Its going to take a while this so may I suggest you make yourself a coffee and top up with lashings of double cream of course! Or if you are reading this during the evening maybe a glass of the red juice! Maybe it doesnt have to be evening.....or red! Just make yourself comfy. Here goes....
I joined this amazing forum towards the end of last year following my shock diagnosis. Worried sick. Clueless apart from the Eat well drawing in my hand, done very roughly by hand (in my very first appointment where you are still in shock) by my diabetic nurse, who also confirmed that this beast that was now inside me was progressive. I would need drugs, and more drugs and maybe insulin. She was the same nurse who had treated my mum for about 10 years before her death 11 years ago. I thought 'she knows best, im doomed'. I knew my mum's had been progressive so why would i even question her statement. The good news was that basically i could eat what i liked but just had to cut down on sugar. I could eat plenty of starchy carbs with a low GI, eat plenty of fruit and veg, cut down on fat, choose low fat dairy, lean meat, blah blah blah. You know the script as you had exactly the same no doubt. All backed up on the nhs website. The threat of metformin was hanging over me as my hba1c was over 48 (62). I shudder at the thought of having to take tablets as my mum was offered thalidamide when she was pregnant with me as she was so sick. Thankfully for me she did not take them. I know metformin works well and has been going for years but i just wanted to see if maybe, just maybe, i could reverse my diagnosis with diet alone. I had heard reversal was possible. I knew it was as a very close member of my family had a gastric bypass and the t2d disappeared over night more or less. I didnt want to go down the same path as my poor mum who eventually ended up on insulin, registered blind, high BP, stroke and leg wounds that were proving difficult to treat. So i googled 'reversing diabetes' and this was the first site i came to - thankfully it wasn't diabetes.org! And i have never looked back. I learned so much from all the amazing people who are very happy and willing to share their knowledge and can never thank them enough. And also the abundance of info on the site itself. I started on the LCHF Woe. The weight dropped off me. I went back to the DN with my project book in hand, my weight loss details, my BS readings. She said 'nobody has done what you are doing'. I checked what she had just said. 'Nobody....ever....in all the years?'. She replied 'Not one person has come through that door ever doing what you are doing, they look to me as their google and just follow my advice'. I could not believe it because by this point my BS had come down to non diabetic levels (41). All through diet. And not the one recommended!! Meds were not mentioned. I told her on my 2nd appointment about the diet i was on and she rolled her eyes. I said it would only be until i reversed things as i thought that the HF might cause health issues. She was happy with that. I asked for the 2nd appointment specifically for her to check my hba1c and cholesterol. That was 6th feb and it hba1c came back as 47 (pre diabetic) but i knew i was on the right track and felt happy to continue. Cholestrol was ok too. And now i feel happy to stay on this woe permanently as i dont want to get back into that same boat ever again. Plus i know that the HF part is nothing to concern myself over.
When i lost 3 stone i wrote up my journey details in the forum thread 'success stories and testimonials'. Dajana from the press office linked to the site contacted me asking if she could go to the local paper and maybe even national papers with my story. Yes, absolutely, spread the word. And within a short period of time i was in touch with my local gazette who sent around a photographer. I sent my story to them by email and i spoke to the journalist on the phone. She only confirmed my age as she said everything she needed to know was in my write up. My story went in the paper a week ago today. The journalist had edited quite a lot out but still kept much of the important info in so i was happy enough. She apologised and said it was a specific template but hoped she had done my story justice. When i saw me on the FRONT of the gazette at the check out in the sainsburys superstore at 10.30am i nearly choked on my adonis bar!!! I was expecting it that day but in the afternoon when they usually arrive in the shops. I quickly bought a copy....and another 6 just in case. Not sure of what but i thought i better had anyway. What if everyone wants a copy as soon as they see this story of reversing diabetes. Surely everyone would want to read about it. All diabetics would want to know how i did it. I went online and sure enough it was there too! I thought i better get myself home and at my pc ready to answer the influx of questions. I was so excited to spread the word.....
To date only one comment has been left!!!
Gutted is an understatement. Then a couple of days ago it popped up on my facebook feed. And the comments started!!! I can't tell you how happy i was sitting here on my orange box talking of finger pricking, testing, remission, weight loss, low carb, high fat and people were interested. But to me this is a drop in the ocean. As happy as i am to reply and help if i can, it's not enough. I could send my story template to magazines, national papers in the hope it might get published but i know now the response would not be what my heart would yearn for, to ultimately get the message over that they are treating diabetes wrong, giving out bad advice which is ultimately making the disease progressive. Putting patients on meds immediately (my friend wants to stay on them so he can eat what he wants even though i have explained this isn't the case, this is not emphasised enough at the outset and if it was maybe people might try this diet). The doctors get more money i believe when a patient is put on meds and the pharma companies make billions from it. Not to mention slimming products and weight loss programmes etc. And the food industry continue to profit from heavily prossessed foods making us hungrier than ever. Viscious circle.
So my question is this, i am one tiny voice. Nobody can really hear me. As loud as i am shouting. Most people are happy turning a deaf ear. But what if we got together to do a newspaper article? Can you imagine the headline ' between them they have lost 100 stone (or more depending on how many are involved) and all of them have reversed their diabetes' this would be eye catching. Im not sure all of us could get on the sofa with holly and phil but we could give it a whirl. And I'm not sure everyone would be happy classing it as reversal as this is a grey area. We all know that going back to the old way of eating would usually put us right back to square 1 but it would definitely grab attention more than remission! We could protest about the way diabetes is being treated currently, maybe go down the rebellious route and march on with banners demanding to speak to the PM (although i think she might have enough on her plate at the moment.....i dont know if it will be low carb food on there either even though she is diabetic!)
I felt so good doing the article but then so flat at lack of feedback.
Here is the gazette link so you get an idea of how little response it got. I have however had over 40 comments on their facebook link to the article. And they are still coming in I'm happy to say.
https://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/...is-and-lost-weight-by-cutting-carbs-1-9233089
Not giving up spreading the word thats all i know at the moment. Need to tell newbies and those who have had it for hears that the beast can be tamed. Just wondering if its worth us forming a group so that little voice becomes louder. We could do it over the miles with modern technology. Many of us have before and after pics and a story to tell. We could even write a book! Jason fung eat your heart out! 'We ALL reversed our diabetes'.
We could maybe meet up even if its just a few of us. Local cafe, i can see it now. 'Can i order the quiche salad please, i hope that wasnt made in a factory, can you take off all the pastry, i only want half a tomato, heavy on the cucumber and lettuce, sprinkle of onions. What!!! You only have low fat mayo!!! But im on a diet and it has to be loaded with fat, fuller the better!!! And please don't even mention jacket potatoes, oh well, while we are on that subject do you realise how many sugars there are in one of those....well let me tell you (queue forming benind and lots of tutting and blowing). A drink? yes please, tripple shot coffee (unless you serve bullet proof!) with lashings of double cream. You might as well throw in 3 strawberries but not too big size wise. Do i want chocolate on the top? If its 85 per cent yes if not can you throw on some flax seeds!!!!'
So im just asking you if you have any ideas or if you think its fighting a losing battle. Any feedback welcomed!!!!!!