- Messages
- 4
- Type of diabetes
- Prediabetes
- Treatment type
- Diet only
Hi all,
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I've been hovering on the boards for some time and have finally decided to sign up and post...
I love how supportive this community seems to be and am now at the stage where I feel my anxiety is getting the better of me, and I don't know where to turn or what to do exactly.
A bit of back story about me... I'm 35, almost 36. Lifelong vegetarian. Never been overweight, my BMI is currently around 22-23. I'm 5'1, so pretty petite, size 8. I've always enjoyed exercise and generally have always either been taking classes at a gym, exercising from home or running/swimming/cycling.
I never considered until recent times that T2 diabetes would be something I'd be thinking about, especially at this age.
When I was pregnant with my son in 2021, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 35-36 weeks. Despite having glucose show up in my urine much earlier, I wasn't considered high risk enough to test for GD because I wasn't overweight and during covid times they weren't testing as readily as pre-covid for GD. Eventually a late blood test confirmed that I had GD and a late scan revealed that my baby was suddenly growing at a much faster speed than was predicted at my 20 week scan.
As a result, I completely freaked out because the diagnosis was so late, and ended up opting for an elective c section. This went well and my recovery was good, baby was born weighing 8lb 9 at 38 + 5 weeks and had no complications.
I then had my hba1c checked the following April, so 11 months after my baby was born, and the result was 5.7% or 39 mmol.
I was so shocked and upset, but the doctor reassured me on the phone that I didn't need to worry and that this was a healthy result. Having done my own research online, as I always do , I'm aware that it's basically early prediabetes.
The doctor advised me to try to eat my evening meal earlier, as I was eating late (mainly due to getting used to being a new mum and just eating when was most convenient) and to incorporate more fruit, veg and whole grains into my diet.
Since then, April 2022, I've strived to eat a better diet and to regularly exercise. I've been testing my urine using strips ordered from amazon somewhat obsessively lately and am now freaking myself out.
I'm at a healthy weight and now ensure that I fast for 12 hours at least between evening meal and following breakfast. I've cut back on a lot of things I used to eat often - cakes, donuts, chocolate bars etc and have switched to eating wholegrain bread, pasta and rice.
However, occasionally, the urine tests show that there is glucose in my urine. In recent weeks, these occasions have been following when I ate a jam donut on an empty stomach 'as a treat', when I ate sticky rice with tofu in a teriyaki sauce for dinner and today after eating a naan bread with paneer and some kind of sweet sauce at a festival.
From what I understand, glucose will only show up in urine if blood sugar goes particularly high. So I'm guessing my body still very much has a problem with carbs/sugar... And probably always will.
I'm due to go for another hba1c test and have been putting it off, telling myself I'll go when I'm truly happy with my diet and exercise routine... Through fear of what the results will say.
I'm absolutely terrified of being told I'm officially prediabetic or even diabetic. The knowledge that there's glucose in my urine occasionally now terrifies me. It's to the point where my sex life is affected - I've lost all self confidence in that way and just feel like there's something wrong with me. Even though my BMI and weight are well within the healthy range, I tend to bloat horribly no matter what I eat. I always look so different by the end of the day compared to when I wake up.
I've gone from feeling like a healthy and self confident woman pre pregnancy to feeling like an anxious, stressed and withdrawn person who can no longer enjoy the food I used to enjoy without feeling like I'm making myself more ill by doing so.
I'm worried I will develop an eating disorder or become even more obsessed with food... I've already downloaded an app to track macronutrients and am always aiming to ensure that no more than 45% of my daily calories come from carbs.
This is affecting all areas of my life - my relationship, my friendships, my self confidence and my ability to think and behave normally. I'm terrified that I'm ultimately going to develop diabetes and die young or have serious health complications as a result.
Has anyone been in a similar place and can anyone offer any advice? I'm happy to talk to anyone on WhatsApp also regarding this - I feel so alone and struggle to talk to my fiance about this as he thinks I'm worrying for no reason and it makes me feel daft...
Sorry this is so long and thank you for reading...
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I've been hovering on the boards for some time and have finally decided to sign up and post...
I love how supportive this community seems to be and am now at the stage where I feel my anxiety is getting the better of me, and I don't know where to turn or what to do exactly.
A bit of back story about me... I'm 35, almost 36. Lifelong vegetarian. Never been overweight, my BMI is currently around 22-23. I'm 5'1, so pretty petite, size 8. I've always enjoyed exercise and generally have always either been taking classes at a gym, exercising from home or running/swimming/cycling.
I never considered until recent times that T2 diabetes would be something I'd be thinking about, especially at this age.
When I was pregnant with my son in 2021, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes at 35-36 weeks. Despite having glucose show up in my urine much earlier, I wasn't considered high risk enough to test for GD because I wasn't overweight and during covid times they weren't testing as readily as pre-covid for GD. Eventually a late blood test confirmed that I had GD and a late scan revealed that my baby was suddenly growing at a much faster speed than was predicted at my 20 week scan.
As a result, I completely freaked out because the diagnosis was so late, and ended up opting for an elective c section. This went well and my recovery was good, baby was born weighing 8lb 9 at 38 + 5 weeks and had no complications.
I then had my hba1c checked the following April, so 11 months after my baby was born, and the result was 5.7% or 39 mmol.
I was so shocked and upset, but the doctor reassured me on the phone that I didn't need to worry and that this was a healthy result. Having done my own research online, as I always do , I'm aware that it's basically early prediabetes.
The doctor advised me to try to eat my evening meal earlier, as I was eating late (mainly due to getting used to being a new mum and just eating when was most convenient) and to incorporate more fruit, veg and whole grains into my diet.
Since then, April 2022, I've strived to eat a better diet and to regularly exercise. I've been testing my urine using strips ordered from amazon somewhat obsessively lately and am now freaking myself out.
I'm at a healthy weight and now ensure that I fast for 12 hours at least between evening meal and following breakfast. I've cut back on a lot of things I used to eat often - cakes, donuts, chocolate bars etc and have switched to eating wholegrain bread, pasta and rice.
However, occasionally, the urine tests show that there is glucose in my urine. In recent weeks, these occasions have been following when I ate a jam donut on an empty stomach 'as a treat', when I ate sticky rice with tofu in a teriyaki sauce for dinner and today after eating a naan bread with paneer and some kind of sweet sauce at a festival.
From what I understand, glucose will only show up in urine if blood sugar goes particularly high. So I'm guessing my body still very much has a problem with carbs/sugar... And probably always will.
I'm due to go for another hba1c test and have been putting it off, telling myself I'll go when I'm truly happy with my diet and exercise routine... Through fear of what the results will say.
I'm absolutely terrified of being told I'm officially prediabetic or even diabetic. The knowledge that there's glucose in my urine occasionally now terrifies me. It's to the point where my sex life is affected - I've lost all self confidence in that way and just feel like there's something wrong with me. Even though my BMI and weight are well within the healthy range, I tend to bloat horribly no matter what I eat. I always look so different by the end of the day compared to when I wake up.
I've gone from feeling like a healthy and self confident woman pre pregnancy to feeling like an anxious, stressed and withdrawn person who can no longer enjoy the food I used to enjoy without feeling like I'm making myself more ill by doing so.
I'm worried I will develop an eating disorder or become even more obsessed with food... I've already downloaded an app to track macronutrients and am always aiming to ensure that no more than 45% of my daily calories come from carbs.
This is affecting all areas of my life - my relationship, my friendships, my self confidence and my ability to think and behave normally. I'm terrified that I'm ultimately going to develop diabetes and die young or have serious health complications as a result.
Has anyone been in a similar place and can anyone offer any advice? I'm happy to talk to anyone on WhatsApp also regarding this - I feel so alone and struggle to talk to my fiance about this as he thinks I'm worrying for no reason and it makes me feel daft...
Sorry this is so long and thank you for reading...