I'm scared

bigshow1271 said:

Hi, my name is Andy and I've been a type 2 diabetic, tablet controlled (2 metformin and 2 gliclazide twice a day), since 2008. I recently did 3 months work as a delivery driver starting at 4am every morning. With the start time, some days I wouldn't get something to eat until, sometimes, nearly dinnertime. After about a month and a half, I started to lose some feeling in 3 fingers on my right hand. I thought that I had banged whilst lifting so thought it would go away. In February I went to the doctors as it had not gone away, he started to look for symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome but nothing so he prescribed me an extra drug, Linagliptin, 1 tablet once a day. It hasn't worked, I still have slight loss of feeling. I also have had my feet checked and complained of the loss of feeling in my feet, was told it's nothing to worry about, but I went in the bath the other day and noticed a black mark on one of my toe nails. I just thought it was fluff off my black socks but it wouldn't come off, it looked like a scab. Since the job my sugar levels have been really stupid to the point that yesterday afternoon, after a lamb dinner with the family, my sugar was 8.9 but when I tested it this morning it was 11.1 and I hadn't eaten for over 12 hours. I have drastically changed my diet over the last 6 months but I'm scared I might die too young or lose my feet or hands, I'm sobbing as I write this and my 5 yr old is asking why. Am I being stupid or am I beyond help?

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Hi Andy!
Daisy will be along shortly with loads of info. This is a great place for info and support. Welcome! Sounds like you need to start putting yourself first for a change. If you don't mind me asking, do you need to lose weight? I need to lose 5-6 stone. I was diagnosed 28th of jan this year and have lost 2 stone. Do you test regularly?

Are you still working as a delivery driver?
The change of hours, your feet getting used to working foot pedals and your hands gripping the steering wheel etc;( especially if your having plenty of stop and start drop off and pick ups ) will certainly knock you for six.
been there seen it comes to mind.
Your not stupid and your 5 year old deserves a good answer.
Time for a reality check with the times you should eat and bring controls back to where they should be.
At the end of the day sounds as if your in the wrong job but with not much choice.

Best of luck for you and your family and hope things and work get better.

So sorry you are having such a lousy time, it's hard isn't it? When we have little kids too they do notice stuff, it would be best if you could give some kind of an answer.

Having this disease means coping with a lot of stuff but this sounds like you need some answers and fast! I have never had the problems you are describing but it sounds like a doc visit is called for asap. You are entitled to good advice from your doc but sadly, as a lot of us have found, they are not often that helpful but in this case I wouldn't leave the surgery until you have some solid answers. Not always easy to confront 'professionals' I know but you don't have much choice.

As far as your job goes, yes you do need to put yourself first. All of us must work at something to earn a living but you really need to start planning. Without a plan it's impossible to manage diabetes. When Daisy1 posts her helpful advice, read it all ok? Next, make an eating plan. You can't pretend you don't have T2, it won't go away but it's not all doom and gloom. It's perfectly possible to control the condition but not if you don't eat on a regular basis. If you have to get up early (which I did for all of my working life in bakeries, up at around 4) make something to eat the night before. Take your meds with the food and make sure you take a lunch with you, also made the day before. And so on. Planning is key, I really do believe this and I also firmly believe that any action is better than no action.

Go and have a straight talk with the doc, make an eating plan and read everything on here that you can.

Oh and welcome! Welcome to the best forum you will ever join. Do what you need to, ask as many questions as you have to even if you think they are really daft ok?

Good Luck

Thought you might need this right now

http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/threads/basic-information-for-newly-diagnosed-diabetics.17088/

when i was losing a lot of weight last year i feel numbness at my finger at my right hand when sleeping. although my glucose level are well controlled.

sobbing sounds like you're scared enough to take your diabetes seriously.
the black can be a fungus, there are 1,000 fungi to every toe amputation [yes I made that number up]
thankfully your levels aren't totally stupidly high numbers and they should be able to come down with better diet and maybe more met
the numbness could well be diabetic unrelated and I would ask for further investigation

I think we are all scared and sometimes things can be the wake up call we need. You need to start putting your health first, which means a good diet, eating regularly and exercise - even if it's only walking. You need to see the Dr regarding your symptoms and get referred to a podiatrist for your feet. Don't bury your head in the sand (learn from other peoples mistakes - mine). It seems scary facing up to it, but you can put up a **** good fight and in the end you can come out on top. Just remember you are not alone and these boards are fantastic.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App

Hi Andy and welcome to the forum

Here is the information for new members which Scandichic and popsy wrote about. I know you are not newly diagnosed but I think this should be useful to you. You have already received lots of advice from members which I hope is helping you.


BASIC INFORMATION FOR NEW MEMBERS

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist.

A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us. It’s far from the end of the world though and on this forum you’ll find well over 90,000 people who are demonstrating this.

On the forum we have found that with the number of new people being diagnosed with diabetes each day, sometimes the NHS is not being able to give all the advice it would perhaps like to deliver - particularly with regards to people with type 2 diabetes.

The role of carbohydrate

Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise.

The bad news

Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications.

The good news

People on the forum here have shown that there is plenty of opportunity to keep blood sugar levels from going too high. It’s a daily task but it’s within our reach and it’s well worth the effort.

Controlling your carbs

The info below is primarily aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, however, it may also be of benefit for other types of diabetes as well.
There are two approaches to controlling your carbs:

• Reduce your carbohydrate intake
• Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates

Reduce your carbohydrates

A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Choosing better carbohydrates

Another option is to replace ‘white carbohydrates’ (such as white bread, white rice, white flour etc) with whole grain varieties. The idea behind having whole grain varieties is that the carbohydrates get broken down slower than the white varieties –and these are said to have a lower glycaemic index.
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/food/diabetes-and-whole-grains.html

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Read more on carbohydrates and diabetes

Eating what works for you

Different people respond differently to different types of food. What works for one person may not work so well for another. The best way to see which foods are working for you is to test your blood sugar with a glucose meter.

To be able to see what effect a particular type of food or meal has on your blood sugar is to do a test before the meal and then test after the meal. A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal.

The blood sugar ranges recommended by NICE are as follows:

Blood glucose ranges for type 2 diabetes

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 8.5 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (adults)

• Before meals: 4 to 7 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 9 mmol/l

Blood glucose ranges for type 1 diabetes (children)

• Before meals: 4 to 8 mmol/l
• 2 hours after meals: under 10 mmol/l

However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets.

Access to blood glucose test strips

The NICE guidelines suggest that people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes should be offered:

• structured education to every person and/or their carer at and around the time of diagnosis, with annual reinforcement and review
• self-monitoring of plasma glucose to a person newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes only as an integral part of his or her self-management education

Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes. Read more on getting access to bloodglucose testing supplies.

You may also be interested to read questions to ask at a diabetic clinic

Note: This post has been edited from Sue/Ken's post to include up to date information.

it was 6 years already and i think he might have seen a few doctors.

You need to involve you wife so that she canread this forum & provide appropriate sustaining low carb food - protein, fat & veg. Instead of chocolate or snack bars, take a box of unsalted nuts, cheese or other non-carb finger foods - bites like sausages, cooked chicken.

I was diagnosed 14 years ago (at 61) with numbness, particularly in one thigh, which was painful when my wife's knees pressed into me in bed. Dr suspected diabetes & I was diagnosed with HbA1c - 11. The sensation continued for 8 years, & other problems developed, while I ate the DUK "starchy carb" diet. Ithen cut the carbs - thanks to this forum - & all the problems cleared. 6 years of low carb, high fat & I am well & fit. Off to play tennis this morning (after my low carb nut porridge.) Then gardening scheduled for this afternoon, & gym this evening.

Sensible eating must be the primary approach - not more pills. And test 2-4 times a day to see what your control is like.

bigshow1271 said:

Hi, my name is Andy and I've been a type 2 diabetic, tablet controlled (2 metformin and 2 gliclazide twice a day), since 2008. I recently did 3 months work as a delivery driver starting at 4am every morning. With the start time, some days I wouldn't get something to eat until, sometimes, nearly dinnertime. After about a month and a half, I started to lose some feeling in 3 fingers on my right hand. I thought that I had banged whilst lifting so thought it would go away. In February I went to the doctors as it had not gone away, he started to look for symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome but nothing so he prescribed me an extra drug, Linagliptin, 1 tablet once a day. It hasn't worked, I still have slight loss of feeling. I also have had my feet checked and complained of the loss of feeling in my feet, was told it's nothing to worry about, but I went in the bath the other day and noticed a black mark on one of my toe nails. I just thought it was fluff off my black socks but it wouldn't come off, it looked like a scab. Since the job my sugar levels have been really stupid to the point that yesterday afternoon, after a lamb dinner with the family, my sugar was 8.9 but when I tested it this morning it was 11.1 and I hadn't eaten for over 12 hours. I have drastically changed my diet over the last 6 months but I'm scared I might die too young or lose my feet or hands, I'm sobbing as I write this and my 5 yr old is asking why. Am I being stupid or am I beyond help?

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Hi Andy,
Reading through your post it would seem to me that you have woken up to the fact that your diabetes needs management.
I hope you have had your toe looked at because anything to do with feet needs immediate attention. Don't be fobbed off with the explanation that these things are nothing to worry about, they are.
Most diabetics think sugar has to be restricted and have never been told that carbohydrates turn to glucose, another form of sugar.

Start recoding what you eat, what your blood sugar levels are before and two hours after a meal. If they are high then rethink the carbohydrate that was in that meal. Try halving the amount next time you eat that particular carbohydrate and if the level is still high then you know that it is not for you.
We are all different in our individual response to certain foods, bread, potatoes, cereals, pasta and rice and some vegetables and fruits and that is why nobody can give you a blueprint for a diet.

Read through the forum and you will see that people do not all follow the same menu. Some people cut right back on their carbs eating as little as 20g per day, others can eat 150g and above. You have to find the level that is suitable for you and that your meter agrees with, You will often hear the phrase "eat to your meter" and this is what it means, a level of carbohydrates that you can eat which does not raise your blood sugars.

Start today, ask all the questions you like and post some meals that you are eating and your results and we will try and help.

I know you are scared and, like the rest of us, thought you were invincible. When it hits home that we are not we can either carry on as before or make improvements that will make us feel better and make our lives healthier. Your hands and feet will start to respond to better management. Some people here have reported that the pain takes a while to go and gets worse before it gets better but the earlier you catch it then the more chance of improving things.

You can do this Andy, it is not rocket science and there is plenty of support here if you need it.

Take care,

CC.

catherinecherub said:

Hi Andy,
Reading through your post it would seem to me that you have woken up to the fact that your diabetes needs management.
I hope you have had your toe looked at because anything to do with feet needs immediate attention. Don't be fobbed off with the explanation that these things are nothing to worry about, they are.
Most diabetics think sugar has to be restricted and have never been told that carbohydrates turn to glucose, another form of sugar.

Start recoding what you eat, what your blood sugar levels are before and two hours after a meal. If they are high then rethink the carbohydrate that was in that meal. Try halving the amount next time you eat that particular carbohydrate and if the level is still high then you know that it is not for you.
We are all different in our individual response to certain foods, bread, potatoes, cereals, pasta and rice and some vegetables and fruits and that is why nobody can give you a blueprint for a diet.

Read through the forum and you will see that people do not all follow the same menu. Some people cut right back on their carbs eating as little as 20g per day, others can eat 150g and above. You have to find the level that is suitable for you and that your meter agrees with, You will often hear the phrase "eat to your meter" and this is what it means, a level of carbohydrates that you can eat which does not raise your blood sugars.

Start today, ask all the questions you like and post some meals that you are eating and your results and we will try and help.

I know you are scared and, like the rest of us, thought you were invincible. When it hits home that we are not we can either carry on as before or make improvements that will make us feel better and make our lives healthier. Your hands and feet will start to respond to better management. Some people here have reported that the pain takes a while to go and gets worse before it gets better but the earlier you catch it then the more chance of improving things.

You can do this Andy, it is not rocket science and there is plenty of support here if you need it.

Take care,

CC.

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I thought that this post is one of the best that I have read on this forum. Really sound, kind advice.

bigshow1271 said:

Thank you all for your kind words and advice, it means a lot. I am now watching the carbs I eat as I have had no dietary advice from any of the countless doctors and nurses I've seen over the years. I try to eat a balanced diet but I'm not a rabbit and at 6' 3" and 23 stone, it's a big machine to keep going. I have been told that I am at the maximum amount of tablets I can take so I guess the next step will be insulin I suppose. I am booked in to have my feet checked in a couple of weeks but if the marks get any worse, I will go to A&E. Again thank you all

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Good to hear you're feeling a. It better. I'm sure the carbs are the key. I ate rice recently. Just to see and as I've had the healthy plate model shoved in my face. Bs nearly doubled. Same with bread. Go and have a look at dietdoctor. You will never feel hungry and you will feel better and shift some weight. I am living proof it works. Please insist that your doc looks at your feet - tomorrow. Stay strong and take care!

bigshow1271 said:

Thank you all for your kind words and advice, it means a lot. I am now watching the carbs I eat as I have had no dietary advice from any of the countless doctors and nurses I've seen over the years. I try to eat a balanced diet but I'm not a rabbit and at 6' 3" and 23 stone, it's a big machine to keep going. I have been told that I am at the maximum amount of tablets I can take so I guess the next step will be insulin I suppose. I am booked in to have my feet checked in a couple of weeks but if the marks get any worse, I will go to A&E. Again thank you all

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i would like to know your age, i heard its easier to control if we are younger. btw i am 39. diagnose 2012 12 . 2013 12

so you are elder than me but not so much. maybe you can do a lot to prevent things from worsening.

i think the worse of all the complication is the kidney failure. it will be slow, painful and expensive. the best of the worst is heart failure. it happens so suddenly and quickly that in no time it ended altogether.

i was 160kg for 1.71m of height. so it makes me a bigger man in width than you. if i can do it with an egg and vegetables (without sugar) all 3 meals for 6 months plus light exercise. i think you can do it too. i think if we can be insensitive to insulin, we can be to the hunger hormone too. if we gets too much of those hunger hormone we simply get used to it.

Yes please take your meds as you normally would. The reason for testing is to show how the foods you are eating effect your blood sugars.

How are you doing?