Introduction

[nursekate223]

Just thought i would introduce myself as this is my first post. My name is Kate and i have been a diabetic for 28 years . Poorly controlled for quite a few of them due to not accepting the condition . As i am getting older ( 60 this year !) i have quite a few health issues to run alongside the diabetes . I don`t want to bore you all with them . I have type 2 and i am back on insulin again . Over the years i have been on and off insulin / tablets.
I had breast cancer back in 2018 with all the surgery and treatment and i am happy to still be here today . Although i have been diabetic for a long time , i have only just decided to join this group to see if there are people out there similar to me so i can ask questions and vice versa. If i can help anyone , i will .
I am living life to the full ( as much as i can !) . My poor mobility ( peripheral neuropathy) hinders me now and i use a stick. I still work 3 days a week and this is a good balance for me.
Let me know if there is anything else you need to know . It would be great to hear from others in a similar position .

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Just thought i would introduce myself as this is my first post. My name is Kate and i have been a diabetic for 28 years . Poorly controlled for quite a few of them due to not accepting the condition . As i am getting older ( 60 this year !) i have quite a few health issues to run alongside the diabetes . I don`t want to bore you all with them . I have type 2 and i am back on insulin again . Over the years i have been on and off insulin / tablets.
I had breast cancer back in 2018 with all the surgery and treatment and i am happy to still be here today . Although i have been diabetic for a long time , i have only just decided to join this group to see if there are people out there similar to me so i can ask questions and vice versa. If i can help anyone , i will .
I am living life to the full ( as much as i can !) . My poor mobility ( peripheral neuropathy) hinders me now and i use a stick. I still work 3 days a week and this is a good balance for me.
Let me know if there is anything else you need to know . It would be great to hear from others in a similar position .

Hello @nursekate223 , and welcome,

I'm not in a similar position to yours, being 45, never been able to actually work due to other conditions and I did attack my diabetes with vigor when diagnosed, because I'd seen what it had done to family members and friends. I didn't want my husband to have to deal with any of that, so that was motivation enough... And my only motivation, so if I hadn't been married, I probably would've stuck my head snugly in the sand, too. Because some things, you just really don't want to know. So while we might not have similar situations/approaches/backgrounds/other medical issues, I do think I can say this: You're in a good place here, lots of people dealing with things like long term diabetes and complications like neuropathy... It's a great spot for support and information. Oh, and should you have questions, expect a lot of them in return: we ask a ridiculous amount of background info, so we don't botch any tips and tricks we might throw out there. Not just for the sake of being curious, we're just a thorough bunch.

In any case, welcome, and if there's anything you want to know, just give a shout; there's always someone around with potential answers or ideas.
Jo

PS: Is the neuropathy being treated? Amitriptyline, B12 supplementation, anything?

 

[nursekate223]

Hello @nursekate223 , and welcome,

I'm not in a similar position to yours, being 45, never been able to actually work due to other conditions and I did attack my diabetes with vigor when diagnosed, because I'd seen what it had done to family members and friends. I didn't want my husband to have to deal with any of that, so that was motivation enough... And my only motivation, so if I hadn't been married, I probably would've stuck my head snugly in the sand, too. Because some things, you just really don't want to know. So while we might not have similar situations/approaches/backgrounds/other medical issues, I do think I can say this: You're in a good place here, lots of people dealing with things like long term diabetes and complications like neuropathy... It's a great spot for support and information. Oh, and should you have questions, expect a lot of them in return: we ask a ridiculous amount of background info, so we don't botch any tips and tricks we might throw out there. Not just for the sake of being curious, we're just a thorough bunch.

In any case, welcome, and if there's anything you want to know, just give a shout; there's always someone around with potential answers or ideas.
Jo

PS: Is the neuropathy being treated? Amitriptyline, B12 supplementation, anything?

Thank you so much for your reply and kind words of support. I dont mind anyone asking me anything . This is how we help each other .
I dont have painful neuropathy like some people. My feet are totally numb to about mid calf. i am not on any medications for my neuropathy . I am on shed loads of other meds though for arthritis .
My main worry is my balance now as i have to use an aid. I fall a lot but they say there is no help for that . I saw a physio last week and he did not help at all. So i guess we have to put up with this condition and keep our sugars well under control .

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you so much for your reply and kind words of support. I dont mind anyone asking me anything . This is how we help each other .
I dont have painful neuropathy like some people. My feet are totally numb to about mid calf. i am not on any medications for my neuropathy . I am on shed loads of other meds though for arthritis .
My main worry is my balance now as i have to use an aid. I fall a lot but they say there is no help for that . I saw a physio last week and he did not help at all. So i guess we have to put up with this condition and keep our sugars well under control .

Ack, that does sound very, very inconvenient... And bruise-inducing, with the toppling over! I hope there's some way, somewhere, that we can help. Have you tried changing your diet around for more blood glucose control? A large portion of the T2's on there, me included, cut carbs to keep on top of it. Though with the medication you're on, that might be tricky, as hypo's could well occur... At the same time, if you're on a lot of medication, I am guessing some form of steroid might be in there, which doesn't really help when it comes to control either. Some things we can decide on ourselves, some just can't be helped, eh... Needs must and all.

Hang in there eh. Not always easy, but it can be done.
Jo

 

[nursekate223]

Hi Jo,

Im vegetarian so not meat or Fish . I try to stay away from carbs as much as i can but sometimes the cravings for potato /rice is too much . I think i am going to spend lots of time on this site
By the way your English is perfect !

 

[Resurgam]

@nursekate223 I'd never eat rice or potato, nor any high carb food no matter how I craved it, as I tested my blood glucose after trying a meal with and without high carbs and there was a huge difference in the spike at the 2 hour point.
I use swede or turnip rather than potato, as it is significantly lower in carbs, and my meals centre around the protein and fat elements, with stirfry, salad or low carb vege mixtures.

 

[nursekate223]

@nursekate223 I'd never eat rice or potato, nor any high carb food no matter how I craved it, as I tested my blood glucose after trying a meal with and without high carbs and there was a huge difference in the spike at the 2 hour point.
I use swede or turnip rather than potato, as it is significantly lower in carbs, and my meals centre around the protein and fat elements, with stirfry, salad or low carb vege mixtures.

 

[nursekate223]

Hi Resurgam and thank you for your reply. You have done so well with your HbA1C . Well done .

 

[Resurgam]

Hi Resurgam and thank you for your reply. You have done so well with your HbA1C . Well done .

I'm afraid it was embarrassingly easy, as I don't restrict what I eat - except things with more than 4 legs.

I had awful trouble with lower legs and feet after the Astra Zeneca jab for Covid, but that was excruciating pain - I did find that using massage and hot and cold water in the shower to promote the circulation helped a lot, and also a lightweight duvet on top of the winter one plus a microfiber mattress topper so my feet have been warm in bed despite having to turn down the heating, have really improved blood flow and the sensation in my feet is back to pretty much normal and all swelling gone.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi Jo,

Im vegetarian so not meat or Fish . I try to stay away from carbs as much as i can but sometimes the cravings for potato /rice is too much . I think i am going to spend lots of time on this site
By the way your English is perfect !

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/category/vegetarian-diet-forum.71/

and

https://www.dietdoctor.com/search?s=vegetarian might help some to stick with lower carb eating while remaining on the vegetarian side of things. Just keep in mind that carbs are by nature, addictive, so you're nowhere near the only one with cravings. (So, no beating yourself up!) Some go cold turkey, some have cheat days, some actually manage a little restraint.... (Just having one or two fries off your better half's plate once in a while is hard, though, haha!). You just figure out what works for you. Sometimes the testing around a meal is helpful to keep yourself from going too far into carb-feasting. It's easier to stay low carb once you've been there for a while, the cravings tend to go away, but that's not true for everyone. Just go with the flow a bit and see where you end up.


Jo

 

[VashtiB]

Hello and welcome @nursekate223

I'm also turning 60 this year. Recently I have also been facing a few other health challenges- not nearly as serious as yours but enough to make me feel a bit overwhelmed. I currently just want a whole month without seeing anyone from the medical profession.

While I didn't head down the road of denial when I was diagnoses I did head down the road of self pity. I threw myself a really big and long pity party. I'm now in a much better space thanks to the amazing people here. I hope you find the forum as helpful and supportive as I have always found it.

Welcome and good luck!