Diabetes advice

[laurakm87]

I recently had a HbA1c test done and my results came to 51. When GP called he asked if i had symptoms which i tried telling him i'd had certian symptoms and he said that isnt possible due to this being new, Gp has said he wants to retest in 1 month but didn't really explain anything. On my test result it states if asymptomatic retest within 2 weeks.
With my bloods I also had high Cholesterol & low Iron. I've just been started on folic acid.
I usually am tested every year or 2 due to my family history but i havent been tested in around 3 years i believe it's also because I am over weight So diet is the main plan, my main struggle isn't eating healthy it's not eating appropriately i don't tend to eat in the morning or I snack on small things during the day then have a proper meal at night.

I have recently brought a glucose reader and checking my levels since yesterday, my morning fasting result was 6.7 yesterday and 8.2 this morning. My results are over 8 through the day. I need better support on diet plans, I'm looking to cut out most meat and substitute for meat free foods. And fill my plate with more vegetables.

I just didn't know if 1 month is too long for gp to retest.

 

[KennyA]

Hi laurakm87 and welcome to the forums.

At an HbA1c of 51 you will automatically be diagnosed as T2. They will probably do a followup test to confirm within a couple of weeks - diagnosis is automatic at results above 48, but the test inaccuracy means that there's a small amount of possible variation - three or four points either way. Incidentally it's about where I was when diagnosed five years ago.

I think a glucose monitor is essential if you want to monitor your blood glucose and get it under control. The most effective method is to test immediately before eating, and then two hours later. This is intended to show you how well your system dealt with the carb/glucose in what you ate - you're not testing to see "how high you go" - the high point will be around 45 minutes after you eat and fall after that. Your system should have returned you roughly to where you started from after two hours, so you are looking to be within two mmol/l of the first reading, and not above 8ish.

The things that will elevate blood glucose are sugars and starches. These are all carbohydrates and are either sugars to begin with, or are digested to sugars. So when I was diagnosed I pretty much stopped eating bread, rice, pasta, pastry, cereals, beer, fruits, potatoes and most below-ground vegetables, all sugars (including the lactose in milk) and aimed for a very restricted carb intake of around 20g/day. It worked for me, but as we are all different you need to find what will work for you.

Is there any particular reason you're reducing meat? Eating meat won't affect your BG and if you reduce carbs you will have to get your energy from somewhere - mine comes from fats and proteins, and I eat mainly meat, fish, cheese, cream, butter etc. along with green veg. One of the things you might need to do is forget everything you think you know about "healthy eating" - almost all of that advice is simply no good for anyone with T2 or predisposed to get it.

Sustained high blood glucose levels over time can do damage to nerves and capilliaries, and cause secondary diabetic complications, which is best avoided. I had quite severe diabetic symptoms at BG levels of 43 or 44, and although they are 99% gone now I have got some permanent damage. So I would fully agree that you might well already have secondary diabetic symptoms at your current level.

best of luck. This forum is a great resource, and you should ask as many questions as you like.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

I recently had a HbA1c test done and my results came to 51. When GP called he asked if i had symptoms which i tried telling him i'd had certian symptoms and he said that isnt possible due to this being new, Gp has said he wants to retest in 1 month but didn't really explain anything. On my test result it states if asymptomatic retest within 2 weeks.
With my bloods I also had high Cholesterol & low Iron. I've just been started on folic acid.
I usually am tested every year or 2 due to my family history but i havent been tested in around 3 years i believe it's also because I am over weight So diet is the main plan, my main struggle isn't eating healthy it's not eating appropriately i don't tend to eat in the morning or I snack on small things during the day then have a proper meal at night.

I have recently brought a glucose reader and checking my levels since yesterday, my morning fasting result was 6.7 yesterday and 8.2 this morning. My results are over 8 through the day. I need better support on diet plans, I'm looking to cut out most meat and substitute for meat free foods. And fill my plate with more vegetables.

I just didn't know if 1 month is too long for gp to retest.

Hi @laurakm87 , and welcome,

Just wanted to say @KennyA just about covered everything, really... Even being in the prediabetic range can give symptoms, like wounds being reluctant to heal, becoming infection prone (yeast and otherwise), UTI's, fatigue... Others don't notice anything, some do. There's no hard and fast rule for it, contrary to what your GP seems to believe. Type 2 isn't a one-size-fits-all kind of thing, after all.

With carbs being problematic for a T2, cutting out meats, which are mainly carb free, might not be the best choice. Though you might have your reasons? There are vegans and vegetarians here, but if you don't have to due to beliefs or personal convictions, I'd keep the meats in. Especially, since you're iron deficient already, the red ones.

If you want to know a bit more about nutrition and T2, you might want to have a read here: https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html <-- that's in general terms what I did, mainly based on the books by Dr. Jason Fung. It's quicker than plowing through The Diabetes Code though. I do recommend it wholeheartedly, but if you want quick answers, the blog'll answer a few, possibly. Time enough to do a deep dive later, if it speaks to you.

If you have questions, throw them out there. In the meantime though, you might want to decide whether you want to do anything proactive just yet. If you do something in terms of changing your diet now, your next blood test might come back normal. And it usually takes two tests to confirm diabetes. If you lower your HbA1c before the next test, you might miss out on regular check ups, which could be useful. Also, and this is important: A HbA1c gives a GP the average of the past 3 months, weighing more heavily on the most recent 2 weeks, which might explain why he's waiting a month for the results, especially in combination with the iron deficiency... Being iron deficient can give a false higher result, so he might want to fix the low iron first, then see whether you're still reading as diabetic. If you change your diet now, there will be less of an answer in the test he's ordered. And it takes a little time for everything to take effect, after all.

In any case, hang in there, and see for yourself what you want to do with all this.
Good luck!
Jo

PS: It would be so useful if GP's actually explained WHY they're doing things the way they're doing them... You shouldn't need to ask a forum about this. I guess they're pressed for time though, but still...

 

[laurakm87]

Thank you both so much that really has helped. @JoKalsbeek honestly I was considering the same thing, I didn't want to change my diet too much right now because I fear it could say something. My dad's family seem to all have diabetes, he and his dad both had it but when my dad was diagnosed he failed to take proper actions and made it worse now at 58 he has a very difficult life and I don't want to get to that point. Any kind of food suggestions are always great, good books are also helpful. I really want to get ahead of it so that I don't risk more problems.
I had been considering cutting meat for a while due to no longer enjoying food, I love cooking but I think meals have become really boring due to my children not really eating with me anymore.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you both so much that really has helped. @JoKalsbeek honestly I was considering the same thing, I didn't want to change my diet too much right now because I fear it could say something. My dad's family seem to all have diabetes, he and his dad both had it but when my dad was diagnosed he failed to take proper actions and made it worse now at 58 he has a very difficult life and I don't want to get to that point. Any kind of food suggestions are always great, good books are also helpful. I really want to get ahead of it so that I don't risk more problems.
I had been considering cutting meat for a while due to no longer enjoying food, I love cooking but I think meals have become really boring due to my children not really eating with me anymore.

Since diabetes runs in the family, you could just go from the assumption that you are prone to it, and take this month before the second test to just read up on what's next, and decide how you want to tackle all this when/if confirmed. If you get diagnosed, the regular check ups and such are worth it. Like you, I've seen what diabetic complications can do, which is why I decided I didn't want to put my husband through that; being my carer and later, widower? He does enough already due to other issues, no need to burden him more, was my thinking. There's loads you yourself can do not to end up like your father, to retain quality of life and make things better; just being here is telling enough, you want to fight this thing. And I hear you on the cooking! I have a hard time doing it when it's just for myself, but if it's going to help the T2, I'd better suck it up and get the pans rattling. (Or, you know... Cheese roll-ups are nice too, for a quick lunch! Or a stack of boiled eggs in the fridge can last a week... ).

In a month's time you can learn a whole lot to help yourself through this. And your doc won't know what hit him when you can get technical about issues.
I have a feeling you'll be okay.
Jo

 

[laurakm87]

Since diabetes runs in the family, you could just go from the assumption that you are prone to it, and take this month before the second test to just read up on what's next, and decide how you want to tackle all this when/if confirmed. If you get diagnosed, the regular check ups and such are worth it. Like you, I've seen what diabetic complications can do, which is why I decided I didn't want to put my husband through that; being my carer and later, widower? He does enough already due to other issues, no need to burden him more, was my thinking. There's loads you yourself can do not to end up like your father, to retain quality of life and make things better; just being here is telling enough, you want to fight this thing. And I hear you on the cooking! I have a hard time doing it when it's just for myself, but if it's going to help the T2, I'd better suck it up and get the pans rattling. (Or, you know... Cheese roll-ups are nice too, for a quick lunch! Or a stack of boiled eggs in the fridge can last a week... ).

In a month's time you can learn a whole lot to help yourself through this. And your doc won't know what hit him when you can get technical about issues.
I have a feeling you'll be okay.
Jo

Thank you
My worry is I'm a single parent and I've already got children with ASD, I don't want to burden my older children more with me being unwell. I have spent my 30s taking care of my dad whom does very little to take care of himself and it has caused me to neglect my own health, I already have other health issues too make it more complicated. I am always willing to learn new things and take on new information.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you
My worry is I'm a single parent and I've already got children with ASD, I don't want to burden my older children more with me being unwell. I have spent my 30s taking care of my dad whom does very little to take care of himself and it has caused me to neglect my own health, I already have other health issues too make it more complicated. I am always willing to learn new things and take on new information.

Loads of us here juggle T2 with other conditions. It isn't always easy, especially when medication that is an absolute must for something else, raises blood sugars for instance, but that doesn't mean it's all impossible. You do need to start taking care of yourself, but that's presumably why you're here. Might also be time for dad to get a rude awakening; you have your hands full and diabetes is in the cards now too. If at all possible, it's time to get help from other sources, someone to unburden you a little. Home care, maybe, if they're not involved already? You have a lot going on, and honestly...? Those instructions on airplanes are right: put on your own mask so you can breathe, before you help someone else. I don't know how spectrummy your kids are (I sort of function, I guess, but I am AuDHD myself), but if they can't take care of themselves, they need their mum to be healthy. Your dad's an adult, and he should take some responsibility. I know, that's easy to say, but you know as well as I do that you can't keep spinning all these plates indefinitely. It's perfectly okay to ask for help, through the GP or municipality, or whomever steps in where you are.

Okay, yeah, that's a lot of presumptions of me right there, I guess. I just read what you wrote, and kept seeing my mum in my head. She took care of her parents and inlaws, and when everyone'd passed and I was no longer so much of a worry, when she was finally free to just live her own life, her heart, lungs and joints failed. All she wanted, was to see London again someday, and she never did.

I scattered some of her ashes there, last year.

Please take care of you.
Hugs,
Jo

 

[Resurgam]

I recently had a HbA1c test done and my results came to 51. When GP called he asked if i had symptoms which i tried telling him i'd had certian symptoms and he said that isnt possible due to this being new, Gp has said he wants to retest in 1 month but didn't really explain anything. On my test result it states if asymptomatic retest within 2 weeks.
With my bloods I also had high Cholesterol & low Iron. I've just been started on folic acid.
I usually am tested every year or 2 due to my family history but i havent been tested in around 3 years i believe it's also because I am over weight So diet is the main plan, my main struggle isn't eating healthy it's not eating appropriately i don't tend to eat in the morning or I snack on small things during the day then have a proper meal at night.

I have recently brought a glucose reader and checking my levels since yesterday, my morning fasting result was 6.7 yesterday and 8.2 this morning. My results are over 8 through the day. I need better support on diet plans, I'm looking to cut out most meat and substitute for meat free foods. And fill my plate with more vegetables.

I just didn't know if 1 month is too long for gp to retest.

I never used to have breakfast, not when the choice was bread, cereal or porridge but I burnt the diet sheets to light the barbecue in the days after diagnosis. These days I eat twice at 12 hourly intervals.
For many decades I could neve lose weight on the low fat high carb instructions I had, but the weight evaporated in the months after going low carb - it really does seem to be the carbs which are the problem despite them being touted as healthy, getting rid of the high carb foods eating morning and evening, seems to have sorted out the type 2 - and it happened very quickly.
Don't look on veges as all good, I eat stir fry, salads, low carb veges and berries, as they work for me but particularly the veges which grow underground - and tropical fruits - are high carb, and for an ordinary type 2, best avoided.
Meat, fish, eggs, cheese, full fat dairy will all help in maintaining low blood glucose if the amount of sugars and starches are reduced as required - different people find that they react differently and some can cope with more than others. Some react differently to foods such as porridge oats or peas and beans - it is why many people advise testing after eating to see what is best for you.