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Very Confusing !

R

Roles86

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Hello one and all , 1st time post .

I find this all very confusing, routine test showed my HBA1C at 8.5 . Was then sent to see a diabetic nurse and an eye exam. Oh also prodding soles of my feet see if I could feel ok. Told me to lose some weight , gave me some leaflets and away I went. I had zero idea I was diabetic or had any symptoms I subsequently found can happen. Then approx 3 months after being diagnosed , noticed I was peeing an awful lot and lost some weight without really trying. My daughter a qualified nurse urged me to go back to the doctor . Had another test and came back at 10.9 . This is all in the past month. My daughter gave me some advice on food, alcohol weight , exercise etc . Encouraged me to buy a monitor which I did . Initially this was returning results of over 17 . Anyway I've been really watching what I eat, drinking etc and I am now seeing these finger prick tests at around 5.8 before eating and 7.3 couple of hours after eating. My doctor said he wouldn't recommend finger prick testing for diabetes type 2 ?

Long post into this so apologies, but I am really struggling to understand the logic of a doctor telling me not to use the finger prick monitor. I appreciate it is only a snap shot but surely it gives some indication of how you are managing. Am I right or wrong in saying that ?

I would also say only from my experience and accepting I am responsible for my own health, I was left really disappointed and a I suppose shocked . For me it all felt like a tick box exercise and no real support or advice on how to manage or even put into remission. Thankfully I have found this site and now really enjoy finding out how I can manage and my goal to put into remission.

Anyway would welcome any experience and thoughts of checking with monitor daily as opposed to a HBA1c test annually or every few months , really cannot get my head around that

Simon
 
Hi Roles86 and welcome to the forums.

You've had a bad experience with your GP. Experiences do vary, some are very good. I would strongly support fingerprick testing, especially in the early stages after diagnosis. It is generally believed that fingerprick testing is not recommended for most T2s by the NHS as the NHS would then have to fund the meters and strips, and there are an awful lot of T2s.

I think of fingerprick testing as the satnav with the A1c being a road map. You can't be checking the map all the time while you're driving and you rely on the satnav to tell you which way to go next. Every so often, check the map just to make sure the satnav is accurate.

If you are going to test, the most effective way for most people is to test before eating and then two hours later. That gives you a baseline and then the impact of whatever you've eaten on your blood glucose. Some people test first thing in the morning as well. I tested a lot in the first couple of years but not so much now, unless I try a new food, or food combination, or something else changes, but sometimes just as a check.

best of luck. Keep asking questions.
 
I know some doctors don't like us to self-test but I cannot imagine how I'd have got into remission without it.
I tested before and 2 hrs after every meal at first until I understood what I could eat without spiking my blood sugar.

Reducing carbs not just obvious sugar was the key - and ignoring advice to eat brown bread and wholemeal pasta!
 
I'd say that if you don't measure it, it won't get fixed ! Sorry you aren't getting a lot of support from your GP who is constrained by prescribing guidelines.

I think it is good to know what foods spike your blood glucose and keep them spiked beyond the obvious choc, cake and biscuits! So if you can invest in some test strips or a Freestyle Libre sensor (no finger pricking needed). You can get a meter and strips for £17.

You can turn things around but might have to get inspiration and motivation from this site plus books e.g.. The Diabetes Code Jason Fung or the late DR Sarah Hallberg's excellent TED talk
or the excellent Public Health Collaboration's website which has lots of info too.
 
Thanks for replies , much appreciated.

I get what you have said reference NHS funding. Certainly I am not Rockefeller but can afford testing strips monthly. So for doctor to discourage I am not sure why. For me very early and massively motivated to put into remission. I have found so far little support or education regarding how I got here and how to manage. My experience has been diagnose and tick some boxes by handing out leaflets.

Luckily I enjoy reading and research so with the help of sites like this I am hoping to address and resolve best I can. I have not yet met my so called diabetic nurse/professional other than a very brief telephone conversation telling me to lose some weight . I am 6ft 2 and weigh 17.3 stone. Yes need to lose a few pounds for sure but active and exercise. I have always enjoyed a few beers and wine . I have never thought to a point where it was a problem as is normally confined to Friday and Saturday evenings. So far from what I understand carbs seem to be the issue whether whole or refined or in beer

My point is I am massively motivated to address my condition, the support from so called professionals for me has been more than lacking . Maybe just my experience . Thanks to site like this I can educate myself and sort I hope.

I think I can manage this through diet, weight and exercise , I research as much as I can and most of it is conflicted , form wholemeal carbs and fruit are fine to the opposite where carbs are carbs whether whole or refined and fruit is too much sugar. All conflicting . Appears low carb seems most sensible with best results . All very early and suppose will work it out.

Thanks for replies

Simon
 
You seem particularly level headed and it's a shame the doctor didn't look at the person as a whole

They always seem to be wary of testing as it increases food disorders in some and may increase anxiety. (On top of the cost implications of course)
 
Roles86 said:
I research as much as I can and most of it is conflicted , form wholemeal carbs and fruit are fine to the opposite where carbs are carbs whether whole or refined and fruit is too much sugar. All conflicting
Click to expand...
Just be guided by your meter, it's got no axe to grind, no particular diet that it favours, no conflicting ideas about what's healthy or not. It will tell you which foods are causing your levels to rise and what you can eat without concern.
 
I’ve just got a feeling, Simon, that you’re going to do a fantastic job, I can definitely see you being one of those posters in six months time encouraging newbies with how well you’ve done.

I agree with others, test before and after meals and experiment. Perhaps try the Freestyle Libre for its two week free trial (continuous glucose monitor that sits in your upper arm). Testing will help you know what you can have and what you can’t. As a rule of thumb with fruit, berries are the best kind and tropical fruit like mango, pineapple and bananas the worst. I personally don’t find a whole lot of difference between whole meal and white bread, but I DO find a difference if I freeze it first. Likewise I cook and cool pasta/rice/potaotes. *For me* doing that means I can eat them in moderation. That isn’t the case for everyone though.
 
Best of luck. That seems to me like a sensible approach. Incidentally, there are now a couple of decent low- and zero-carb beers. There are also a lot that are undrinkable. My personal recommendations are Marston's Resolution (about 3g/bottle) and Salute lager and IPA, which are both zero carb and surprisingly good.
 
Thanks Finzi , so freezing bread and cooling potatoes/ rice / pasta changes the carb composition .. See very confusing
 
Thanks Kenny . Encouraged ref the beer recommendations
 
The doctors don’t really care, they have 10 minutes to talk to you and talking about finger testing would take more time then they’ve got to give. I thought the diabetic nurse was going to be better so was really looking forward to that appointment as I thought I’d get some great advice however she was just as rushed gave me several leaflets told me I was going to need medication and she would get the prescription sent to my pharmacy and that was about it. I’ve really felt left to deal with it on my own, I’ve had an appointment to have my eyes checked and that was a shock because I wasn’t expecting it and also been invited to have the flu jab again without explanation so I think this is normal for the NHS
 
Sounds like your nurse daughter can give you good tips and help with your T2. And this site is full of good information.
 
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