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What’s your hardest struggle with diabetes?

I was told I was pre-diabetic with an HbA1c of 41 but a badly conducted OGTT did not confirm it and so I took no notice. Some years later a routine blood test gave me an HbA1c of 53 so by that time I was diabetic. So to answer your question, like anyone I would probably rather be diagnosed pre-diabetic but with the knowledge I now have, if I were to go back in time it would have been better if they had said I was diabetic. My BG would have been the same but I would have done something about it.
As has been said before the HbA1c is not very accurate as @Bluetit1802 would confirm. At diagnosis a reading of say 55 is definitely diabetic and a reading of say 30 is definitely not diabetic, but readings in the low 40's are a warning whether they are officially pre-diabetic or not.
 
PN is better . Pathetic Nurse

I can't say I've ever met a PN in my diabetes life, although I did once have the misfortune to be in a medical assessment unit years ago with a female version of Attila the Hun. My diabetes nurse, who I have seen for over 4 years, has been nothing but lovely, supportive, helpful, pleasant, and very knowledgeable.
 
My hardest struggle is the blooming exercise- I can’t abide it, added to the fact that I now have to do it FOREVER. How ghastly- I’m essentially quite a lazy person and always absolutely exhausted but still have to be active, bluerghhhh
 
Would love to see the people complaining about their healthcare on day 1 of their diagnosis WITH NOBODY HELPING THEM.
 
[QUOTE="mountaintom, post: 1792730, member: 468050"]Would love to see the people complaining about their healthcare on day 1 of their diagnosis WITH NOBODY HELPING THEM.[/QUOTE]

I was in hospital, so that did help.................
 
My "joke" answer is that I can't afford a personal chef like Oprah
My real struggle is with denial and acceptance ( I still have this mindset that once I get this under control, life can go back to normal). I really hate that this is the new normal. I hope that my attitude improves. I feel deprived and resentful right now.. and there's a teeny weeny inner voice saying "Is all this change really worth it?" Of course, logical, sensible me knows it is. It's quite depressing really.
 
Well, if you check my sig you'll see that it's probably staying disciplined and out of denial for the rest of my natural. That and just once in a while not reading posts on this forum
 
My hardest struggle is the blooming exercise- I can’t abide it, added to the fact that I now have to do it FOREVER. How ghastly- I’m essentially quite a lazy person and always absolutely exhausted but still have to be active, bluerghhhh

I’ve embraced my inner lazy person and just don’t do any

My exercise ..... walking the dog, shopping, and any housework or gardening I can't avoid. I still lost all my excess weight and normalised my blood sugars. I find it very over rated.
 
Hmmmm @Mel dCP and @Bluetit1802 these are my kinda replies..... there’s hope for me yet then.

Santa treated me to a fit bit, insulin:carbs ratios behave better when I get the steps in, so...dancing in the kitchen, racing the trolleys in Asda, shopping for h o u r s ..they're all steps, I can get in a couple of hundred just drying my hair
 
Santa treated me to a fit bit, insulin:carbs ratios behave better when I get the steps in, so...dancing in the kitchen, racing the trolleys in Asda, shopping for h o u r s ..they're all steps, I can get in a couple of hundred just drying my hair

Yes my Fitbit has been life changing- although before I was diagnosed I thought I needed a hobby- now diabetes is my hobby, tracking what I eat, sleep, how many steps etc lol
 
Hardest struggle is all around weight loss.

I've given up a lot of my Earthly pleasures such as homemade bread and homemade chips and I eat a fraction of what I used to eat but my weight seems stuck around the 12 stone 2 pounds level.
I am reasonably active and eat LCHF (with a few lapses) but I would have to starve myself to get down to my target weight of 11 stone 7 pounds (what I weighed in my late teens).

I would love to run, but my legs and especially my feet are just not up to it any more.

I enjoy cycling, but various dodgy calculations suggest that I would have to cycle for 2.5 to 3.5 hours just to burn off a pound of fat.

I've recently had foot problems (probably strained tendons on top of my left foot) which stopped me walking, and my knees are fairly knackered.

So exercise is complicated.

I find that I cannot give up booze long term as it is a relaxant and rounds off a pretty good day into a really great day. Beer is both my friend and my enemy.

Associated with this, I find it hard not to be critical (and possibly a little envious) of all those who are carrying a lot of excess weight. I tell myself that they may have IR and not be able to help themselves. However if I could weigh a couple of stone more and not have to compromise my lifestyle in any way I suspect that I might take it.
 
Would love to see the people complaining about their healthcare on day 1 of their diagnosis WITH NOBODY HELPING THEM.

No one from the nhs has helped me since diagnoses. I was refused an appointment with my doctor until I did the DESMOND course what a complete waste of a day that was.
 

Excercise v diet

Excercise will not shift fat!

Diet will
 
Excercise v diet

Excercise will not shift fat!

Diet will

However exercise can reduce Insulin Resistance and improve overall BG control.
 
No one from the nhs has helped me since diagnoses. I was refused an appointment with my doctor until I did the DESMOND course what a complete waste of a day that was.

@rab5. My story was similar- I had weeks of struggle and self research ( so glad I found these pages) the nhs is shocking with diabetes but finally appointments started and I went on an X-Pert course - I highly recommend it- I had already discovered a lot of stuff myself but the( 6 week) course gave me details and reasons why and more medical insight. Some people on the course had done Desmond and were similarly disparaging as you.
 
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