Hey everyone, I’m 35 and just got hit with a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis—honestly still wrapping my head around it. I’ve always thought I was pretty healthy, but here we are. Anyone else get diagnosed in their 30s? What changes helped you the most with keeping blood sugar in check without feeling like you’re totally overhauling your life? Looking for some real-life advice!
Diagnosed at 35: How Do You Manage Diabetes Without Losing Your Mind?
- Thread starter ScottieDP11
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JoKalsbeek
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Hi @ScottieDP11 ,
Was in my late 30's when diagnosed, and you really do get the rug yanked out from under you, eh? I knew I wasn't healthy, I just didn't for a moment think diabetes was an issue; kept adjusting other meds, thinking things were off with my thyroid and stuff, just needed to figure out how much hormone replacement I needed. More fool me. Anyway, yeah, it feels absolutely horrible. And then you learn how it all works, and you kind of get a grasp of it... And for me the big game-changer when it came to being absolutely scared out of my mind, was a meter. When I started trying out the many, many diets I found everywhere, the meter told me what was working for me. My blood sugars started coming down, and I haven't seen a 20.0+ mmol/l since, even if I was sick or on steroid injections. It's when you see things are working and you're getting on top of this thing, measurably, that the sheer terror fades.
I don't know what you would consider overhauling our life... You don't have to start running on a treadmill 4 hours a day and eating rabbit food only. But yeah, if you can see your way to some changes in diet, maybe walking a bit... http://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html This is what I did, far as food goes. Still in non-diabetic numbers 8 years later on, though I fell off the wagon a bit last year.
It feels like the end of the world. It wasn't. Hopefully, you'll find the same thing is true for you.
Jo
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I'm afraid that "totally overhauling your life" might be one of things you have to think about depending on how you intend to proceed. Don't rule out medication, and find for yourself what's going to work for you - you will probably need to be doing whatever you choose for a while.
Depends a lot on you - what your Hba1c result was, whether you want to lose weight or not, whether you have any other conditions that could interfere with what you want to do.
I became diabetic in my early fifties (undiagnosed for ten years or so), but I'd recommend anyone newly diagnosed to have a go at low carb/keto. It worked for me and for many other people on this forum.
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I’ll leave dietary advice to other members, but what I would suggest, if you haven’t got one already, is to buy a glucometer to check your blood sugar levels. One usually tests before and two hours after your meal. They are available at pharmacies. Basically it’s a finger prick test that analyses your blood and gives you a blood sugar reading so you see what your blood sugars are up to in that moment. It can help you figure out what foods send your blood sugar up and what foods have very little impact. Most diabetics have one of these meters.
Another useful item is a Continuous Glucose Monitor or CGM. Far more pricey. These devices use a sensor that reads the blood secretion in your interstitial fluid. Without getting into it the CGM measures constantly, as the name suggests, predictive blood sugars. It maps these figures out and gives you a graph and various stats. You don’t need a CGM as a T2 non insulin user, a glucometer works very well, but the CGMs are definitely useful.
Another useful item is a Continuous Glucose Monitor or CGM. Far more pricey. These devices use a sensor that reads the blood secretion in your interstitial fluid. Without getting into it the CGM measures constantly, as the name suggests, predictive blood sugars. It maps these figures out and gives you a graph and various stats. You don’t need a CGM as a T2 non insulin user, a glucometer works very well, but the CGMs are definitely useful.
Resurgam
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I had to wait for a diagnosis until I was in my 60s although it was pretty obvious that I had problems with managing blood glucose right from leaving home at 18. I staggered through my 20s and 30s and my life would have been a lot better if I could have had a diagnosis at that time instead of being pushed to do low fat low calorie diets.
You might feel rather apprehensive about having to cope with diabetes, but if you are an ordinary type 2 and respond well to getting lower blood glucose levels then you might look back on it as a very good thing once you are in your 70s.
You might feel rather apprehensive about having to cope with diabetes, but if you are an ordinary type 2 and respond well to getting lower blood glucose levels then you might look back on it as a very good thing once you are in your 70s.
JoKalsbeek
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Oh, don't get me wrong... You can feel as sorry for yourself as you want.
You know what? A diagnosis is traumatic, and it triggers grief. You're going to go through a whole gamut of emotions before things calm down. I didn't have the guidance of this place when I was diagnosed, and I spent the first three months crying a lot. It wasn't until I started seeing a difference in tests after I started low carbing, both at home and HbA1c, that I started to think, hey... I can do this. Until that point, I thought I was going to die, sooner rather than later. (There was more going on, but still... In my mind, I had one foot in the grave.) So do give yourself a few moment's grace here. If you feel like you've been dealt a bad hand, life's unfair, this is scary as all get-out, raging against everything about it etc, those feelings are entirely VALID, and quite normal, really... Kind of comes with getting a life-changing diagnosis shoved in your face. Think we all just put on a brave face and got on with it without so much as a blip of heartache over this? So feel whatever you feel. Then tell yourself there's a bunch of things you can do to avoid complications, and find some empowerment there. But don't kick yourself around for being upset about this. As for the changes, you do get used to them. Make them fit your life though. If something doesn't fit for you, makes you uncomfortable or miserable, see if there's another way. This is a long haul thing, so it should suit you, otherwise it's not sustainable.
Hang in there.
Jo
Resurgam
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When I am eating steak and mushrooms for breakfast out in my campervan it is difficult to feel sorry for those who have just dumped sour milk onto their cereal due to the fridge running our of power overnight.
It's happened several times within earshot now.
When I offered bacon eggs and sausages as an alternative you'd have thought I'd suggested poison from the wife's reaction.
I think the man was considering divorce.
A low carb diet seems to be all that is required, for ordinary type 2's, and I do enjoy it.
Solar power on the roof, good batteries and low consumption of electricity ensure a really chill cool box on my travels.
It's happened several times within earshot now.
When I offered bacon eggs and sausages as an alternative you'd have thought I'd suggested poison from the wife's reaction.
I think the man was considering divorce.
A low carb diet seems to be all that is required, for ordinary type 2's, and I do enjoy it.
Solar power on the roof, good batteries and low consumption of electricity ensure a really chill cool box on my travels.
Hi @ScottieDP11 ,
I'm sorry to hear you have joined our club. The diagnosis is horrible, and learning about this disease is literally horrifying BUT - it doesn't have to be lifelong. Get rid of it. Sign up to a course - I recommend https://www.xperthealth.org.uk/and learn how to reverse the diabetes and keep it away. Don't look into the 'Oh my God I have diabetes mirror' and look into the 'Let's get me to my best mirror'. I reversed my diabetes - it took a good 12 months but at this stage - you can do this and never look back. Most of us sleepwalk into diabetes so don't run yourself into the ground blaming yourself - knowledge is power so grab it all. Ask your GP for 3 monthly blood tests to give yourself the motivation to improve your health for each one and before you know it - you'll be back to your best self. Good luck!
I'm sorry to hear you have joined our club. The diagnosis is horrible, and learning about this disease is literally horrifying BUT - it doesn't have to be lifelong. Get rid of it. Sign up to a course - I recommend https://www.xperthealth.org.uk/and learn how to reverse the diabetes and keep it away. Don't look into the 'Oh my God I have diabetes mirror' and look into the 'Let's get me to my best mirror'. I reversed my diabetes - it took a good 12 months but at this stage - you can do this and never look back. Most of us sleepwalk into diabetes so don't run yourself into the ground blaming yourself - knowledge is power so grab it all. Ask your GP for 3 monthly blood tests to give yourself the motivation to improve your health for each one and before you know it - you'll be back to your best self. Good luck!
