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More advice sought please!

C

ColinBhoy

Active Member
Messages
35
Location
Luanda, Angola (home is Indonesia and Scotland (bi
Dislikes
Eejits, loudmouths
Hello again,
As previously explained (ad nauseum?), I am living remotely in Angola just now, with no direct access to dieticians or good advice on how to treat my recently diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. I have been using this forum to get virtually all the help and assistance that I have received to date, apart from a single phone call to my GP's surgery back home in Scotland. I would therefore be grateful if someone could give me advice on the issue below...
I took the advice regarding the low carb diets, as they seem to be a common theme in this forum and also successful. I have recently removed all potatoes, breads and pastas from my diet, leaving my only carb intakes coming from some lower level sources such as fruits and occasional flavour enhancing sauces in meals (cooking with them, not covering my food in ketchup!!). All was going very well for a couple of weeks, but this week things seemed to have gone downhill until last night. From the beginning of the week I have been grumpy, lethargic and generally miserable at work and home. Some time ago I guess I would have put this down to biorhythm swings or other such mumbo-jumbo, but now that I can possibly relate it to my diabetic condition, I wondered about the food I have been eating. Anyway, last night I (and my wife!) got so fed up with my behaviour, I decided that I was going to have a big fat bread roll with cheese and tomato. This was the first bread I had eaten in a while (one of the few luxuries we have here is the quality and types of bread we can get), and it went down very well ...yummy, comfort food!
Today at work has been a complete turnaround for me. I have so much energy and a great 'feelgood' factor in everything I do. I haven't added more carbs to my diet today (so far), so it was only that bread last night.
Is this all related to my diet and diabetes? Is there a problem if I continue to do this (assuming it keeps working)? Has my intake of carbs last night given me this (much needed) boost to my energy levels? Even little things like walking up and down 5 flights of stairs, 6 times a day (I stopped using lifts when I was diagnosed) has become enjoyable and easy today, whereas the last few days it was a real hardship!
Any input would (as always) be gratefully received.
Regards,
Colin.
 
Hi Colin.

Do you know what your Bg levels are throughout the day ?
First on waking, then 1 and 2 hrs after meals ? There could well be a connection as to how you feel and your Bg levels. I know I am useless and behave strangely at low levels, 4 mmol/l or below. I can also feel terrible when going high, for me that's over about 9mmol/l.

Ken.
 
Thanks for the rapid response Ken.
No, I don't have a clue what my BG levels are throughout the day. I have no access to testing equipment over here, and will not be back in the UK until July or August (I only got my diagnosis after arrival here). I am working with one or two friends back home and people in this forum to try and get a test kit sent over soon so that I can start testing. Until then I need to live on my wits, and on what makes me feel good or bad!
I am guessing that your comments may well be what my problem is ...that I may be too low with the low carb diet, so need a 'little' lift in carbs each day to maintain a better level. Time will tell, I guess.
Thanks again,
Colin.
 
Hi Colin.
You definitely need a meter and strips. Trying to low carb and adjust your diet without testing is like running blindfolded amidst a maze of lampposts !!!

Have you considered mail order ? There are many places to purchase and the strips are reasonably cheap of Ebay.
Don't really know if you have any decent Postal Service ? At least you would get one sooner. Maybe one of your Brit friends could post one out to you. Might cost more to send by courier service but for the peace of mind and knowledge you gain - it has to be worth it.

Ken.
 
Yes Ken, I have thought of regular postal service and courier service, both of which I could reclaim on expenses from my company, so cost is not a problem. The former option is not worth considering, as everything worth anything (or even bulky enough to look as though it might be worth something) mysteriously disappears before it gets to me (there must be a black hole somewhere between UK and Luanda :lol: ). Courier service ....hmmm. I have now been waiting for Angolan Customs clearance for two diabetic books I sent for through Amazon when I was first diagnosed. These were sent by DHL, and I have tracked them into Luanda, arriving two days after they left the UK. Unfortunately they have now been awaiting customs clearance for 2 months! It is not the ideal place to be when you discover you need something urgently from back home!
We do have 'rotators' out here who work 28 days in country followed by 28 days at home, so I am hopeful I can get one of them to purchase the equipment I need and hand carry it back for me. I am talking to two people about this just now, but I will also need to get my GP to send them a letter which explains why they are carrying sharps etc in their hand luggage (rotators generally don't have checked in baggage, to ease movement through the immigration and customs systems at the airport. It's all a bit of a logistical nightmare out here.
Bottom line ...don't get diabetes in Angola, but I should have thought of that when I was abusing my body for all those years! Never mind, I am converting to Buddhism, so that I can come back again ...and get it all right next time :D
Regards,
Colin.
 
Hi Colin.
Yes, I guessed as much ! Still, let us know how you get on when you finally get the meter etc.
Will be interesting to see the results.
Cheers
Ken.
 
Without the meter all I can say is "suck it and see".

Sometimes people who start low carbing go through "Atkins Flu" where the body takes its time readjusting, and similarly when you first get your BG down your body can panic until it readjusts to the New Normal. OTOH you may have dropped the carbs too far too fast, without the meter it's impossible to tell if you're running low or even if your liver is overcompensating and shooting you high. Personally the opposite happened, I was astonishingly knackered until I dropped the carbs and got my BG in line.

Sympathies, I've tried sending stuff to parts of Africa before and found it never leaves the airport, or the customs house. If they find it they keep it (see also, Heathrow)
 
Got some good news for a change!
I met an Irish doctor here in Luanda. Following some discussion with him about my lack of support over here, and my resulting confusion on many aspects of this condition, he has offered to help.
Next week his colleague will be arriving back here following a leave break. He will hand carry a BG Monitor with him, and with enough test strips etc, to keep me going until I get home for a while. He will also monitor my BG levels on a weekly basis, and has put me in touch with a dietician whom he describes as 'great'!
I look forward to some professional advice in face-to-face format. One worry though, he did suggest that perhaps low-carbing was not always the way to go, so I hope this encounter is not going to confuse me even further! I will listen to him however and hopefully be smart enough to do what I think is the right thing ...at least it will get me access to the monitoring, which must be a result! I can always say I am following his guidelines, and watch him be happy with my bloods ...then tell him I have in fact been low-carbing :wink:
As usual, thanks for the help you have all given me. I will keep you informed of progress!
I'm just dying to see my first blood test results, and the variations I will get during the day!
Colin.
 
Well done Colin.

As you say, Dietician - just nod sagely and then come back here if you need more advice.
Great to see YOU are using the system. :twisted:

Ken.
 
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