New and Terrified

[niclourob]

Hi everyone, Sorry this is so long. I am 43 and I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know my readings but my GP said I had ‘literally just jumped into being diabetic’ My liver enzymes were also raised by one point, my cholesterol was high (although doc said if the tablets made me feel sick to just stop as it’s not that bad) My blood pressure was also high and I was found to have an underactive thyroid. I’m not seeing the diabetes nurse until Tuesday but I have managed to go from 30 cups a tea with two sugars a day to none. I have also joined the low carb program. My problem is that the GP badly explained anything and this morning I got a letter wanting me to see a cardiologist which has terrified me (GP didn’t even say she was referring me and I can’t speak to her today) I suffer from anxiety anyway and I’m just panicking about it all and thinking the worst. I think every little twinge I get is cancer or I’m going to have a heart attack any minute. I’m just crying all the time as all this has just come as such a shock. Sorry if I sound stupid - I’m just so scared and don’t know where to turn. I would be so grateful for anyone who has been in a similar or for any reassurance or advice anyone can give me. Thank you so much x

 

[niclourob]

Should also add that all my hair is falling out that the doc says is stress and I’m having the runs too which the doc again says is anxiety.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

Not your day is it. Still you are not alone. I am not saying that everyone has had every symptom you've had but between us we have. The worrying gets less when you find there are things you can do to help. The right eating and exercise go a long way. I'll page @daisy1 who has a beginner leaflet that most newbies get.

I don't see why you stopped the tea when you only had to stop the sugar.

 

[niclourob]

Thank you for your reply. I wanted to stop the tea because the caffeine was making my anxiety worse (if that’s possible) and I didn’t fancy decaf so went onto fruit tea instead. I don’t miss the tea at all funnily enough which is odd considering how much I was having. Think it had just become such a habit.

 

[Ann1982]

Hi everyone, Sorry this is so long. I am 43 and I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know my readings but my GP said I had ‘literally just jumped into being diabetic’ My liver enzymes were also raised by one point, my cholesterol was high (although doc said if the tablets made me feel sick to just stop as it’s not that bad) My blood pressure was also high and I was found to have an underactive thyroid. I’m not seeing the diabetes nurse until Tuesday but I have managed to go from 30 cups a tea with two sugars a day to none. I have also joined the low carb program. My problem is that the GP badly explained anything and this morning I got a letter wanting me to see a cardiologist which has terrified me (GP didn’t even say she was referring me and I can’t speak to her today) I suffer from anxiety anyway and I’m just panicking about it all and thinking the worst. I think every little twinge I get is cancer or I’m going to have a heart attack any minute. I’m just crying all the time as all this has just come as such a shock. Sorry if I sound stupid - I’m just so scared and don’t know where to turn. I would be so grateful for anyone who has been in a similar or for any reassurance or advice anyone can give me. Thank you so much x

First thing DONT PANIC, I know that is easier said than done but honestly it does get better. The first thing you need to get from your doctor is a note of all your test results and then go from there. Take care

 

[Bluetit1802]

Hi and welcome,

You have arrived at an excellent forum for advice and support.
Yes, all that caffeine may be one cause of your high blood pressure, so good idea to stop drinking so much of it, although tea itself is actually good for us in moderation.

I have one initial piece of advice. Please ask the nurse when you see her for a print out of your blood test results - you really need to see all those numbers. If you don't understand some of them all you have to do is ask on here what they mean. If you are in England your surgery should be putting test results on line, so ask about this and how to register for it. Knowing all your numbers is vital.

Have a good read round and ask as many questions as you like. Good luck.

 

[niclourob]

Thank you Bluetit. The GP didn’t say a word about numbers just said I had only just jumped into the bit they classed as diabetes not prediabetes. I’m kicking myself for not going earlier now although am I right in thinking it can still be reversed? I have done lots of research about low carb etc and have started exercising too which I never did before. I am obese who hopefully going sugar free and low carb will get this weight off and help the blood pressure and cholesterol too

Hi and welcome,

You have arrived at an excellent forum for advice and support.
Yes, all that caffeine may be one cause of your high blood pressure, so good idea to stop drinking so much of it, although tea itself is actually good for us in moderation.

I have one initial piece of advice. Please ask the nurse when you see her for a print out of your blood test results - you really need to see all those numbers. If you don't understand some of them all you have to do is ask on here what they mean. If you are in England your surgery should be putting test results on line, so ask about this and how to register for it. Knowing all your numbers is vital.

Have a good read round and ask as many questions as you like. Good luck.

 

[niclourob]

First thing DONT PANIC, I know that is easier said than done but honestly it does get better. The first thing you need to get from your doctor is a note of all your test results and then go from there. Take care

Thank you. I will ask the nurse on Tuesday.

 

[HSSS]

Well done for dropping so much sugar and joining the low carb program. You’ve taken some very important steps already. It’s possible that changes in diet could make you feel rubbish for a short while but it won’t last. Anxiety certain upset my digestive system too. I feel for you.

Ok practically if the dr thought you were about to have a heart attack it would have been an ambulance not a letter after a few weeks. And I wouldn’t think a cardiologist would be the referral for cancer So take a deep breath and then another one. Literally take those breaths. And then do it again.

Diagnosis terrified me too. I was in denial and blaming everyone to start. The. Angry and also sad and scared. I’m sure many of not most have experienced difficulties in coming to terms with their diagnosis. It takes a bit of time for it to sink in.

Next steps are to call your surgery. Find out why youve been referred and also what tests you had and what the actual results were. The diabetic nurse might be able to answer, or another nurse or the gp. You are entitled to know all these things and it’s might well help if you understand better what’s happening to you.

Keep coming back here too. Good luck.

 

[niclourob]

Well done for dropping so much sugar and joining the low carb program. You’ve taken some very important steps already. It’s possible that changes in diet could make you feel rubbish for a short while but it won’t last. Anxiety certain upset my digestive system too. I feel for you.

Ok practically if the dr thought you were about to have a heart attack it would have been an ambulance not a letter after a few weeks. And I wouldn’t think a cardiologist would be the referral for cancer So take a deep breath and then another one. Literally take those breaths. And then do it again.

Diagnosis terrified me too. I was in denial and blaming everyone to start. The. Angry and also sad and scared. I’m sure many of not most have experienced difficulties in coming to terms with their diagnosis. It takes a bit of time for it to sink in.

Next steps are to call your surgery. Find out why youve been referred and also what tests you had and what the actual results were. The diabetic nurse might be able to answer, or another nurse or the gp. You are entitled to know all these things and it’s might well help if you understand better what’s happening to you.

Keep coming back here too. Good luck.

Thank you so much. I’m so glad I found this thread because I felt like I was going mad. My cardiologist appointment isn’t until December too so they obviously can’t be too worried or I would’ve been in sooner. I’ll call the surgery and see what they say. It has just all come as such a shock and I know it’s my fault for being so overweight, eating so much rubbish and not going to the docs sooner but too late now. Just need to change now and in a way maybe this is a blessing in disguise because otherwise I would’ve stayed on the sofa getting fatter and fatter and iller and iller. Thanks again.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Hi everyone, Sorry this is so long. I am 43 and I was diagnosed a couple of weeks ago. I don’t know my readings but my GP said I had ‘literally just jumped into being diabetic’ My liver enzymes were also raised by one point, my cholesterol was high (although doc said if the tablets made me feel sick to just stop as it’s not that bad) My blood pressure was also high and I was found to have an underactive thyroid. I’m not seeing the diabetes nurse until Tuesday but I have managed to go from 30 cups a tea with two sugars a day to none. I have also joined the low carb program. My problem is that the GP badly explained anything and this morning I got a letter wanting me to see a cardiologist which has terrified me (GP didn’t even say she was referring me and I can’t speak to her today) I suffer from anxiety anyway and I’m just panicking about it all and thinking the worst. I think every little twinge I get is cancer or I’m going to have a heart attack any minute. I’m just crying all the time as all this has just come as such a shock. Sorry if I sound stupid - I’m just so scared and don’t know where to turn. I would be so grateful for anyone who has been in a similar or for any reassurance or advice anyone can give me. Thank you so much x

When I was diagnosed, I'd wake up with a wet face. I've seen a lot of grief in my days, but it wasn't often that I cried in my sleep! So no, you don't sound stupid. Not at all. We've all been there. A diagnosis like this rocks your world, and for a doc it's almost routine, while for you, it certainly isn't!

I suffer from debilitating anxiety, and I have an underactive thyroid. (Hashimoto's). Believe it or not, that happens to a lot of T2's. We don't just get double whammeys, but triple of quadruple ones. Do tackle that thyroid too, because it influences bloodsugars as well. It's relatively easy, but I'm going to tell you this now so you won't get scared: The thyroid medication *may* give you heart palpatations. That's normal. So you're not about to drop dead or anything when/if that happens. As long as you're slowly upping the dose, that's kindof in the cards, but it''ll pass after a few weeks. If it doesn't, and it just continues on and on, then the dosage is too high. (usually finding the right dosage is trial and error.) Slow and steady wins the race with that one. As for the cardiologist, the referral might be because diabetics are prone to heart disease and you already have high bloodpressure. So it may just be part of a general check-up as a newly diagnosed diabetic, said the diabetic with a heart-murmur. I'm glad your doc is covering all bases, that's a good thing. Would've been nice if she'd mentioned it to you though!

So, you're diabetic. Now what? Well... Get a meter. They're not usually covered by NHS if you're not on insulin, but it is a VERY good investment, because you want to know how you're doing, especially in the beginning. All carbs, even the hearty ones, turn to bloodglucose once ingested, so if you want, you can treat your T2 with a low carb diet. It keeps people off meds/insulin quite regularly, and it keeps the T2 from progressing, hence making complications much less likely. If you want to go that route, rather than depending on medication (which is a legitimate option too, you have choices here!), you reduce all carbs. (White, brown, all of 'em.) . So no or little bread, potatoes, rice, pasta, corn, cereal, sugar... Far as fruit goes, only berries and avocado are okay. (But who would say no to berries with double cream eh?). What can you eat safely, without a sugar spike? Above-ground veggies/leavy greens, meat, fish, extra dark chocolate (yay!), eggs, full fat greek yoghurt, (the fat bit is important... Fat satiates, and keeps your sugar from spiking. As it turns out it's not dietary fat that makes one fat, it's glucose stored in fatcells! Who knew?! I certainly didn't, and I became morbidly obese on low fat diets!). Double cream, cheese, olives, nuts... I'm a big believer in bacon these days. Meals could look like this: 3 eggs with bacon, cheese and mushrooms/cherry tomatoes. Salad with a can of tuna, capers, olives, mayonaise, avocado. Meat/fish with veggies, maybe with added bacon and cheese. I find broccoli-rice and cauliflower rice remarcably versatile. My snacks usually are aged cheese, olives, extra dark chocolate (Lindt's 85% is nice!), and nuts.

So, now you know what won't spike your sugars, but what is a spike? Well... If/Once you have a meter, check before a meal, and 2 hours after first bite. If you go up 2 mmol/l or less, that was a good meal and worth repeating. If it goes higher than that, there were more carbs in that meal than your body could process. That's the very short version. if you want to read more, try Dr. Jason Fung's books, and do check www.dietdoctor.com , which has quite workable meal ideas.

I thought I was going to kick the bucket when diagnosed. (The fatty liver got mistaken for cancer, which made it an extra stressful time). Quite a lot of us felt the same way. I remember going to a dutch diabetic forum and asking whether it'd be okay, if I'd always feel this hopelessness, this desolation and fear... The response was nil. People there were as lost as I was and no-one responded. So you're in a good place here, because the folks on this forum can give you what I so desperately needed back then, and you do right now: Hope.

It will be okay. You can handle this.
Jo

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Should also add that all my hair is falling out that the doc says is stress and I’m having the runs too which the doc again says is anxiety.

Are you on metformin? Because if you respond badly to it you might as well move into the loo. As for hairloss, that might be your thyroid. (Are your eyebrows affected too? Because that's a dead giveaway. Stress doesn't help of course, but yeah... That might be it too.)

 

[Phoenix55]

Welcome to the forum @niclourob. Take it easy and breathe. Tea without sugar will not do you harm, although 30 cups a day is a trifle over the top even in a family named Tee! The kettle was never cold except first thing in the morning. If you have just crept over into the diabetic range it can be reversed but you will need to watch your diet for life to keep it that way. Treat this as a gentle warning. Your doctor is just being thorough and cautious referring you, leave that hurdle for another day. The chances are that if you sort out your diet the rest will fall into place; diabetes, blood pressure, weight. There are several people in the forum who have thyroid problems and I am sure one of them will be along soon to help out.
Remember to breathe. Food, what to eat? The good news is that there is plenty that you can eat, cut out potatoes, pasta and bread immediately and you are well on your way. Dairy, above ground veg, mushrooms are all fine. Set yourself a target of exercise, initially I had went for 15min walks 3x a week gradually that crept up to longer walks and on wet days I found some exercise walks on uTube (check out Leslie Sansone)
Think! how are you going to know what is going on with your blood sugars? Get yourself a meter and learn how to use it, check the price of the strips because they are the on-going expense.
Now smile, take that walk and prepare to lose sufficient weight that you will need a new wardrobe next summer if not for Christmas.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

Thank you so much. I’m so glad I found this thread because I felt like I was going mad. My cardiologist appointment isn’t until December too so they obviously can’t be too worried or I would’ve been in sooner. I’ll call the surgery and see what they say. It has just all come as such a shock and I know it’s my fault for being so overweight, eating so much rubbish and not going to the docs sooner but too late now. Just need to change now and in a way maybe this is a blessing in disguise because otherwise I would’ve stayed on the sofa getting fatter and fatter and iller and iller. Thanks again.

Woah! Okay, yeah, here I am again, sorry. YOU DID NOT DO THIS TO YOURSELF! You get T2 due to genetic predisposition, so it would've hit you sooner or later. Besides that, what we are told is healthy, really, really isn't. For several decades we've been told fat is bad and to up the carbs. And guess what? There's a diabetes epidemic going on since then. It's worse in the US, I gather, but all those light products, all that fat free stuff that's been pushed on us for all that time? They get their flavor and such due to added carbs. They're in practically everything. I had to puzzle for weeks looking for food that didn't have hidden sugars, becaus I don't know about the UK, but in the Netherlands, there are more than 50 names for sugars...! Good luck finding something "safe", and if it's promoted as healthy, it certainly isn't for diabetics.

I was obese and went to a dietician at the hospital. She told me to eat 6 extra slices of bread a day and to go lower fat than I already was. More potatoes, pasta etc. In no time at all, on that advice, I became morbidly obese, and then, diabetic. I didn't know I could lose weight, because my dietician just shrugged and told me I was just one of those people who were simply going to be fat. To just accept it,and I didn't have to come back. I'm adding a pic which i really hate because I felt loke a blob there: That used to be me. I was over 102 kilo's (204 pounds), and as I didn't dare stand on the scales after that, I was heavier. This morning the scales told me I'm 75,4. (140,8). On a low carb, high fat diet. I would've done this years ago, but I didn't know how. There are so many diets out there, and when you're big, you don't know where to start! And when the dietician tells you it's hopeless... I just gave up, figured she knew her stuff. Once I was diagnosed a diabetic I found a whole lot of different diets, but most of them had one thing in common: low carb. My priority was dropping my bloodsugars, but yay, the weight went too! I'm not at my target weight yet, but I haven't been morbidly obese or obese for quite a while now. Just slightly overweight. And most likely, it'll be a normal weight in about a month.

You'll be okay. I can keep repeating that, but one day you will believe it. Stop kicking yourself around. You didn't do this to yourself.

 

[niclourob]

Are you on metformin? Because if you respond badly to it you might as well move into the loo. As for hairloss, that might be your thyroid. (Are your eyebrows affected too? Because that's a dead giveaway. Stress doesn't help of course, but yeah... That might be it too.)

You are amazing! Thank you so much. No they haven’t put me on metformin or thyroxine yet. I will ask the diabetes nurse and go and see the GP again to see if they want me on that. Thank you for the warning about the palpitations. It’s the liver thing that really scaring me because she said the enzymes were raised by one point and I had to have another blood test in 12 weeks so I have absolutely convinced myself it’s liver cancer and now I’m panicking about every little twinge and think I can feel it swelling which is probably psychological. I haven’t gone yellow or lost any weight but you know how anxiety stops all logical thought? I actually have an urgent referral to a psychiatrist tomorrow so hopefully that’ll help matters too. I have ordered all the Jason Fung books and been on diet doctor. Cauliflower flower mash for tea tonight which I actually prefer to potato mash. It’s so good to ‘meet’ you, - you have a lot of the same things as me and really ‘get’ it and your advice has been invaluable. Thank you so much xx

 

[bulkbiker]

It’s the liver thing that really scaring me because she said the enzymes were raised by one point and I had to have another blood test in 12 weeks so I have absolutely convinced myself it’s liver cancer

Far, far more likely to be NAFLD (Non alcoholic fatty liver disease) which is a by product of Type 2 and guess what..... can be reversed with a Low Carb High Fat diet... put the bacon on...!

 

[niclourob]

Far, far more likely to be NAFLD (Non alcoholic fatty liver disease) which is a by product of Type 2 and guess what..... can be reversed with a Low Carb High Fat diet... put the bacon on...!

I am so lucky to have found this forum. Thank you so much. Extra big portion of cauliflower mash for me tonight! You are all stars and have reassured me so much! I can’t thank you enough. X

 

[Resurgam]

I don't do anxious so please excuse me if I seem too blaze about it.
I have a failed thyroid. I take Thyroxine to cover that. Normally you stat off at a low dose so as not to shock your body - do not worry if you get a few slight palpitations as that is normal when getting the missing hormone replaced after a while being low.
I also have type two diabetes, I eat low carb and that seems to fix it.
I am now eating even lower carb than needed to fix the diabetes to try to lose more weight, or at least volume - down to under 40 gm of carb a day. It works for me - it was the doctors and nurses who demanded that I ate carbs whenever they found out that I wasn't.
The liver, if filled up with fat by trying to store all the sugar it finds in the blood, can expand and feel hard, even painful when pressed. I had that and it went away after a few months on low carb.
Don't worry about eating natural amounts of fat - it is what we were always meant to eat.

 

[JoKalsbeek]

You are amazing! Thank you so much. No they haven’t put me on metformin or thyroxine yet. I will ask the diabetes nurse and go and see the GP again to see if they want me on that. Thank you for the warning about the palpitations. It’s the liver thing that really scaring me because she said the enzymes were raised by one point and I had to have another blood test in 12 weeks so I have absolutely convinced myself it’s liver cancer and now I’m panicking about every little twinge and think I can feel it swelling which is probably psychological. I haven’t gone yellow or lost any weight but you know how anxiety stops all logical thought? I actually have an urgent referral to a psychiatrist tomorrow so hopefully that’ll help matters too. I have ordered all the Jason Fung books and been on diet doctor. Cauliflower flower mash for tea tonight which I actually prefer to potato mash. It’s so good to ‘meet’ you, - you have a lot of the same things as me and really ‘get’ it and your advice has been invaluable. Thank you so much xx

I went to my doc with extreme fatigue and pain in my liver area. I had non-alcoholic liver disease, which basically means my liver is jam-packed with fat. There is such a thing as metabolic syndrome. That's a bunch of things thrown in together, and most T2's have it: Fatty liver, high bloodpressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. While I googled causes of fatty lived disease I decided to cross causes off. My cat's a T3c diabetic so I borrowed his meter, because T2 is one of the possible causes... The floor opened up below my feet, my sugar was so high, and I immediately knew what it meant... That's how I found out about the T2: alone at home. My doc ordered an ultrasound for my liver, and when it came back abnormal, the specialist reviewing my case thought it wasn't just fat, he thougth I had cancer. I had an MRI and a CT scan before he finally found it was really all fat. Extremely densely packed, so it prsented as cancerous tissue, but it certainly wasn't. So... If your liver enzymes are off.... Odds are it's "just" fatty liver disease.

Guess what's good for NAFLD?

Low carb diets.

 

[niclourob]

I went to my doc with extreme fatigue and pain in my liver area. I had non-alcoholic liver disease, which basically means my liver is jam-packed with fat. There is such a thing as metabolic syndrome. That's a bunch of things thrown in together, and most T2's have it: Fatty liver, high bloodpressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. While I googled causes of fatty lived disease I decided to cross causes off. My cat's a T3c diabetic so I borrowed his meter, because T2 is one of the possible causes... The floor opened up below my feet, my sugar was so high, and I immediately knew what it meant... That's how I found out about the T2: alone at home. My doc ordered an ultrasound for my liver, and when it came back abnormal, the specialist reviewing my case thought it wasn't just fat, he thougth I had cancer. I had an MRI and a CT scan before he finally found it was really all fat. Extremely densely packed, so it prsented as cancerous tissue, but it certainly wasn't. So... If your liver enzymes are off.... Odds are it's "just" fatty liver disease.

Guess what's good for NAFLD?

Low carb diets.

I’m nearly in tears of happiness reading all these. Finally people who understand! Things have been going round and round in my head and I honestly thought I was cracking up. Feel so reassured now! Thank you so much X