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Advice needed please......

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poppyowner

Active Member
Messages
27
Right - where do I start!!?? I was diagnosed as Type 2 back in Jan 2009. I was started on Metformin twice daily but around Sept 09 they reduced this to one tablet a day instead of 2 as I was getting very forgetful - ANNOYINGLY FORGETFUL - daft enough to send me to GP !!! Since then my levels have been a little higher but am keeping to a diet plan which is losing me weight slowly but surely and no doubt helping my numbers!
In April last year I had a Retinal Screening done which resulted in Detatched Retina being diagnosed and emergency surgery being done on my left eye - now I have lost a fair amount of sight in that eye but was told if it hadn't been noticed I would've been 100% blind in that eye by last Xmas!!! Everyday I am 'suffering' from the vision loss and as it all happened so quickly I am panicking about my 'good eye'. I especially love the freedom of driving and know if anything happens to my 'good eye' my car will have to go :cry: If I stray from my diet plan then my levels jump alot - usually on waking before breakkie my blood reads between 6.5 and 7.9 - I measure only upon waking. I have been told to aim for my levels to be between 4 and 7 first thing in the morning so PANIC when anything over the 7. I fear that if the levels are higher then more unseen damage is being done! This may sound a bit paranoid but I had no warning over my eye problem so am still in shock!!! I have resigned myself to trying to never come off plan foodwise, even mothers day I asked for no sweets/chocs etc and this Easter again - no egg I have told myself that no food is worth potential damage to my 'good eye'.

Should I be measuring my blood at other times of the day as well or should I be ok in general if sticking 100% to diet plan....?

I feel a bit miserable at the moment as been invited to some parties and feel I cannot go - there will be nice party (non-diet) foods there AND booze....... been told not to have any booze whilst on Metformin!!! ALSO booze will no doubt up my levels thus causing damage to weight loss AND internally! Problem is ........ I am painfully shy and at parties I used to use booze as a confidence upper, not stumbling drunk but enough to think "Who cares!" - without it I would be just stuck by the wall - the wallflower! It used to take a fair bit of booze for me to get to that stage unfortunately! I feel without the booze and the food - a party would be a miserable thing!

I feel like all the fun has been drained from my life :cry: like all the chances of 'fun' have gone :cry:

Jill
 
Hi Jill, you sound really pi**ed off. Your morning fasting levels don't sound too bad, although not ideal.
I would be tending to test more regular. A lot of type 2s on the forum test morning fasting and before and 2 hours after each meal.
I tend to eat the same things most days and find that I can have 2 slices of wholemeal bread without affecting my BG levels too much. I now don't bother to test at lunch time.
I test every morning before breakfast and my levels have improved since lowering my carbs and also being on a new medication.
I also test before and 2 hours after my evening meal. After 5/6 weeks of testing I have found that oven fish (battered) and half a dozen oven chips raise my levels. So no more fish for me. I think the chips are okay though :mrgreen:
Well done on the diet plan so far, plus the weight loss. I think the only real way to reduce your BG is to test every day and find out what foods raise your BG levels.
 
Poor you!
As I have related elsewhere and others too, being a DM is not only a pain when at home as regards diet but maybe worse when you're socialising. What you drink when down the pub etc without incurring jibes or awkward explanations is a toughie. Most drinks in the usual quantities are not good esp when on meds. Even J2O is off limits for me. That said I drink a couple of pints and suffer little after lunch and a met. Once a week can't hurt surely? Whether that's enough to help socialise I can't comment.
Maybe you should find a local DM fraternity and socialise with them. Could build your confidence in many respects.
Like the others I can only suggest testing and finding what foods, how much and when best suit you.
Met should help with weight loss too
As to fish and chips...? Oh no no no... I have some every now and again but no more batter... it is flour-based of course. Chips are OK in small amounts. Plenty of vinegar and some garlic, plenty of 'good' veg and your meds should help.
You might think it weird but exercise just can't be beat. Sometimes I spend 10 mins on the cross trainer after dinner.... and I think this will help bring down the BG.
The big question in closing... wait for it... what diet are you on? Stand ready to incur wrath of various parties! I low carb when I can and don't use the NHS version... all thanks to this forum! 8)
 
Jill,

I am sorry to hear of your eye problems, I also had some concerns with my eyes a few years back, and if anything it is a big wake-up call. Good diabetes control and below normal bp and cholesterol are the most important factors in trying to halt/prevent further damage.

Testing is a personal issue, but as you are aware keeping below the recommended levels can only be done by testing pre and post meal times, so it would be sensible that you also test at other times of the day to determine what your levels are throughout the 24 hour period. Initially you could test more frequent, but should you stick mostly to the same foods and carbs at each meal time, once you have established good control and found which foods do/do not impact harsh on your blood glucose and make adjusts accordingly, it may then be possible to relax testing a little and test less frequent.

As for parties, I can understand your predicament if you are slightly lacking in confidence, as someone who despises parties and avoids them like the plague, I don't think I am in a position to offer any advice here!

Good luck Jill and hope all goes well!

Nigel
 
Thanks everyone for the replies.
Although I was diagnosed back in Jan 2009 I feel stupid that I still haven't got my head round accepting this is my life now and will be til my end! I feel that a year should've been enough time to 'sort myself out mind wise!'. I am angry re. my eye probs and the fact that if a test for glucose had been performed earlier then I maybe wouldn't be as I am now...I sought help from the GP when I was 27 but he just tested my Thyroid.... the eye specialist said my condition had been affecting my eye for years - well over 5 years - WHAT IF I'd taken a Glucose test back when 27 instead of having it tested at 35 ??? I KNOW I can't live on WHAT IFs though if I want to remain sane!

The diet plan I follow is Slimming World (waits for the tuts - :roll: ) - they are linked in with Diabetes.co.uk so feel they should've devised a good plan for me. Also it is one I am familiar with and does involve plenty of fresh veg in particular. If I restrict even more items I am really going to struggle - am finding dealing with this difficult enough without even further changes. I am settled with SW so will remain with them.

I think the best thing for me will be avoidance of situations I know will provoke me - ie. parties / boozy occasions. Niece / Nephew / family parties I'll endure but others I'll avoid.

I just don't want to chance any further damage to either eye in particular my 'good' one. I am just telling myself no food or booze will ever taste good enough to warrant possible damage to my eyes or any other area.

I think I will start testing more frequently..... thanks for the tips - hope the GP will allow me extra strips to cope with increased demand - :shock:

Thanks again for the advice everyone - anymore tips gratefully received as at moment feel a bit like I am peeing in the wind in an unknown country!!!!!! :cry:

Jill
 
Ho ho the what ifs - we all have them... me too.
I went to the quack's coz my eye was twitchy. I hadn't been for yonks so of course she clamps the sphygmanometer BP thing on my arm and it's off the scale of course...
So a few weeks later I'm back and she decides to do a more thorough blood test. That was when they found I was T2. What if I had not gone to that first appointment? Might not but I did. I'd be in blissful ignorance of my condition. So I wonder how many other 'latent' T2s are out there? I'd rather know so I can do something about it. It might have saved my life!
Weeks later I had the retinopathy check and it came back with just background in one eye... the one I had gone to see the GP about but just a coincidence. Phew I thought. Must have not had DM for all that long. 8)
 

Slightly confused about the statement that this site is linked in with Slimming World ? Do you have a specific link to the area that it states that please ? At present I am not aware of any link.

Ken
 
Thanks Catherine. I thought it was strange....I usually know what we are linked to and I certainly didn't think it was Slimming World........ :shock: :lol:

Ken
 
poppyowner said:
Although I was diagnosed back in Jan 2009 I feel stupid that I still haven't got my head round accepting this is my life now and will be til my end! I feel that a year should've been enough time to 'sort myself out mind wise!'.
Jill
Click to expand...
Jill, it took me more than 2 years to realise things can't be changed without a little bit of effort and a change of diet. I thought if I just take the pills and eat what I want, the pills will do all the hard work for me :lol: No such chance
I have now started to cut back on carbs and on a new meds and things are looking rosier :mrgreen:
Down from Hb1Ac 7.6 to 6.5 in a month and half a stone lighter 8)
 
Thanks Chris....

I have been trying very hard to follow my diet plan - I used to comfort eat and so now when I get the urge I then panic re. Diabetes etc...... then want to comfort eat more - THANKFULLY I have NOT comfort ate since my diagnosis - basically through fear!

My weight losses have slowed right down and recently I have had 3 bad cold/bugs in under 2 weeks - have one now and feel so lethargic etc... went to Chemist and they advised I can only have Paracetamol as a tablet and Olbas Oil to inhale.... woohoo!!! One plus side is the tabs they advised were only 15p a packet instead of my old Nurofen at over £1.60 !!!! Every cloud and all that!

I feel guilty feeling so sorry for myself when I read about others who've been through worse and seem to cope better.... maybe time will help with this........

Thanks again

Jill
 
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