New to this

Thank you very much for all the information; my HBA1c count was 16.5, this was shortly after discharge from hospital and my blood sugars were still not lowering. I spoke with the Diabetes nurse and she has advised that if I am only eating meals with low carbs or no carbs then to forego my novorapid before the meal, but to keep monitoring and testing blood sugars. She did say body was still producing insulin, and when I get to meet her, she will go through it in more detail how to manage my insulin doses.

The highest my blood sugars have been over the last few days has been 10.2 but I know the reason for that, as I ate a very carb heavy meal, for example today, fasting sugars was 7.5, 2 hrs after breakfast of shredded wheat and skimmed milk it was 6.0, have just been for a 3 mile walk, and now reading at 4.2. This seems to be the routine, am continuing to experiment with food and testing continuously, I always have glucose tablets with me, but haven't dropped below 4, so am seeing it as a positive step, if I can avoid hypo;

My ketone reading is 0.2, and has pretty much stayed at that, throughout, for now, I am testing this on a daily basis, for information really.

I had my first appointment with the Diabetic nurse yesterday, and have clarified some of the information that I was waiting for, I think I got confused in regards to the different ways of presenting the information.

My HbA1c level was given to me as a percentage of 16.5, but she went through this, and the reading was 157, I am a bit annoyed as it appears that when I was diagnosed with High Blood Pressure this time last year, I was actually showing as being pre diabetes of 48 (6.5%), I feel if my GP had acted then, I could of avoided the hospital admission and all of this, maybe not but it just feels that way.

I have a target of reducing my HbA1c level to 100 (11%) as she does not want to go to fast due to 'adverse' effects such as pins and needles in my feet, vision being affected etc.

My GAD antibody test was negative, so they have told me I have Type 2 diabetes, the confusion on admission to hospital was because of the way I was presenting.

My C-Peptide reading was 484.

I have now reduced my novorapid doses to 14 units, and usually I do not need to administer for my lunch time dose due to keeping it low carb at meal times, and it was causing BS to drop to 3.5-4.0 which made me feel pretty rubbish in the afternoon.

The Diabetes nurse has prescribed me Metformin, and she seems confident that eventually I will be able to go onto medication only, but she will review this when I have my next HbA1c test in September.

My lantis dose is still 24 units twice a day, she felt at present to keep this the same as fasting sugars are usually ranging between 6.5-7.5.

I am at the moment adjusting my diet, and exercise regime, trying to minimise my carb intake, but not exactly going full low carb, my average readings over the last 30 days is 8.6, which is still high but this is skewed due to very high readings when I first left hospital, so am hoping that over the next 30 days this will fall to about 7.

Thankfully my vision seems to have returned back to normal, or more or less, I am waiting for my diabetic retinopathic scan date to determine if any permanent damage, I think I will need to review my reading glasses prescription, but certainly feeling better about this.

So the future goals is to come off insulin, and for this to be controlled by medication, I need to lose at least 3-4 stone as a target, my BMI is still very high, have started back at the gym, and walking at least 14,000 steps a day.

I am due to go back to work on Tuesday and am feeling a bit anxious about it, as it will mean adjusting to the routine and making sure I take time for meals etc, I am not usually a breakfast eater, but will take it a step at a time.

Resurgam said:

That certainly is a high Hba1c - though having cereal and skimmed milk is more something a type 1 would do - but as your blood glucose is not going high you will be getting back to a more normal situation.
Although a lot of emphasis is put on weight loss it really is the blood glucose that is the most important thing to get control of, which you seem to have done very well.

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Thanks Resurgam, I am varying my breakfast whilst I have been off, sometimes its scrambled eggs, or an omelette, natural greek yoghurt, with a few berries, it just depends on how much time I have.

I am really pleased with my blood sugars, I am not getting so many hypo's, just need to find some snacks which are good for me, and sate that need. The hope will be that the Hba1c levels will come down, (the diabetic nurse seemed confident) as that was taken only a few days after leaving hospital, and my BS were still really high (ranging from 15-28 when I look back)

HSSS said:

I too have never heard of such a thing.

The dramatic unintended weight loss is a big red flag for type 1 as well as high bgl and high ketones whilst eating normally. Although weight gain (over years) is usually a type 2 symptom. Being overweight almost always leads to an assumption of type 2 and isn’t always right.

Have you ever been tested for diabetes before? Check with your gp. If you’ve run very high as a type 2 for many years the pancreas may have finally given up producing hence the confusing description by the consultant but most people would have known about their condition and been on medication for a long time first before that happens.

You really must have this clarified as treatment is different for type 1, a type 2 no longer producing insulin but still resistant and a type 2 who is still producing plenty of their own insulin. Further testing (or clearer answers what was found if it was already done) is essential.

You need to know:-
if your pancreas is producing insulin (not at all, a little, normal levels or loads). This is a cpeptide test. Get the actual numbers, units and the range not just words for an answer. Maybe ask for it to be written down for you.

Many, but not all type 1 will also show GAD antibodies. Did they do that yet?

You also seem to be getting hypos when dipping into 3’s and are having to add more carbs than you want just to balance this. This suggested your medication is now in excess of your needs and requires adjusting.

All in all see someone sooner rather than later, to clarify the situation for you, to sort the meds out and to make sure you know how to deal quickly and safely with hypos.

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Hi HSSS, I updated a couple of posts up, she said that my pancreas are still producing insulin, so have now been prescribed Metformin.

Its been a while since I have posted but I thought I would share my journey, as I have now been discharged from the diabetes service back to my GP. I have not taken any insulin for 3 months after my reading was at 6.2 and have been on metformin and canagliflozin, today my HBA1C results came back and it is 6.3.

Following the discussion with the Diabetic nurse, I am going to stop the canagliflozin and have a further test in 8 weeks, if it is still stable I am then going to try and stop the metformin.

I have lost nearly 3 stones, and still some way to go, but am so happy that I am at this stage now