I suffer from angina and had some bloods done 2 weeks ago as part of my annual cardic review. At my clinic appointment the nurse said that some of my bloods were raised and they needed to repeat them. I had further bloods taken yesterday and today I had a call from the surgery to tell me that they had the blood results and they confirm I have diabetes and they needed to make me an appointment to see the practice nurse. The earliest appointment they can offer me is 28th January!!
After some prompting the receptionist who called me reluctantly told me that my HbA1c was 68 (don’t know how high this is compared to normal) she said there was not a doctor or nurse available to talk to me on the phone, I have asked them to call me back but I don’t know when that will be.
I am now worried as I have no idea what to do over Christmas as far as diet etc. is concerned. Is there any diabetes numbers I can call for advice until I see someone at the doctors?
Thanks
Hi
@PJH2903 , and welcome,
Ah, it's a wonderful time of year to be diagnosed, isn't it? Just like the summer holidays (when I got mine), no-one's around to actually *tell* you anything. Well, I can't tell you whether there are numbers to call, as I'm in the Netherlands, but I've been a T2 for little over 2 years. And I got my bloodsugars under control. And they were worse than yours. (They shouldn't be over 42)
I'm guessing that means there's hope for you yet!
So, what's going on? Well, as a T2, you're insulin resistant. You make a whole lot of insulin, but it doesn't quite do what it's supposed to anymore. As it happens, almost all carbohydrates turn to glucose once ingested, and glucose is what you can't process out anymore, not effectively anyway. So if you cut carbs, it's quite likely you'll be reducing your bloodglucose will be closer to the normal range by the time someone has time to see you about this. That means no straight sugar, obviously, but also no potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, cereal, and fruit, save for berries, avocado and tomatoes: those are fine. What you're left with? Above-ground veggies, meat, fish, poultry, butter, nuts, eggs, cheese, full fat greek yoghurt, extra dark chocolate, olives... I know that puts a dent in your christmas dinner (and mine), but there's still loads left!
Meals could look like this:
Full fat greek yoghurt with nuts, coconut shavings, a couple of berries.
Eggs with bacon, cheese, high meat content sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms.
Omelet with Erythritol, cream and cinnamon, with some coconut shavings and berries on the side.
Salad with a can of tuna (in oil, not brine) avocado, olives, capers and mayo.
Salad with lukewarm goat's cheese and a nice vinaigrette
Meat/fish with veggies. Cauliflower rice is rediculously versatile, and goes well with cheese and bacon.
It's called a Low Carb/High Fat diet. I don't know where you are weight-wise, but a lot of us (90% of T2's) are more or less obese. It's the carbs we can't handle, and their resulting glucose that gets stored in fatcells. It's not dietary fat that makes us big. On this diet, eating bacon once or twice a day, I lost 25 kilo's, could ditch my diabetes medication and my statins, improved my non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (which my endo said couldn't be done), and a whole bunch of other things, like rheumatism and food intolerances. I got more perks than I bargained for on this diet, obviously.
I don't know if you've been put on meds or left hanging until January, but if they did perscribe, be sure it's not a med that can cause hypo's, because your bloodsugars will drop on a diet like I just mentioned. In any case, you need to get yourself a meter. They're not usually funded for T2's who don't use certain meds or insulin, but it is invaluable if you want to know how you're doing. If you test before eating and 2 hours after the first bite, you'll see exactly what your meal meant. If it went up more than 2.0 mmol/l, the meal was carbier than you could process back out again. The credo is "eat to your meter", and it really does help.
I don't know what a typical christmas meal is for you, but if you can skip the pudding and just demolish a turkey or roast, that'd be perfect. The bird/beef would be good for you.
All in all... Loads of people here have been in your shoes. And you can decide where to go from here, like the rest of us did. Some are diet-only controlled, like me. Others need a little extra help in the form of metformin, gliclazide or other drugs, or insulin. Then there are those who go for insulin. I do advise you to take diet under consideratuon though, either on its own or in combination with meds, because T2 is a progressive disease IF you don't tackle diet. If you add a change in what you eat, T2 can be reversed. Meaning you'll still be a T2, so if you eat lots of carbs it'll still adversely affect your bloodsugars, but if you are in the normal range, you can avoid progression and complications you really want to dodge, especially as you already have angina.
If you have any questions, ask them here, there's usually someone around who knows something.
Again, welcome!
Jo