In a bit of a conundrum...

[ChezChez]

Hey everyone, I'm a oldish newbie, I posted here back in December 2021 as I'd been told I was pre diabetic, just on the cusp. Well I'm now formally diagnosed... it was inevitable. I have a couple of questions, and know this is the best place to ask so I'll give a quick backstory in the hope someone can give advice.

I had gestational diabetes 17 years ago. I was not overweight at diagnosis, pre pregnancy I was about 10.5 stones (at 5'5 I was fine on the BMI scale). I was on insulin for the last couple of months of pregnancy and can recall, despite the insulin, I was getting numbers in the mid to high twenties. My child was fine and I had a c section as she was big (9 pounds 10 but quickly dropped back to non maternal diabetes baby size). I was told I'd be diabetic within 5 years, I made it to 17 and a half. My last test came back at 50 (the three month one) so was diagnosed, but I've had to wait six weeks to see nurse. Im pretty much disabled, and that time I've been told to start a medication for psoriatic arthritis, which I have, a disease modifier, and it's making me ill. I tried a different one 12 years ago which also made me ill but my body is being ravaged so I have to do something.

I had also have spoken to my GP about starting HRT as I'm well into peri menopause, and was meant to start that but decided to prioritise the arthritis meds first. I am also on a bunch of pain medication, which I'd not be able to function without. My daughter has an eating disorder, is autistic, doesn't sleep and because she doesn't then neither do I. Which I know is not great for diabetes. But she comes first. Always. So basically, I'm constantly sleep deprived, in pain, caring for my daughter and go through eating disorder treatment with her which we've been told will be one year minimum, trying to cope with the arthritis, look after my house (I have diagnosed OCD, part of which is cleanliness), the menopause, all my other health conditions, and now diabetes. Oh, and I'm a strict vegan of over thirty years.

My mind is just like a big pile of spaghetti at the moment. I'm going to be told to change my diet, I was around 12 stone and have gotten down to 11 over the past six months out of sheer stress and not eating. I don't eat much sugar, I'm not overweight, I do eat pasta, rice ect and being vegan and having researched diets for diabetes I'm going to be living off vegetables. I can't exercise as I walk with a walking stick. Oh, and my fasting, and post meal blood are way higher than they should be (I began testing again a couple of weeks ago when I was given diagnosis).

So my question is, what the heck am I going to do? If I had one, or two of the issues I'm contending with I could cope, heck, maybe even three, but this is just a complete and utter mess. I need to fix it but don't know where to begin. My uncle died due to a cut on his foot two years ago, he was only in his early 60s, diabetic for 30 years. So I'm well aware of the damage insulin resistance can cause. I know noone will likely have any answers for me, I just needed to write this all down, and have a cry, and then stop feeling sorry for myself. But if anyone does have anything they could chip in with I'd be eternally grateful. Thanks

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Best thing to do would be low carb, and you're right, that's not easy when vegan... But not entirely impossible! https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes?s=vegan&search=&st=recipe could have some meal ideas that might work for you? The rice, pasta etc'd have to go, but there are alternatives (cauliflower rice, broccoli rice, courgetti?), but you'll have to get your protein from somewhere, as that and fats (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado's?) would become your main source of energy to get through the day. With the whole strickt-vegan-for-30-plus-years thing, I'm sure you know far better than I do what could be a good protein source. And with soy acting like estrogen, it might even help with the peri-meno... If you would consider (artisan?) cheeses from small animal-friendly farms, eggs ditto, that'd help, but if it's an absolute no-go, then it's a no-go.

In any case, yes, it is a puzzle... But not an impossible one.
Hugs,
Jo

 

[ChezChez]

Best thing to do would be low carb, and you're right, that's not easy when vegan... But not entirely impossible! https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/recipes?s=vegan&search=&st=recipe could have some meal ideas that might work for you? The rice, pasta etc'd have to go, but there are alternatives (cauliflower rice, broccoli rice, courgetti?), but you'll have to get your protein from somewhere, as that and fats (olive oil, coconut oil, avocado's?) would become your main source of energy to get through the day. With the whole strickt-vegan-for-30-plus-years thing, I'm sure you know far better than I do what could be a good protein source. And with soy acting like estrogen, it might even help with the peri-meno... If you would consider (artisan?) cheeses from small animal-friendly farms, eggs ditto, that'd help, but if it's an absolute no-go, then it's a no-go.

In any case, yes, it is a puzzle... But not an impossible one.
Hugs,
Jo

Thank you for replying, and for the very helpful suggestions. It's going to be hard as I'm not a good vegan, I avoid all animal produce, but admit I tend to go for easy quick options which are basically very high in carbs. You've given me some good things to consider with regards to alternatives. It's just hard as I'm only getting around 3/4 hours sleep a day and I'm too tired to put any effort into my own diet as I'm so concerned with ensuring my daughter eats. I have just realised my grandmother had late onset diabetes, diagnosed in her 50s, and I'm unsure which type my uncle was, however I do know they were both of a normal weight and on insulin. In my grand case it was pretty quickly after diagnosis. I'm just perplexed... But I knew it would happen, and think there's definitely a genetic link as my mum's just been told she's at 46 on the 3 month test.

 

[susanmackrell]

I too had gestational diabetes and was told that I would probably be type 2 within 15 years of my daughter's birth (7 weeks early by C section). I was diagnosed 13 years later at the age of 49, despite eating healthily and exercising regularly. Apparently being a "mature" mum increased my chances of getting gestational diabetes, along with the fact that both my parents were diagnosed with type 2 in their 60s. So, I was pretty much doomed! I am sorry to hear that you have so many other things to deal with along with Diabetes. Pain, lack of sleep and the associated stress all contribute to raised blood sugars. You are also working incredibly hard to support your daughter and sound like a wonderful mother making personal sacrifices. I agree that eating a low carb diet would help. I managed to get my blood sugars very low on a low carb diet. It is trickier for vegetarians and vegans as you get a lot of your protein from beans and legumes which are higher carb. A lot of my vegan and vegetarian friends eat lots of bread, rice and pasta to fill up on. You could swap the white carbs for wholegrain rice, pasta and bread but you may need to reduce the total amount of these refined carbs. It might be worth talking to a dietician for some advice. Certain foods increase inflammation in the body and others help reduce it. I think a priority in the first instance would be to find ways of getting more rest and improved pain management as this would help lower your blood sugars. Having to worry about what you eat can be a huge source of stress. The Diabetes Low Carb programme has recipes catering for vegetarians and vegans. The programme provides weekly menus and shopping lists which can take some of the stress out of planning low or lower carb meals. It has a wide variety of meals on its database. It also provides information on healthy eating, exercise, stress management etc relating to living with Diabetes so it might be worth a look. Hang on in there and just take things one step at a time - you will get there.

 

[JAT1]

Oh my, you do have so much to contend with - diabetes, arthritis, menopause, OCD, autistic daughter . . . I agree with the members above, that going low carb would be a good start to getting a grip on all this as it will lower your blood glucose and may also reduce the arthritic pain, lighten your mood and get your head together. Sounds like your daughter is 17. Can anyone give you some time during the day so that you can sleep more? Is she always with you? Please don't dig your own grave out of desperation with OCD. Look at your priorities - sufficient sleep and glucose levels in range are far more important that an immaculate home. Does your daughter even notice how clean everything is? If you improve your own health and state of mind, you will be more help to her. You put her first, so do it for her. I hope your situation improves.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you for replying, and for the very helpful suggestions. It's going to be hard as I'm not a good vegan, I avoid all animal produce, but admit I tend to go for easy quick options which are basically very high in carbs. You've given me some good things to consider with regards to alternatives. It's just hard as I'm only getting around 3/4 hours sleep a day and I'm too tired to put any effort into my own diet as I'm so concerned with ensuring my daughter eats. I have just realised my grandmother had late onset diabetes, diagnosed in her 50s, and I'm unsure which type my uncle was, however I do know they were both of a normal weight and on insulin. In my grand case it was pretty quickly after diagnosis. I'm just perplexed... But I knew it would happen, and think there's definitely a genetic link as my mum's just been told she's at 46 on the 3 month test.

Diabetes is usually genetic, unless brought on by things like pancreatitis. That doesn't mean you should've seen this coming from miles away: I may not be the only diabetic in the family, but most of my relatives don't have it. Luck of the draw, really.

Try to find things that you can easily cope with. Maybe get into meal-prep, so you have a meal ready for you ahead of time, maybe sitting in the freezer. If it's too much effort to do anything, I tend to go for full fat coconut yoghurt with Purition for fibre, a few nuts (I get them pre-chopped), and some coconut flakes... It's filling, it's quick, and it's easy. It may be a bit of a puzzle to find out what fits your needs, both medically and fitting your situation, but the more you try, the better the odds you can be there for yourself and your daughter. Find work-arounds that work for you.

Hugs,
Jo

 

[Slayer Mum]

Well you certainly have a lot going on and I’m not at all surprised you are feeling sorry for yourself. You are allowed to.

If I were you I would want to go on HRT to kick the menopause into the long grass. It’s amazing how many symptoms it produces that you might put down to other things and you certainly don’t want any more anxiety, depression , joint pain, fatigue just at the moment.

I would also want to be having a good honest look at your diet by keeping a food diary to make sure that you are getting enough b12 ( which if you take metformin will be lower) and essential fats to deal with inflammation. I don’t know what your sources of these are and forgive me if I am telling you stuff you already know but after the age of about 30/35 we are less able to get these from seeds. As you are vegan and probably not thinking about taking fish oil which is a brilliant source and is bio available ( I e the body can use it as it is without having to break it down further) you might want to get it in the form of algae. It may help reduce inflammation and calm your overactive immune system down a bit. You might be as well to see a nutritionist in conjunction with your gp.
Diabetes can also cause a load of other symptoms so getting on top of that will help too but I don’t know how easy low carb/high fat is on a vegan diet or if there is a more appropriate eating plan.

I would hope that you have been given all of the information about benefits and practical support you can get for your daughter’s autism and eating disorder to help you care for her. My friend’s daughter who is also autistic has also just been diagnosed with anorexia nervous and has had to give up work to care for her. I can’t begin to imagine how I would cope in your situation. If you aren’t already see if you can get some counselling. You may well be entitled to it for free.

I can’t believe I am about to type this but if there is anything you can do to reduce your stress levels do that too. Some time to for yourself for swimming, a walk if you can manage, reflexology whatever helps. Stress is a cause of over active immune system , high blood sugars, inflammation. calcium and magnesium are the relaxing minerals ( and can help sleep) so plenty green leafy veg. Epsom salt baths ( if you have a bath) if not u can do a foot soak to absorb the magnesium. Again, supplements are available but a nutritionist could help.

Also try not to look at all of your problems at once. Focus on one thing at a time . What needs done now and only that. Try to avoid catastrophysing. You can’t be thinking about your uncles foot and applying that to yourself. You are not the same.
Go to all your appointments , write down all your questions / worries/suggestions before you go. Keep your bum on the seat until you have gone through every last one of them.

Anyway that’s what I would do. Just suggestions . I wish you all the luck in the world and remember in the words of someone or other “This too will pass”