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Newly Diagnosed Terrified and in Denial!

First Reading this morning 10.9 still high I know but much better than the 17.8 I was diagnosed with a week ago. Not started the Metformin yet but been strict LCHF.......doing a cautious happy dance.
 
Lindy1706 said:
I have just got my blood results back and have been told they are off the scale and I am Diabetic my HbA1C is 118 mmols and apparently my blood sugar was 17.7.

Doc has put me on Metformin 500mgs 1 a day for a week then two a day for another week then increasing to 4 a day from then on. He wanted to put me on a statin as well as my cholesterol is 7.5 but I said no as I thought one slew of life changing drugs was enough;

I asked if I could could try and resolve this just using diet and lifestyle change for three months but he is insisting on Metformin.

Practice nurse has said that if my cholestorol figs have come down in three months due to low fat diet (!!!!!!!) then we can hopefully not have to discuss the statins again.

I feel terrified I do not want to go onto drugs and certainly do not want to take lifestyle and diet advice from the community clinic.

I have had lots of terrifying talk from the practice nurse about loss of eyesight, amputations, and heart disease going hand in hand with this.

I am scared, in tears and feel so guilty that this is all my fault.

Any help advice or sanity would be great

Thank you!

L
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Good Morning Linda
Do not be scared of good Carbs. Steer clear of most types of bread,pasta and white rice. The majority of 'healthy' bread in dyed brown and mixed with the same selection of additives as white bread. I have been following a plant based diet for the last two months. My blood sugar has come down dramatically. Vegetable s tar the way forward. Please read Dr Neal Barnards book on reversing diabetes. I picked mine up on Amazon second hand for 3 quid! It will feel draconian at first but after a couple of weeks you will start to feel the benefits. Every one is different. I too was in denial. I hard an road traffic accident ans sustained impact injuries with damaged my pancreas. Prior to being diagnosed I was a pretty decent triathlete in my age group. I've only just got my head around the seriousness of the disease and I have paid the price hence the impending cataract surgery. I hope you find a system/life style that will help you sustain a happy and healthy quality of life. Good luck

Mark C
 
Keep kicking that can down the road @Lindy1706

One guy here @thirsty_monsta did some great work so read his journey. It might seem to be be the same thing over and over again to those veterans here, but it's great to hear that people get it.

Mike
 
@Lindy1706 you sound just the sort of person who will get your diabetes into reversal / remission, whatever you want to call it, entirely yourself. Sadly the NICE guidelines in the UK are hopelessly out of date and based on science which is totally flawed. You are following all the right people. Some more interesting / influential thinkers are Tim Noakes, Zoe Harcombe, Malcolm Kendrick (can't recommend him highly enough, buy his two books, 'The Great Cholesterol Con' and 'Doctoring Data', these books will set your mind at rest regarding your Cholesterol and help you to understand why we have so many ill informed medical and paramedical professionals. If you want something a bit heavier, Ben Goldacre's Bad Pharma is worth a read (though a bit depressing) as is Nina Techolz's 'Big fat surprise' which explains how we have gotten to where we are with the understanding of fat.
 
Hi, some good advice here. Just to reassure you further, i've been a type 1 for nearly 40years now. I follow advice, look after myself as best as i can as a working mum and i have no side effects at all. No retinopathy, no kidney problems, no nerve problems. Think of it as a condition that you live with rather than a disease that will kill you. It is scary, but find out as much as you can from other diabetics, and don't feel bullied by some health care professionals who have learnt only from textbooks. I'm a nurse and i know that there are some great healthcarers and some pretty rubbish ones. You'll be fine. X
 
Hi @MarkCappaert and welcome to the forum. I too have started eating plants only and have seen an improvement in my blood glucose levels and weight loss. I wouldn't touch Dr Barnard's diet with a barge pole personally as it is very high carb and low fat. Glad it is working for you though.
 
Lindy1706 said:
First Reading this morning 10.9 still high I know but much better than the 17.8 I was diagnosed with a week ago. Not started the Metformin yet but been strict LCHF.......doing a cautious happy dance.
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Way to go! Do you feel a lot better too?
 
Personally I would go very low carb, (20-40g per day) and watch how quickly your readings go down, stick with it for a while, then decide whether or not the diet works for you and whether you can just stick with it for life. If not and you want or need more variation / flexibility in your food choices, then introduce new foods with caution, eating to the meter. But if you find your new diet satisfying and enjoyable, stick with it, that is the really easy option. A simple diet based on any old protein, green leafy veggies, and salads, occasional berries and natural fats, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, cream, a little full fat milk if you need it. I bet you'll love it and be off the medication in no time!
 
@AtkinsMo I have not started taking the drugs yet I wanted to see if I could get this down using diet ......I will keep testing and see where I am in a few days
 
A very good friend of mine has just done that! Despite his doctor / diabetic nurse saying it couldn't be done.
HbA1c Sep 103 Dec. 57 Mar 39

He was really angry to be told he had a progressive, irreversible disease and would be on medication for life and there was little or nothing he could do about it.

We can educate them, one patient at a time!
 
That is exactly what I was told and I am ******** if I am going to do a huge lifestyle change only to be told "see told you you needed the drugs"....but then I am a difficult ****** lol
 
I don't know if his is true as my doctor said a lot of odd stuff that day, but she told me that metformin is most effective if started as soon as possible after diagnosis. Your thread has reminded me of that.
 
Lindy, just a heads up about the Metformin. It actually does very little to lower blood glucose levels, I'm sure someone here will have the exact data. However, it is a great safe med, and has very good cardiovascular protective properties, which is why I take it - I refused all meds too at the beginning.

You've started off great, it really is pretty simple stuff to follow a low carb diet and you won't go hungry!
 
Ok Test before eating at 10:45 was 10.4 Just tested 2 hours later and it is 8.5 even very sceptical and concerned Husband has just said.....ok I think you may be onto something!

Just off to walk the dogs!
 
Hi @Lindy1706
Welcome to the forum. Great start. Keep it up and let us know as you come across any obstacles and food/diet questions
 
Is it too soon to change the title of this thread to 'Newly Diagnosed, confident and in control'?
 
I am doing the Happy Dance here! two hours after eating two rashers of bacon and two fried eggs cooked in duck fat and a 1.5 hour steady pace dog walk I have just tested at 6.6.

Thank God I found this forum.....seriously thank you guys!
 
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