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I don’t know what to do

I’m super thirsty and my mouth is almost always dry.
Diabetic nurse just called back and made an appt to see me tomorrow at 12.30. She mentioned glicazide to bring them down straight away. She said she would do a finger prick to test for ketones and go from there.
Finger prick for ketones is great, as that's the most urgent worry!
I'd ask for a referral to hospital as well, because you're seeing such high numbers while the only carbs you've had really was the milk in your tea. The Gliclazide may be helpful, they brought me down to low teens instead of high teens for a while.
 
I’m super thirsty and my mouth is almost always dry.
Diabetic nurse just called back and made an appt to see me tomorrow at 12.30. She mentioned glicazide to bring them down straight away. She said she would do a finger prick to test for ketones and go from there.

That's a start at least.

But, please stay really proactive on this P1ckle. Nobody cares about your health as much as you do.

It's a precious commodity.
 
Hi P1ckle,

I'm hoping that by the time you read this you've been tested- how did it go? I agree with @DCUKMod that you need to be proactive- your health is more important to you then anyone else. Read around the site to get information and then ask the nurse all the questions you can think of- writing them out is helpful. I also suggest having someone with you writing out the answers so you have them to look at later.

Take care and let us know how you are going.
 
Hi P1ckle,

I'm hoping that by the time you read this you've been tested- how did it go? I agree with @DCUKMod that you need to be proactive- your health is more important to you then anyone else. Read around the site to get information and then ask the nurse all the questions you can think of- writing them out is helpful. I also suggest having someone with you writing out the answers so you have them to look at later.

Take care and let us know how you are going.

Appointment is 12.30 so not long now.
I feel like I’m being pushy but it’s ridiculous no one will listen.
 
Hi all,
Diabetic nurse was all set up and ready. She checked ketones which were only 0.3 today so down from Saturday.
She got the duty doctor in and out to check my chest and confirm the diabetic meds.
5 more days of presnisolone.
7 days of doxycycline
Start glicazide 40mg tomorrow morning.
Gave me a meter and test strips/lancets.
Told to test before meals only as they don’t care about readings after meals.
Told to test before driving every time and not to drive under 5. Told to have emergency kits of jelly babies in case of hypos.
Keep a diary of readings and foods to take to the doctor next week. He will then review and may increase the glicazide.
She would not have a conversation about any further testing for t1 or LADA. She said I was T2 and that my body was just producing less and less insulin. She told me to discuss it with the doctor next week.
She said we were running out of options and insulin was fast approaching.
Don’t know how I feel.
 
5 more days of presnisolone
I missed you were on pred, it really makes your bg go up, as will an infection.
Hope the gliclazide will help you for now. I expect they won't look further into what type you have until after you've been off prednisolone for a while, which makes some sort of sense.
Good luck, and please keep an extra close eye on your bg after coming off pred, the gliclazide may suddenly make you hypo then!
Keep us updated and may 2020 be wonderful for you!
 
Don't just rely on jelly babies in case of hypo. After you eat them you need to follow up with something carby like a rich tea biscuit.
 
Hi all,
Diabetic nurse was all set up and ready. She checked ketones which were only 0.3 today so down from Saturday.
She got the duty doctor in and out to check my chest and confirm the diabetic meds.
5 more days of presnisolone.
7 days of doxycycline
Start glicazide 40mg tomorrow morning.
Gave me a meter and test strips/lancets.
Told to test before meals only as they don’t care about readings after meals.
Told to test before driving every time and not to drive under 5. Told to have emergency kits of jelly babies in case of hypos.
Keep a diary of readings and foods to take to the doctor next week. He will then review and may increase the glicazide.
She would not have a conversation about any further testing for t1 or LADA. She said I was T2 and that my body was just producing less and less insulin. She told me to discuss it with the doctor next week.
She said we were running out of options and insulin was fast approaching.
Don’t know how I feel.

Oh dear. You are going through the mill, P1ckle.

Reading it, from afar, you have a chest infection (I think?) and are taking steroids for that. Being under the weather, plus the steroids will be pushing your numbers up. That's prtty much a given, I'd say.

At least you have treatment to deal with the infection, plus something to take the edge off the high numbers at least. Your numbers coming down a bit will likely lift your spirits a bit.

In your shoes, I might try to grind it out, until the chest infection is gone (the effects of the steroids might linger slightly longer than that), then tackle them again about type.

If your nurse thinks you are producing less and less insulin, it would be good if they would test to assess just how much insulin you are still producing yourself, as, for me anyway, that would help me understand what the way forward might be.

Keep testing P1ckle, be vigilant - high blood sugars, plus being sick or feeling really ill and call 111 or go to A&E.

Better safe than sorry.
 
Thank you thank you. I will keep testing and keep asking here. I’m picking up every bug around lately so just want to feel better to pick me up and push motivation forward. If that makes any sense.
 
Thank you thank you. I will keep testing and keep asking here. I’m picking up every bug around lately so just want to feel better to pick me up and push motivation forward. If that makes any sense.

All manner of sense.

Just take it steady, and try to rest up to get rid of the bugs.
 
Some further options are to get some private tests from maybe Medichecks:
C-peptide
Fasting Insulin
HS-CRP
Lipid Panel (NHS should do this with no quibble, need to know Trigs, HDL and LDL). If you go down this route ask the assistant for the most efficient way to get these, I.e. packages / offers.

Your blood pressure should also be measured. These tests will enable an assessment of metabolic syndrome, to see what course of action you can take.

In your shoes I would eat nutritious and simply until you understand what you are dealing with (assuming you are omniviorous):

Red Meat / Minces
Chicken
Bacon
Eggs
Mushrooms
Cruciferous vegetables
Simple salads
Plenty of water and lo salt

This will enable you to full up, keep your body nourished and minimise food related blood glucose highs.

Your HbA1c need work, but for example mine was 134, so with good management you should be able to stabilise and aim initially for pre-diabetic numbers and possibly non-diabetic; if you are Type 1 / Lada then the above combinations could still work for you. P.S. if you can go for a brisk walk after each meal and keep an eye on your blood glucose due the gliclazide (this really works the pancreas, so would be good to try to remove if possible).
 
Thank you thank you. I will keep testing and keep asking here. I’m picking up every bug around lately so just want to feel better to pick me up and push motivation forward. If that makes any sense.
Hi

Just hoping you are feeling much better? Has your chest infection cleared up and how are your BG numbers?
 
Hi thanks both.

The only thing that changed in February was stress. My mum has dementia and things got a lot worse from then on.

been there, done that.

do NOT under estimate the stress that puts upon you.

If you are the main (sometimes only) carer, that strain can and will be
intolerable,..add in the diabetes, and that stress mounts inextricably.

take stock of where you are and what YOU can do.
we all want to do it all, but lying by the roadside wrecked helps no one.

All the advice post by others above if good.

But as one who has been there..get help with mum.
and work to get help for you.

as someone once told me.

it's so easy to be someones anchor
that you forget YOU are the one drowning.


get the help YOU need ..then you can care for Mum better.


and low carb...?

LCHF..it's simple really
real food looks like real food.

No labels on the back to say whats in it.

it's meat..that looks like meat
it's vegetables ...that look like vegetables.

then YOU cook em.

if you have to read a list of ingredients on the packet..avoid for now.

get better soon..x
 
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