Disheartened after first visit to dr after diagnosis

[VashtiB]

Hi,

After having been diagnosed 3 weeks ago I went back to the dr as I was supposed to. I feel disheartened after the visit so am mostly on here to vent. I was really chuffed that I had got my tests results to be mostly in the 5s with some 4s and 6s. She said that they were good and then we spoke about how I was achieving them. I told her it was LCHF. I don't think she really approved as she suggested I see a dietician or diabetic clinic- I refused. I said I was getting better advice on this forum then they would give me so didn't see the point. She then suggested sit wasn't sustainable. I admit that I am not thrilled about the food at the moment but it is only three weeks and I really really love carbs. However I am slowly finding meals that work. My biggest challenge is breakfast but I have come to the conclusion that I I really can't find a solution then IF might be the way to go. However it has only been three weeks so while I feel miserable a lot I am also finding so solutions most days.
She went on to suggest that the estimated HBA1C that my sugr app gave (5.3) would be good but the tone was very much I doubt this is true and you can't sustain it. I said that there were those on the forum that have sustained it so it is obviously doable. Her attitude Wass that it was a progressive disease and that medication will be needed very much see how long you can delay the medication. I said if I can maintain readings then it didn't need to be progressive- she didn't agree.

Her advice was then it was okay to have the occasional treat and it didn't matter if you spiked as long as it came down again. I said I tried the 'eat well' type meal and spiked for a day so I didn't want to do that. I also thought (to myself) what **** advice to give someone newly diagnosed. My view is to try to keep them low and stable for a significant period before becoming too relaxed. To try to give my body a rest. Since my first HBA1C was 6.6 I really thought I had a good chance of bringing it down

Anyway sorry for the long post but I am so glad I found this forum. While I am not enjoying the LCHF diet as yet at least I can see the results in my tests ( the dr suggested IO could stop testing-hah) and I am slowly finding meals that I can live with. Yes I really miss the carbs (a lot) but I don't miss the added risk of health complications which I absolutely believe I can avoid thanks to this forum. If I believed that it was a progressive disease with nothing I could do to avoid that why would I even try?

 

[There is no Spoon]

I feel disheartened

My first visit nurse told me its not a realistic goal to believe I could reverse my diabetes.

3 months later it was reversed.

 

[Guzzler]

It is such a shame that you do not appear to have the support of your (behind the times) GP.
Type 2 Diabetes does not have to be the chronic, progressive disease that some HCPs espouse. It can be well managed and put into remission and you seem to have understood that so carry on with what you are doing, I know it can be a struggle at the beginning with the carb craving and the search for new ways to eat but as you know it is well worth all the effort you put in because what is the alternative?

 

[Walking Girl]

I think it’s such a catch 22 for doctors. They see so few patients willing to make sustainable changes, that they end up losing faith any will so then they discourage any who actually will make permanent changes...

I guess on the upside you can just use your frustration as motivation to prove her wrong!

Edited to add: one of my favorite for a low carb breakfast is chia seed pudding. You can use any cream, milk alternatives, whatever you want. And dress it up with nuts, berries, you name it. I love it made with almond milk, pumpkin and spices.

 

[jjraak]

Hi @VashtiB

so your trying a new way, and while your not infatuated with the food choices so far, you are still giving it a go, and the Bg levels are good after testing..Good for you.

sadly the doctors advice is pretty common.

BUT if it is a progressive disease and the real issue of Diabetes Type Two, however it's caused is HIGH blood sugars, whatever you do to delay/manage those rises..MUST be good, right. ?

So even if the testing and Low carb didn't save you from this forever, it could/would keep you away from the complications longer ...then if you just succumbed NOW, and ate cake and bread etc...that would make sense, wouldn't it ?

But all those signatures under each poster proves not only is it not progressive, it can actually be managed much better then some HCP believe it can be. ( i often think just the diagnosis means they write us off as a Lost cause.. ).

Lower HBA1c, down from HIghs to NON diabetic levels within months..and kept low, for many months .years in some cases
weight loss as a by product, improved health all round with some secondary illnesses improving also..
(asthma for me..almost non existent, these days)

So the food choices get better /easier depending on your preferences.
Many alternative choices, and i found my palate changed so the foods i probably wouldn't have liked before,
now i gave them a fair go ..some go on and get on my fav list.

our tastes change and we adapt to some of the foods we can eat.
breakfast for me can be a full on fry up..eggs bacon sausage, mushrooms , tomatoes
OR an easy greek yogurt with a few berries stirred in
OR a cuppa and 2 brazil nuts and a few walnuts.

it really is up to you, to MAKE your OWN Menu, now

No food IS breakfast, breakfast IS what YOU want or need.
so eat or fast, the choice is yours.

a few skip breakfast and to help them, they have a Coffee with double cream in.
you could try that until you get the feel of skipping meals.

THIS T2D, is a major learning curve and as i see it your doing pretty ok, so far.

Good luck.

 

[jjraak]

I think it’s such a catch 22 for doctors. They see so few patients willing to make sustainable changes, that they end up losing faith any will so then they discourage any who actually will make permanent changes...

I guess on the upside you can just use your frustration as motivation to prove her wrong!

Edited to add: one of my favorite for a low carb breakfast is chia seed pudding. You can use any cream, milk alternatives, whatever you want. And dress it up with nuts, berries, you name it. I love it made with almond milk, pumpkin and spices.

Hi @Walking Girl

i agree with much you say, but surely a doctors duty is to help and aid us.
I think we let them off too lightly there.

I'm sure a great many patients, can't be bothered, but surely that just makes those that WOULD and DO,
even more valuable and worthy of encouragement.

I wish for the day everybody with T2D gets the opportunity to have a CHOICE.

AND be encouraged and supported in those choices, by their respected health care teams.

Liking the sound of that Pudding, Btw..

 

[Walking Girl]

Hi @Walking Girl

i agree with much you say, but surely a doctors duty is to help and aid us.
I think we let them off too lightly there.

I'm sure a great many patients, can't be bothered, but surely that just makes those that WOULD and DO,
even more valuable and worthy of encouragement.

I wish for the day everybody with T2D gets the opportunity to have a CHOICE.

AND be encouraged and supported in those choices, by their respected health care teams.

Liking the sound of that Pudding, Btw..

Yes, I agree, but for all we know the doctors think they are helping. I had an endocrinologist tell me maintaining weight loss was difficult, so be prepared to get back on meds when I regained the weight (since for me weight loss was the golden key...I get that is not the case for everyone). Regardless, my point is I think he was trying to say “don’t be discouraged when you gain the weight back, it’s not your fault” what I heard was “you will never succeed, so don’t bother”. (For me “you go girl!” would have been ideal.)

14 months after hitting my goal of 92 lbs lost, I’m holding steady, but it certainly takes focus.

They aren’t expert counselors...so bedside manner may not be ideal. I’ve encountered more doctors that care than those that don’t. Just my experience.

I can get the pudding in under 6 carbs for a filling breakfast, depending on the add ins...tasty stuff, because the chia seeds give it bulk and the add ins are almost limitless.

 

[Resurgam]

Your doctor's advice to eat carbs, have elevated blood glucose but remain ignorant of it must come from a desire to see you fail - perhaps not a conscious one but I can't see how else to interpret it.
If I had not taken the advice of HCPs I would have remained on a low carb way of eating for the last 40 years or so - possibly never gained so much weight and never become fully diabetic. I do very well on it, and think what I can eat is great, and I had to watch a video made at a morris meeting twice before I recognized myself - granted we do all wear the same uniform, but I really am altered from what I was at diagnosis after eating low fat high carb foods for almost two years - I was almost as round as I was tall.

 

[1spuds]

Lucky thing you came here for knowledge.

Veterans Hospital in USA wanted to start me right on insulin.They even wrote on my chart I was NON COMPLIANT in big letters!! Talk about bad advice!! Grrrrrr!!!!

Glad I had already seen my private Dr who said metformin and lets see what happens.With LCHF,off metformin in 4 weeks and just walking 1 to 3 times a day Im normal numbers in 4 months and as a bonus blood pressure also normal without pill now.

Better believe Im glad I chose who to listen to.... this forum.The REAL experts on the subject.

Wait until I see VA in September,going to give them the complete story on how I did it too!

 

[jjraak]

Lucky thing you came here for knowledge.

Veterans Hospital in USA wanted to start me right on insulin.They even wrote on my chart I was NON COMPLIANT in big letters!! Talk about bad advice!! Grrrrrr!!!!

Glad I had already seen my private Dr who said metformin and lets see what happens.With LCHF,off metformin in 4 weeks and just walking 1 to 3 times a day Im normal numbers in 4 months and as a bonus blood pressure also normal without pill now.

Better believe Im glad I chose who to listen to.... this forum.The REAL experts on the subject.

Wait until I see VA in September,going to give them the complete story on how I did it too!

Fantastic results mate.
And yet more proof.. IF proof was needed, that this way of eating can have a massive improvement on your BG levels.
And by dint, your overall health.

Top man..
(And liking that tag line on your profile page..let's kick its *** )

 

[Prem51]

@VashtiB When I was first told I had Type 2 diabetes my gp also told me it was a progressive and chronic condition and that I would inevitably be going on to medication and ultimately insulin.
That scared the **** out of me - I'm terrified of injections. But it did motivate me to see if I could do anything to avoid that, and I found this forum.
Four years later my HbA1c results have crept up a bit, but are still lower than before, and at diagnosis. I could certainly be stricter, I do eat things I shouldn't but less often and in smaller quantities.
So even if I have not put my T2 into 'remission' I think I have at least controlled it, which I regard as a 'Win'.

 

[TriciaWs]

My GP was willing to accept I wanted to try low carb but no advice, my DN was anti at first and the dietician I saw instead of a Desmond course was very anti and insisted I needed to eat more carbs and carbs at every meal (she obviously hadn't read the latest research and was annoyed that I thought I knew 'better' than her).
But my good results and sustaining it convinced the GP and DN (even though they seem to focus more on the weight loss!).

I struggled with breakfast at first as I don't like eggs first thing and struggle to cook before I've had painkillers.
I wasn't keen on the texture of chia seed porridge, so tried a mix of milled flaxseed, oatbran and chia seeds - and over time I reduced the oatbran and increased the other two. I make it with a mix of coconut milk and water, cooked for a couple of minutes and served with cinnamon, a pinch of salt and cream. I mix up the seeds with water the night before to make this a simple routine in the morning.

 

[Guzzler]

Perhaps this short piece by our favourite Southport GP, Dr. David Unwin, would interest the OPs Doctor? Just a thought.

https://diabetestimes.co.uk/low-car...ignoring-pioneering-type-2-diabetes-approach/

 

[Resurgam]

The saddest thing is that low carb isn't new - and it used to be the accepted way of treatment.

 

[kokhongw]

Lucky thing you came here for knowledge.

Veterans Hospital in USA wanted to start me right on insulin.They even wrote on my chart I was NON COMPLIANT in big letters!! Talk about bad advice!! Grrrrrr!!!!

Glad I had already seen my private Dr who said metformin and lets see what happens.With LCHF,off metformin in 4 weeks and just walking 1 to 3 times a day Im normal numbers in 4 months and as a bonus blood pressure also normal without pill now.

Better believe Im glad I chose who to listen to.... this forum.The REAL experts on the subject.

Wait until I see VA in September,going to give them the complete story on how I did it too!

Hopefully more of them get to hear about what Virta Health has to offer...
https://blog.virtahealth.com/virta-...ffairs-to-help-veterans-with-type-2-diabetes/

 

[1spuds]

Hopefully more of them get to hear about what Virta Health has to offer...
https://blog.virtahealth.com/virta-...ffairs-to-help-veterans-with-type-2-diabetes/

Great link kokhongw! VA sure can use the enlightened approach.From the link....

Virta’s approach shows significant promise in reducing use of diabetes medications, which can relieve the economic burden of the disease. In peer-reviewed clinical trial results, 94% of patients who completed one year of the Virta Treatment eliminated or reduced insulin use. Additionally, 60% of patients reversed type 2 diabetes. The Virta Treatment improved markers of cardiovascular disease risk, too, including blood pressure, obesity, and inflammation.

 

[kokhongw]

This is a pretty nice anecdotal result...and I am pretty sure there will be more on the way....
https://blog.virtahealth.com/veteran-defeating-t2d-virta-va/