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Still in the dark....

Tanis

Tanis

Well-Known Member
Messages
84
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Saw Dr. today for first month check. Blood test was to see how my body is coping with Metformin and apparently all is fine. Found out my initial blood test showed 73 (not 45 as i thought). Told this was very high but i have not a clue what it means. Wont know new figure until beginning of December, when i go back to Dr. after another blood test. I start seeing Diabetes nurse in 2 weeks, i will probably find out more about it all then. It seems i am doing all the right things but when i told her i was testing every day, she said it was not necessary. I said i did it for me, i need to know. No offer of a machine :(. I have been told i HAVE to stop smoking, so i will. So i am a bit depressed because i have FMS which makes life a daily trial. Arthritis. Now Diabetes which means i cant eat what i want and i cant smoke. Old age is not much fun most days but at least i am alive! And i will do whatever it takes to stay that way.:smug:
 
Try adding turmeric spice to your diet. It has many benefits including lowering sugar levels and alleviating pain. I have had pains in both legs very recently and for some reason the pains have gone! Be patient though as it will take a day or two to start to work!
 
Tanis said:
Saw Dr. today for first month check. Blood test was to see how my body is coping with Metformin and apparently all is fine. Found out my initial blood test showed 73 (not 45 as i thought). Told this was very high but i have not a clue what it means. Wont know new figure until beginning of December, when i go back to Dr. after another blood test. I start seeing Diabetes nurse in 2 weeks, i will probably find out more about it all then. It seems i am doing all the right things but when i told her i was testing every day, she said it was not necessary. I said i did it for me, i need to know. No offer of a machine :(. I have been told i HAVE to stop smoking, so i will. So i am a bit depressed because i have FMS which makes life a daily trial. Arthritis. Now Diabetes which means i cant eat what i want and i cant smoke. Old age is not much fun most days but at least i am alive! And i will do whatever it takes to stay that way.:smug:
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5f081dc1da44d3df9753c241a4e29f00.jpg


the green areas are the non at all diabetic areas http://www.diabetes.co.uk/forum/attachments/50shades-png.17564/
 
asparagusp said:
Try adding turmeric spice to your diet. It has many benefits including lowering sugar levels and alleviating pain. I have had pains in both legs very recently and for some reason the pains have gone! Be patient though as it will take a day or two to start to work!
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Ok, i will start adding it. Also been told a spoonful of Fenugeek seeds every morning is good.
 
@Tanis - sounds like a bit of a rough appointment, all in all.

If it's any consolation, my diagnostic HbA1c was 73, and I have now been removed from my Practice Diabetes Register as I seem to have got into good shape. My more recent numbers are in my signature.

It's not necessarily all gloom and doom, but the important things is to remember that 73 was the past whatever happens. You can't change it, so move on and look to getting the number down a bit.

The reason your nurse is impressing the important of stopping smoking - aside from what we all know about it already - is diabetes can impact the circulation, and smoking impacts the circulation too, so a bit of a potential double-whammy. And just think of all the cash you'll be saving!

Good luck with it all. Take it steady.
 
AndBreathe said:
@Tanis - sounds like a bit of a rough appointment, all in all.

If it's any consolation, my diagnostic HbA1c was 73, and I have now been removed from my Practice Diabetes Register as I seem to have got into good shape. My more recent numbers are in my signature.

It's not necessarily all gloom and doom, but the important things is to remember that 73 was the past whatever happens. You can't change it, so move on and look to getting the number down a bit.

The reason your nurse is impressing the important of stopping smoking - aside from what we all know about it already - is diabetes can impact the circulation, and smoking impacts the circulation too, so a bit of a potential double-whammy. And just think of all the cash you'll be saving!

Good luck with it all. Take it steady.
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£60-£80 a week is a great incentive! I know its time, i have smoked for over 55 years. I am disappointed she wouldnt give me a bg machine but will continue with the one given me by a friend. I have to know my bg everyday, its important to me.
 
You might want to check out vaping as a method of quitting smoking. You can wean off nicotine at your own pace but you immediately lose all the other harmful chemicals from the cigarettes. It is also much cheaper than smoking and doesn't stink everything up.
 
Hi Tannis

The Diabetes nurse told me the usual thing 'Type 2's don't need to test' but I , and others, don't agree with this at all. How can you 'control' your blood glucose and get your HbA1c lower if you don't know what is happening when you eat different foods. The general opinion is that it's all to do with £££s. Most will buy their own Glucometer and test strips so, if wanting to buy a meter, check out the prices of the test strips first. The CodeSD is apparently a very reasonable and reliable meter and the test strips are more reasonable than the others available. Here's a link to HomeHealth, in case you are interested https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
 
Energize said:
Hi Tannis

The Diabetes nurse told me the usual thing 'Type 2's don't need to test' but I , and others, don't agree with this at all. How can you 'control' your blood glucose and get your HbA1c lower if you don't know what is happening when you eat different foods. The general opinion is that it's all to do with £££s. Most will buy their own Glucometer and test strips so, if wanting to buy a meter, check out the prices of the test strips first. The CodeSD is apparently a very reasonable and reliable meter and the test strips are more reasonable than the others available. Here's a link to HomeHealth, in case you are interested https://homehealth-uk.com/all-products/codefree-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-mmoll-or-mgdl/
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Thank you for the info. i have stored it. I will wait to see nurse and ask for everything. If she says no too then i will probably buy CodeSD as it looks like the most reasonable. I cant test myself now for a few days as i have had to send off for more strips (£23 for 50). Being a pensioner, this expense is not welcome :meh:. I dont know if this subject is a post code lottery because my neighbour has all his equipment from his surgery but i use a different surgery.
 
Tanis said:
Thank you for the info. i have stored it. I will wait to see nurse and ask for everything. If she says no too then i will probably buy CodeSD as it looks like the most reasonable. I cant test myself now for a few days as i have had to send off for more strips (£23 for 50). Being a pensioner, this expense is not welcome :meh:. I dont know if this subject is a post code lottery because my neighbour has all his equipment from his surgery but i use a different surgery.
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It can seem unfair on the face of it, and sometimes it is, but your neighbour may also be supplied with his kit because of the meds they take. Those taking stronger diabetes drugs, especially those who drive, must be supplied with testing kit for their own and the safety of the public.

Vis-a-vis the SD Codefree machine ans strips, provided you order directly from Humehealth, who are UK distributors, and buy 5 or 10 pots at a time, you can claim a discount, which is about 20%, so not to be sneezed at.
 
chalup said:
You might want to check out vaping as a method of quitting smoking. You can wean off nicotine at your own pace but you immediately lose all the other harmful chemicals from the cigarettes. It is also much cheaper than smoking and doesn't stink everything up.
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I have tried vaping in the past and cannot see the point in smoking something that is not tobacco, so i stopped. I will do this cold-turkey, i have to.
 
Look on the bright side, I bet you can take the money you won't be spending on cigarettes, reinvest some of it into the SD Codefree, and still treat yourself to something nice (and non carby) every week.

I started off testing a lot, but don't need to do it very much nowadays, because once I had mapped out all my usual foods, I only need to do it for strange meals or new foods.

:)
 
Tanis said:
I have tried vaping in the past and cannot see the point in smoking something that is not tobacco, so i stopped. I will do this cold-turkey, i have to.
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Hi Tanis
If it's of any help, I managed to stop smoking,having been a fairly heavy smoker for over 25 yrs, by stopping overnight. I can hardly believe I did it as I've got no will-power. Trying to stop eating carbs has been pretty well impossible over the years - I have an incredibly sweet tooth :( However, I believe a particular book made this possible for me - "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by Alan Carr (isbn 0140277633) For me, it is a brilliant book and has a sort-of psychological-type approach which I liked.

I'm certainly not trying to say 'if I can do it, anyone can'. I hate hearing that phrase. I did have a strong motivation though which undoubtedly made a big difference. I'd never tried to stop smoking before this and, fortunately, I beat it. I haven't smoked now for over 20 yrs :)

Like you, I can't see the point of vaping although I understand many have then stopped vaping too, so it does have it's successes.

Good luck in this venture ;)
 
The point of vaping is it lets you wean off the nicotine slowly with no weight gain and no withdrawal symptoms. Once off the nicotine it is much easier to put it down and walk away.
 
Brunneria said:
Look on the bright side, I bet you can take the money you won't be spending on cigarettes, reinvest some of it into the SD Codefree, and still treat yourself to something nice (and non carby) every week.

I started off testing a lot, but don't need to do it very much nowadays, because once I had mapped out all my usual foods, I only need to do it for strange meals or new foods.

:)
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:)
 
Energize said:
Hi Tanis
If it's of any help, I managed to stop smoking,having been a fairly heavy smoker for over 25 yrs, by stopping overnight. I can hardly believe I did it as I've got no will-power. Trying to stop eating carbs has been pretty well impossible over the years - I have an incredibly sweet tooth :( However, I believe a particular book made this possible for me - "The Easy Way to Stop Smoking" by Alan Carr (isbn 0140277633) For me, it is a brilliant book and has a sort-of psychological-type approach which I liked.

I'm certainly not trying to say 'if I can do it, anyone can'. I hate hearing that phrase. I did have a strong motivation though which undoubtedly made a big difference. I'd never tried to stop smoking before this and, fortunately, I beat it. I haven't smoked now for over 20 yrs :)

Like you, I can't see the point of vaping although I understand many have then stopped vaping too, so it does have it's successes.

Good luck in this venture ;)
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I have heard of this book. I have stopped before, longest was one year. I find just stopping to be best for me although i have never found the urge goes away, its always there. I have to do it this time as it will effect my health eventually. Congratulations on your success.
 
AndBreathe said:
It can seem unfair on the face of it, and sometimes it is, but your neighbour may also be supplied with his kit because of the meds they take. Those taking stronger diabetes drugs, especially those who drive, must be supplied with testing kit for their own and the safety of the public.

Vis-a-vis the SD Codefree machine ans strips, provided you order directly from Humehealth, who are UK distributors, and buy 5 or 10 pots at a time, you can claim a discount, which is about 20%, so not to be sneezed at.
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I drive so i will mention that to the nurse.
 
Tanis said:
I drive so i will mention that to the nurse.
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Tanis, driving alone won't necessarily influence any decision. Where it meaningfully enters the game is when a person is taking a drug, such as Gliclazide which can drive the bloods down to hypo level.

I don't know what your medication regime is (and forgive me if I've missed that on another thread), but if you are taking Metformin or are on diet only, driving will not be too likely to be adequate leverage, but no harm in trying.
 
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