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Hello from a recently diagnosed diabetic

D

DavidJ

Member
Messages
8
Hello there,

I was diagnosed with diabetes in early August and have been browsing round the forum and I would like to just say a big thanks for some of the excellent information I have read.

Basically my story to date is as follows: I am 39 years old a bit overweight with a BMI of 27 and went for my annual medical as I have for the last 20 years as I am an air traffic controller. Everything was fine ecg, BP, eyes etc etc except glucose was found during the urine test. A random blood sample followed which was 14.8. Well that put a very rapid stop to my controlling aircraft to say the least! The following day a fasting BG showed 14.8 again and I was started on Metformin and to make the appropriate changes to my diet, mainly cutting out the refined carbs. Luckily that has not been to much of a shock as I am lactose intolerant and have tended to stay away from desserts as a matter of course over the years.

Since then there is still an uncertainty of Type and I have been told I am sitting somewhere between a Type 1 and 2. A few weeks after diagnosis they did a HbA1C which I was told would be sky high yet that came back at just 5.7%. This has caused even more confusion and even my fasting figures are now down to between 6 and 7 in just a matter of weeks. I am currently off the Metformin following very bad side effects and am due to start the extended release version on the weekend. I am now awaiting a visit to a consultant to try to establish exactly what is happening as the next 20 years of my career are currently hanging in the balance.

Anyway excuse my waffle and I look forward to chatting in due course. Many thanks :)
 
Hi David, and welcome to the forum from one newbie to another. I am sure that like me your head is still spinning like a top after hearing the news that you are Diabetic. The lads & lasses on here have all been there just like us and I'm sure that someone will be able to answer any questions you will have. All the best.


Chris
 
Hi David, welcome aboard.
At a guess, with an HbA1c like that, you have a good opportunity to make a big difference to things with a few changes to your diet.
Have you been given a blood glucose meter yet? That's a must-have if you want to see which foods are sending your bg into orbit. Keep us posted and we'll help all we can.
There's a few air miles left in you yet mate :D

fergus
 
Thank you very much for the replys. Although my GP said he did not want me monitoring my glucose levels as I want to take a very pro active stance to getting this under control the very first thing I did was to purchase a testing monitor than has more than proved its worth. I do have some knowledge of diabetes in that it runs through a line of my family. My maternal grandfather was insulin depentdent as was his father and my mother had very bad gestational diabetes which caused complications for me at birth with calcium defieciency. My medics are paying a lot of attention to the genetics link so it will be interesting to see what they come up with.

Following the diet sheets given by my GP in the initial stages I made some initial mistakes but have learnt now from looking at advice on this forum and in books I have bought that some of the advice from the GP diet sheets was not ideal. For example one morning I started at 7.0 had two weetabix with a splash of semi skimmed goats milk with a banana, all on the list, and hit 17 two hours later - have not eaten than one since!! I still have over another two months to wait to see a dietican but actually dietary wise I seem to be going fine at the moment.

The goal I need to achieve for my work is to continually maintain my HbA1C below 7.5%, the level set by the Civil Aviation Authority, using diet and the only real approved drug Metformin. If I touch anything like Sulfs or insulin then I can't operate as an air traffic controller. A very good incentive to watch my diet :D
 
Hi David. A little information which may help you in staying in your job ?

Requirements for European Class 3 Medical Certification of Air Traffic Controllers.

5.1(a) An applicant for or the holder of a
European Class 3 Medical Certificate shall
not possess any functional or structural
metabolic, nutritional or endocrine disorder
which is likely to interfere with the safe
exercise of the privileges of the applicable
licence(s) / certificate(s) of competence.

5.1(b) An applicant with metabolic, nutritional
or endocrine dysfunction shall be assessed
as unfit (see para 5.1.1).

5.1.1. A fit assessment may be considered by
the AMS if the condition is asymptomatic,
clinically compensated and stable with or
without replacement therapy, and regularly
reviewed by an appropriate specialist.

5.1(c) Endocrine surgery entails unfitness. Fit
assessment will be considered by the AMS
after full recovery as outlined in 5.1.1.

5.1(d) Applicants with diabetes mellitus shall
be assessed as unfit (see para 5.1.2 and 5.1.3).

5.1.2 Glycosuria and abnormal blood glucose
levels require investigation. A fit assessment
may be considered by the AMS if normal
glucose tolerance is demonstrated (low renal
threshold) or impaired glucose tolerance
without diabetic pathology is fully controlled
by diet and regularly reviewed.

5.1(e) Applicants with diabetes requiring
insulin shall be assessed as unfit.

5.1(f) The use of antidiabetic medications is
disqualifying (see para 5.1.3).

5.1.3 The use of biguanides, alphaglucosidase
inhibitors and glitazones may be
acceptable for type 2 diabetes, as they do not
cause hypoglycaemia.

Biguanides.............................Metformin.
Alphaglucosidase inhibitors..........Acarbose
Glitazones.............................Rosiglitazone/Pioglitazone

Basically, there are other possible options besides Metformin. This may be helpful if your diet isn't controlling your Diabetes ?
 
Thanks very much for that Cugila, much appreciated. I had been given the list of Euro Class 1 & 2 by the CAA but was awaiting the Class 3 ATCO requirements due to the 1st September start date. I am quite lucky in one sense that I work for NATS and have excellent back up of the occupational health section. Currently they are seeing how things run as there is a question of sudden onset, unsure of type and with a HbA1C that is technically within limits. I have even got the company doctor well puzzled as he has not seen such a presentation as mine and until I see a consultant nothing further will be looked at. From their perspective they are looking for my own monitoring figures to help extract what exactly is happening so I can present to the consultant.

Anyway thanks v much again. You obvisouly have some knowledge of the aviation field and would most welcome any advice. Cheers :)
 
Cheers David. :D

Knowledge of Aviation......I was once a Corporal in the ATC. :wink: Basically, I just know where to look for 'stuff.'

Here is a link to the complete document that I referred to. It may be of more help to you than me.
http://www.atc.lu/local/L4.pdf

Best of luck, keep us posted.
 
Hi DavidJ,

Sorry to hear about your problem and can quite understand why it is so important in your particular line of work.

Your situation sounds a little bit unusual. However, one possible explanation could be that you are a well-controlled Type 2 diabetic such as me.

I was diagnosed nearly nine years ago and my situation gradually progressed until I reached a HbA1C of 9.5%. However, I have almost totally normalised my blood glucose levels over the last twelve months by making changes to my diet. These days, I could easily get past most testing methods because my HbA1c was 5.3% last time - also, my fasting blood glucose levels are always between 3.4 and 6.8 (100% of the time) - i.e. non-diabetic numbers. Despite those levels, I know that if I gorged myself on sugar or carbohydrate my levels would quickly shoot up into double figures.

It has made me realise that it is possible that there may be some undiagnosed Type 2 diabetics out there who may never get diagnosed because they have a diet that is naturally low in sugar and carbohydrate - i.e. basically, they could be maintaining good diabetic control by accident rather than by design. In such cases, only a glucose tolerance test would show the person to be diabetic.

Had you been eating differently prior to your high readings?

Hope that things will work out OK for you.

John
 
Thanks very much for your reply John,

It is possible I might have been 'accidentally' been maintaining good control as because of lactose intolerance I tend to stay away from puddings, cakes etc and tend to drink diet drinks by choice. The only difference in the couple of months prior to my medical was I found a taste for real ale which I had not drunk for years and maybe had three to four pints a week of that whereas for the last couple of years I had only touched a few bottles of bud a week. Haven't even really felt like a drink since diagnosis as was feeling bad enough from the Metformin side effects but have just started today on the extended release version so fingers crossed on that one.

Cheers David :D
 
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