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Diagnosis just before holiday

M

Magiciain

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
So, here we go on a journey. I'd been suffering with constant exhaustion for a couple of years and thought it was something like Long Covid, finally went to the doctors (yes, I'm a guy!) and they did numerous blood tests and had a text just before coming on holiday confirming type 2 diabetes. I don't have a meeting with the diabetic nurse till the start of June as I'm literally on holiday right now at a place where temptation is everywhere. Should I worry now or just enjoy myself till I get back. I have no numbers yet and guess I'll get those when I have my meeting.

Thanks in advance.
 
Hi and welcome to the forum @Magiciain. It sounds like you have had a tough couple of years. It's never a good time to hear you are diabetic, especially so just before you go on your holidays, and now you are there, you want to have a good time. I 100% get that. We cannot advise you what to do, that decision is yours to make. Nobody else can make that decision for you. It's made harder as you do not know what your HbA1c results show. So it's a very difficult choice to make.

What I can say is when you return you can ask question here. We have many members who have been in your shoes and are happy to share their own experiences and how they manage their blood sugars, be it diet, medication or exercise or a combination.
 
Hi @Magiciain , and welcome,

Putting it simply: Before you decide on anything, you might want to learn more, first? Find out what your numbers are so you know where you're starting from (when you get home might be more practical, though they might be found in an app if your surgery has one), and maybe discover the various methods of tackling diabetes. Right now you don't know what's going on yet with your body, and how much adjusting you need to do far as diet and/or medications go, so.... Try to let that bit go for now, and just study up a little for your appointment with the nurse, so you know what to ask and what your options are. It didn't come on overnight, you don't have to fix it overnight, and the odds are you don't have enough information, currently, to make adjustments knowing what their potential impact may be.

For the moment, I'd say, just enjoy your holiday, and try to avoid the dessert tables. https://josekalsbeek.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-nutritional-thingy.html might help a little if there's an all you can eat buffet, but don't go overboard. If your body's been used to higher blood glucose for a while, making drastic changes now may make you feel unwell, and that's not what you want on hols.

Just, you know... Don't panic. Enjoy your holiday. Get ready to face this head-on when you get back, and imagine what life'll be like when you start feeling better and more energetic, now that you know what the problem is. It can get better!
Jo
 
Thanks both for your replies, I'm not much of a dessert person mainly because main courses fill me up.

I understand it's only a decision I can make and to be honest I hope the diagnosis and changes I'm going to make will have an effect on the exhaustion, probably relieved that we might be getting somewhere.

I'll enjoy the holiday and keep reading the forum and do some research.

Thanks again.
 
Magiciain said:
I hope the diagnosis and changes I'm going to make will have an effect on the exhaustion
Click to expand...
I remember from the period before my diagnosis that I often had trouble staying awake (in hindsight especially after eating).
If your exhaustion is caused by higher blood glucose levels, you may see a difference very quickly with a few different choices in food. It might even make your holiday more enjoyable if there is less exhaustion to deal with.
Magiciain said:
I'm literally on holiday right now at a place where temptation is everywhere. Should I worry now or just enjoy myself till I get back.
Click to expand...
What type of holiday are you enjoying (yes, definitely keep enjoying, worrying won't help you in any way!), what types of foods are available, and what types of food do you really want to enjoy? If you like meats, cheese, veggies, eggs, you could choose to have more of those and less of the breads/rice/spaghetti/fruit and see if you feel better after eating.
If you're in a hotel type of setting, even only skipping the fresh juice at breakfast in favour of a cup of coffee or tea can make a huge difference!

So maybe you can do both, enjoy yourself and save the worrying for later while also feeling better by making a few different choices in food.
 
So I'm currently in Las Vegas hence food temptation everywhere. On the plus side I am walking a lot more, so not as sedentary as I normally am. I am looking at menus a little differently and I don't drink a tremendous amount anyway. I'll continue to keep an eye on what I'm eating and chill out.

Thanks again for the responses once more.
 
Enjoy your holiday!

I think looking at menus a little differently and postponing diving deeper into this diabetes thing until after you're back is a very sound approach.
Come back on the forum with all your questions once you're back home and over your jet lag.
 
To echo the above, maybe avoid the obvious high-carb items like ice creams and donuts (at least in huge quantities) but otherwise eat normally, enjoy yourself, and be ready for a deeper dive into diabetic diets when you get home.
 
Did you also think about updating your travel insurance as it will be invalid if you don't declare it. Hope you have a lovely holiday. Regards Yvonne
 
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