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Stuck in the Non-Acceptance Cycle

Big H

Newbie
Messages
3
Location
Warrington
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Other
Dislikes
Not understanding things
Hello All,

I'm reaching out transparently to ask a big question, - has anyone been in a cycle of "it can't be", or just so undisciplined eating pre diagnosis seems okay ?.

I'm intelligent to know it's stupid, it's almost like I'm not accepting yet going part way with bg checks, meds etc etc

Would welcome comments
 
welcome Big H
no not yet , but I am sure most would like a vacation from this anoying disease
I have decided that I will have some special days spread around the year where I just eat like I want to but only on those days... like my birthday , my daugthers and Christmas evening... and then one or two days in holidays in other times of the year...

I think it is best to have something to look forward to... but of cause not very often , for me it will be like one day every second month...
 
Hi Big H

About two years ago I thought - I may have diabetes - I bought a meter it read 14.3 on test. I decided it must be a mistake and shoved it in a drawer not to be looked at again. Maybe it would simply go away of its own accord - I went on a diet, lost 15 kilos in six months, low fat high carb method, fell off that when I got to starvation point and promptly put it all back ( as per usual).

Two years on I was dragged pretty much kicking and screaming to a doctor by my young lodger because he said " you falling asleep so often is just not normal" I knew deep down inside what was wrong, but I didn't want to face it. This time I was forced to confront it and fortunately I found this website on the day I was formally diagnosed - I cannot for the life of me understand why I did not even look first time around. Sometimes your head is just not in the right place to accept reality and mine clearly wasn't two years ago.

I think that maybe by making your post here, you are actually ready to face it now and actually you couldn't have found a better place to do so. So come join the rest of us and get started on the low carbing - you will be surprised at how quickly it makes a difference !
 
Hi Big H,

I was in denial, before I was fully diagnosed, I suspected that I may have been Diabetic as an earlyier blood test 1.5 years earlier showed high blood sugar levels, I cut a few sweet alcoholic drinks that were very sweet, but eventually I had another blood test for my Chloesterol and was called in urgently with HbA1c of 122 I think, so super high.

I try to balance my diet as best as I can for both conditions, but like Freema, I allow bad days and I can always add extra exercise if I have something that is too crazily sweet.

I am new to this as it is only about 3 weeks now, so I have a lot to learn

I am sure I will have days when I get annoyed or even depressed with this disease, but my reason to carry on and deal with it is not only my own life, but to be around a lot longer for my wife Anilyn and daughter Tala

I used to eat half a packet of biscuits before, but now I have learned to really savour the taste of every little bite!

Blood testing!! I think I will learn to understand how my body feels when sugar is low, so eventually I dont think that testing will be needed as much. I am testing about 4 times a day at present, breakfast and 2 hours after, before evening meal and before bed to make sure my bs is not too low as it has been, I think my meds are too strong at present.

Oh and I test before driving.....

I wish you good luck

Woody
 
Yes, I have found this to be true with any chronic illness I've been diagnosed with. Learning to accept is hard work. I now live with limitations which I think is what makes acceptance hard. I can't be the person I once was because I'm not physically able to be. I know people like to say don't let x define you... easier said than done when it does change your routine, etc. I have accepted diabetes though long ago as it was one of the first chronic illnesses I was diagnosed with. I also feel that it one disease I can hide from others, whereas some others I can't. I feel it is a disease I have more control over, whereas some others I have no control at all. But yeh, you're not alone in feeling the "non acceptance", it is a big part of the grieving process too.
 

I think you hit the nail on the head for most people who get diabetes or even suspected something was wrong, we often go to denial, I was thanks

Woody
 
All,

Thanks so much for your comments and positivity. If I'm honest, I've been in denial as I was diagnosed ( straight onto meds - Januvia), as my father was dying ( unexpected), and I've just not given it priority. I'm bouncing in my bg big style. I'm not full on low carb yet, but I am wheening myself. My biggest issue is knowledge, I stand in the supermarket and look at my wife and say "what can I eat?"

Fatigue numbs me, I've worked out I have to avoid tea with milk, and light cheese, as it just turns up that meter reading without me realizing. Mentally, I'm not there yet, I'll get there
 
Burn out can turn people into diabetes denial mode too. Strange but true. Burn out can cause a few misunderstandings. Denial definitely being one of them.
 
 
I think other peoples reactions and lack of understanding can undermine acceptance, as their seems to be quite a variation in the diabetes profile and how it effects each person. After you've had diabetes a while you don't need to test as much as you get to know by how you feel. Though you can begin to forget over time and attribute it to other causes. So it's good in the long term to occasionally remind yourself, by testing your bg especially in relation to what you eat. That way you begin to understand your own bg profile and can better adapt your lifestyle. It also helps you accept that your problem is diabetic and not that your lazy, crazy or drunk.
 

Yes many of us have gone thru similar tough time that finally brought us here. Unfortunately diabetes runs in the family, perhaps it is the genetic disposition, but most likely it is the shared diet. My dad just passed away in Jun this year from diabetes and cardiovascular complications. All my successes and understanding about Type 2 diabetes came much too late for him.

But for the millions of families still out there, they need to know that it does not have to be so debilitating and devastating. The solution is surprisingly simple compared to the consequence...

Other than what to eat, you need to understand when to eat. Eating in a way to manage hunger and reach a state of ketosis. This will break the carbs/insulin/hunger cycle and provide you with a stable glucose/insulin state for recovery.
 


I apply a few rules for supermarket shopping.

Ignore the isles that have anything in a packet, all you really need is fresh foods. ignore all the fresh foods you have to dig up to get at and find the aisle that contains almond and hemp milk and use those instead.

I ignore the low fat cuts of meat and buy the tastiest looking I can afford which are usually also the cheapest ( i.e. stuff with bones and fat) make broth from the bones and eat the fat.

Get into eggs. Duck eggs taste marvellous.

If its in a tin it should be less than 5 carbs per 100 grams .

Buy some vinegar and have that in some water before and after meals, whichever type you can stand, it might dampen the spikes quite well ( Dr Jason Fung is a big afficionado and it certainly seems to help me )

If you really must find something processed the item you are looking for is the complete opposite of what you might expect. You are looking for the traffic light labels that are pretty much all red - High fat, high saturated fat and high sodium with one green one - the sugar content - unsurprisingly they are few and far between, but when you do find one it also sounds gloriously tasty - though I wouldn't go buying more than the one packet in a week !

Happy hunting
 
For a while well quite a long while I knew I was diabetic but doctor kept insisting I wasn't. So I just thought to hell with it and ate whatever I wanted I knew I shouldn't but sod it doctor say not diabetic so can't be. But eventually I got to grips with it and started treating my self so when diagnosed was well on the way to getting control but was touch and go for a while.
 
I've had a rude reminder of diabetes complications today. Sitting in the cardiac unit on a ecg for hours. I cannot forget my diabetes, it follows me around.
 

Hi, if it helps at all, I found LivLife bread, 4 carbs a slice, really helpful as giving up bread seemed a big ask when I was diagnosed. Not very widely available though in Supermarkets. Waitrose often stock it. Finding alternatives rather than giving up too many things kind of helped me adjust. All the best.

D
 
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