New T2D and I feel my life is over

[youngster98]

It only took 2 weeks to figure it out...and I just got to the main doctor yesterday for blood work. Still have GI scans to rule out any other disease....but my glucose was 180 about 45-50 minutes after a meal. Test results should back it up when they come soon in the next day or two.

It's been rough, because I did not know what was going on. I had lost appetite and barely could eat anything without feeling full after a few bites. I have lost like 8 pounds (originally at 215 pounds at 5' 7") just from lack of wanting to eat. I have felt malnourished. I eventually felt hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic earlier this last past week with things only being consistent the past few days. Apparently sleep isn't for me, too. I learnt that I have a digestive comorbidity, gastroparesis (I was experiencing rapid dumping prior). I don't know when my sugar levels are truly rising or lowing. In the past day, I've witnessed brain fog (I think) and vision flashes/degrading vision.

Have yet to get prescribed medicine or a diet plan.

I feel like my life is literally irreversible and over because of this and I wish I had known earlier. My anxiety isn't helping matters much either...

I don't know if going to the hospital would be appropriate or not if things don't get better in the next few days...

 

[SuNuman]

Hi. You will b ok. Begin to eat sensibly, low carb, no sugar and exercise and think of this as your new healthy self. I am new too so I can’t offer much more advice but honestly you will b ok. Are you type 2? Then as many people keep telling me I can turn it around without having medication. Stay positive and read loads on here - will help you no end. Xxxxx.

 

[Fenn]

Hi welcome

Are you able to get hold of a blood testing kit with strips? It will help you loads to know what your numbers are doing. I don’t know what some of those conditions you mention are so hopefully someone with more sense will be along.

 

[EllieM]

It only took 2 weeks to figure it out...and I just got to the main doctor yesterday for blood work. Still have GI scans to rule out any other disease....but my glucose was 180 about 45-50 minutes after a meal. Test results should back it up when they come soon in the next day or two.

Welcome to the forums. Has your doctor actually given you a T2 diagnosis or are you just assuming it from the (slightly) elevated post meal numbers? Personally, I would try to avoid making too many assumptions till the doctor tells you what they think, though it may take them a while to get a definite diagnosis.

Anyway, if you do have diabetes (and we can't diagnose on these forums) you should feel much better once you start treatment for the condition, whether it is drugs or diet (or both). Whatever happens, your life is by no means over. Good luck.

 

[Geordie_P]

These don't look like bad numbers and your life isn't over. At your height and weight, you can cut carbs, lose weight, control your condition and feel better. Frankly, the impetus to get in shape was a serious silver lining for me, and it may prove to be so for you. Good luck with it, but you're not in dire straights by any means, so relax and take sensible measures- you'll be ok.

 

[TriciaWs]

If you are diagnosed with T2 diabetes then catching it early and going low carb has been demonstrated to increase your chance of getting into remission.
Recommended testing schedule at first is before each meal then a couple of hours later. This enables us to check how many carbs we can have and which foods trigger larger spikes. (Most of us T2s in the UK had to fund our own meters and test strips.)
https://www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes_care/blood-sugar-level-ranges.html

Now I'm in remission I still test once a week (fasting and after breakfast) or if I have a new food in order to keep an eye on it.

 

[youngster98]

Thanks for all the support. I'm gonna need all that I can get.

I just got my blood (non fasting) tests back and...I'm just puzzled. A1C is 5.0 and Glucose is 99.0. What?! Then why do I experience autonomic neuropathy?

I feel that those results are underestimated. As mentioned earlier, I highly suspect I am having some sort of digestive disorder (gastroparesis in particular with early fullness and very delayed stool emptying) prohibiting me from getting a true at-moment reading.

If that wasn't enough to handle, I noticed floaters and flashers in my eyesight in the past few days, which I hear requires immediate care. Now, I've gotta call the eye doc and see if he can get me in same or next few days. My body feels like it's falling apart too sudden and too soon.

As far as the stomach issues, I have yet to get to a GI doctor to confirm or deny any weird issues. Otherwise, I don't know how I can manage my levels and I'll be doomed. It might be weeks before I get to them for any upper lab tests.

My family keeps denying it's diabetes, minus the eye part.

I feel like I should be in the hospital with how everything suddenly is happening...

 

[Jaylee]

It only took 2 weeks to figure it out...and I just got to the main doctor yesterday for blood work. Still have GI scans to rule out any other disease....but my glucose was 180 about 45-50 minutes after a meal. Test results should back it up when they come soon in the next day or two.

It's been rough, because I did not know what was going on. I had lost appetite and barely could eat anything without feeling full after a few bites. I have lost like 8 pounds (originally at 215 pounds at 5' 7") just from lack of wanting to eat. I have felt malnourished. I eventually felt hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic earlier this last past week with things only being consistent the past few days. Apparently sleep isn't for me, too. I learnt that I have a digestive comorbidity, gastroparesis (I was experiencing rapid dumping prior). I don't know when my sugar levels are truly rising or lowing. In the past day, I've witnessed brain fog (I think) and vision flashes/degrading vision.

Have yet to get prescribed medicine or a diet plan.

I feel like my life is literally irreversible and over because of this and I wish I had known earlier. My anxiety isn't helping matters much either...

I don't know if going to the hospital would be appropriate or not if things don't get better in the next few days...

Hi there,

Welcome to the forum.

The "180" you had after the meal. Was this done using a personal BG meter, perchance?

 

[Rokaab]

I feel that those results are underestimated. As mentioned earlier, I highly suspect I am having some sort of digestive disorder (gastroparesis in particular with early fullness and very delayed stool emptying) prohibiting me from getting a true at-moment reading.

Do note that the HbA1c is a 3 month average, it will not make a difference if you've been fasting, just eaten, or whether you have GI issues, as its an average - an HbA1c of 5% is non-diabetic

Also note that non-diabetics can often have have raised blood sugars after less than an hour after eating especially if it was carb-heavy - non-diabetics blood sugars levels are not juts a flat line, they do go up and down a bit - I believe they just return to the correct value after about 2hours

 

[Santa_Fe]

"I feel like my life is literally irreversible and over because of this and I wish I had known earlier. My anxiety isn't helping matters much either..."


Don't feel like that. Steve Redgrave has five Olympic gold medals for rowing and is also diabetic. I've been T2 for about 15 years and I don't let it stop me from enjoying life and doing things. Yes I have to watch my weight, I've lost 35lbs and my diet but it's not about cutting out things but eating differently. Stop dwelling on being "ill" and think about how much you can do now the doctor can remove your current problems with appropriate medication and diet control.

 

[Mbaker]

A good (great acutally) A1c and high normal blood glucose, could suggest insulin resistance. In your first post you provided a 180, which indicates American measurements (10 mmol/L for the rest of us). It might be an idea to get a fasted insulin test. Those who I follow like this to be 6 or below. This investigative path follows the work of Dr Kraft who predicted diabetes based on insulin levels and responses to carby ingestion - in short if your insulin is dysregulated then you can take corrective action with low carbing and if able exercising (doesn't have to be intense).

 

[EllieM]

I just got my blood (non fasting) tests back and...I'm just puzzled. A1C is 5.0 and Glucose is 99.0. What?! Then why do I experience autonomic neuropathy?

Those figures don't sound particularly diabetic to me, but I am not a doctor and cannot diagnose. What does your doctor (who can diagnose) say?

My understanding is that neuropathy tends to be a fairly long term complication of diabetes (though there are other causes). Do you have a diagnosis of this?

Honestly, it's easy to assume all sorts of conditions if you consult Dr Google. I've had T1 for 51 years and I still have to remind myself that any symptoms I may have do not have to be caused by diabetes.

My recommendation would be to listen to your doctor rather than going down the rabbit hole of possible diabetic complications.