Feeling so overwhelmed

[DooWop]

Hello everyone

I had my blood tested on Saturday, 28 April - a real spur of the moment thing; I was in a pharmacy where they do blood tests and thought I really should check it out. I've never done so before. Shock number one ... My blood sugar was 11.8. The clinic sister said I should fast and go for another test, which I did on Monday, 30 April. Shock number two - the reading was 12.9. I made an appointment to see my doctor and he did a whole raft of tests which resulted in shocks galore.

I'm diabetic. My A1C reading is 11.6% / 103mmol/mol. On top of that my cholesterol is high with a TC/HDL ratio of 4.8 (I hope I'm using the correct terms here - I am so new to all of this.)

So, meds, immediately. A statin called Adco-Simvastatin (1 per night after food) and metformin tablets called Mengen 500 (twice a day with food). I've also got an AccuChek meter and 50 strips and have been told to check 5 times per week, upon waking and before and after meals. I could do more to start with - feel like I want to check it every 10 minutes.

I was gearing up to being told to start a very low carb diet, but am now really worried that I won't be able to do so because of the cholesterol issue.

I'm so angry with myself. I'm heading for 60, and very seldom go to the doctor, only as and when I feel sick, which isn't often. I haven't experienced any of the symptoms I've read about here and in other places, except for feet which tingle now and then and skin which seems to be getting dryer (as I get older, or so I thought).

I'm seeing a dietitian next Thursday, and in the meantime will steer clear of all sugar/carbs that I possibly can. I just wish I knew how to find a balance between LCHF and the need to watch cholesterol. I know I need to lose weight, and exercise more (I have a very sedentary job) so that's on the cards in a big way.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to go off these meds, which is a pretty depressing thought.

My husband has been a star, and, as he says, thank heavens for a spur of the moment decision.

Since that first reading on Saturday, I've been reading piles on this forum, and feel like I've reached a safe haven. Thank you for giving me a chance to get this off my chest.

DooWop (feeling like DooFus)

.

 

[Deleted Account]

Welcome to the Forum.
There's no need to feel like a DooFus, many of us can relate to how you are feeling.

@daisy1 has a welcome post which provides lots of helpful tips to get you started. She will respond to this soon.

I will leave someone with type 2 to comment on diet, cholesterol, etc. as it is different for someone with type 1.

 

[urbanracer]

Welcome @DooWop
I'm sure that some of your fellow T2's will stop by with help and advice very soon.

@daisy1 , @Rachox , @bulkbiker

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hello and welcome!

It is quite natural to feel overwhelmed ... and shocked. But it will pass, I promise you. For a start, you have found this forum and there is no better place to be. We are all friendly most of the time, and are all diabetics of one sort or another willing to share our knowledge and experience.

I would just like to point out that your TC/HDL level of 4.8 is not high. It should be under 5. (according to my lab reports) What you need to do is ask for a copy of the test result print outs. This should show your full cholesterol/lipid panel and from those numbers work out for yourself if you need a statin. Unfortunately GPs are advised to offer statins to all diabetics whether the cholesterol warrants it or not. It is always a good plan to get the print outs because we also need to know what the other blood markers are doing - kidney & liver functions etc. They are all important for us. Have a good long read round these forums about statins and cholesterol - use the search box. There are thousands of them.

Testing is very important, but I'm afraid your 50 strips won't last very long. I do know that Accu Chek meter strips are expensive to self-fund, so you may find it cheaper to buy yourself a different meter. We can help you with this if you wish.

 

[Rachox]

Hi Doo wop. Please don’t feel you’ve let yourself down, you’ve made a smart move coming here.
I'm now nearly 12 months from being diagnosed type 2. Once I was over the initial shock, I saw it as the proverbial kick up the bum to get healthier. I was started on Metformin tablets and tolerate them well now after a bit of stomach upset in the early days. I wasn't advised to eat low carb by my GP or Diabetes education course, but stumbled on this forum by chance and took up a low carb life style with self monitoring, I haven’t gone mad with the fats, I just eat enough to not feel hungry. I started by eating less than 100g carbs/day to begin with and then after 6 weeks reduced it to 50-70g/day, nowadays I tend to keep under 60g. Caution needs to be taken on certain drugs going low carb but on just Metformin it’s ok. The best way to see what foods suit you is to test right before a meal and then two hours after the first bite, you’re looking for a rise of no more than 2 mmol/l and to be within these recommended ranges http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
I have resisted Statins because I’m scared of the side effects, especially that they raise blood sugar levels! My cholesterol results deteriorated initially, but my last set of results showed an improvement.

This has all worked for me, to date I've lost over 5 1/2stone (still more to go) and got my HbA1c down to a non diabetic level, all due to the fantastic support and advise I got here. Read around the Forum and ask any questions that occur to you

 

[Resurgam]

I was on a diet to lower cholesterol - which did not work at lowering anything and I got up to 264 lb at the highest.
Oh LCHF my levels fell - the nurse said it had to be a delayed reaction, my weight reduced, my blood glucose and Hba1c were normal after 6 months - my skin is lovely and soft now, I have small pink feet again - and when a new bus driver starts on the route I use I have to show them my photo to prove it is me on the bus pass.
You don't have to go really low carb if you have any luck - I went down to normal on 50 gm of carbs a day which is quite comfortable really.

 

[DooWop]

Welcome to the Forum.
There's no need to feel like a DooFus, many of us can relate to how you are feeling.

@daisy1 has a welcome post which provides lots of helpful tips to get you started. She will respond to this soon.

I will leave someone with type 2 to comment on diet, cholesterol, etc. as it is different for someone with type 1.

Thanks, helensaramay. Slowly getting my head around it all.

 

[DooWop]

Welcome @DooWop
I'm sure that some of your fellow T2's will stop by with help and advice very soon.

@daisy1 , @Rachox , @bulkbiker

Thank you for the welcome, urbanracer

 

[Freema]

Hello everyone

I had my blood tested on Saturday, 28 April - a real spur of the moment thing; I was in a pharmacy where they do blood tests and thought I really should check it out. I've never done so before. Shock number one ... My blood sugar was 11.8. The clinic sister said I should fast and go for another test, which I did on Monday, 30 April. Shock number two - the reading was 12.9. I made an appointment to see my doctor and he did a whole raft of tests which resulted in shocks galore.

I'm diabetic. My A1C reading is 11.6% / 103mmol/mol. On top of that my cholesterol is high with a TC/HDL ratio of 4.8 (I hope I'm using the correct terms here - I am so new to all of this.)

So, meds, immediately. A statin called Adco-Simvastatin (1 per night after food) and metformin tablets called Mengen 500 (twice a day with food). I've also got an AccuChek meter and 50 strips and have been told to check 5 times per week, upon waking and before and after meals. I could do more to start with - feel like I want to check it every 10 minutes.

I was gearing up to being told to start a very low carb diet, but am now really worried that I won't be able to do so because of the cholesterol issue.

I'm so angry with myself. I'm heading for 60, and very seldom go to the doctor, only as and when I feel sick, which isn't often. I haven't experienced any of the symptoms I've read about here and in other places, except for feet which tingle now and then and skin which seems to be getting dryer (as I get older, or so I thought).

I'm seeing a dietitian next Thursday, and in the meantime will steer clear of all sugar/carbs that I possibly can. I just wish I knew how to find a balance between LCHF and the need to watch cholesterol. I know I need to lose weight, and exercise more (I have a very sedentary job) so that's on the cards in a big way.

I don't know if I'll ever be able to go off these meds, which is a pretty depressing thought.

My husband has been a star, and, as he says, thank heavens for a spur of the moment decision.

Since that first reading on Saturday, I've been reading piles on this forum, and feel like I've reached a safe haven. Thank you for giving me a chance to get this off my chest.

DooWop (feeling like DooFus)

.

welcome here, this forum is such a great place people are so helpful and informative, keep asking and you´ll gain control... you decide if you´ll try the low carb diet, maybe it does no difference to your cholesterol levels... I myself just refused to take statins , and now one and a half year later I have also stopped taking metformin , my doctors advice, said there was no longer indication for descriping them to me... you can do the same I am sure ...

 

[DooWop]

Hello and welcome!

It is quite natural to feel overwhelmed ... and shocked. But it will pass, I promise you. For a start, you have found this forum and there is no better place to be. We are all friendly most of the time, and are all diabetics of one sort or another willing to share our knowledge and experience.

I would just like to point out that your TC/HDL level of 4.8 is not high. It should be under 5. (according to my lab reports) What you need to do is ask for a copy of the test result print outs. This should show your full cholesterol/lipid panel and from those numbers work out for yourself if you need a statin. Unfortunately GPs are advised to offer statins to all diabetics whether the cholesterol warrants it or not. It is always a good plan to get the print outs because we also need to know what the other blood markers are doing - kidney & liver functions etc. They are all important for us. Have a good long read round these forums about statins and cholesterol - use the search box. There are thousands of them.

Testing is very important, but I'm afraid your 50 strips won't last very long. I do know that Accu Chek meter strips are expensive to self-fund, so you may find it cheaper to buy yourself a different meter. We can help you with this if you wish.

Hi there Bluetit
Thank you for taking the time to write such an informative reply. I took a photo of the test result printout from the doc's A1C test, which he did on the spot in his rooms. It gave two sets of results:
11.6 A1C DCCT (103mmol/molIFCC)
and then:
TC 7.87
HDL 1.64
TRG 3.78
LDL 4.50
Non-HDL 6.23
TC/HDL ratio 4.8
GLU 13.7

It all just feels incredibly high to me.
I'll do some more reading around the forums as you suggest. I've been reading all the posts about diet up to now, statins not so much so. It would be great to get info about cheaper strips and a cheaper meter - if they're available here (South Africa). Otherwise I could always order off the net, I would imagine.
Thanks again!

 

[DooWop]

welcome here, this forum is such a great place people are so helpful and informative, keep asking and you´ll gain control... you decide if you´ll try the low carb diet, maybe it does no difference to your cholesterol levels... I myself just refused to take statins , and now one and a half year later I have also stopped taking metformin , my doctors advice, said there was no longer indication for descriping them to me... you can do the same I am sure ...

Hi Freema
I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have found this forum. Otherwise I'd be wandering from site to site and getting more and more confused and frantic. I like the thought of gaining control; at the moment it feels like the life I knew has just vanished. I know it's early days (Day 1 ) but I'm determined to stick to doing whatever I need to do.
Thanks so much for the encouragement

 

[DooWop]

I was on a diet to lower cholesterol - which did not work at lowering anything and I got up to 264 lb at the highest.
Oh LCHF my levels fell - the nurse said it had to be a delayed reaction, my weight reduced, my blood glucose and Hba1c were normal after 6 months - my skin is lovely and soft now, I have small pink feet again - and when a new bus driver starts on the route I use I have to show them my photo to prove it is me on the bus pass.
You don't have to go really low carb if you have any luck - I went down to normal on 50 gm of carbs a day which is quite comfortable really.

Hi there Resurgam
Yes, I really do feel I'd like to work on a LCHF diet. It seems to make the most sense. Still taking everything in, though. The abbreviations alone are quite something to get my head around. I've been scanning the backs of packets etc like crazy and figuring out how to get by on as few carbs as possible. In a way I'm quite glad I'm only seeing a dietitian in a week, gives me time to figure it all out before being hit with a whole stack more info.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer me.

 

[DooWop]

Hi Doo wop. Please don’t feel you’ve let yourself down, you’ve made a smart move coming here.
I'm now nearly 12 months from being diagnosed type 2. Once I was over the initial shock, I saw it as the proverbial kick up the bum to get healthier. I was started on Metformin tablets and tolerate them well now after a bit of stomach upset in the early days. I wasn't advised to eat low carb by my GP or Diabetes education course, but stumbled on this forum by chance and took up a low carb life style with self monitoring, I haven’t gone mad with the fats, I just eat enough to not feel hungry. I started by eating less than 100g carbs/day to begin with and then after 6 weeks reduced it to 50-70g/day, nowadays I tend to keep under 60g. Caution needs to be taken on certain drugs going low carb but on just Metformin it’s ok. The best way to see what foods suit you is to test right before a meal and then two hours after the first bite, you’re looking for a rise of no more than 2 mmol/l and to be within these recommended ranges http://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html
I have resisted Statins because I’m scared of the side effects, especially that they raise blood sugar levels! My cholesterol results deteriorated initially, but my last set of results showed an improvement.

This has all worked for me, to date I've lost over 5 1/2stone (still more to go) and got my HbA1c down to a non diabetic level, all due to the fantastic support and advise I got here. Read around the Forum and ask any questions that occur to you

Hi there Rachox
Thank you!
I'm so glad that I also stumbled upon this forum. Can't tell you how many diabetes related tabs were open on my screen before I found it.
Yes, I have to agree, my bum feels well and truly kicked. I was just saying to my husband earlier that the biggest challenge is to see this as a weird sort of gift to force me into a major lifestyle change. We eat a pretty plain diet, not too much in the way of pre-cooked or processed foods. I'll just have to avert my eyes from the biscuit tin, and resist potatoes and rice. Yes, I think I'll test a bit more than he asked me to in the first few weeks, just to get a sense of what works and what doesn't. I'll keep an excel spreadsheet and pray like crazy that levels drop... I'm supposed to see the doc again in two months, and until then think I'd better stay on the statins (and walk!)
Thanks again xx

 

[Resurgam]

Hi there Resurgam
Yes, I really do feel I'd like to work on a LCHF diet. It seems to make the most sense. Still taking everything in, though. The abbreviations alone are quite something to get my head around. I've been scanning the backs of packets etc like crazy and figuring out how to get by on as few carbs as possible. In a way I'm quite glad I'm only seeing a dietitian in a week, gives me time to figure it all out before being hit with a whole stack more info.
Thanks so much for taking the time to answer me.

It is only by haunting the forum that I get any sense of striving to overcome diabetes.
I just finished dinner which was white fish, cauliflower and coleslaw with a spoonful of peas as I did too many for my husband and now I have a mug of coffee and cream.
Once you settle into a routine of shopping and cooking it is a lot easier. I had two shopping lists which I used alternately for ages so I did not get bored with the same combinations of foods. Even now I rarely buy mushrooms and tomatoes in the same shop.

 

[Mbaker]

If you choose the LCHF lifestyle, as you are worried about cholesterol, maybe ask your surgery for 3 further tests over the next year, as you might be a hyper-responder (LDL in particular goes quite high). I would give it at least a year if all is in order, as if you loose weight cholesterol gets dumped into the blood stream skewing results.

Forgive me, but the stats indicate that ladies of your age are protected by higher cholestorol numbers. If you are deeply concerned try a get a private CAC scan, this will scientifically tell you if there is any build up of plaque in your arteries as opposed to what is regarded by many as an outdated guess. Keep in mind without cholesterol we would be dead, every cell has some, the body naturally makes circa 80 - 85%, so would nature produce something within us that is harmful. The current dogma is based around a theory called the Diet Heart Hypothesis - when put under the microscope it is not standing up well.

 

[Rachox]

Hi there Rachox
Thank you!
I'm so glad that I also stumbled upon this forum. Can't tell you how many diabetes related tabs were open on my screen before I found it.
Yes, I have to agree, my bum feels well and truly kicked. I was just saying to my husband earlier that the biggest challenge is to see this as a weird sort of gift to force me into a major lifestyle change. We eat a pretty plain diet, not too much in the way of pre-cooked or processed foods. I'll just have to avert my eyes from the biscuit tin, and resist potatoes and rice. Yes, I think I'll test a bit more than he asked me to in the first few weeks, just to get a sense of what works and what doesn't. I'll keep an excel spreadsheet and pray like crazy that levels drop... I'm supposed to see the doc again in two months, and until then think I'd better stay on the statins (and walk!)
Thanks again xx

It’s good to hear that you cook mostly from scratch, you therefore have control over what goes into your meals. I have gone from being a lazy cook to being way more imaginative, finding low carb combinations to make a complete meal without feeling deprived. Don’t worry about missing out on biscuits completely, you just need the right recipes. Here’s a favourite of mine to start you off:
https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/lemon-almond-shortbread-cookies-low-carb-gluten-free/
Have a look at this thread too. A bunch of us post what we’ve eaten each day and swap recipes:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/

 

[Bluetit1802]

TC 7.87
HDL 1.64
TRG 3.78
LDL 4.50
Non-HDL 6.23
TC/HDL ratio 4.8

Yes, those figures are higher than doctors like to see.
HDL is the good cholesterol and should be as high as possible. In the UK the standard for females is 1.2 to 3.5.
TRG (triglycerides) are the baddies and need to be as low as possible. Here the standard is 0 to 1.9 when fasting, 0 to 2.3 if not fasting.
LDL is a mix of goodies and baddies, but that all depends on how good the triglycerides are. If the trigs are low there are more goodies than baddies.

Hope this helps.

 

[DooWop]

If you choose the LCHF lifestyle, as you are worried about cholesterol, maybe ask your surgery for 3 further tests over the next year, as you might be a hyper-responder (LDL in particular goes quite high). I would give it at least a year if all is in order, as if you loose weight cholesterol gets dumped into the blood stream skewing results.

Forgive me, but the stats indicate that ladies of your age are protected by higher cholestorol numbers. If you are deeply concerned try a get a private CAC scan, this will scientifically tell you if there is any build up of plaque in your arteries as opposed to what is regarded by many as an outdated guess. Keep in mind without cholesterol we would be dead, every cell has some, the body naturally makes circa 80 - 85%, so would nature produce something within us that is harmful. The current dogma is based around a theory called the Diet Heart Hypothesis - when put under the microscope it is not standing up well.

Hi there, Mbaker
Thanks for that suggestion - I'm making a list of things to ask him when I next see him.
When you say, "LDL in particular goes quite high" do you mean that this is what happens on a LCHF diet? I've just looked up hyper-responder - is that what you mean? That my cholesterol levels might increase dramatically?
I'll find out about CAC scans and if they are an affordable.
And tomorrow I'll start reading around statins and cholesterol.
Thanks again for taking the time to answer my post.

 

[DooWop]

It’s good to hear that you cook mostly from scratch, you therefore have control over what goes into your meals. I have gone from being a lazy cook to being way more imaginative, finding low carb combinations to make a complete meal without feeling deprived. Don’t worry about missing out on biscuits completely, you just need the right recipes. Here’s a favourite of mine to start you off:
https://www.ibreatheimhungry.com/lemon-almond-shortbread-cookies-low-carb-gluten-free/
Have a look at this thread too. A bunch of us post what we’ve eaten each day and swap recipes:
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/what-have-you-eaten-today.75781/

Thanks Rachox
I have so many new habits to learn. What have I eaten today sounds like a good place to visit regularly.
Time for bed now!
My head's spinning.

 

[DooWop]

Yes, those figures are higher than doctors like to see.
HDL is the good cholesterol and should be as high as possible. In the UK the standard for females is 1.2 to 3.5.
TRG (triglycerides) are the baddies and need to be as low as possible. Here the standard is 0 to 1.9 when fasting, 0 to 2.3 if not fasting.
LDL is a mix of goodies and baddies, but that all depends on how good the triglycerides are. If the trigs are low there are more goodies than baddies.

Hope this helps.

It does help, a lot. Thanks Bluetit. I wonder how long it'll take to work those numbers down (or up).