• Guest - w'd love to know what you think about the forum! Take the 2025 Survey »

Can I prove the Dr's wrong?

I also want to thank you, Ian, for your help and support at the beginning of my D-journey. It was you who put me on the right track. Though it took me some time to get past my fear of insulin, in the end I was able to, and now things are going very well. With the Libre I've been able to smooth away the post-meal spikes that were still damaging me, and now at average 5.6-ish my body is reacting very well. My insulin needs have actually dropped a little in the last ten days - perhaps because I'm finally low enough? And I don't swing down unreliably, so I'm no longer worried going to sleep at night. Part of this is being in ketosis, which makes all blood sugar movements much more gradual, but partly it's obviously because I'd managed to arrest the damage and my metabolism is still able to work somewhat okay. That is fantastic, and I am very grateful for it.

So for now at least, I have a set of habits to handle my diabetes, and I can get on with life without fear and anxiety.

Lucy
 
Can I ask what that graph is in? I'm just learning to make graphs from Excel, and I haven't got there yet.
 
Lucy,
Glad your getting there, you have had a much harder journey than myself, and I see myself following your journey now. Isn't this forum wonderful, full of wonderful people with help and advise.
The graph I use is from Glucose Recorder by Cappable Ltd. I think it is free for a month, then £2.25 if you wish to continue. I have been using it for nearly 18 months now. Very easy to use. The only complaint is that the time spans are fixed to 2days, 1week, 2weeks, 4 weeks, 8weeks, 12weeks and all time. They have said they are working on an update to cover user set times. It also automatically updates between my iPhone and iPad, so I can use either and both are up to date.

I also use excel, but find I am using a pc less and less and iPad more and more. Excel graphs (once set up) are better format wise..... But I find the only time I use it is when I have a hospital appointment, whereas I use Glucose Recorder on an almost daily basis.
 
Ian DP said:
Remarkably my BG levels have stayed low for 4 weeks now, better and more consistent than they have ever been, since diagnosis nearly 18 months ago.
Click to expand...
Another 2 months and quite a change. My BG levels are even better, so good I am a little worried they are too low. Over the last week my pre breakfast BG average is 3.92 (3.5 lowest). My average pre breakfast BG over the last 12 weeks is 4.4. Well below my original target of under 5.0 when I started Dr Bernsteins Solution (9 months ago) and now well under Dr B's target of 4.6. I started to do some cross country cycling a couple of weeks ago, an hour a day, but not every day. This has definitely lowered my BG readings.
Time will tel how long this will last. But if beta cells do indeed regenerate at low BG levels, now is their opportunity!!
 

Well done!

Are you convinced your current eating is sustainable?
If so, I think this is a magnificent achievement.
 
Brunneria said:
Are you convinced your current eating is sustainable?
Click to expand...
My diet hasn't changed much at all since I started with Dr B's Solution 9 months ago, I enjoy my low carb high fat diet and see it as very sustainable. My weight is very stable, although my BMI is 22 I would still like to put on a little weight, but this is difficult when on a very low carb high fat diet.
 
Brilliant Ian! I do hope those beta cells are regenerating! If not, I hope at least that the remaining ones are thriving!

Smidge
 
It's funny. I've now been taking mealtime insulin for four months, so that generally I don't spike any more. Suddenly it's as if I've got to a critical level. My BG has been falling for two weeks. My mean BG last week was, according to the Libre, 5.1 and this week it's 4.9. And I've cut my insulin doses.

I can see no obvious factor explaining this. ????
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Other than Ian's quoting from Dr B, that at low bg levels beta cells may regenerate.

In LADAs this may be possible as your beta cell destruction is typically much slower than a T1.
 
Well done Ian. Dr B advises increased protein for weight gain and if your BG is so good, you may be able to add some more into your diet?
 
Your management has worked so well, Ian. Congratulations, and really well done, as it's all from your hard work. It's fantastic news.

The lowness is a bit odd. Can you discuss it with your consultant, to get a bit of perspective on it?

And weight: yes, try a bit more protein, as Indy says?

For both of us the Q comes up, is it okay to continue in ketosis life long? I don't see why it shouldn't be, but I'd love to see some studies, if there were any (which I doubt).

But mainly, bloody well done Ian !!

x Lucy
 
tim2000s said:
Other than Ian's quoting from Dr B, that at low bg levels beta cells may regenerate.

In LADAs this may be possible as your beta cell destruction is typically much slower than a T1.
Click to expand...
Could be, I suppose, but it's still an auto-immune condition. I'm baffled. So cutting basal and bolus, and just carrying on to see what happens.
 
LucySW said:
Could be, I suppose, but it's still an auto-immune condition. I'm baffled. So cutting basal and bolus, and just carrying on to see what happens.
Click to expand...
It is but if you can reduce the amount of insulin being generated, and therefore reduce the proinsulin, it will reduce the triggers for one of the t-cells that attacks beta cells. This would slow the damage and potentially give some breathing space.
 
Thanks, Tim. I know nothing about this, you see (detailed metabolism stuff). That sounds like a possibility, hypothetically at least.

Lucy
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hello everyone,
Well have been to see the DN today for my hbA1c which came in
at 30 or in old money 4.9. Great I'm thinking but no I was given the 3rd degree for about an hour. I wouldn't mind but I've only had 2 mild hypo's in 3 months. I only use basel insulin with a little novorapid in the morning for DP. Never mind I'll just carry on regardless.
 
Yes, do that. Next time - can you show your mean BG and standard deviation figures, and can you do time in target, to show how consistent your blood levels are, ie if you are managing to avoid hypos?

I am total Miss What's a Statistic, but after hearing smart people talk on here, on opening an Excel spreadsheet I discovered that these things are easy. Your meter might show you Time in Target.

They will be assuming that your levels are up and down and all over the place because that's what they're used to. But you're low carbing with v low insulin doses, right? They're not used to that. They need showing.

Honestly, how they can do that when you're on BASAL, and only a drop of bolus - their heads weren't screwed on. So make sure yours is, next time. Commiserations, but as you say, what matters is what you do.

Lucy
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Congratulations on an amazing HbA1c Bill!
As for the 3rd degree - it seems to be a common theme among low-carb insulin-dependents. It will change eventually I think. I seem to have won my consultant around and he is now pretty supportive. Last time he gave me a friendly word of warning to make sure I test and abide by the law in terms of minimum levels for driving in the UK (he even commented that he doesn't agree with the DVLA rules, but the law's the law) - fair enough as he'd be failing in his duty not to reinforce this - but definitely no lecture on raising my HbA1c. I think we really do have to persevere and educate them.

Smidge
 
Latest update. I had a half hour appointment with my diabetic consultant last week. My first appointment (with the consultant) since being diagnosed 18 months ago.

He made a very strong point of telling me at least 3 times that I was a T1 (no mention of LADA), but that I was managing my condition very well (Hba1c was 5.1%). Made a point of telling me that what I was doing what Drs prescribed before insulin became available some 100 years ago, and that this enabled some to live for months and others many years (without insulin).

I was very pleased to hear that he was very keen that I start on insulin very early (around the 7s) or as soon as I detect any unusually high readings, and was very pleased when I told him I had a half unit pen (with insulin in the fridge) ready for use.

I told him that I had proved him wrong, in that 18 months ago He said I would be on insulin within weeks. He said he was very happy to be proved wrong. I asked him why he didn't tell me that with low carbohydrates I could extend my non insulin use. He said because most people can't cope with such low carbs. He was very pleased when I told him I saw my diet as sustainable for life, saying that that would make taking insulin much easier, and that probably I would continue to make insulin for many many years to come, all be at at a gradually deminishing rate.

He had not heard of Dr Bernstein, when I told him i understood he was the most eminent diabetic Dr in the word, he made a note of his name.

Very happy with my consultation. A pleasant surprise.
 
Very happy for you Ian, you are doing extremely well indeed!

5.1% is a very good A1C which represents very normal and well controlled BG. I am waiting for another 2 months before I go back and get mine done again, i'll keep you posted on how that goes
 
Thought I would give another update since it is now over 2 years since I was diagnosed T1 (honeymoon period) and my consultant said it would be just a few weeks before I had to go on insulin, but still not on insulin and nothing really significant to report. My BG levels have risen slightly, probably because I am not doing quite so much exercise (no cycling in the winter etc) and because I am so much stronger and fitter than I was, I need to do much more exercise now to work up a sweat. My Hba1c has gone up from 5.1% to 5.7% which reflects my higher BG test samples, which are now averaging just above 5 pre breakfast. I know I could get them down if I exercised more, but really don't feel the need to be any stronger or fitter. My weight has gone up slightly to just over 13stone, which is good (I was under 12stone around 18 months ago - I am 6'-2") those bullet proof coffees are helping. It's over 18 months since I started following the dr Bernstein solution low carb high fat diet, and I have every intention of carrying on this diet for the rest of my life.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn More.…