Puzzled, but grateful

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,389
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello again, good wishes to everyone. Time for another status check, pleased to be in remission but even more baffled. Due to other health conditions I get several blood tests over the year whose results overlap, so I've now had 2 full blood counts six months apart recording HbA1C as 38. The puzzle is that while I was eating strict low-carb-high-fat my BS reduced from 49 to 42. But then I started chemotherapy and thought, what the hell, let's have a few home-grown spuds with my dinner and Mrs DeeJay's apple cake when we're out on a walk. And lo, 18 months after I started the chemo, I'm at 38.
So I've sent off for a couple more Libres to see what's going on, although the Libre has always been generous and scores me in the low 30s. However it will show me what's happening in the short term when I eat chips or pasta on the occasional trip to a restaurant.
Meantime my food cupboard is still based on LCHF, assisted greatly by the wealth of faux food like pasta, rice, bread, jam and chocolate that appeared during and after lockdown, when I suspect artisan food shops had to experiment, diversify or close. Bless them all. Plus there is stuff coming over from Scandinavia which my sister-in-law in Norway researched for me.
So I remain grateful to those on this forum who showed me how to stop self-harming, as I call it. Also I would like to pay tribute to the GP who suddenly stopped staring at her computer screen and actually listened to me and Mrs DeeJay pleading for help more than a decade ago, and who set me on an upward path which was in a quite different direction from the downward spiral demanded by her NHS contract. (I'm glad to say she is now a diabetes specialist with an enlightened practice elsewhere.)
I have a few more tests for other stuff in the pipeline so I take life a day at a time. A few years ago I was sure the four horsemen of cancer, diabetes, clogged arteries and old age were drawing lots to see which gets the first shot, but I don't care now and just enjoy life as it comes. Again, thank you all.
 

Pipp

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Staff Member
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Messages
11,026
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Great to see you back posting, @DeejayR , and seemingly doing fine.

I do wonder if as we age (apologies, I know you are still just a lad, ;)) the changes in other health conditions and the various meds mean the physiological changes to our bodies make a difference to how our digestion adapts to what we eat.
Last two years, I have been having health concerns separate to T2, making it difficult a lot of the time to stick to usual low carb routine. Can go for weeks not able to eat much at all, apart from banana and toast. Then ok again so back to low carb. Recently added occasional breakfast Oatibix, because folate low despite rivalling Popeye in the amount of spinach I eat, and cereals have added Folate, Yet HbA1c is better than it has been in a long time.
Also puzzled, equally grateful.
 
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DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,389
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Thank you for your observations, Pipp. I've now got a sensor installed and so far it's recording much the same average as previous Libres before my HbA1C went unexpectedly into remission. In 10 days' time it will give me its verdict and I'm betting the result will be in the mid-30s as usual.
Incidentally our Tesco has stopped stocking celeriac because of a "poor growing season", which means they can't get quality in bulk. I got a whopper today from our local greengrocer, who buys locally by the half-dozen!
 
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DeejayR

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2,389
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
Alas, a fortnight's Libre readings leave me none the wiser, since the levels for the first week averaged between 6.0 and 7.0 and then for the second week suddenly dipped to between 4 and 5, giving an overall estimated A1C of 34. Overall my BS was 4% above target range (5.2-7.8), 58% in the target range and 38% below, which has not happened before. In that time my carb intake stayed pretty constant except one night we went for an Indian meal and I had a couple of dessertspoonsful of Mrs DeeJay's rice. When I got home 45 minutes later and took a reading it warned me of low insulin! I'm going to stop thinking about it now and keep following the good advice on this forum, for which as always many thanks.
 
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MrsA2

Expert
Messages
6,255
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
@DeejayR
As you have multiple other health conditions, and I assume, multiple other medications, I think the above shows that you are doing an amazing job keeping bg where it is! There are so many variables that can affect it I hazard a guess it would drive you demented trying to figure out what's going on.
Just stick with low carb, allow yourself the odd carb and enjoy life
Imho
 

DeejayR

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,389
Type of diabetes
Treatment type
Diet only
@MrsA Thank you, that's good advice. Yes, there are a few other medical issues lurking so one at a time perhaps. Meanwhile I'll carry on raking up the leaves. Very restful
 

ScottieDP11

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Non-insulin injectable medication (incretin mimetics)
Great to hear you’re in remission! Love your positive attitude and the way you’ve managed everything, even with the twists and turns. Sounds like you’ve got a good plan going forward, and it’s awesome to see you enjoying life. Wishing you all the best with the tests ahead—keep doing what works for you!
 
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