ColinBhoy
Active Member
Again I am seeking some knowledge from my main source of support, namely this forum!
My understanding of my condition is that I could go 'Hypo' or Hyper' if I do not manage my condition as well as I should. For anything remotely Hypo, I guess I can resolve fairly readily by taking something sugary ...please correct me if I am wrong!
For Hyper however, (and this seems more important to me ...read on!), I am not sure if there is any action I can personally take that could help towards offsetting an attack like this.
I ask this today because I had an hour with blurry vision this morning. Back in 2007, before I was diagnosed Type 2, I had an 'episode' while living in Siberia. I had become very very tired and faint after drinking a sweet morning coffee. On returning to my office, I only made it to my desk in the office before becoming almost completely incapacitated. All my energy had gone, and my sight almost completely disappeared apart from a small pinhole view with all my peripheral vision 'greyed out' (I imagine it must have been something like 'tunnel vision'?). I shouted to my secretary (in the next room), and she came through, took one look at me and called for the medics and an ambulance. I was concious of everything, but incapable of doing anything, even lifting my hand. I had no pain anywhere. The first medic to arrive shouted 'heart attack', and proceeded to treat me for that. I got a tablet (I presume aspirin?) placed under my tongue, and an injection in my arm (I presume adrenalin?). 10 minutes later the cavalry arrived and put me on a stretcher, took me to the ambulance and then to hospital. Half way to the hospital I became violently sick (later thought this might have been fear?), emptying my stomach of everything there, and after that I started to feel fine again. On arrival at hospital I felt as though I could have simply walked home, but wasn't allowed to. They put me on a drip (simple saline?) and ran various tests. No heart problems at all, but no real explanation of what happened. They wanted to keep me in overnight, but I refused and got my driver to come and pick me up to go home (if you have seen inside Siberian hospitals, you will understand why!).
Okay, that is what happened, and it has never happened before or since, but almost a year later I was being tested for diabetes, eventually showing positive after the third test (tests were for a work medical to relocate to Angola, which I had repeated because of another issue ...the BG was at first only coming back as a part of the whole suite of blood analyses). I now think back and tell myself, rightly or wrongly. that this 2007 attack was a Hyper, as they commented at the hospital that the only thing unusual about my blood was that it was 'like treacle' and with very high sugar content (I think they gave a number of 14.3, but not sure about units). Some other factors I have considered are below....
I drink alcohol, not in massive amounts, but I enjoy it
I had not been drinking for about 5 months prior to the 'attack' in Siberia.
When I have a couple of drinks every night (two glasses of wine, or a 'stiff' dram), I never have problems with vision.
Occasionally (when I need my full attention the next day, or when I start another weight loss campaign!), I decide that I am not going to take any alcohol. This can then extend into a 'feeling good' situation which makes me think that I don't want to take alcohol again for a while, and I stay away from it for a few months at a time. It seems to be when I do this that my vision problems occur. I am not talking anything serious here, just an occasional blurriness, which I can 'force away after a couple of minutes concentrating my focus and rubbing (stimulating blood flow?) my eyes. Not at all sure whether this is related to my condition or not.
I am constantly juggling my diet to get the right fit for me on carb intake and losing weight, so until I get my BG meter (next week I hope), things will go on like this unless I get other advice.
The questions I want to ask are: will a couple of glasses of wine a night help my condition and maintain a lower BG level for me? Is there any other way I can 'experiment' on lowering my BG if I feel that I have gone 'Hyper' (if indeed that earlier episode was a Hyper)? What is the recommended treatment for a Hyper, in the abscence of any medication? I have now been stopped drinking for a couple of months again, and I am beginning to wonder if that is the cause of any blurriness in vision just now (only happened this morning for first time in this period, it is not a regular occurrance) ...any thoughts? Is this an excuse for me to go out and party tonight??? :wink:
Sorry for being so long winded on this ...but you guys are my only help at the moment!
Regards,
Colin.
My understanding of my condition is that I could go 'Hypo' or Hyper' if I do not manage my condition as well as I should. For anything remotely Hypo, I guess I can resolve fairly readily by taking something sugary ...please correct me if I am wrong!
For Hyper however, (and this seems more important to me ...read on!), I am not sure if there is any action I can personally take that could help towards offsetting an attack like this.
I ask this today because I had an hour with blurry vision this morning. Back in 2007, before I was diagnosed Type 2, I had an 'episode' while living in Siberia. I had become very very tired and faint after drinking a sweet morning coffee. On returning to my office, I only made it to my desk in the office before becoming almost completely incapacitated. All my energy had gone, and my sight almost completely disappeared apart from a small pinhole view with all my peripheral vision 'greyed out' (I imagine it must have been something like 'tunnel vision'?). I shouted to my secretary (in the next room), and she came through, took one look at me and called for the medics and an ambulance. I was concious of everything, but incapable of doing anything, even lifting my hand. I had no pain anywhere. The first medic to arrive shouted 'heart attack', and proceeded to treat me for that. I got a tablet (I presume aspirin?) placed under my tongue, and an injection in my arm (I presume adrenalin?). 10 minutes later the cavalry arrived and put me on a stretcher, took me to the ambulance and then to hospital. Half way to the hospital I became violently sick (later thought this might have been fear?), emptying my stomach of everything there, and after that I started to feel fine again. On arrival at hospital I felt as though I could have simply walked home, but wasn't allowed to. They put me on a drip (simple saline?) and ran various tests. No heart problems at all, but no real explanation of what happened. They wanted to keep me in overnight, but I refused and got my driver to come and pick me up to go home (if you have seen inside Siberian hospitals, you will understand why!).
Okay, that is what happened, and it has never happened before or since, but almost a year later I was being tested for diabetes, eventually showing positive after the third test (tests were for a work medical to relocate to Angola, which I had repeated because of another issue ...the BG was at first only coming back as a part of the whole suite of blood analyses). I now think back and tell myself, rightly or wrongly. that this 2007 attack was a Hyper, as they commented at the hospital that the only thing unusual about my blood was that it was 'like treacle' and with very high sugar content (I think they gave a number of 14.3, but not sure about units). Some other factors I have considered are below....
I drink alcohol, not in massive amounts, but I enjoy it
I had not been drinking for about 5 months prior to the 'attack' in Siberia.When I have a couple of drinks every night (two glasses of wine, or a 'stiff' dram), I never have problems with vision.
Occasionally (when I need my full attention the next day, or when I start another weight loss campaign!), I decide that I am not going to take any alcohol. This can then extend into a 'feeling good' situation which makes me think that I don't want to take alcohol again for a while, and I stay away from it for a few months at a time. It seems to be when I do this that my vision problems occur. I am not talking anything serious here, just an occasional blurriness, which I can 'force away after a couple of minutes concentrating my focus and rubbing (stimulating blood flow?) my eyes. Not at all sure whether this is related to my condition or not.
I am constantly juggling my diet to get the right fit for me on carb intake and losing weight, so until I get my BG meter (next week I hope), things will go on like this unless I get other advice.
The questions I want to ask are: will a couple of glasses of wine a night help my condition and maintain a lower BG level for me? Is there any other way I can 'experiment' on lowering my BG if I feel that I have gone 'Hyper' (if indeed that earlier episode was a Hyper)? What is the recommended treatment for a Hyper, in the abscence of any medication? I have now been stopped drinking for a couple of months again, and I am beginning to wonder if that is the cause of any blurriness in vision just now (only happened this morning for first time in this period, it is not a regular occurrance) ...any thoughts? Is this an excuse for me to go out and party tonight??? :wink:
Sorry for being so long winded on this ...but you guys are my only help at the moment!
Regards,
Colin.
