hba1c 9.1, couldnt stop crying in dieticians office

[Lauraann]

hello all
just come back from dieticians office where I completely embarressed myself by sobbing uncontrollably, just got hope and my face all puffy and red now. My level has gone up to 9.1 and she immediately said 'your consultant won't be happy when you see him tomorrow, he will put you straight on insulin', I just started crying, I was previously told to watch my fat intake and sugar intake, but now she says my carb intake is way too high and that if I can't change my eating habits my life is on the line (they have been high since January when I had flu for 3 weeks ) I didn't even know my hba1c was 9.1 and they have known since Feb and have kept changing my consultants appointment from March to April then to May and then to June, but I managed to get an appointment tomorrow at short notice, why didn't they call me in if they knew they are so high. She also said I have probably already damaged my eyes and kidneys which really frightened me, she said I need to exercise more even though I do 70 mins 4 times a week, my weight is dropping too but she said it is beacause of high sugars, I asked about byetta but she said my bmi isn't high enough as it has to be 35 and mine is approx 30, I then drove to my husbands work to see him in his lunch break and just sobbed in his arms, he said he will help me and we will go shopping to find low carb food, but I haven't a clue, I know I am also severely depressed (have suffered on and off since I was 16 and now I am 44) but I hoped it would just go away, so have made an appointment with my dr, so scared tho as I know when I see my dr and the diabetes consultant a the hospital tomorrow I will be in floods of tears and he isn't a very sympathetic person.
I was told that losing weight would be best for my diabetes ( I need to lose 2 stone ) but now I am told that it is the carbs I am eating that is doing the harm. I'm so confused, any help, advice, support would be much appreciated cos as I feel now I just want to get in my car and drive off a cliff (and I am being serious)
thank you for hering my rant
Laura x :cry:

 

[ams162]

oh laura i feel for u reading this, living with diabetes whatever the type isnt easy and u do the best u can, dont let them knock u down they dont have to live with this daily u do. pick urself up dust urself off and make the changes suggested and see what happens my sons hba1c has never been under 10 in 4 years ( well once when it was 9.8 lol ) but its not from the lack of trying.

be grateful for the things u have sounds like u have a very supportive husband which will help u no end. good luck for tomorrow and just resolve to improve on ur hba1c now u have some more info

anna marie

 

[sugarless sue]

When you saw the dietician first did she actually talk about carbs or was it the usual talk of 'don't eat foods with sugar' ? This is not your fault Laura it is lack of information !

Read the advice we gave you in this post;

viewtopic.php?f=25&t=20060&p=183080#p183085


and try and start doing some of the things it tells you. Get a carb counter book and learn how much is in the foods you are eating. The usual dietician advice to eat carbs with every meal is NOT good advice for someone on diet only as you have no way of bringing down the levels once they go up. Read all the packaging on foods and look for the TOTAL carb amount not just the 'sugars'. If the Carb value is more than 10-12 per 100gm then give that product a miss for a while.

Do you have a blood testing monitor ? If you have to, buy one, this is the most important weapon we have in controlling our Diabetes and if the Doctor/nurse will not give you one buy one yourself.

With the information on this Forum you can reduce your blood glucose levels and your Hba1c. We will give you all the help and support that you want.

 

[Lauraann]

thank you, yes I was told to count the sugars in everything before, but now I have to count carbs, she also said try drinking 4 pints of semi skimmed milk per day with nothing else for a week, but not sure I could stick to this and don't think this is good advice. I have a meter and was told just to test when feeling ill ! Just ordered a carb counting book frok amazon, I am on metformin and sitgliptin, can I refuse to go on insulin and ask for more time to adjust my diet, I feel like I have no control over myself at the moment

 

[JUSTFOCUS]

Hi laura
I think the service you have been recieving is absolutley disgusting . You should never ever feel that you are a puppet to iether your GP DN DC . First off you need to write a letter of complaint towards your service to the head of the surgery . Secondly when you tommoz try if you can get a friend or relative to be with you . I think it's about time our NHS got there act together towards there (clients) and don't ever be afraid to say what you want to say to them as like us all have paid into the nhs and are now getting a poor standard :x
Don't ever feel (discriminated by them or anyone else) JF
:wink:

 

[Lauraann]

forgot to mention, the dietician also said to eat every 4-5 hours no snacks, wheras was told before little and often :?

 

[sugarless sue]

thank you, yes I was told to count the sugars in everything before, but now I have to count carbs, she also said try drinking 4 pints of semi skimmed milk per day with nothing else for a week, but not sure I could stick to this and don't think this is good advice. I have a meter and was told just to test when feeling ill ! Just ordered a carb counting book frok amazon, I am on metformin and sitgliptin, can I refuse to go on insulin and ask for more time to adjust my diet, I feel like I have no control over myself at the moment

This is the usual problem of terminology Laura. Sugar is a simple carb. Things like Potatoes are complex carbs. They will all affect your blood glucose levels because Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot deal with glucose which is made mostly from carbs !

Why did she tell you to drink just milk ? Is there some other condition that you have ? I have never heard of a Diabetic being told this before.

YOU are in charge of YOUR health. You can say that you want more time to see if diet will bring down your BG levels. They cannot brow beat you into this. Once you get control then you will begin to feel much better about it all.

 

[Lauraann]

thank you, yes I was told to count the sugars in everything before, but now I have to count carbs, she also said try drinking 4 pints of semi skimmed milk per day with nothing else for a week, but not sure I could stick to this and don't think this is good advice. I have a meter and was told just to test when feeling ill ! Just ordered a carb counting book frok amazon, I am on metformin and sitgliptin, can I refuse to go on insulin and ask for more time to adjust my diet, I feel like I have no control over myself at the moment

This is the usual problem of terminology Laura. Sugar is a simple carb. Things like Potatoes are complex carbs. They will all affect your blood glucose levels because Diabetes is a condition where the body cannot deal with glucose which is made mostly from carbs !

Why did she tell you to drink just milk ? Is there some other condition that you have ? I have never heard of a Diabetic being told this before.

YOU are in charge of YOUR health. You can say that you want more time to see if diet will bring down your BG levels. They cannot brow beat you into this. Once you get control then you will begin to feel much better about it all.

I have absolutely no idea why she said the 4 pints of milk, I don't smoke, am teetotal , no high blood pressure (normally too low) and my cholestral is fine

 

[sugarless sue]

There are 24 gm of carbs in a pint of semi skimmed milk. Therefore that would be 96 gm of carbs for a day. This would certainly bring down your BG levels but ......good natural fresh meat has almost no carbs and fresh veg has carbs but not a great deal. Much more tasty I would say !

Once you get a carb counter book, work out just how many carbs you are eating in a day. then, begin to reduce the carbs slowly. Cut down the portions or avoid certain carbs such as bread, potatoes, pasta and rice. Take it easy till you get the hang of carb counting then aim for less than 90 gm of carbs per day. See how that affects your Bg levels.

Try altering one meal at a time to start with, don't worry, it will all fall into place with time.

 

[Unbeliever]

Poor you Laura! I have just been through similar problems so I can really feel for you. HCP/s are expressly told NOT to use insulin as a punishment but it sounds as though this is what is happening wih you - however well meant!

Certainly if you feel that now you have the right advice you can help yourself you ought to insist upon having the opportunity to do so. My DSN has been determined to put me on insulin since I registered wih the practice. If I appealed to the GP he just referred me back to her.

The plan was to put me on insulin wih all my existing meds . Meformin amaryl etc. A few years ago my GP in another practice was just about to change my medication but i was forced to move house suddenly before this could be implemented. My present practice otally ignored me every time I tried to raise the matter. I was very scared of being pu n insulin as well as the meds which are no longer working for me.

Forunately I managed o see a consultant who prescribed sitaglyptin and is reducing the glimepiride. Even if i am evenualluy prescribed insulin I will be happier knowing that I gave it my best shot.

Obviously you need to do tthe same. Someone whispered "carbs" to me too and although I am not overweigh i began o low carb and have recenly reduced my HBA1C dramatically.

The patient is supposed to be involved in these decisions Laura so ensure that you are.

I know it can be diffficult to be assertive when you are feeling depressed and unwell but you will not be happy if you feel bullied into a certain course of action. .You have every right to express your opinion. Just do it once and I guarantee they will take notice in the fuure particularly if you can prove hem all wrong.

Good luck! You are not alone!

 

[viviennem]

You don't have to take any medicine they try to give you - no-one can force you on to insulin.

You seem to have been very badly advised, and in your place I would suggest to them that your present readings are their fault, not yours - you have been following their advice, and why didn't they tell you to control your carb intake in the first place?

If you do burst in to tears all over your consultant, don't worry too much. Yes, it is embarrassing, but he'll be just as embarrassed as you are - in my experience, most men can't cope with strange women in floods of tears :roll: .

And before you start, no offence meant, guys - you can probably all cope with your friends and family in tears, but strangers? in a doctor/patient situation? They don't seem to get much training in that at med school :lol:

Did I steer you towards 'Viv's Diet' yesterday? I did recommend it to someone. If you can cope with the fat, it will work - promise! PM me if you need more details.

You've come to the right place now - lots of help and support on here, and three cheers for your husband too!

Viv

 

[sugar2]

Been there...done that!

Inmy experience, the fact that you are now taking active steps to remedy the situation is very positive...and I have found that teh professionsal usually bend over back wards to help someone whi is trying to help themselves. the fact that you were misinformed should be mentioned at your appointment.

I am no expert, being T1, but if it was me, I would try taking the..."you were happy to leave me like this until my appointment in June, so can I try the new low carb approach first, and see if that works, before going onto insulin?". Insulin is not the end of the world... but I would certiably fight to give the lo carb approacha fair crack of teh whip before turning to it.

Best of luck.

 

[zhaith]

Hi Laura it appears you were initially given similar instructions as I was when I was diagnosed, ie cut out the sugar eat lots of Carbs ie pasta, potatoes etc and then they have a go when you hba1c is too high, like you I was also threatened with insulin which isn't really an option as far as work is concerned.

At the end of they they can't force you to do anything so I would outright refuse being put on insulin with having a **** good try at a low carb diet

 

[viv1969]

At the end of they they can't force you to do anything so I would outright refuse being put on insulin with having a **** good try at a low carb diet

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Lauraann]

At the end of they they can't force you to do anything so I would outright refuse being put on insulin with having a **** good try at a low carb diet

My thoughts exactly.

hi all , many thanks for the advice and help, have started to cut reduce carbs and realise what a novice I am , I have decided to replace one meal with a pint od skim milk as I love milk and it fills me up, is this ok carb wise, have tried to search the web but can't find the answer
Laura

 

[sugar2]

Not really. Not an expert, but if you weant a low carb meal...about a chicken omlette, or unprocessed meet or fish of your choice and green veg? I have quite a lot of tuna, lettuce, tomatoe, spring onion cucmber and a few olives all chopped up and put in a bowl, then witha sprinkling of balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

There is nothing wrong with milk, very good for you with alltthose vitamins etc...but it is not low carb.

 

[sugarless sue]

hi all , many thanks for the advice and help, have started to cut reduce carbs and realise what a novice I am , I have decided to replace one meal with a pint od skim milk as I love milk and it fills me up, is this ok carb wise, have tried to search the web but can't find the answer
Laura

There are 24 gm of carbs in a pint of semi skimmed milk. If that is all you are having for a meal then depending on what you eat for the rest of the day carb-wise it is probably fine. You need to keep the carb intake down as much as possible to start with. Under 90 for the whole day and less is you can.

 

[honeybear10]

Lots of sympathy from this quarter too.

I also agree with the suggestions - reducing carbs will not only help your bg levels, but will help you to lose weight.

2 stones is doable - be patient though - and don't allow guilt to creep in if you stray from time to time. The only ones who should be feeling guilty here are the health workers who have not served you well.

I have every hope that the consultant will be more professional is his/her approach to helping you.

 

[viviennem]

How did you get on, Laura? Please let us know.

Viv

 

[Lauraann]

well went to see my consultant today, and managed to stay strong and get my point across, without blubbing !!! I told him that I had been given different advice with regards to my eating plan by the dietician over the years. He said the only reason I am losing weight at the moment is because my blodd sugars are to high and nothing to do ith me exercising !He also said he wanted me to go on
pioglitazone (actos) to which I said I didn't want to as I didn't want the weight gain, to which he replied well as soon as your blood sugars stabilise then you will start to put weight on !! I told him I exercise and I am commiting myself to a completely different eating plan (watching my carbs for the first time), to which he said I can go on this tablet and also have orlistat to try to keep any weight gain down a bit !! I really don't want this though and said I wanted to go on byetta, which is injectable but is not insulin and will help with my weight loss, he ummed and arrhed and said since I had my mind set then he would be willing to prescribe it even though I don't fit the criteria (have to be bmi over 35 and mine is 29), for 6 months but ONLY if my doctor agrees, as they will have to continue prescribing it, so obviously a cost issue as I know it is quite expensive, I see the dietician in 3 weeks to see how my diet is going and to monitor my blood sugars, today I have had vegetable for the first time in 39 years, (traumatic time in hospital when I was 5, tonsils removed and adenoids removed and never ate them since, don't know why), my blood sugars were 8.3 this evening and they are always double figures so feel hopefully I am on the right track. It is going to be hard eating properly and especially giving up chocolate completely, but I have been scared into action as it is starting to affect my health seriously, I just hope I don't fail. By the way does anyone use atkins shakes or bars as I love these and was going to substitute a meal for one as they are low carb?
Laura