What do you find the hardest about living with diabetes?

[IronLioness]

I've been diagnosed as T2 on Friday of last week so my head is still trying to take everything in...my 'scare factor' at the moment seems to be that I'm going to need to totally change my lifestyle, which is doable, BUT the bit that worries me is if I can break 20+ years of basically what amounts to bad habits and have the willpower and discipline to be consistent with it. I know it now *has* to happen, but goodness me it plagues the mind, for sure!

Anyone else feel overwhelmed at the task ahead??

 

[Guzzler]

'Overwhemed' is probably the most used word by people who are recently diagnosed. I used it myself at the time. I thought that I had to learn everything about T2 as quickly as I could because time was running out, wasn't it?
Time wasn't running out at all. Just as with all learning, start with the very basic stuff e.g what foods raise my bg levels?, what affect will alcohol have?, what is Dawn Phenomena and how can I improve my fasting levels? In the meantime you work on beating any cravings you might have, possibly trying out lower carb recipes and trying new foods you may be unfamiliar with and testing with your meter, lots of testing and recording. Improvement in your blood glucose levels will spur you on to bigger and better stuff. There may be times you feel that you have caved but this happens and we just start again and learn from the experience.

You can't learn all about how Diabetes affects you as an individual in a fortnight, it's going to take a little while but it will happen and you will gain from that learning. There's no rush, you can breathe.

 

[Goonergal]

Hi @IronLioness and welcome.

Things do seem overwhelming at first and I know I struggled thinking about making changes that would need to last forever. Key is to start with something you think you can stick to and go from there. Take things at your pace and do what works for you - which may change as you go along. For instance when first diagnosed I went for it with diet - complete cold turkey with carbs, but I thought fasting was crazy. Now I use fasting a lot - was easier to introduce it once I had diet sorted.

This is a great place for advice and support so do ask as many questions as you like.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

Anyone else feel overwhelmed at the task ahead??

Every single last one of us felt like that but it gets better. Read @Guzzler 's post a few times until it sinks in since it is excellent advice.

 

[Freema]

Yes it is a real shock and depressing but being type 2 most can get into normal blood glucose by twisting their diet and eat low enough levels of carbs like under 100 grams a Day

If you start the Day with a meal almost without carbs it is easier like ham and cheese, or bacon and eggs, or avocado with taxi and mayo. A handful of nuts and coffee with cream Or a little beef with some tomatoes


In this forum, you can get the support from all of us in here and knowledge by reading and asking. Welcome here and it gets easier along the road if we take it seriously right away but at the same time allow us self some time to get our head around all the new ways of eating.

 

[Guzzler]

Good afternoon @IronLioness

This presentation was published on YouTube today and I thought of you and your situation as a newbie.
Grab a drink and settle down to watch Dr. Jo talk you through the first steps of making changes to improve your health and well being. The presentation is about how we, real people, deal with our Diabetes even if we've been given duff info or struggled with changing our habits. Enjoy!

Roughly half an hour.

 

[Grumpy ole thing]

I've been diagnosed as T2 on Friday of last week so my head is still trying to take everything in...my 'scare factor' at the moment seems to be that I'm going to need to totally change my lifestyle, which is doable, BUT the bit that worries me is if I can break 20+ years of basically what amounts to bad habits and have the willpower and discipline to be consistent with it. I know it now *has* to happen, but goodness me it plagues the mind, for sure!

Anyone else feel overwhelmed at the task ahead??

I think its the "randomness", Current BS minus what it should be divide by 3 inject that number, carb count the meal, divide by the ratio for the time of day = inject that number...sooo easy.... and yet it isn't. Saturday I was 12 at bedtime, injected 2 (12-6 divided by 3), woke up at 7.5, Sunday night was 10, injected 1 (10-6 divided by 3 and cant inject bits of a unit) woke up at sillee o'clock this morning at 2.5... Hilarious :***:

I don't think it would be difficult if only the maths just worked

Overwhelmed? nah...1 day at a time, and don't give up, now T2D..thats difficult and takes iron willpower x

 

[IronLioness]

Good afternoon @IronLioness

This presentation was published on YouTube today and I thought of you and your situation as a newbie.
Grab a drink and settle down to watch Dr. Jo talk you through the first steps of making changes to improve your health and well being. The presentation is about how we, real people, deal with our Diabetes even if we've been given duff info or struggled with changing our habits. Enjoy!

Roughly half an hour.

Thank you sooooo much for this! If only the Doctor was half as helpful as you great folks!!

 

[IronLioness]

'Overwhemed' is probably the most used word by people who are recently diagnosed. I used it myself at the time. I thought that I had to learn everything about T2 as quickly as I could because time was running out, wasn't it?
Time wasn't running out at all. Just as with all learning, start with the very basic stuff e.g what foods raise my bg levels?, what affect will alcohol have?, what is Dawn Phenomena and how can I improve my fasting levels? In the meantime you work on beating any cravings you might have, possibly trying out lower carb recipes and trying new foods you may be unfamiliar with and testing with your meter, lots of testing and recording. Improvement in your blood glucose levels will spur you on to bigger and better stuff. There may be times you feel that you have caved but this happens and we just start again and learn from the experience.

You can't learn all about how Diabetes affects you as an individual in a fortnight, it's going to take a little while but it will happen and you will gain from that learning. There's no rush, you can breathe.

Thanks Guzzler, appreciate your advice, this totally has been a life changer moment and oddly none of the important info on how to handle it came from the doctor! Wowsah.... I'm trying not to catastrophise by thinking about what Dad went through (he's T2 but has been for many years now), I guess it's just about trying to fit life around it, or vice versa. But like you say, one step at a time, methinks! Food and exercise are first focus

 

[IronLioness]

Every single last one of us felt like that but it gets better. Read @Guzzler 's post a few times until it sinks in since it is excellent advice.

Thanks, squire, I'll get reading, so so much to learn and so so many questions.

 

[IronLioness]

Hi @IronLioness and welcome.

Things do seem overwhelming at first and I know I struggled thinking about making changes that would need to last forever. Key is to start with something you think you can stick to and go from there. Take things at your pace and do what works for you - which may change as you go along. For instance when first diagnosed I went for it with diet - complete cold turkey with carbs, but I thought fasting was crazy. Now I use fasting a lot - was easier to introduce it once I had diet sorted.

This is a great place for advice and support so do ask as many questions as you like.

Goonergal, that's me! I literally have gone cold turkey on all carbs since last week when I found out. However, I think I paid for it today because it bit me on the @ss - after another high protein no carb lunch I just lost energy, felt faint and dizzy, really scared the heck out of me. I think I went a bit too hardcore, but I'm still away from home so my first point of call when I get back is a BG monitor machine to see what I'm on. I have no idea at the moment and it's very frustrating. I'll work out what foods work for me and try and get myself in some form of routine. Old habits die hard but I want to 'reverse' this by mid Jan if I can, hard work for sure. Doc thinks it's doable, who know, but got to try and aim for it at least!

 

[IronLioness]

Yes it is a real shock and depressing but being type 2 lost can get into normal blood glucose by twisting their diet and eat low enough levels of carbs like under 100 grams a Day

If you start the Day with a meal almost without carbs it is easier like ham and cheese, or bacon and eggs, or avocado with taxi and mayo. A handful of nuts and coffee with cream Or a little beef with some tomatoes


In this forum you Can get the support from all of us in here and knowledge by reading and asking . Welcome here and it gets easier along the road if we take it serious right away but at the same time allow us self some time to get our head around all the new ways of eating.

Thanks Freema, yes, it's really taken me aback and made me rethink everything; lifestyle, life choices, everything. Total wake up call. Plus, I'm so grateful to you guys for all your advice, invaluable help and support. I'd be a complete mess if it wasn't for these forums!

 

[IronLioness]

I think its the "randomness", Current BS minus what it should be divide by 3 inject that number, carb count the meal, divide by the ratio for the time of day = inject that number...sooo easy.... and yet it isn't. Saturday I was 12 at bedtime, injected 2 (12-6 divided by 3), woke up at 7.5, Sunday night was 10, injected 1 (10-6 divided by 3 and cant inject bits of a unit) woke up at sillee o'clock this morning at 2.5... Hilarious :***:

I don't think it would be difficult if only the maths just worked

Overwhelmed? nah...1 day at a time, and don't give up, now T2D..thats difficult and takes iron willpower x

"iron willpower" - you've hit the nail on the head with that, Grumpy. That's the bit that's that I'm trying to get my head around - this is no longer a choice, it's a necessity, or the complications may start occurring. I'm going to aim for discipline and consistency, something I often lack, maybe what aided getting to this stage ‍, but onwards and upwards eh!

 

[Chronicle_Cat]

However, I think I paid for it today because it bit me on the @ss - after another high protein no carb lunch I just lost energy, felt faint and dizzy, really scared the heck out of me. I think I went a bit too hardcore, but I'm still away from home so my first point of call when I get back is a BG monitor machine to see what I'm on.

Glad you're getting a blood glucose monitor. When you feel like this again. Test.

Sometimes when your body is used to high blood glucose levels, when it goes down to better levels, you may you feel dizzy and unwell. This is called a "false hypo". Don't try to correct this, your body will get used to being at a better lower level soon.

However if your meter shows your level is below 4.0, that is hypogylcemia, you need to raise the level. Firstly wash your hands and retest (in case there is something on your hands.) If it is still under 4.0, Follow the instructions on this page, (taking a quick acting sugar and retesting after 15 minutes.) https://www.diabetes.co.uk/how-to/treat-a-hypo.html

Hypogylcemic episodes are a big issue and dangerous for Type 1s (and Type 2s who do take insulin.) Many of them carry glucose tablets with them and wear medic alert bracelets for this reason.

However, I see from checking you are a Type 2 that doesn't take meds or insulin (like me). Hypos are not a big issue for Type 2s who are diet only and do not descend to the deep low levels of people who take insulin. Try not to worry about them. I only have had 2 mild hypos and a few false hypos at the beginning in the last 3 months since I was diagnosed. Once I got a very low reading (when I felt fine), I retested and it was normal (a faulty test strip.)

Hope this helps.

 

[IronLioness]

Glad you're getting a blood glucose monitor. When you feel like this again. Test.

Sometimes when your body is used to high blood glucose levels, when it goes down to better levels, you may you feel dizzy and unwell. This is called a "false hypo". Don't try to correct this, your body will get used to being at a better lower level soon.

However if your meter shows your level is below 4.0, that is hypogylcemia, you need to raise the level. Firstly wash your hands and retest (in case there is something on your hands.) If it is still under 4.0, Follow the instructions on this page, (taking a quick acting sugar and retesting after 15 minutes.) https://www.diabetes.co.uk/how-to/treat-a-hypo.html

Hypogylcemic episodes are a big issue and dangerous for Type 1s (and Type 2s who do take insulin.) Many of them carry glucose tablets with them for this reason.

However, I see from checking you are a Type 2 that doesn't take meds or insulin (like me). Hypos are not a big issue for Type 2s who are diet only and do not descend to the levels of people who take insulin. Try not to worry about them. I only have had 2 mild hypos and a few false hypos at the beginning in the last 3 months since I was diagnosed. Once I got a very low reading (when I felt fine), I retested and it was normal (a faulty test strip.)

Hope this helps.

Thanks Cat, this is good information, it does sound like a false hypo that I had today. Very strange feeling, and it came on so suddenly. I think maybe it was brought on my going cold turkey on carbs right away, whereas in hindsight, I should just cut them down. I definitely need to get the BG monitor when I get home, and then the real work of tracking begins. At the moment I've no idea what's working and what is not. Luckily I head home on Wednesday pm so should be able to track from there on.

 

[DCUKMod]

My diagnosis was 5 years ago,................. today.

Hardest thing about living with T2? these days for me there isn't anything that's outrageously hard, but then I got lucky in lots of areas.

In the early days, it was a bit different. The hardest thing was how shocked I was by the information given by the NHS and how so little of it made any sense - eat low fat, when the issue was blood sugars. Eh?

Biggest breakthrough? Finding online resources and buying a meter are dead heat winners. From the moment I had a meter, I suddenly had the basis of a plan, setting myself targets for lowerin my blood sugars and being led by what appeared on the test result screen.

Take it steady @IronLioness . This a marathon, not a sprint, and there are some very enjoyable things to learn along the way. Try not to focu on the negatives. They tend not to move you forward on any journey.

 

[Guzzler]

My diagnosis was 5 years ago,................. today.

Hardest thing about living with T2? these days for me there isn't anything that's outrageously hard, but then I got lucky in lots of areas.

In the early days, it was a bit different. The hardest thing was how shocked I was by the information given by the NHS and how so little of it made any sense - eat low fat, when the issue was blood sugars. Eh?

Biggest breakthrough? Finding online resources and buying a meter are dead heat winners. From the moment I had a meter, I suddenly had the basis of a plan, setting myself targets for lowerin my blood sugars and being led by what appeared on the test result screen.

Take it steady @IronLioness . This a marathon, not a sprint, and there are some very enjoyable things to learn along the way. Try not to focu on the negatives. They tend not to move you forward on any journey.

Happy Diaversary? Silver lining, and all that.

 

[DCUKMod]

Happy Diaversary? Silver lining, and all that.

These days, it's just part of who I am.

 

[Goonergal]

Goonergal, that's me! I literally have gone cold turkey on all carbs since last week when I found out. However, I think I paid for it today because it bit me on the @ss - after another high protein no carb lunch I just lost energy, felt faint and dizzy, really scared the heck out of me. I think I went a bit too hardcore, but I'm still away from home so my first point of call when I get back is a BG monitor machine to see what I'm on. I have no idea at the moment and it's very frustrating. I'll work out what foods work for me and try and get myself in some form of routine. Old habits die hard but I want to 'reverse' this by mid Jan if I can, hard work for sure. Doc thinks it's doable, who know, but got to try and aim for it at least!

It is tough at first, but well worth it. Good on you for taking action. Speaking from personal experience, I feel fitter and healthier than for years - sure your efforts will be rewarded.

 

[IronLioness]

My diagnosis was 5 years ago,................. today.

Hardest thing about living with T2? these days for me there isn't anything that's outrageously hard, but then I got lucky in lots of areas.

In the early days, it was a bit different. The hardest thing was how shocked I was by the information given by the NHS and how so little of it made any sense - eat low fat, when the issue was blood sugars. Eh?

Biggest breakthrough? Finding online resources and buying a meter are dead heat winners. From the moment I had a meter, I suddenly had the basis of a plan, setting myself targets for lowerin my blood sugars and being led by what appeared on the test result screen.

Take it steady @IronLioness . This a marathon, not a sprint, and there are some very enjoyable things to learn along the way. Try not to focu on the negatives. They tend not to move you forward on any journey.

Thanks for this reply, totally makes sense and you're absolutely right, to not focus on the negatives. I've really struggled with that since diagnosis, my Dad has T2 and I've seen him lose the nerve endings in his feet and then half a foot from just a simple foot infection which turned bad. It's given me the focus I need to try and tackle this ASAP, but the lack of a BG monitor has hindered the process - that will be remedied today when I get home and get a kit. In an odd way, I think this has kind of given me the kick up the bum to really reassess my life and lifestyle - look after myself (body and mind) a bit better. I'm looking forward to learning more, too.