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Type 1 ok here we go

  • Thread starter Thread starter nicbarnett
  • Start Date Start Date
nicbarnett said:
My DSN had been no help to me in the past and my next diabetic appointment is in may where I have aimed to lost about 4 stone x
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That would be great weight loss, but if your not happy with your DSN ask to see your Consultant.
 
nic I tend to agree with you about DSN's, bear it in mind though that when you cut carbs you may need her help if your insulin regime goes haywire. You can take advice from us and her and see what works for you. As others have said though, you seem to know what you are doing as far that is concerned already.

My heaviest weight was 18 stones 9 lbs. in April last year. (I wrote on my thread 18 stones 6 lbs because I didn't know my scales were weighing 3 lbs too light!) I still have a long way to go.

With respect @noblehead whilst I accept that asking HCP's advice is important, nic has been diabetic for over 20 years, her HCP's don't seem to have managed to help her with her weight issues so far, so why would they start now? I suspect she would just get nagged and told to lose weight like so many of us before her. The natural reaction to that is to feel awful and come home and eat carbs.
 


Hence why she needs to speak with a Consultant rather than a DSN, if your not happy with the level of care you receive at a hospital clinic you can ask your gp to refer you elsewhere.

Nic mentioned earlier that she has prolific retinopathy, when someone has this condition they have to be extremely careful when adjusting their diabetes control as it can make the condition much worse, which is why she needs to discuss things with her HCP's before making any changes, they will advise her accordingly.
 
@Flowerpot 's point about bringing the blood glucose levels down gently is a very good one.
We have had people say that dramatic drops in HbA1c have exacerbated proliferative retinopathy before.

However, if blood sugar levels are all over the place at the moment, then gaining control is an absolute priority, as @AndBreathe said.

So testing, carb counting, carb reduction and a gentle decline in HbA1c.
Sounds so easy when it is written like that, doesn't it?
 
As a type 2 of course I don't know anything about type 1 care. Thank you for pointing that out. I (obviously wrongly) assumed regular, maybe annual visits to consultants were part of the package, so when I said HCP's I was including consultants too. nic's weight didn't go on overnight, I was thinking that a consultant would have noticed her weight problems and helped already if they were going to.

Yes you are right about retinopathy, I understood that even someone without any signs of it already should get their BG's down slowly. That's why I asked for her HbA1c because I understood from T1's that good BG control was most important, more important even than carb cutting.. Perhaps I got that wrong too.
 
Please let's not start rowing guys x
My consultant and DSN have always said let's get you to lose weight before we help with your insulin adjustments etc. Mmm easier said then done.
I think I have picked up enough about how to count carbs but not sure about adjusting insulin, however this is something I am sure I can get a grip on, I have just been out and bought myself a big notepad and posh pen and will.start writing down what I eat and blood glucose levels etc and hopefully get excited with the lower results. I have never been told my long term BG always been told it is satisfactory but in may when I go for a review i will be a different person, not intimidated by them.
As for now i am going to pop to tesco and read lots of labels and buy lots of low carb food then try to explain to hubby why I can have cream in my coffee and salad cream on my cheese salad xx And hope in a weeks time I have lost weight
 

Good girl. That's the spirit.

Just don't go starving yourself or setting yourself up to binge.
 
Wow.

It beggars belief that they told you to lose weight before helping you with insulin.
Don't they know that insulin is the hormone that causes weight gain!?!?
That is why we Type2s are so often chubby - too much insulin.

Ok, am just off to bang my head against a wall. Repeatedly.
The next time you see me, I will either look like this

or this
or this
 

Good on you, I wish you all the best and lots of luck too.
Just take a day at a time and treat yourself if you do loose weight, even a lb,it shows it's going in the right direction. Maybe get your hair done, a lovely bottle of perfume or a day out shopping, anything you really enjoy. I'm sure it will do the power of good. Best wishes RRB
 
Feel free to post your food, bg results (yes do some testing at routine times and your doses there are a lot of type 1's that will want to help you.

Good to see that you've joined the lower carbers... Thats a first positive step....
 
I don't think they really know much!

As my eyesight is still very bad in my left eye and my hospital appointment isn't until 20 Jan and I am seeing my Gp tomorrow is it worth trying to get the two weeks off and rest my eye rather than going to work and risking more bleeds?

Yes I am looking forward to low carving and not feeling "Eugh" after a blow out.

Not sure what to do about my eye and work though x
 
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Hi @nicbarnett,
Sorry you're struggling, but I can see you're already getting loads of support and great advice from the forum.
Just a thought about your eyesight: if you haven't really been testing your BGs regularly but are loading up on carbs it could well be you are suffering some pretty nasty blood spikes. High BGs will temporarily make your eyesight go fuzzy and it could be this that you are experiencing rather than more permanent damage.
Listen to the wise words from the guys above. Large doses of insulin = large opportunity to make mistakes, so ditch the carbs (or at least cut down) and start getting your levels more under control. (By the way, erratic blood glucose levels can play havoc with you emotionally - get back in control and you may find that you feel in a better place mentally too)
Wishing you well.x
 
Hello,
Lots of suggestions and ideas here , so I can't add any more , except you can ask your GP for a second opion from a consultant .
You never know what possible other medical conditions there are ...
I would insist on some help and put it in writting as well to be recorded on your notes...

This is not going against what tips you have been given , I just think you need support and good medical intervention ...

I wish you lots of luck ....

I can not comment on insulin , sorry , but you really need the best health care you can find ...

Meanwhile enjoy your new shopping list ....best wishes ...Kat ( type 2 )
 

I wouldn't begin to think I could advise you on whether you are fit to go back to work or not, but perhaps that you are asking is telling you something?

Whilst you're at the doctor though, please ask for something to test for ketones. As I understand it, the best way is using a meter and strips similar to your usual blood glucose tester, but the strips are eye-wateringly expensive. Others use urine strips - a bit like they did in the diet programme last night, if you saw it. the urine strips are less reliable, but better than nothing.

(There's an important difference between DKA and dietary ketosis, so when you have the means to test, mention it and we can explain.)
 


Hopefully so Nic, but do have a chat with your Consultant and Ophthalmologist about reducing your bg levels slowly over a longer period of time, as I said they will advise you accordingly.

As for adjusting insulin to the food you eat, you should ask to enroll on a carb counting course such as DAFNE, the following is an on-line version of the course and will teach you the basics until you get on a course, any problems do come back and ask:

http://www.bdec-e-learning.com/
 
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