: you can't change what's happened. It sucks but that's it. You can't change it. But learn from it!

You can start *today* in making the improvements that you already know how to make. Get an appointment right now, get an assessment of the state of things, and follow any treatment required. Get back on blood sugar control. You can do it - but only if you *start*.

Diabetes is a marathon. We all get burned out. But you have to forgive yourself and act now.

 

[Antje77]

The doctor is gonna be furious with me, and I will be embarrassed.

Diabetes is a marathon. We all get burned out. But you have to forgive yourself and act now.

The doctor should be understanding because like you said, diabetetes is a marathon and diabetes burnout is real. Please don't be embarrassed but try to work with your doctor to find your feet again.
If anything, both you and your doctor should be proud you're ready to get started again!

 

[mansingh01]

Hi all,

I’ve had diabetes for a few years now - when I first got it - I did low carb for 8 weeks, got it back to a point where I had blood of non-diabetic again.

But over time - I put weight back on, and just stopped taking metformin, and was depressed about it. I checked my blood, it was like 14mmol.

Now, any 40yrs old, about a year later - I checked it today for first time, it’s 18mmol. I haven’t been to drs, or eye test, I can’t face it - I can’t face if I need insulin when I can’t even take 4 tablets a day.

I can’t can’t go for an eye test to be told I’ve caused damage to my eyes because I can’t stick to a diet and take tablets.

I’m just gutted. I’ve told myself today is going to be the start - I’ll start taking my metformin. I’ll get on a diet - and in a few months, I’ll go to the drs.

But is it too late? Will a year of being 18mmol have done too much damage?

Low carbs and gym or walking will help

 

[AlexMagd]

The doctor should be understanding because like you said, diabetetes is a marathon and diabetes burnout is real. Please don't be embarrassed but try to work with your doctor to find your feet again.
If anything, both you and your doctor should be proud you're ready to get started again!

Thanks I appreciate it. I've actually not had the same doctor for more than a year since I was diagnosed. Whenever people talk about their "diabetes team" I have absolutely no way to relate! I was very much chucked in at the deep end at diagnosis without much support. Perils of living in London I guess. That being said the last few I did see had zero bedside manner anyway so perhaps no loss.

I'm signing up to a new practice with much better reviews and closer to me, so viewing it as a fresh start.

 

[6 toes]

Best bit of advice is go and get checked out it's because having high blood sugars does damage even if you don't see it such as neuropathy in feet and permanent nerve damage like I have and due to complications its a year since my emergency operation and amputation of part of foot and I'm still suffering with it to this day.

 

[Antje77]

Whenever people talk about their "diabetes team" I have absolutely no way to relate!

To be honest,most people talking about their 'diabetes team' have T1 and are on insulin. T2's sadly don't often get the care they could use, and there certainly isn't a team involved for most.
I was lucky with a very good practice nurse during the 2 years I was deemed a T2 (now T1 and under a hospital team), but like you, I never see the same GP twice. Fine with me, I don't like the owners of my GP practice at all so I try to avoid them, but I've liked all their locums so far, even if I only see them once. I guess most of them flee as soon as possible.

Good luck with your new practice, and especially with your new determination to nail this!

 

[GeorgieW]

You've done it once so you can do it again but make an appointment in January and hopefully you'll get seen soon. All the best.

 

[JonBoy1199]

What you’re experiencing is known as Diabetes burnout and so many of us will go through it at some point in our journey through life with diabetes. You’re not alone. I’ve been through it and came out the other side.

Don’t feel embarrassed or ashamed. We have our diabetes team there to support us. The best thing to do is ask for help, they won’t judge you for what you’re experiencing.

I was same as you, I missed appointments, missed my injections and tablets, just felt like I couldn’t be bothered anymore. Everyone is different for burnout, but for me I was put onto anti depressants to lift my mood and I took part in a mindfulness program. It lifted me out of it after a year and I’ve been on top of my diabetes for past 10 years using techniques I learned through mindfulness.

if’s a new year, use that as your first step to ask for help from your GP or diabetes nurse. Good luck with getting yourself back on track, you can do it.

 

[Danmiluk]

Don't be embarrassed about going to the doctors.
Now is the time sort yoursel for yourself, as you said your worried about it. The longer you leave it, the more damage could be done.
Forget about your food intake as a diet this mentally prepares you to fail, reduce the amount of sugar and carbohydrates that you eat. Have more protein it fuills you up longer.
If you've got to snack then cooked chicken or sausages(in moderation).