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Various. Holidays. Blood Testing. Drinking sessions. Fit

G

GreenTea

Member
Messages
5
Hello,

I was diagnosed in January ( I've seen the newcomers information post thanks ) and been reading without posting much.

My hba1c in Janaury was only 7.1, so hopefully that means I'm a new diabetic and it's been caught early with no damage done; however in 2009 I'd a random blood test taken which my doctor said was slightly high but nothing to be concerned about, so I didn't; with this in mind the doc reckons I wasn't diabetic in 09 but I think ...maybe I was...maybe I got lucky and was low when tested that particularly day; is that possible ? QUESTION 1


Since diagnosis in January (I'm male, 39 and have always exercised regularly ), I've improved my diet, doing resistence training at the gym 3 times a week, lost 2 or 3 kilo's and ran my fastest ever half marathon. I wouldnt as bothered about being told I'd D if I appeared overweight, unhealthy or was in my 60's.

I'm eating new things like flaxseed, gojiberries, avocdo's, grapefruit, broccoli, salmon etc and cut out saturated fats and the obvious fizzy drinks, chocolate, chips, white rice, potatoes etc.

I've never felt better.

I've only recently started testing my blood. Thinks were looking good a couple of weeks ago, I was getting 5. somethings and 6. somethings; it was concern I was getting 11. something when getting up in the morning; I've no idea why I should be high if I've not consumed anything when sleeping ? QUESTION 2

Went to Benidorm last week with the Mrs. Forgot my test kit but went a bit off the rails for the week; steak pies and chips, pizza's, beer, beer, vodka lot of everything; I was on holiday afterall. My blood readings seem to be higher now; perhaps I shouldnt be surprised but they are coming down again I've my diet and exercise sorted again. Can I get away with a bender like that on holiday once a year or so ??? QUESTION 3

I enjoy getting a right good drink now and then; perhaps 6 pints and a few spirits in a session. This horrified my doctor. Can I honestly not have a drinking session once a week or so anymore ? If I can't that makes me feel really depressed. Drinking has always been part of my life. There's no point in me having just a pint or two; I need the full monty. QUESTION 4

Here's one for you. I'm literally just after testing my blood. 6.4 from my left thumb...out of curiosity I tested my right pinky...7.9 !!! How can that be ? Maybe there is no point in testing if the results are completely random and inaccurate. Codefree meter by the way. Changed lancet for each test. QUESTION 5

I'm still determined to do this with diet and exercise. If I am fit and strong, which I am now should I have the same odds of living to a ripe old age as a non-diabetic ? I intend running not only half marathons but full marathons, triathlons etc. QUESTION 6

Is a non-diabetic smoker more likely to get cardiovascular disease than me ? QUESTIoN 7

I cant remember the figure exactly but my BMI was about 31. I was recently weighed again at the docs and the nurse told me I've gone from being obese to just very overweight. Now people compliment all the time saying how thin and fit I look but the docs reckon I'm very overweight ??? I reckon to meet their target I'd need to lose another 10kg at least. People have commented if I lose anymore weight I'd look like a drug addict !!! So I dont know whether to go for the target or not ?? QUESTION 8

As you can see I've a lot of questions...
 
Wow, what a lot of questions!
Q1. You probably were only borderline back then. Studies have shown people go diabetic quite suddenly and quickly.. A lot of borderline people never get any worse.

Q2 Your morning readings are probably high because of the Dawn Phenomenon. Google it. Basically your liver dumps a load of glucose into your blood just before you wake up so that you can start the day in second gear. Overdoes it.

Q3. Oh, sure - pig out. But every time you do it will be harder to get your readings back down

Q4. It depends how large you are and how big your liver is. As you are diet controlled and male you can probably drink a lot
occasionally. Dont be surprised if it sends your BGs haywire. Half a bottle of wine, or a couple of glasses of whisky maybe. I can only say - test before and test after to see the effects.

Q5 the old variable readings in different fingers conundrum. Try a different meter, or new batteries.

Q6 Thats a big question. If you maintain normal BGs you should actually BE normal, right? Of course, normal people get sick too.

Q7 Yes. If your BGs are in the normal range with diet alone. Taking drugs to control diabetes complicates things. Do not let them tell you that you need statins if your blood work is normal
 
Sorry, missed Q8
Ask your wife or person in that role in your life. If they say you are gorgeous, what the heck. Overweight people live longer.
If you are an athlete you will have a higher BMI because muscle weighs more. Although runners are usually pretty skinny, so if you keep running the problem may cure itself. Although perhaps not if you keep to the 10 pints regime.
 
Thanks for the reply's to ALL my questions Spendercat. Good effort. I am pleased with your answers. If anyone else feels like a stab at ANY of my questions it would be interesting to hear them too.

This morning my blood was only 7.4 on my left hand and 7.2 on my right :o) ; so I'll say 7.3.

I am thinking if I eat healthily all the time then there is little need for me to test; especially if like I hope my hba1c will be on target on my next visit to GP.

I also think that, as I've satisfied my alcohol desires with my one week bender in Benidorm then there is no need for me to have ANY alcohol this weekend, or for a while.

Oh can I throw QUESTION 9 into the mix. Is it okay for me to have a small packet of milk chocolate M&Ms immediately after the gym as a wee reward ? Sometimes I just can't control myself !!! Or perhaps a curly-wurly once in a while ????
 
Hi green tea,
I found your questions most amusing. I have been recently diagnosed as type 2, I can understand what you mean, my blood sugar is around 11/15 mmol so as you can see they are high. I go to the gym 6days a week and eat healthy. I'm on medication metformin and gliclazide. Still high readings, it's very frustrating when your trying hard and your body doesn't respond. I'm due a review in 2wks, so guessing they will increase my dosage.
I have totally changed my lifestyle, as I used to enjoy a good drink, it also was a part of my social life, I now have to manage with occasional glass of wine with my food and the odd biscuit with my tea :(
Total unfair, but for the sake of my health needs must!
Good luck, enjoy life and be healthy!

Louise :clap:
 
Come on Green Tea! You are a Diabetic, it's not a death sentence and you need to live your life. I control my diet very strictly and drink Wine at night - BG stable under 7. I don't enjoy sweet things at all so cannot comment on that but let your common sense prevail. Do not let anybody talk you into meds with the readings you have posted thus far. As a runner are you using any energy products? If so check the labels? The answer to the higher readings might be right under your nose. Keep your spirits up, adapt your diet and live life.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
Diabetes really is not a death sentence. Did your Dad control his condition? prolonged high blood sugars do wreck your kidneys, sadly.
My oersonal view is that with a family history of a young death from the condition you do need to test, because you need to establish tight control.
The problem with believing the doctor who tells you that you do not need to test means that you could easily slide in your control and not know until your next HB test, and by then you will not know exactly what is doing it.
Doctors want to save the NHS the cost of testing strips. Its that simple. They do not have much confidence in the intelligence or self-control of their patients and they may be right about that :) They have been tought that there is no real point in struggling to maintain good control because Diabetes is a progressive disease that gets worse no matter what you do. They base this belief on a major British study done about 20 years ago where the researchers defined good control as an HB of 7, and noted that complications still ensued.
We now know that 7 is not good control, it is merely OK. At that level you will be frequently getting blood glucose in the danger levels, above 7.7, and will be likely to get some complications.
You should be aiming at an HB around 6, even if you dont achieve it, and you are unllikely to get that without testing to find out exactly which foods increase your BGs.
I recommend the blood sugar 101 website, which is very informative and reassuring.
 
spendercat said:
Doctors want to save the NHS the cost of testing strips........ They have been tought that there is no real point in struggling to maintain good control because Diabetes is a progressive disease that gets worse no matter what you do.
Click to expand...

What absolute rubbish, are you really saying that you think that doctors are taught to just let us die?

Doctors would like to see every diabetic well controlled but the truth is that a large number of diabetics just dont care and are not prepared to change their lifestyles until it is too late. Thats called apathy and has got nothing to do with doctors or how they are trained.

The truth is that diabetes is a serious condition that too many people either just ignore or give lip service to until its too late. Doctors dont have all the answers but thats not because they are taught to forget us as we are going to die anyway what they suggest we do is eat a healthy diet, loose weight if needed and take medication to keep hba1c's within NICE recommendations, all quite sensible advice and there would be many fewer diabetic complications if every diabetic followed that advice.

But they can only give advice, they cant be there 24 hours a day standing over every diabetic with a stick can they? Of course there are going to be bad doctors out there as there are in all walks of life but I would wager that there are more bad diabetics than bad doctors.

Unfortunately diabetes needs a certain amount of self control as well as a good diet and medication.
 
I agree with Sid. Like I said -it's a lifestyle not a death sentence. Take what Doctors have told you but take control of your life! It's yours after all, not the Doctors. They diagnose your condition, you manage it.


Sent from the Diabetes Forum App
 
spendercat said:
Diabetes really is not a death sentence. Did your Dad control his condition? prolonged high blood sugars do wreck your kidneys, sadly.

You should be aiming at an HB around 6, even if you dont achieve it, and you are unllikely to get that without testing to find out exactly which foods increase your BGs.
I recommend the blood sugar 101 website, which is very informative and reassuring.
Click to expand...

Hello Spendercat. Thankyou I will have a look at the blood sugar 101 website as soon as I have a moment.

With regards my Dad; he was type 1; not type 2 like me. He was very meticulous and careful and gave his diabetes utmost respect; but he was diagnosed roughly 40 years ago and passed away about 20 years ago. What's known now wasn't then; he certainly didn't have access to fantastic websites and communities such as this; whether that would have made a difference or not; who knows.

I guess what freaks me out is that, even if I was to get an HBa1c of 6 or lower, which I will of course aim for and do everything I can to live a long healthy life I still worry that no matter what we do we will still be much more liable to get diabetic complications than non-diabetics, right ?

As I said; I wouldnt be too bothered getting type 2 in my 60's like most people who are diagnosed with it and manage to live till my 80's but being diagnosed at 39, I'm resigned to dying in my late 50's or early 60's; complications will eventually get me no matter what I do.

At the moment I'm fit, strong, healthy, have a good diet etc..That's all I can do.

I'm on low wages. I can't afford all those test strips even if would gain me more years.
 
I am sorry about your dad Greenie. Its the pits to know that people you love have died perhaps too early.

My brother was diagnosed at 39, and has never attempted to control his condition, but he is still alive at 53, and quite well on metformin and Glicazide. so do not assume the worst. He had to give up the cigarettes and the drink though.

An HB of 6 or less is normal, and that leaves you no more at risk than anyone else. It seems to be the high levels of insulin that damage the body long term, so with normal weight and normal diet and normal Blood Glucose, you face normal risks.
 
Most of us were diagnosed in our early 40's - its very common now in 40 year olds - I have 2 neighbours in my small cul de sac who were diagnosed at 42 as I was.

I think previously people were undiagnosed for years, like my grandmother, she was diagnosed at 82, after having several massive heart attacks but she had been undiagnosed diabetic for more than 20 years at least. She went blind, suffered kidney disease and a host of other complications, before dying of a number of strokes so I think we have to be just a bit grateful to be diagnosed and treated, which could maybe stop some of those awful complications.

Its a shock to be diagnosed but its certainly liveable with, I have been diagnosed for 3 years, have lost 3 stone and have good control of my BGs. You have to take care but its worth it, I feel healthier than I have in the last 10 years pre diagnosis.
 
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