Will it make a difference if I take 15 minutes to eat a slice of white toast?

[Red_river_]

We have been nagging you for some time to get one!! Bite the bullet and try one. You really are working blind.

Had you got one you could have had your sourdough toast and tested it. Your wholemeal slice this morning could well have spiked you even higher. Without a meter you will never know if you can eat one or the other or both or neither.

I can't agree with you more. Only if hubby thought the same way. He says he won't want me to prick my fingers all the times and get obsessed with it, and I have this fear of needles anyway. Nurse and GP said the same thing. I will persuade him and make him see the point. I wouldn't like to do things he is strongly against though..

 

[Red_river_]

Ask your husband, GP & DSN this.. Would they drive a car on a public highway without a speedo & wait around for the points on the licence to rack up to a ban?

Get a meter!

Hah, good point!! My hubby's argument is " Stick with GP's advices". I will need to come back to him on this..

 

[wiflib]

I can't agree with you more. Only if hubby thought the same way. He says he won't want me to prick my fingers all the times and get obsessed with it, and I have this fear of needles anyway. Nurse and GP said the same thing. I will persuade him and make him see the point. I wouldn't like to do things he is strongly against though..

I’m not sure I understand why you have to convince your husband that it’s a good idea.
One sentence you have written is a red flag.
If you don’t control your levels, you will slowly get sicker and sicker. What happens if, one day, you have to take insulin to simply stay alive?

 

[Red_river_]

Daft advice if you ask me, how on earth can you control your levels if you don’t know what they are? If you tested this morning and found you were in double figures, would you have eaten the bread?

Advising you not to test is like crossing a road blindfolded.

I am going to see a GP about my MOT blood test result by the end of this month. I will discuss about a meter again with her. DN pointed me to Diabetes.org.uk and I stumbled onto this website totally by mistake, but I found this website is a lot more informative, When I mentioned this website with DN , she told me to forget about it and just stick with general advices on lfit lets she gave me.

 

[wiflib]

I am going to see a GP about my MOT blood test result by the end of this month. I will discuss about a meter again with her. DN pointed me to Diabetes.org.uk and I stumbled onto this website totally by mistake, but I found this website is a lot more informative, When I mentioned this website with DN , she told me to forget about it and just stick with general advices on lfit lets she gave me.

They often say that because they know very little about diabetes and they can’t afford the meters and strips and don’t have a clue how to help someone if they see high levels.

It really is time to take control over your diabetes and stop allowing other people to dictate to you.

 

[Bluetit1802]

@Red_river_ I have to say that it is you that has diabetes, not your hubbie. It is you that will suffer the consequences of uncontrolled diabetes, and possible progression to insulin - that will definitely require needles.

If you buy yourself an Accu Chek Fastclix lancet pen you will never see a needle. They are enclosed within a plastic drum. The drum is inserted inside the device. No contact, no handling, can't see it.

Your DN is wrong. Simples. You already know her views on testing. If I were you I would not be discussing it further with her. The main reason for GPs and DNs advising against testing is because if they recommended it they would have to prescribe meters and strips - which cost prevents them from doing. The decision is yours, no-one else's.

 

[Red_river_]

I’m not sure I understand why you have to convince your husband that it’s a good idea.
One sentence you have written is a red flag.
If you don’t control your levels, you will slowly get sicker and sicker. What happens if, one day, you have to take insulin to simply stay alive?

I know it might sound absurd but I'd rather to do things we both agree with. I wouldn't want to feel wrong when doing sth he thinks not right or necessary...

 

[wiflib]

I know it might sound absurd but I'd rather to do things we both agree with. I wouldn't want to feel wrong when doing sth he thinks not right or necessary...

In my role as a Midwife, if I heard any woman say that to me, I would be starting a conversation with you regarding domestic abuse.

 

[lucylocket61]

I know it might sound absurd but I'd rather to do things we both agree with. I wouldn't want to feel wrong when doing sth he thinks not right or necessary...

How does he and your medical team feel about you low carbing?

 

[Red_river_]

In my role as a Midwife, if I heard any woman say that to me, I would be starting a conversation with you regarding domestic abuse.

Oh no nothing like that at all! My husband is really loving and caring. He knows how I hate needles and he doesn't think checking all the time is a good idea or necessary that's all. He doesn't want me to be obsessed with testing and worry all the time about bg..

 

[wiflib]

Oh no nothing like that at all! My husband is really loving and caring. He knows how I hate needles and he doesn't think checking all the time is a good idea or necessary that's all. He doesn't want me to be obsessed with testing and worry all the time about bg..

Ok, carry on with what you’re doing then.

 

[Red_river_]

How does he and your medical team feel about you low carbing?

He is fine with me going low carbs. I am the one that do all the cooking anyway. I haven't really discussed low carbs with nurse I don't think she is any good to be honest. First meeting when she told me I've got diabetes, she said I can loose some weight ( I was just over 8 stones), change white for brown + smaller portions. Second meeting when I told her I lost 10 pounds in a month, she said Oh no I never advised you to loose weight, ( I didn't bother to say anything). When I discussed diet with her she said " Now you know more than me"...!!!??? Can I ask to see another nurse? Or she might be the only DN at the surgery..?

 

[Grateful]

@Red_river_
from what I recall, you were diagnosed less than three months ago. So, you still have no idea how well your BG control (from the low-carb diet) is working, in the medium- or long-term. Did they do an HbA1c test at your December appointment (you mentioned the appointment in earlier posts)? Even that result would be very much an "interim" thing given that the diet takes up to three months to have reliable impact on A1c. Meanwhile I don't have anything to add from what I said in one of your threads shortly after your diagnosis:

Posted in November: Well, I'm me and I don't use a meter (to the occasional chagrin of other forum members who gently cajole me to change my ways). It works for me. One possible strategy is to decide you will buy a meter, but only if you are unable to achieve long-term control of BG without one. In that case, give yourself until the next HbA1c test, which should come two to three months from now but possibly sooner, at your mid-December appointment. If you are then unsatisfied about the progress achieved since diagnosis, buy a meter.

If you go the "meter-less" route you are taking a calculated risk with your own health, because you won't have detailed information on what is happening "day to day" or "food by food." The HbA1c test measure the averageBG over the previous 8 to 12 weeks, but there could have been big daily or hourly spikes in BG and you won't know about them.

I decided to take that calculated risk and it worked great for me (see signature below for details). I'm an anxious type and decided the meter would provide "way too much information" and just generally increase my anxiety on a daily level. (On the other hand, without the meter, the three-monthly HbA1c at the clinic becomes a quarterly Big Deal!) Up to you.

I do not at all disagree with those who are advising that you obtain a meter. Whatever you do, it should be your decision, not your family's or even (and this is rather sad to say) your nurse's or your doctor's.

 

[DCUKMod]

Oh no nothing like that at all! My husband is really loving and caring. He knows how I hate needles and he doesn't think checking all the time is a good idea or necessary that's all. He doesn't want me to be obsessed with testing and worry all the time about bg..

@Red_river_ - Obviously, you have to decide how you interact with your loved ones, and whose influence you allow to sway you, against contrarian views, however, one thing I will say is when I was diagnosed I was always going to be self-testing, because I saw it as the only way I really had a clue what might be going on, but then again, there are and have been a number of my family diagnosed as having diabetes, of just about all shades, at one time or another.

My OH found my diagnosis particularly tricky to get his head around, as I had been picked up as a result of a bizarre set of circumstances I'll spare you the detail of. I certainly didn't have nay symptoms.

Aside from giving me real time, personal feedback on my own condition (and the ability to track my improvements along the way), I got from self testing, it very quickly helped my PH to accept my diagnosis and buy into the changes my meterer informed me I need to make to my apparently already healthy eating regime.

As soon as I was able to demonstrate to him that testing was giving me diabetic style numbers from some foods, he suddenly engaged that self-testing was an incredibly important tool to me, and something to be embraced, rather than the uncomfortable inconvenience he originally viewed it as.

@wiflib - My interpretation of Red_River_'s husband's stance as more one of not appreciating the value of the feedback, rather than anything potentially cruel or totally out of order.

 

[Red_river_]

@Red_river_
from what I recall, you were diagnosed less than three months ago. So, you still have no idea how well your BG control (from the low-carb diet) is working, in the medium- or long-term. Did they do an HbA1c test at your December appointment (you mentioned the appointment in earlier posts)? Even that result would be very much an "interim" thing given that the diet takes up to three months to have reliable impact on A1c. Meanwhile I don't have anything to add from what I said in one of your threads shortly after your diagnosis:

Posted in November: Well, I'm me and I don't use a meter (to the occasional chagrin of other forum members who gently cajole me to change my ways). It works for me. One possible strategy is to decide you will buy a meter, but only if you are unable to achieve long-term control of BG without one. In that case, give yourself until the next HbA1c test, which should come two to three months from now but possibly sooner, at your mid-December appointment. If you are then unsatisfied about the progress achieved since diagnosis, buy a meter.

If you go the "meter-less" route you are taking a calculated risk with your own health, because you won't have detailed information on what is happening "day to day" or "food by food." The HbA1c test measure the averageBG over the previous 8 to 12 weeks, but there could have been big daily or hourly spikes in BG and you won't know about them.

I decided to take that calculated risk and it worked great for me (see signature below for details). I'm an anxious type and decided the meter would provide "way too much information" and just generally increase my anxiety on a daily level. (On the other hand, without the meter, the three-monthly HbA1c at the clinic becomes a quarterly Big Deal!) Up to you.

I do not at all disagree with those who are advising that you obtain a meter. Whatever you do, it should be your decision, not your family's or even (and this is rather sad to say) your nurse's or your doctor's.

Hi Grateful I am glad you are back. Some other members and myself did wonder if you were okay because you had not posted anything for a long while.
Yes you remember me right I was diagnosed first day in November. Went straight to very low to no carbs and lost 18 pounds out of my just over 8 stones weight. I was worried so saw a GP and was given a MOT blood test, which I will learn about the results in about two weeks time. I did see a nurse in Dec but didn't have any test, just general chat that I didn't find helpful at all. I know I will at some point get a meter as I understand myself I do need to know what food I can or can't tolerate. I just want my husband's support in doing so .., and also because I myself have been and still am in two minds exactly like what you quoted above in the last paragraph.

 

[Resurgam]

If you knew that the foods you are eating elevated your BG to a particular level, and it was low, then you could happily eat a little more and perhaps put on a few pounds.
I need to lose weight, so I keep my BG lowish and it is all too easy. Over 40lb gone with no bother. It is the difference between knowledge and guesswork.

 

[Red_river_]

If you had bread anyway - why worry about the type? A slice of bread is a hefty load of carbs.
I can manage one of the Lidl protein rolls - toasted with cheese they are great, and quite low carb - they just scrape in under 10 percent but I don't have them often and they are the only breadlike food I consume.

I know it's carbs, but whole meal doesn't cause spike as white. I lost so much weight so decided to have some carbs, and don't think I will be able to cope with having no carbs at all for the rest of my life. I only shop in Tesco or Sansburys. Nearest Lidl is at least 40 minutes drive.

 

[Dmcc0]

Without a meter you won't actually know how wholemeal affects you. I originally didn't bother with a meter and just took the advice of the DN and cut out white carbs and went with wholemeal versions of bread, pasta and rice. It wasn't until I thought about it that I realised I didn't have a clue what ANY food was doing to my BG levels so decided I had to get one. I'm glad I did because the advice from the DN was terrible - wholemeal bread and pasta both sent me into double figures, rice was ok in small portions though.
When I first got the meter I was a little obsessive with the testing, but after a couple of months I've actually cut right down, only really testing when I eat something I'm not sure about and the occasional "spot check". The Tee2 meter is free and the strips are the cheapest I've seen too.

I was only diagnosed in August but at my 3 month check in Dec the DN (different one than I'd seen previously) told me as my BG was at "non diabetic levels" she wasn't going to give me any advice and carry on doing whatever I had been doing! She actually recommend some low carb books etc that I should check out.

 

[Grateful]

I know it's carbs, but whole meal doesn't cause spike as white. I lost so much weight so decided to have some carbs, and don't think I will be able to cope with having no carbs at all for the rest of my life. I only shop in Tesco or Sansburys. Nearest Lidl is at least 40 minutes drive.

One way of looking at this is that, if you want to "experiment" with carbs, self-testing is probably the only way to go.

So far, I have managed without self-testing but that does involve eliminating almost all "carby" foods altogether. At the moment I am making only three exceptions: a very small amount of muesli-and-milk for breakfast, a daily banana, and the occasional beer.

For the past nine months my HbA1c results have been good despite these three "aberrations." However, if I were walking "outside the lines" more often and with a greater variety of carb-laden foods, it would be impractical to do it without self-testing, because of the large (three-month) time lag between the A1c tests and the inability to distinguish the "bad" experimental foods from the "good" ones.

 

[Resurgam]

I know it's carbs, but whole meal doesn't cause spike as white. I lost so much weight so decided to have some carbs, and don't think I will be able to cope with having no carbs at all for the rest of my life. I only shop in Tesco or Sansburys. Nearest Lidl is at least 40 minutes drive.

As you do not test your levels - how do you know that the wholemeal bread doesn't cause a spike?
There are lots of low carb foods you can probably eat - very few people eat no carbs at all, but if you are going to eat high carb foods you really should test to see just how bad they are and how long you remain high - so you know when you can eat again.