Hi, sorry this is a long one...but I am feeling very down. I've been discharged from the diabetes team at my hospital and told I am not diabetic.....or even at risk of being diabetic.....despite my knowing and discussing with them, for over 2 years now, details of the low carb/high fat diet I use to control glucose. I am pretty sure that if I go back to eating carbs I will have spikes and troughs.
You will see from my resume that I was, at one point, told I was LADA.
My GP asked me to collect a glucose monitor, way back in Feb 2020 as I had discovered, following a pre-diabetes diagnosis at an average of 43, that I had spiking high glucose readings after even quite small amounts of carbs (eg. 30 grams of brown rice gave me a 2 hour post prandial of 13 mmol) and also low readings, below 4 sometimes . I believe that the 1AC (being an average) had missed the ups and downs.
On collection of the meter, the nurse decided to test my sugars...they were around 8 mmol and then, as I'd not used the ketone strips at all, she tested those too. This was all done with an eye-rolling - what a waste of time I was - attitude (she had previously agreed with a GP who told me that I could not be diabetic I was too thin). Then she saw the ketones were at 3, did a second test, called the GP in and I was sent to hospital. I was asked in the surgery and also at the hospital what I had eaten. At the time I was lowering carbs, but not on with Keto as I was learning what was what. I told them fully what I had been eating and why. I was diagnosed diabetes.
At a follow-up appointment the Diabetes Consultant told me that he thought I was LADA. This was due to me not fitting the usual Type 2 phenotype. He said they would keep a close eye on me and he expected that in time I would not be able to control my sugars by diet. He ran a C-Peptide test and although this did not show LADA I was told it was sometimes inconclusive. That was in February 2020.
Since then I have controlled glucose using the low carb/high fat diet. In the early days I got frustrated a couple of times and was given glicizade to try and also insulin to try. I used the insulin for a while, but then started to question if it was right for me....I was beginning to believe I must be type 2 (as I could control so well with diet) and didn't want additional insulin if so. I returned to diet control. My sugars have been good since and my cholesterol improved.
I recently asked for an appointment with a dietician as I wanted some advice (I worry that I eat way too much of some things: nuts and greek yoghurt mainly). She got very annoyed with me and told me my diet was wrong for me...because I'm thin. She said I'd never been diabetic only prediabetic. That all of my 1ACs had shown as normal. I explained to her that my tests were in the normal range because I controlled glucose through diet. She said she would speak to my consultant.
The upshot of this is I got a letter from the consultant saying I am not diabetic, nor am I at risk of diabetes. I called their department. A nurse I spoke to told me I wasn't diabetic. I asked if I would be diabetic if I changed my diet and ate normally and she agreed that yes (!) my glucose readings may then become too high...but never-the-less I wasn't diabetic. The consultant phoned me....very crossly, said he'd run the necessary tests, I wasn't diabetic because the statistics and their algorithms said so...that he was the expert and he actually slammed the phone down. I had angered him, I think, because I kept saying that my tests were in the normal range because I was controlling them through diet, that if I stopped the diet, I would expect my readings to rise.
I know others have had similar experiences. I am really reeling from it. I had felt supported, had eye tests, foot tests, more regular 1ACs and cholestrol tests. I have been under their care since Feb 2020 and have previously found them to be really helpful. I've spoken to their colleagues at 6 monthly appointments where I've been told I was doing a good job. I was actually really low maintenance and I've kept diabetes in remission. Getting good test results back (eg. averaging 37 - 39 on the 1AC) was motivating for me. Now this support has all gone. I feel I should complain ...how can the diabetic department actually not understand about diet control?
Not even sure what advice I'm after....just know that I feel I've been treated very badly. I've never even seen these people - only had phone call appointments. You would think that they would be pleased when people take their health needs seriously and work really hard to maintain the best health they can.
Em
You will see from my resume that I was, at one point, told I was LADA.
My GP asked me to collect a glucose monitor, way back in Feb 2020 as I had discovered, following a pre-diabetes diagnosis at an average of 43, that I had spiking high glucose readings after even quite small amounts of carbs (eg. 30 grams of brown rice gave me a 2 hour post prandial of 13 mmol) and also low readings, below 4 sometimes . I believe that the 1AC (being an average) had missed the ups and downs.
On collection of the meter, the nurse decided to test my sugars...they were around 8 mmol and then, as I'd not used the ketone strips at all, she tested those too. This was all done with an eye-rolling - what a waste of time I was - attitude (she had previously agreed with a GP who told me that I could not be diabetic I was too thin). Then she saw the ketones were at 3, did a second test, called the GP in and I was sent to hospital. I was asked in the surgery and also at the hospital what I had eaten. At the time I was lowering carbs, but not on with Keto as I was learning what was what. I told them fully what I had been eating and why. I was diagnosed diabetes.
At a follow-up appointment the Diabetes Consultant told me that he thought I was LADA. This was due to me not fitting the usual Type 2 phenotype. He said they would keep a close eye on me and he expected that in time I would not be able to control my sugars by diet. He ran a C-Peptide test and although this did not show LADA I was told it was sometimes inconclusive. That was in February 2020.
Since then I have controlled glucose using the low carb/high fat diet. In the early days I got frustrated a couple of times and was given glicizade to try and also insulin to try. I used the insulin for a while, but then started to question if it was right for me....I was beginning to believe I must be type 2 (as I could control so well with diet) and didn't want additional insulin if so. I returned to diet control. My sugars have been good since and my cholesterol improved.
I recently asked for an appointment with a dietician as I wanted some advice (I worry that I eat way too much of some things: nuts and greek yoghurt mainly). She got very annoyed with me and told me my diet was wrong for me...because I'm thin. She said I'd never been diabetic only prediabetic. That all of my 1ACs had shown as normal. I explained to her that my tests were in the normal range because I controlled glucose through diet. She said she would speak to my consultant.
The upshot of this is I got a letter from the consultant saying I am not diabetic, nor am I at risk of diabetes. I called their department. A nurse I spoke to told me I wasn't diabetic. I asked if I would be diabetic if I changed my diet and ate normally and she agreed that yes (!) my glucose readings may then become too high...but never-the-less I wasn't diabetic. The consultant phoned me....very crossly, said he'd run the necessary tests, I wasn't diabetic because the statistics and their algorithms said so...that he was the expert and he actually slammed the phone down. I had angered him, I think, because I kept saying that my tests were in the normal range because I was controlling them through diet, that if I stopped the diet, I would expect my readings to rise.
I know others have had similar experiences. I am really reeling from it. I had felt supported, had eye tests, foot tests, more regular 1ACs and cholestrol tests. I have been under their care since Feb 2020 and have previously found them to be really helpful. I've spoken to their colleagues at 6 monthly appointments where I've been told I was doing a good job. I was actually really low maintenance and I've kept diabetes in remission. Getting good test results back (eg. averaging 37 - 39 on the 1AC) was motivating for me. Now this support has all gone. I feel I should complain ...how can the diabetic department actually not understand about diet control?
Not even sure what advice I'm after....just know that I feel I've been treated very badly. I've never even seen these people - only had phone call appointments. You would think that they would be pleased when people take their health needs seriously and work really hard to maintain the best health they can.
Em
