I really need some help

[paulrgod]

Hi All,

I'm really sorry for the long post, but i think i really need some help / advice.

I'm 28 years old and I've been diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes for almost 5 years now. Im taking 4 Metformin a day (2 with lunch and 2 with dinner) to keep it under control - i sometimes miss taking these due to irregular lunches at work and such but continue as soon as the next lot.
I'm slightly overweight and have a bit of a beer-belly. I have a sweet tooth and do sneak the occasional biscuit or chocolate treat (a Diabetic with a sweet tooth isn't the best combination i know!)

I also dont excercise as much as i should, i do walk for half an hour or so each day and i've recently bought a bicycle which i hope to use more often when it gets a bit nicer outside. Having said all that i know wholeheartedly i'm not the healthiest specimen but I never feel any real diabetic related symptoms :-

I dont feel tired during the day, not any more than any normal person would having a busy job.
I generally sleep OK at night
I don't pee any more than i would expect to

My blood sugars are generally 10-12 on my check ups (i dont have a self testing kit) which i keep being told is a little high and i should alter my Diet to help with it...but..and here's where my problem is.

Since i was young i've had a major gag reflex to eating almost any vegetables. I can eat potatoes in any form, baked beans and sometimes carrots/onions if they're in a stew and in small pieces. Except for those i'm a complete salad dodger - the thought of eating it makes me sick. Sandwiches have to be plain, i'll pick it off things, restuarants are a nightmare for me.

I also have a similar issue with fruit - i eat no fruit. This is a weird one as i do like the taste of fruit juices, strawberries, oranges, pineapple etc. But i hate eating it - again it makes me gag and i just cant stand having it in my mouth - at the moment im getting 1 of my supposed 5 a day (that's my daily bottle of orange juice).

I've tried mushing peas into potatoes, again i can taste it and makes me feel sick.
I can take them mashed into smoothies and juices but was told that smoothies and a lot of fruit juices contain too much sugar. I couldn't believe that the small bottled Smoothies have more sugar content than a bottle of Coke!

I don't want this fear any more, i want to be normal and to be able to eat normal things

I've mentioned this several times to different nurses and they've never offered me any help, i was once fobbed off with the chance of a visit to a dietician but i never recieved anything from that.

I'm getting really worried that my diet is really going to cause me complications and i've no idea what i can do to help with my situation - it's like a living nightmare.

Can anyone give me any advice at all - i'm despairing and feel so alone with this - no-body seems to understand

Thanks
Paul

 

[dragongirl]

Hi Paul
Sorry to hear you're struggling. It's not easy any time, but it's slightly easier when you get a few things sorted out.

I'm not an expert at diabetes (month 5 of T2!) but I am a psychological therapist, and I wonder if you should check out medical reasons for the gag thing with some food and then, if that's all clear, ask to be referred to a counsellor or psychotherapist. You said you really wanted to be free of it and when there's no medical reason, therapy usually helps those who "really want" to be free of a phobia.

The other thing i thought I'd mention is the testing kit. Can you afford to get one on ebay unless or until you can persuade a GP to give you one?! You can do a lot to lower your bg readings within your problematic diet if you see what food affects you most and try to alter that particular food intake. That would help. I mean, you can do without potatoes, baked beans and bread anyway, as they tend to raise bg for most people.

Others will have some more comments but I see no one had responded and that always feels a bit lonely.

Good luck! Improvement is definitely possible by one means or another.
DG

 

[ham79]

Hi, I have 2 wee boys who hate veg so as a former chef I hide them in sauces and soups try adding extra veg to a pasta sauce and blending it. Asda are cheaper bg monitors or get a free one from www.abbottdiabetescare.co.uk good luck

 

[wallycorker]

Hi Paul,

As a Type 2 myself who has normalised his blood glucose levels over the last twelve months, I consider that the best place to start in controlling blood glucose levels is to cut back dramatically on the starchy carbohydrate - i.e. cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice. That usually leads to a big improvement in blood glucose levels.

Diet is much more powerful than exercise or weight loss in my opinion.

Best wishes - John

 

[fergus]

I agree with John. Those numbers are a real heath risk in the long term and unless you really fancy injected insulin at some point, you should have a think about dietary changes to bring them down. Try ditching the starches - replace them with veggies in time, but also with meat, fish, eggs, dairy and you'll see a big improvement very quickly.

All the best,

fergus