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Negativity :(

walnut_face said:
If it helps @PurpleArmadillo I too was diagnosed with a score of 96. I got the "You will lose your marbles, sight legs etc" speech (So motivational!) I took the Metformin, just to keep the peace, and I still take them. I was then referred to a Nurse Practicioner, and I have to say I have no reason to complain. Yes she reads from the NHS script, but is aware that I have gone Low Carb. While she didnt wholeheartedly endorse that, she didnt condemn either. But she did offer some help in that, she knew what outcome I was after, and said " Don't be disappointed if it doesnt work, and just make sure you dont replace one problem with another" She has mentioned Statins, but I informed her that she had a better chance of convincing the Pope there is no God.
My last HbA1c was 63 just 10 weeks later. My NP now understands that I am serious about looking after myself, and is quite happy to let me plough my own furrow (for now) Best of all she wants to see me every 3 months until either my HbA1c stalls or dips below 40
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I think that, secretly, this Pope actually doesn't believe in God...but he is pretty convinced that statins are not for him either. ;)
 
Just reviving this post to say that I went to give my 3 month bloods this week, and yet again came away cross! Now I don't know how well I'll have done, as I still have a constant problem with high morning readings, and I've fallen off the wagon a bit with wine and the odd snack (though I've still picking the lower carb options). But I'm still expecting a significant improvement in the Hba1c.

But I happened to have the diabetes nurse for the blood test, and again I just felt she was unnecessarily negative. She commented that
- I'll probably have got the Hba1c down, but getting below 48 on diet alone is another matter
- I've lost 3kg, but can I keep it off?
- My blood pressure is too high and I'll have to go onto medication
- My cholesterol will probably be too high too and I'll have to go onto medication

Note the lack of discussion about the meds there!

So I have to say I'm feeling rather aprehensive about the appointment on Tuesday to discuss the results. But I'm also as determined as ever to be stubborn and refuse the statins, metformin, and probably the bp meds too. And this time I'll be armed with pen and paper to take note of all the results, as last time I requested the breakdown of the cholesterol and my request was just ignored.

Wish me luck ! :banghead:
 
Hi @PurpleArmadillo
Just to try and encourage you to look positively/
Have a look at
http://www.diabetes.co.uk/hba1c-to-blood-sugar-level-converter.html
An HbA1c of 96 gives an average of 14.7. You could put in your average and see what it estimates your HbA1c to be now. It probably won't be exact but should give you some idea. I'm sure your average is a lot lower than that now.
I'm also in limbo as I had bloods taken last week and waiting to see GP tomorrow.
Any stress will send blood pressure up so you might want to try taking it at home when you're not stressed.
I am convinced life style changes are the best way to cope with diabetes for most of us type 2's so hopefully you can hang in there until you get the results next week. All the best.
 
@PurpleArmadillo Can't wait to hear your latest HbA1c results. All the best.

By the way...this was what my Endo said to me...after I managed to get my fasting BG down to 5.5 mmol within a month or so from over 10mmol...
“Do you think that with determination alone, you will be able to scale Mount Everest? Why don’t you get use to the idea of diabetic medication now? even my parents take them till their eighties…Futility, wishing thinking…seems to be the key messages from this experienced specialist."

https://myhba1c.wordpress.com/2016/09/03/turning-mountains-into-molehills/
 
Hi @PurpleArmadillo Can't wait to read your post about your results. Ask for a printout because you don't want to waste time and no-one can be expected to make an off the cuff, considered decision. You know that the results will be better, possibly not as good as you would like but better than they were. Take a deep breath, relax, and keep on doing what is right for you.
 
PurpleArmadillo said:
Just reviving this post to say that I went to give my 3 month bloods this week, and yet again came away cross! Now I don't know how well I'll have done, as I still have a constant problem with high morning readings, and I've fallen off the wagon a bit with wine and the odd snack (though I've still picking the lower carb options). But I'm still expecting a significant improvement in the Hba1c.

But I happened to have the diabetes nurse for the blood test, and again I just felt she was unnecessarily negative. She commented that
- I'll probably have got the Hba1c down, but getting below 48 on diet alone is another matter
- I've lost 3kg, but can I keep it off?
- My blood pressure is too high and I'll have to go onto medication
- My cholesterol will probably be too high too and I'll have to go onto medication

Note the lack of discussion about the meds there!

So I have to say I'm feeling rather aprehensive about the appointment on Tuesday to discuss the results. But I'm also as determined as ever to be stubborn and refuse the statins, metformin, and probably the bp meds too. And this time I'll be armed with pen and paper to take note of all the results, as last time I requested the breakdown of the cholesterol and my request was just ignored.

Wish me luck ! :banghead:
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Armadillo - Are you able to access your results before your appointment, using the surgery's online booking system? If you can, do have a look. I usually like to ensure I have my results before going, to give myself some thinking and preparation time.

With regards to some of your Nurse's comments, I would suggest you wipe them from your memory until you have your results and have considered them.

I was diagnosed in October 13, so we can probably agree to round that to 3 years.

In that time, I have never taken any medication whatsoever (except for a couple of courses of antibiotics post op and for a single UTI), so not everyone needs meds. I reduced my HbA1c to under 48, and have kept it there, with my last HbA1c in my signature taken on Tuesday of this week (result back yesterday), so it's safe to say it's up to date.

I lost weight without any great effort (by trimming back my carbs) and have kept it off. I am now very slim.

My BP came down along with my bloods from pretty elevated to usually very good - around 110/70 on average. To be completely fair, I have seen a few higher readings in the last week, but I have also been under a bit of stress, which may explain that. My BP was taken when I had bloods drawn, so I'll just have to wait to see if that starts any conversation. I also get White Coat Syndrome, which is unhelpful, of course.

Whatever your cholesterol is, you need to know more than just the total. My total is always an inconveniently large number (this week it was 6.3), but, the breakdown is excellent with my trigs at 0.75, for example, but the numbers just add up to a pesky total. I am totally unconcerned for myself with those numbers, and on my last cholesterol (Total 6.5), my Doc's response was along the lines of "You must be delighted with those numbers". So please ensure you have the breakdown.

If you don't have online access to your medical records (we only really get the summary records, so not all of the notes), but we do get access to results, and that feels so much better to me than phoning up and justifying having copies of results or having to keep calling back if the results aren't in yet. I love it.

Good luck on Tuesday. Do take notes and if you feel uncomfortable about any of the suggestions made, you do have the option to take some time to think about it before you consider whether or not you take up any suggestions made.

It's a marathon, not a sprint.
 
PurpleArmadillo said:
Just reviving this post to say that I went to give my 3 month bloods this week, and yet again came away cross! Now I don't know how well I'll have done, as I still have a constant problem with high morning readings, and I've fallen off the wagon a bit with wine and the odd snack (though I've still picking the lower carb options). But I'm still expecting a significant improvement in the Hba1c.

But I happened to have the diabetes nurse for the blood test, and again I just felt she was unnecessarily negative. She commented that
- I'll probably have got the Hba1c down, but getting below 48 on diet alone is another matter
- I've lost 3kg, but can I keep it off?
- My blood pressure is too high and I'll have to go onto medication
- My cholesterol will probably be too high too and I'll have to go onto medication

Note the lack of discussion about the meds there!

So I have to say I'm feeling rather aprehensive about the appointment on Tuesday to discuss the results. But I'm also as determined as ever to be stubborn and refuse the statins, metformin, and probably the bp meds too. And this time I'll be armed with pen and paper to take note of all the results, as last time I requested the breakdown of the cholesterol and my request was just ignored.

Wish me luck ! :banghead:
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Good luck!

Here is my input

- my HbA1c is below prediabetes due to LCHF. It is steady, and I have now been like this for nearly 4 years. I love my food and prefer it to carbing. I take no meds for diabetes.
- switching to LCHF saw a gentle reduction in weight of some 20 pounds. that is, um... approx 9 kilos. It happened without effort.
- my blood pressure was too high. tablets. yada yada. I bought a bp machine and discovered that it was coffee that caused it. I discussed it with a nurse. she denied that was possible. I am now several months after my Coffee Divorce (violins, please) and my bp is now FINE.
- my cholesterol was 5.2 (total) on fairly low carbs, and shot up to 5.4 (shock horror!) on very low carbs. But the ratios between trigs, LDL and HDL all improved and are excellent.

No one should be telling you to take meds. They should discuss their reasoning and their concerns, discuss the options, the positives and the negatives of every option and allow you the informed choice.

Then you should beetle off home, fire up the computer, and check everything they say, before you decide whether to take their advice.

:D
 
Thank you so much everyone for your positive comments :) I think the nurse had better tread carefully on Tuesday, because I am really not in the mood for negativity right now. My youngest son is under investigation for a rare genetic liver disorder and my eldest dog looks like she's out of her cancer remission. I am stressed to the nines, and I know my blood pressure will be bad.

My OH, who is quite happy to take every pill thrown at him, is on BP medication, and has a monitor. I will check myself, at home, and without the pressure of being at the surgery. Last week it was taken 3 times, all too high but each time lower than the last, which just proves to me that it's the stress of having bloods taken etc that's distorting it
 
Hi @PurpleArmadillo . Sounds like these people are giving you some stress! I was also diagnosed in May 2016 with hba1c of 94. I went on a completely calorie controlled diet to lose 2lb per week. Now, after losing 2st 12lb my hba1c is 48 with no meds at all. I had the same assumption from the practice nurse that I'd start on Metformin immediately (I refused without really knowing why, but I'm glad I did). I walk, really walk (not stroll) for 20 minutes after a big meal and try to keep active every hour. This knocks BG levels down nicely and makes muscles more likely to gobble up that glucose. I keep a rigorous food diary, everything is captured so there's no 'maybes' involved. I use Nutracheck which is also trialling Carb counting as well as an online diary.
Have you been referred to the XPERT training course by your GP yet?
Good luck!
 
So I had the appointment this morning. After the two diagnosis readings of 95 and 96 I was hoping for 70s, and would have been over the moon with 60s.

My actual result .... 49 !!!! I cannot tell you how over the moon I am, to almost halve my Hba1c in just three months. And despite all that negativity, the nurse was really pleased for me too. She was almost apologetic, explaining that she is sceptical of diet and lifestyle changers, as they rarely stick to their guns. But she was delighted I'd proved her wrong.

My cholesterol was down too, from 7.1 to 6.2. Still high, but no pressure for meds while it's coming down.

Blood pressure still too high, but there's some extremely stressful stuff going on and I will test myself when life is back to normal!

So pleased to prove to myself that it can be done without meds, but angry too that the experiences of so many lchf patients don't seem to count for anything when it comes to the NHS standard advice
 
Well done. So similar to me. But you do need to keep going and hopefully even lower next time.
 
PurpleArmadillo said:
So pleased to prove to myself that it can be done without meds, but angry too that the experiences of so many lchf patients don't seem to count for anything when it comes to the NHS standard advice
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Yes and untold millions continue to struggle with their glucose control on a fool's errand with the restrictive low fat diet...:(
 
YAY what FAB results! My experience with the practice nurse here is boring but suffice to say we won't be seeing one another again if I can help it! lol Your results are AMAZING well done xxx
 
What fantastic, brilliant news, PurpleArmadillo! And how satisfying to prove "Them" wrong!
 
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