How does T2 Progress?

Spot on pp.
Either we don't look after our selves and assure ourselves of complications or we do our best to make sure we stay healthy.
I see a prime example of poorly controlled diabetes nearly everyday and I am damned if I end up like her (lovely person as she is).

The prospect we all face is that DM will 'progress' i.e. it is not a static illness, or so my GP told me. He added that it affects everyone individually so they can't help with predictions. Much of it is down to the patient.

Not sure I like the term 'progress' ... we can progress i.e. improve our lot. But what they mean is the DM and its effects will get worse... in my mind that is hardly progress. More like regression... I dunno. 8)

DazG said:

That is a great post PP.

I tend to feel a bit sorry for myself some days, but whats the point in wasting time doing that, at the minute Im ok so I will just worry when I need to worry, and enjoy myself as best I can in the meantime

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To be perfectly honest Daz, although I am not a type 2 and should not be posting here, I feel that we have to remain positive in the short-term and do everything we can to keep healthy and well, and as you already take your diabetes seriously and keep good bg control this will undoubtedly help in the long-term.

Not one of us either type 1 or 2 know what the future holds, but keeping a healthy positive state of mind and not dwell on 'what might be' will go a long way.

Nigel

I keep positive by thinking about my mum.

I don't know whether she was T1 or T2, she was diagnosed in her early 40's but was taken ill suddenly and was hospitalised adn put straight onto insulin. When she was diagnosed in the late 1970's they just told her she was insulin dependent and they never differentiated between types.

However she was well controlled for most of the time - apart from when she was ill with cancer- When she died at the age of 80 her only complication was her vision had faded slightly, her percption of colour had reduced, but then that may not necessarily have been diabetes related.

I am trying to keep control my diabetes and thinking 'if mum can do it so can I.'

Absolutely Annie. And we have tools and knowledge of diabetes (this site being a prime example) which your Mum never had access to back then.

noblehead said:

[To be perfectly honest Daz, although I am not a type 2 and should not be posting here, I feel that we have to remain positive in the short-term and do everything we can to keep healthy and well, and as you already take your diabetes seriously and keep good bg control this will undoubtedly help in the long-term.

Nigel

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Nigel.
Re: Your comment highlighted above.

Just to clarify things for Members........nobody is banned from any area of the Forum unless the Administrator has decided they cannot post in a particular area.

So long as any post is useful and not contentious or dangerous mis-information there is no problem. T1's do not have to stay out of T2 areas and vice versa. That applies everywhere.

This Forum is for all Diabetic's who have something to offer in any discussion. Hope that clarifies things.

cugila said:

noblehead said:

[To be perfectly honest Daz, although I am not a type 2 and should not be posting here, I feel that we have to remain positive in the short-term and do everything we can to keep healthy and well, and as you already take your diabetes seriously and keep good bg control this will undoubtedly help in the long-term.

Nigel

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Nigel.
Re: Your comment highlighted above.

Just to clarify things for Members........nobody is banned from any area of the Forum unless the Administrator has decided they cannot post in a particular area.

So long as any post is useful and not contentious or dangerous mis-information there is no problem. T1's do not have to stay out of T2 areas and vice versa. That applies everywhere.

This Forum is for all Diabetic's who have something to offer in any discussion. Hope that clarifies things.

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Ken, reading now what I wrote earlier it does sound like I was implying that as a type 1 I should not post in reply to a type 2 question, but what I really meant was that I had no first-hand knowledge (i.e experience or being told by a hcp) and was making my apologies known before continuing with my reply.

By my own admission I don't tend to reply to type 2 questions as my knowledge is somewhat lacking compared to type 1 issues, however if I feel I can make a contribution I will post, but in future I will refrain from writing ''should not be posting''.............sorry for the confusion everyone!

Nigel

Nigel.

I thought it was a strange comment coming from you.......however no matter.

It just serves as a reminder to all Members that this is an open Forum where there are no restrictions about where to post......providing of course everybody is civil towards one another. Open and healthy debate and discussion has to be a good thing for all of us.

Thanks for the clarification.

Ken

I have not posted before so be gentle with me!

I was diagnosed over 7 years ago, but like us all I don't know how long before that I was T2 or pre-diabetic, I suspect for some years.

For those 7 years I have worked hard at keeping mt HbA1C down below 7%, in fact mostly below 6.

I considered myself "cured" ( but knowing that you cannot be "cured" of T2).

This year my HbA1C came back at over 7% so I am now back on the Docs list of T2 needing treatment. I have not needed medication up until now (and I am still trying to do without).

The point of all this is to help you consider what the future holds for you.

You can control your blood glucose levels very well with diet and excercise and there is plenty of advice on this forum without me adding to it.

However, from personal experience, despite achieving total control for 7 years I am now at a stage where I will need medication.

Maybe if I had not been under control I would have got to my present stage a lot quicker. Who knows.

Only you can manage your diabetes, sure the Dr will help, but believe me, you will have to take control and manage your condition on a day to day basis.

T2 is in my personal experience, progressive, but don't dispair, modern medications will enable you to live a long and uncomplicated life, IF you take control and manage your condition.

Geoff

Welcome Geoff. Great post, is always good to hear from people who have had hood control for sometime!

I'm really glad this thread was started. It's forced me to face some things I've been dithering with since diagnosis, square in the face.

You know, I WILL now take this thing as it comes! Yes, right now it might generally be under control through diet. But I will face up to the fact that eventually this is highly likely to change.

As people pointed out before. We have much to be glad about as our understanding of the biology of the condition has grown considerably. At least we understand what is going on. We also have modern technology in the form of the Internet to prevent some of us being otherwise isolated with it. We can talk to each other, if no one else.

The one thing that would make a world of difference to me right now is if China got off its a**e and made cheap but reliable blood testers. They made everything else on the cheap. I'm surprised they haven't jumped on this one? That is what cheeses me right off nowadays. Not being able to afford them.

But sod it, it's actually nice living without testing for a while, although there is this background sort of nausea, that I may be over and not know it...

Just take it a day at a time and cross bridges when they need to be crossed. I know I'll dip now and then, especially when unexpected things happen, but....C'est La Vie.

hanadr said:

I'm convinced that T2 does not HAVE TO progress.

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I'm with Hana on this; coming up on 3years since diagnosis and my A1c still (as of last Wednesday, as it happens) 5.2 - has dipped as low as 4.7 a couple of times when doing a lot of exercise.

I've not been on any meds for a long while, except Glucobay/Acarbose when planning the occasional carb-heavier meal, diet exercise and weightloss work for me now.

A *lot* of weightloss, it must be said - close on 40% of my starting weight, as I was just on the border of being morbidly obese.

If anything, my glucose metabolism has improved a bit further (decided to push my weight down a few pounds more so my BMI was in the 22 region).

If I walked in to a gp today, I'd probably be diagnosed as normal since my fasting is reliably below 4.7 as is my 2hour post-prandial. I will 'pass' an OGTT (by a slightly better margin than two years back) as well.

I'm a lot older than you, at 60, so you certainly have a lot longer to aim for than me, so keep the carbs under tight control, shed any excess weight and keep up with plenty of exercise - then hope for the best!

best of luck

mark

Cheap meters from China? Unlikely though they don't seem to care too much about infringing other patents and copyrights. I suspect all the key tech is sewn up tight with the majors but who knows... cost them millions to develop so no sign of them letting that go for the while. Especially now some of the money won't be coming in as drug patents expire.

Exercise and diet are all very well but some of us a nearly walking skeletons for fear of reverting to the carbs and whacking up our BG! 8)

Cowboyjim said:

Exercise and diet are all very well but some of us a nearly walking skeletons for fear of reverting to the carbs and whacking up our BG! 8)

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Be careful what you wish for. My latest HBA1c is low, 4.9. Some people may envy this BUT it comes with it's own problems for me.. I cannot keep the weight on and I eat an average of 90 carbs per day. I am now skinny as opposed to slim.
I also have to test when driving for my own peace of mind as I would never forgive myself if I caused an accident. I am having to test a lot more and for the time being I have been allowed more strips.
I have seen a Consultant for the for the first time in 7 1/2 years because of these problems.
He has advised me to snack between meals and set a goal of 5.5 for my HBA1c as this will improve my weight and lessen the risk of blood sugars in hypo territory. I am very hypo aware which is something positive.
I hate being skinny as opposed to slim and I rely heavily on my car as I live in a rural area and if this is what it takes then I will do it.
I do not particularly want the blood sugars of a non diabetic as I am a diabetic and if this doesn't work then I will aim for a slightly higher number.
It seems that there is always something that has to be sorted even if you are diet and exercise only.

Sorry to hear that Catherine... I don't think I have ever had a hypo... touch wood. 8) I think I'd know having read what Arthur Smith said about his in a shop recently (in Balance magazine, the only thing in it worth reading IMHO).
My weight went down from 13.5 stone to its 11 stone now in a few months... it is horrid sitting in the bath looking at my skinny-ness. But how the hell to put some weight back on short of pumping iron and whatnot. I ride my bike every day for several miles and use a cross trainer plus there's the metformin and my skimpy diet. Though I eat more meals a day they are smaller. But hardly any of the usual pasta rice spuds etc. I have some porridge in my first brekkie with lots of fruit... then 2 hours later a 'fry' up bacon and egg n veg... sometimes beans on toast with veg for lunch. The only 'big' meal I have is the family one at 7 pm last night we had roast chicken n chips n veg... My BG hardly goes above 7 two hours after any of these meals and I take 3 mets a day.
So I reckon whatever I put on comes off pronto because of this regimen... I dunno what to do. I snack on nuts and a bit of choc occasionally but no peanuts nor cakes etc.
Will have a chat with the medico's next time but I doubt it will do much good... hasn't so far. They dunno how to deal with atypical folks like me. 8)

Great thread this. Daz (and others) I feel your pain, having been diagnosed at 31.

I believe it can be controlled. For me weight loss is the key - if I lose four stone I fully expect my sugars to normalise and then I will effectively consider myself cured. That's the challenge I've set myself - let's see what transpires...

You've also got to take account of the fact that diabetes treatment is improving all the time.

Hi,
I registered here a few days back and came across that thread. I just wanted to let everybody who commented here know that thoses posts gave me great hope that I will be able to manage my condition as well.
Thanks to all of you
Anna