A quick hello.

Hi my name is Susie and I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes last September .It seems I also have Diabetic Retinopathy having now had my eye photos done.
I was diagnosed with Uncontrolled Hypertension over ten years ago and was a normal healthy weight and very active .I was given a selection of medication to "control" this and all it seemed to do was pile the weight on partly due to the fatigue the tablets caused .Nothing else in my lifestyle changed so I can only attribute the weight gain to the medication.I was a gardener who loved being outdoors and eating her own produce .

Since then my life has taken a complete downturn .I'm constantly tired and have been diagnosed with Arrhythmia and first stage heart failure ...I'm 52 but feel 70 .I have had operations on both my Ulnar Nerves due to complete lack of nerve sensation in a couple of fingers and have dead toes on the right hand side .Three years ago I also developed Carcinoma in Situ and had a nice chunk of my cheek removed .I have also had my gallbladder removed .and now ...Diabetes.

Now ...after painting my self as a complete hypochondriac with more illnesses than you can shake a cat at I would also like to say I'm actually a very happy ,well rounded individual ..Happily married with four grown up sons and I very rarely list my problems as one) ...it's embarrassing...and two )....they don't define me .

When first diagnosed they gave me Metformin 500mg twice a day ....I was 15 st 7 at this point but I'm 5' 9" and although I was horrified by my weight I was watching it carefully .I hadn't lost any or gained any for around four years .Within 8 weeks I had shot to 17 st !! I was horrified and upset especially since the Metformin had me rushing to the loo every five minutes and I was sure I would LOSE weight on them after all that .My legs started swelling and leaking water and I became even more fatigued ! My BP was still through the roof but then it had been for ten years so no change there.I complained to my doctor who sympathised and stated yes it could occasionally cause weight gain :-( So we swapped to Gliclazide ...no joy ,the runs continued .Now I've been given another med to try before insulin...Pioglitazone but I'm nervous because the side effects state a common side effect (1in 10) is weight gain..My readings hover between 11 and 22 on a daily basis .
I started a low carb diet when diagnosed as recommended but I'll admit bread is my Nemesis I'm not a sweet eater and generally eat quite well ,just too much of it .We grow our own veg and I love my veg but love my potato,pasta and rice too .I can see I'm going to have to take control of both my boredom eating and my carbs .*sigh*

Good job I'm not a chocolate lover huh ?

Heathenlass said:

Welcome, Susie
You don't sound like a hypochondriac, just that you have had more bad luck healthwise than most However, it sounds like you are the type of person to take a deep breath and carry on dealing with things, so I'm sure you will deal with this too

It takes a wee while to get your head around it all, but look on it as being a challenge, food wise, not a restriction. . There are alternatives for almost everything, and you may find that some of the things you love you can tolerate in moderation. Have you been prescribed a meter and test strips ? These are your number one ally. If not, there is one available that other Type 2's recommend buying , the name escapes me but I'm sure others will let you know.
You have found a good place here, it's an excellent resource for tips and information.

I look forward to seeing you around

Signy

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I have had a meter and test strips since being diagnosed Heathen lass (love the name) I'm blessed with a doctor who believes you can't monitor what you can't see and who is very happy to have me monitor my bg.I just take in the meter and he reads my history of readings.

My biggest stumbling block is the exercise part .My doctor referred me for a gym programme but they wouldn't accept me due to my BP 230/120 due to insurance issues and now I'm out of breath just climbing the stairs .I'm going to give swimming another try as soon as i've ok'd it with my cardiologist .I was really shocked that I was unable to keep on top of my garden this year due to becoming drenched in sweat and feeling very very shaky after planting a few plants ! I used to spend hours out there and wondered if this was to do with my Diabetes as I certainly wasn't this bad last year .

Bluetit1802 said:

Hello Susie and welcome,

You have come to the right forum for some great support, advice, and tips.

You have a good attitude to your health and this will help you bring this particular disease under control, and if you lose some weight with whatever "diabetic" diet you chose to follow, it may even help your BP.

Carbs are the enemy with diabetes because they all turn to sugar once inside the system, no matter what type they are. Some turn quicker than others, but the end result is the same. Carbs = sugar. The worst culprits are potatoes, bread, rice and pasta, but using your meter judiciously you may find you can cope with small portions of these.

Try testing before you eat, then 2 hours after your first bite. Look at the difference in the readings. If it shoots up really high, keep trying the same meal again with much smaller portions of the carbs until you arrive at a portion that you can cope with. You may find you have to discard some of these foods altogether, or you may be lucky, but only your meter will tell you this. By doing this I have discovered I can manage one slice of bread (heavily grained wholemeal) with a meal, but not 2 slices, and not on its own. I can manage 2 small spuds (roasted or new) and even a tiny portion of chips, but no more than that.

If you keep a strict food diary of everything you eat and drink with portion sizes, then record your before and after levels alongside, you will soon learn.

Good luck and keep asking questions.

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Sensible advice Blue tit and actually I'll act as a test of just what a low carb diet can do as I'm unmedicated as I refuse to take yet another med that affects me adversley so we will really see how much difference it makes to my bg on a daily basis .

Scandichic said:

This site has already been recommended to you but I seriously recommend you have a good read.
http://www.dietdoctor.com
I have lost 3 stone sine January. If you read the part under the health and weight loss section, you will see that exercise is at number 13. All you need to do is avoid cakes, sweets, biscuits and ditch your starchy carbs (potatoes, rice, pasta and bread). No need to weigh anything. The hardest bit was trying to find stuff to eat at lunchtime. The guy who writes the blogg is a doctor specialising in obesity and diabetes. For me it was a life saver.

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No problem on the first three Scandichic...haven't had a biccy or a sweet in years and very very rarely cake .I'm a savoury nibbler ..love my crab sticks ,prawns ect but yes the rice,pasta ,will be really hard for me

Totto said:

Hi Susie! You sound more like an undiagnosed hypothyroid patient than hypochondriac. Been there, done that and it sucks.

And LCHF works so well for quite a few of us, do give a try!

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Funny you should say that Totto ,my doctor remains convinced it is my thyroid and yet the tests come back normal*sigh*

Totto said:

What tests have been done and what results? TSH is a lousy test and usually they can´t interpret it anyway. What about FT4 and FT3? Antibodies? You had an ultrasound of your thyroid?

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Nope no ultrasound .I may just push him to let me trial Thyroxine for a period as I do remember how rubbish the so called tests were as we had an elderly patient who tested normal repeatedly until an enlightened new doc tried thyroxine .From being classed as a dementia patient it changed her whole life and within weeks rectified a great many of her health issues .