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I #diabetesdare you...

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,924
Location
London
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
One of the ongoing things that comes up in discussions with people off line at the focus groups I've been to is that no-one ever speaks to each other in the waiting areas at the various diabetic clinics we all attend.

So here's the #diabetesdare for you. At your next clinic, try and speak to one or two people. See what happens. If one person does it and breaks the ice, then others may continue. Let's make it a communal session, not a meeting with the executioner!

Give it a go and let us know how you get on!
 
@tim2000s I still feel I cannot boast about lchf or lc until I get some fat off. Low bgs are not a visible improvement. People will just look at me and think well it's still not great as she's still overweight! :(
 
@tim2000s I still feel I cannot boast about lchf or lc until I get some fat off. Low bgs are not a visible improvement. People will just look at me and think well it's still not great as she's still overweight! :(
I'm not asking you to! I'm simply suggesting that people talk to each other, find out how they are getting on and see whether we can increase the sense of community that has grown up in the online community. No need to boast about anything! And amongst T2s, surely that LCHF has helped you get your bgs into a good place is by far the most important thing? Any weight loss etc comes secondary to that?
 
@tim2000s I still feel I cannot boast about lchf or lc until I get some fat off. Low bgs are not a visible improvement. People will just look at me and think well it's still not great as she's still overweight! :(
I find the opposite. People can see I'm not the finished article so they feel happy to talk to me about their own problems and successes. We all learn something that way.
 
@tim2000s I still feel I cannot boast about lchf or lc until I get some fat off. Low bgs are not a visible improvement. People will just look at me and think well it's still not great as she's still overweight! :(

Ickihun - This post isn't chastising you or anyone else, but I sometimes think we can begin to lose sight of the primary objective in tackling our diabetes. In my view, to be a healthy diabetic, in a perfect world the individual would have perfect blood numbers, a perfect physical figure and have all their supplies, whatever their whim, provided by a super-generous, enlightened NHS. Now we know at least one of those things is never going to happen, and maybe the reality is it's more like two or more less likely to occur. Real life gets in the way of our big dreams sometimes.

When I was diagnosed, I had luuuurve handles, but they were never, ever a consideration in my self management of my diabetes. If they were to disappear it would be a "nice to have" rather than a "need to have". My one and only objective, for myself, was improved blood numbers, and my personal drive was for much improved blood numbers. End of objectives.

My rationale was that over the years, I could probably live a decent enough life in a size 12/14, provided my bloods were good. The chances of complications would be significantly reduced by virtue of decent blood numbers.

My chances of living a decent life, as the size 6/8 I am now, with the HbA1c I was diagnosed with were unlikely. Eventually, my luck was likely to fray.

So, when talking to folks about LC, surely the important thing is the impact on bloods? Over time, the weight loss can happen, but your body will be in a better place to deal with that loss than with high numbers.

You've made a real difference to yourself in recent months, after some time diagnosed, so don't be too hasty to beat yourself with a pointy stick.

Sorry to derail the thread @tim2000s . I'll do some lines later. :oops:
 
So, when talking to folks about LC, surely the important thing is the impact on bloods? Over time, the weight loss can happen, but your body will be in a better place to deal with that loss than with high numbers.
This is the key point, and what LCHF is about in relation to Diabetes.
 
@britishpub I'm guessing you don't see an endocrologist at your hospital?
I guess I do because of other endocrological problems as well as diabetes. My GP wasn't qualified to know what to prescribe to help with those medical conditions. Needing insulin and meds which have to be monitored well?
 
Despite having other conditions /co-morbidities, I usually only see a practice nurse regarding my diabetes care. Never been sent on a diabetes course either. It would be good to discuss management with others, but do that here.
 
One of the ongoing things that comes up in discussions with people off line at the focus groups I've been to is that no-one ever speaks to each other in the waiting areas at the various diabetic clinics we all attend.

So here's the #diabetesdare for you. At your next clinic, try and speak to one or two people. See what happens. If one person does it and breaks the ice, then others may continue. Let's make it a communal session, not a meeting with the executioner!

Give it a go and let us know how you get on!

Can you be double #diabetesdare-d? :)
 
Great idea @tim2000s - I'll make a point to try to connect with others at my next review clinic appointment. I've never spoken to anyone there in a social context. I'm not big on confidence.

However, ironically the thing I enjoy most about my new-pumper appointments (my term, not theirs) is when I get to chat to the other three or four in the group before, during and after our group appointment at the designated diabetes centre - we compare our experiences but talk about non-diabetes stuff too, and it's great.

I'll aim to #diabetesdare myself to start a conversation with a waiting-area neighbour or two in the much bigger, more general review clinic session in outpatients when I've got my next appointment!

Thank you for the encouragement to do this.

:)
 
I just see the practise nurse or my doctor when I need to they don't run a special clinic for diabetic patients at our surgery but I know some do
 
Give it a go and let us know how you get on!

I always try to start a conversation when I'm waiting for any appointment, but I have found that I have to be very wary of people's willingness to chat or indeed their lack of willingness. My experience has been that ladies are generally more willing to talk. It's good to talk and I have a theory. Anybody who has spent any time in the house on their own for any length of time will talk quite freely about life the universe and everything.
 
Personally I'd rather be left alone when waiting on appointments and wouldn't appreciate strangers trying to make polite conversation, I'm sure there many more people like this so you do have to tread carefully.
 
Personally I'd rather be left alone when waiting on appointments and wouldn't appreciate strangers trying to make polite conversation, I'm sure there many more people like this so you do have to tread carefully.

Nothing wrong with a smile and saying 'Hello'. Can usually gauge from the response if people want to engage in conversation. Then, the important bit is to discern that and respect that too.
 
What's a Diabetic Clinic ?
My local GP surgery runs a diabetes clinic for all diabetics, T1, T2 and oddballs like me. You have a fasting blood a fortnight before, then at the clinic they go through your results, tell you to take statins and eat carbs, weigh you, check your pee and your feet, hand out routine prescriptions and send you home till next time. If they find anything funny they refer you to a GP.

Kate
 
Nothing wrong with a smile and saying 'Hello'. Can usually gauge from the response if people want to engage in conversation. Then, the important bit is to discern that and respect that too.


Absolutely, always do that @Pipp

However there's nothing worse than being stuck in a dr's/ clinic waiting room and your stuck with someone who like the sound of their own voice, you have to know when someone isn't interested and just wants to be left alone.
 
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