Terminal Cancer and now told pre diabetic, feeling a bit rubbish

[Chopper0871]

Hi, I am new to the site, please bear with me as my situation is difficult to explain. Firstly, I have multiple myeloma which is a terminal blood cancer. I have been in remission until mid January, when the condition relapsed, I am now back receiving chemo which includes a steroid called dexamethasone (my Specialist Nurse has said that this drug can significantly increase blood numbers). As part of the bloods that were taken before my chemotherapy was restarted, it was identified that my blood count was high and had the potential to put me in a diabetic event. They diagnosed me with pre-diabetes and I was told to take a blood test every morning which is now approximately four weeks of doing so. My lowest number so far has been 7.6 at 8 am in the morning(I try to do the same time every day). However, generally it has been approximately 9.8 to 10.0. I have become panicked this morning because it is 12.6 and I have been told if these numbers stay like this for three days, I would have to start taking extra medications for diabetes.

My family history is that I have a younger sister who has been type one diabetic since just after birth, her own son has been diabetic (T1) since birth, and my father was a type two diabetic prior to his death (not from diabetes, I have to add). I am significantly overweight and I know that is massively (no pun intended), my responsibility and unfortunately I like and eat all the wrong things. My biggest downfall is Pepsi Max, which I tell myself is okay because it is zero sugar, even though my wife continually tells me that because there are sweeteners in it, this will have an impact on any health issues.

I’m feeling a little bit annoyed this morning, both at myself because I should be looking after myself a lot better given my overriding health condition which I have battled now for almost 4 years and done much better than what was expected. I have no idea where to start and would love to hear from you fine people of any tips that you found the most helpful because I have had my wake up call this morning and both my wife and my 13-year-old daughter have spoken to me very firmly (let’s just leave it at that LOL) and I do recognise that if I’m going to continue battling the multiple myeloma, having a move from prediabetes to diabetes is something that I should try and avoid.

My understanding from the very little that I have read so far, and most of it was this morning on here is that I need to consider a low carb diet, am I reading this correctly?

Should I be contacting my GP practice and asking for an appointment with a diabetic nurse, as this has not been explained to me by my Specialist Nurse at my cancer unit. I wonder if doing this will be proactive in terms of getting extra support and maybe dietary advice.

Unfortunately, my ability to undertake exercise in any meaningful way is undermined by damage to my bone structure which has been severely impacted by the cancer.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and I look forward to any advice however strongly worded LOL, as I need a kick up my bum!

 

[ianf0ster]

Hi @Chopper0871 and welcome to the forum. I'm sorry about your situation. It's always difficult when the side effects of medication for one health problem tend to make another one worse.

We can't give any medical advice in here, just sympathy and answering questions based upon our own personal experiences.
Have you asked whether an alternative Steroid might have less of an effect on Blood Glucose?
I have never been in your position, but there are often alternative drugs to the ones that Drs habitually prescribe for particular health problems.

What I do know something about is how to beat Type 2 diabetes i.e. the more common form of diabetes, not caused by immune system problems or drugs or removal of the pancreas. Type 2 is a simple case of too much carbohydrate in the diet - basically more than the body can handle without it taking desperate steps. What is not well known is that it's about ALL digestible carbohydrates, not just sugars. So that means starches ( like grains, flour, potatoes) as well as so-called healthy tropical fruit and all fruit juices.
You have a BG meter, so you can test this for yourself (all you need is some extra test strips - which are specific to your meter).
Take a reading before breakfast, then take another2hrs after eating and note both what you ate (and how much) together with the difference in readings. For a 'good meal' it will go up by 2.0 mmol or less - in my case I can eat meals that actually make it go down!

The 'best meal for a T2 diabetic is basically the traditional full English breakfast less the carbs ( so no potato, toast, baked beans, fruit juice) but eggs, bacon or other meat, kippers or other fish, 'black pudding', high meat content sausages (usually = high fat content too, but this is actually good since fat you eat doesn't raise your Blood Glucose). You can also eat full fat dairy and lower carb fruit and veg. Leafy green above ground veg is low carb as are things like brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts), mushrooms, celery cucumber, celeriac (a good replacement for potato), watermelon, berries - strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are very low car, blueberries are a little higher.

Unfortunately we all process carbs slightly differently, so many Type 2's can eat small amounts of apple, carrot , peas etc. Where they would spike my BG too much. This is why we need to test our foods - what is 'healthy for on person may be unhealthy for another. So ignore 'common knowledge about 'healthy whole grains' 'brown carbs etc. They are just as bad for most (but not all) Type 2 diabetics as the normal ones!

Finally, don't worry about weight or exercise. A low carb way of eating, sensible but not restricting calories below normal levels, will take care of most people's weight problems as well as their Blood Glucose problems without additional exercise!

 

[Deleted member 475901]

That's tough but at least you can try low carb for pre-diabetes.

I can't exercise and spend a lot of my time in bed.
Low carb (for me less than 85g a day until firmly in remission and now up to 120g) not only got my blood sugar down, including the dawn phenomenon which is usually the last to go.

I managed to switch from junk, with a sweet tooth, to low carb by thinking about the foods I'd really miss and finding substitutes. I also stocked my fridge, at eye high, with the 20g portions of cheese so I'd see them first if looking for snacks.

 

[Chopper0871]

Hi @Chopper0871 and welcome to the forum. I'm sorry about your situation. It's always difficult when the side effects of medication for one health problem tend to make another one worse.

We can't give any medical advice in here, just sympathy and answering questions based upon our own personal experiences.
Have you asked whether an alternative Steroid might have less of an effect on Blood Glucose?
I have never been in your position, but there are often alternative drugs to the ones that Drs habitually prescribe for particular health problems.

What I do know something about is how to beat Type 2 diabetes i.e. the more common form of diabetes, not caused by immune system problems or drugs or removal of the pancreas. Type 2 is a simple case of too much carbohydrate in the diet - basically more than the body can handle without it taking desperate steps. What is not well known is that it's about ALL digestible carbohydrates, not just sugars. So that means starches ( like grains, flour, potatoes) as well as so-called healthy tropical fruit and all fruit juices.
You have a BG meter, so you can test this for yourself (all you need is some extra test strips - which are specific to your meter).
Take a reading before breakfast, then take another2hrs after eating and note both what you ate (and how much) together with the difference in readings. For a 'good meal' it will go up by 2.0 mmol or less - in my case I can eat meals that actually make it go down!

The 'best meal for a T2 diabetic is basically the traditional full English breakfast less the carbs ( so no potato, toast, baked beans, fruit juice) but eggs, bacon or other meat, kippers or other fish, 'black pudding', high meat content sausages (usually = high fat content too, but this is actually good since fat you eat doesn't raise your Blood Glucose). You can also eat full fat dairy and lower carb fruit and veg. Leafy green above ground veg is low carb as are things like brassicas (broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts), mushrooms, celery cucumber, celeriac (a good replacement for potato), watermelon, berries - strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are very low car, blueberries are a little higher.

Unfortunately we all process carbs slightly differently, so many Type 2's can eat small amounts of apple, carrot , peas etc. Where they would spike my BG too much. This is why we need to test our foods - what is 'healthy for on person may be unhealthy for another. So ignore 'common knowledge about 'healthy whole grains' 'brown carbs etc. They are just as bad for most (but not all) Type 2 diabetics as the normal ones!

Finally, don't worry about weight or exercise. A low carb way of eating, sensible but not restricting calories below normal levels, will take care of most people's weight problems as well as their Blood Glucose problems without additional exercise!

Hi Ian, thank you for your lovely message, and I appreciate that you can’t give me medical advice, I have since asked my specialist haematology nurse to contact the Gp diabetes nurse to see what support they can give. I am a fan of the breakfast, especially the meats and the black pudding lol so I will definitely give that a go. Again I appreciate you taking the time to respond to me

 

[Chopper0871]

That's tough but at least you can try low carb for pre-diabetes.

I can't exercise and spend a lot of my time in bed.
Low carb (for me less than 85g a day until firmly in remission and now up to 120g) not only got my blood sugar down, including the dawn phenomenon which is usually the last to go.

I managed to switch from junk, with a sweet tooth, to low carb by thinking about the foods I'd really miss and finding substitutes. I also stocked my fridge, at eye high, with the 20g portions of cheese so I'd see them first if looking for snacks.

Hi Tricia, thank you for your advice especially the cheese portions as I am a fan of cheeses lol, I will really need to look at all of my diet and address appropriately and with your advice I will be able to have a good starting point. Take care and again, thank you

 

[MrsA2]

@Chopper0871
Prediabetes, and it's successor Type 2 diabetes often (usually) take years for any major complications to develop. In the shorter term symptoms may be hard to identify (peeing more, weight gain etc, check them out). Many people are symptom free and are only diagnosed as part of blood tests for soemthjng else.
With a terminal cancer diagnosis only you can decide how much emphasis you want to put on on trying to manage something that perhaps isnt causing too many issues, especially if it means restricting some things that would give you pleasure
This forum has many, including me, who are being strict with what we eat, but I do wonder how strict I would be if I wasn't hoping for a healthy life for decades ahead.
You are in different and unique situation, and might not want to add too much other stress and guilt at such a time.
Hoping you take these personal thoughts of mine in the kind way they are intended, they aren't advise just musings for you to mull over

 

[Chopper0871]

@Chopper0871
Prediabetes, and it's successor Type 2 diabetes often (usually) take years for any major complications to develop. In the shorter term symptoms may be hard to identify (peeing more, weight gain etc, check them out). Many people are symptom free and are only diagnosed as part of blood tests for soemthjng else.
With a terminal cancer diagnosis only you can decide how much emphasis you want to put on on trying to manage something that perhaps isnt causing too many issues, especially if it means restricting some things that would give you pleasure
This forum has many, including me, who are being strict with what we eat, but I do wonder how strict I would be if I wasn't hoping for a healthy life for decades ahead.
You are in different and unique situation, and might not want to add too much other stress and guilt at such a time.
Hoping you take these personal thoughts of mine in the kind way they are intended, they aren't advise just musings for you to mull over

Hi, thanks for your reply, yes the diagnosis was as part of blood being tested for chemo treatment, so it was just another whammy. I think you are right, my approach so far is not to deny myself everything but have minimised carbohydrates where I can and added more protein to diet. Thank you for you comments I appreciate you taking the time to message