I am a pensioner with a complicated health history who has struggled, for the last fifty years, to maintain the semblance of a normal life. But, I had my independence. I could at least look after myself.
Pre-summer 2015, I had been dealing with a very abnormal thyroid function diagnosed over forty years ago, and the symptoms of ME. I had never felt the need for a diagnosis. My daughter and granddaughter are both sufferers and my symptoms were recognised by our local ME nurse, and other sufferers, as typical. I also have Meniere's Disease which can affect balance and hearing but those symptoms usually diminish over the years, and those attacks are nothing like what I am experiencing now. Over many years I did notice that cutting out sugar did increase my energy levels slightly, but my CRAVING for sugar always won over my reluctance to eat sweet things. I am not now, and have never been overweight!!! Anyway, about three years ago my energy levels began to seriously deteriorate. That was the only change in my symptoms, and I found that by first cutting out bread, then later potatoes I could return to my usual low-energy self.
That brings me to that terrible summer, last year. I began to experience what I can only describe at its worst, like becoming drunk on food. Twenty or so minutes after eating I would feel really ill, lose the ability to focus my eyes, then either become unconscious or fall asleep, I can't work out which as I live on my own, then wake up in a stupor, with a complete loss of balance to crawl to bed. Sometimes, during a bad attack I would be able to hear the television, but neither understand what was being said nor open my eyes. There doesn't seem to be rhyme nor reason to it. It can happen with a meal of carbohydrate + protein. It can happen just eating protein. It is not always as bad as this. Sometimes I just fall asleep but feel ill before and after. I also have days when I have no reaction at all But like 'The Mummy', IT returns. I certainly feel a lot better when I fast. However, even during this time I no longer have the energy to look after myself, nor the balance to walk without an aid. It took five months for me to see an endocrinologist, and four months for a diagnosis. She tested my adrenals. She even tested whether my gut bacteria were producing alcohol. Former 'Fine', latter 'No'. My thyroid levels required being slightly increased, but the glucose tolerance test, which was normal at the beginning, produced a level of 11.3mmol/L with no evidence of the sugar dropping to cause hypoglycaemia and therefore she diagnosed early diabetes to be treated by diet. She says that she does not know what is causing my symptoms!!! My GP tells me that no further specialist tests can be carried out without going through her, and she wouldn't see me again as my GP had requested she do. It might be relevant to mention that I had a bad reaction to the glucose drink. The nurse rushed to get the doctor, but she was too busy to see me!!!
I accept the diagnosis, but as I have no signs of increased thirst or an increased need to urinate, (I do occasionally have the very dry mouth) I have to wonder if my symptoms bear any relation to those experienced by other diabetics? And any suggestions of a way forward would be gratefully accepted. I also wonder whether there is a cap related to age on the amount spent on an NHS patient. My thyroid medication is very expensive.
Pre-summer 2015, I had been dealing with a very abnormal thyroid function diagnosed over forty years ago, and the symptoms of ME. I had never felt the need for a diagnosis. My daughter and granddaughter are both sufferers and my symptoms were recognised by our local ME nurse, and other sufferers, as typical. I also have Meniere's Disease which can affect balance and hearing but those symptoms usually diminish over the years, and those attacks are nothing like what I am experiencing now. Over many years I did notice that cutting out sugar did increase my energy levels slightly, but my CRAVING for sugar always won over my reluctance to eat sweet things. I am not now, and have never been overweight!!! Anyway, about three years ago my energy levels began to seriously deteriorate. That was the only change in my symptoms, and I found that by first cutting out bread, then later potatoes I could return to my usual low-energy self.
That brings me to that terrible summer, last year. I began to experience what I can only describe at its worst, like becoming drunk on food. Twenty or so minutes after eating I would feel really ill, lose the ability to focus my eyes, then either become unconscious or fall asleep, I can't work out which as I live on my own, then wake up in a stupor, with a complete loss of balance to crawl to bed. Sometimes, during a bad attack I would be able to hear the television, but neither understand what was being said nor open my eyes. There doesn't seem to be rhyme nor reason to it. It can happen with a meal of carbohydrate + protein. It can happen just eating protein. It is not always as bad as this. Sometimes I just fall asleep but feel ill before and after. I also have days when I have no reaction at all But like 'The Mummy', IT returns. I certainly feel a lot better when I fast. However, even during this time I no longer have the energy to look after myself, nor the balance to walk without an aid. It took five months for me to see an endocrinologist, and four months for a diagnosis. She tested my adrenals. She even tested whether my gut bacteria were producing alcohol. Former 'Fine', latter 'No'. My thyroid levels required being slightly increased, but the glucose tolerance test, which was normal at the beginning, produced a level of 11.3mmol/L with no evidence of the sugar dropping to cause hypoglycaemia and therefore she diagnosed early diabetes to be treated by diet. She says that she does not know what is causing my symptoms!!! My GP tells me that no further specialist tests can be carried out without going through her, and she wouldn't see me again as my GP had requested she do. It might be relevant to mention that I had a bad reaction to the glucose drink. The nurse rushed to get the doctor, but she was too busy to see me!!!
I accept the diagnosis, but as I have no signs of increased thirst or an increased need to urinate, (I do occasionally have the very dry mouth) I have to wonder if my symptoms bear any relation to those experienced by other diabetics? And any suggestions of a way forward would be gratefully accepted. I also wonder whether there is a cap related to age on the amount spent on an NHS patient. My thyroid medication is very expensive.
. I will tag 
throughout your appointment with your Doctor...were your blood sugar levels taken?it would be very useful to get a printout of your blood test results and from these we can get a better idea of where your bs levels are at,most people here use a meter so as to know what spikes their blood sugars,this involves testing am before your feet hit the floor,then before meal and again 2 hrs after ,this will give a very good indication of the foods that we can eat,the codefree meter and strips is the cheapest .in my case ,i was getting up frequently to wee,and very thirsty.
