*** SERIOUSLY

[RYU]

Okay so in the thread here I posted about how I managed to get my HBa1c down from 10.6 to 6.9 in three months. i've just got back from seeing the diabetes nurse who basically spent the last 5 minutes of the appointment all but making me stand and face the corner If I wanted to be treated like a littler kid I could back in time not go and see a nurse who yes thinks its great that my figures have come down and thinks its great that I've lost two stone in three months until she finds out how I've lost it and all of a sudden its not healthy I should see a doctor I should be taking my metformin and blah blah blah blah. if it was healthy for me to lose the weight, no matter how I lose it then its still healthy and no, I've not been that extreme I've just been following a LCHF diet fair enough I've only been eating once a day but I've always only eaten once a day so wheres the harm in that.

But no all of a sudden I'm staving, myself I need to increase my carbs as foods containing carbs also contain other necessary vitamins etc etc.

I'm beyond fuming right now I want from a high for the 1st time in months (I suffer severe depression) to wanting to seriously do someone some serious harm with a wood chipper and a can of WD40.

I've also just recieved a letter about my P.I.P I've got to see a health consultant this day just keeps getting better and better..... <thats a lame attempt at sarcam

 

[bulkbiker]

You're a star forget what she said. They seem to be amazed when someone takes control of their own health and doesn't follow the NHS mantra. You know you have done so well that they can't believe what the tests tell them and the fact that you are on here means that you are probably so much better informed than the nurse that they feel threatened. My personal view is F**k 'em I have taken control and will do all I can. I'll just use them to monitor my achievements and prove them wrong at every point.
Keep up the great work. Don't let them grind you down.

 

[andcol]

I would write and complain to the practice head for the way you are treated. You are an adult and it is not a nurses place to treat you like a child. If you wish to starve yourself then you can starve yourself and she/he can keep their nose out if it. Many HCP do not understand Low Carb because they are bought up on carb loading as the only way. Times are a changing but it will take a few years for the ludites to leave the system or be retrained.

 

[Stallen]

Stick to your guns RYU you're clearly happy with your achievements regarding your control.

I disengaged from my GP and my diabetic medication 2 Months ago, they couldn't understand the problem I had with constantly gaining weight and not being able to control my appetite on medication, alongside a major hormonal problem, which doesn't help as I can't gain muscle only fat, yesterday I saw an Endocrinologist who was pleased I'd withdrawn my meds and that I took up a LCHF as my BG had been 22-35 when I quit meds but is now 5-7 on the LCHF diet.

I see my GP and diabetic nurse at the beginning of Jan, I'm half expecting them to do the one size fits all, and advise me to go back on meds and eat more carbs, I hope they don't as I'll be looking for a new practice if that happens, which would be a shame as I do like my GP.

 

[Oldvatr]

I think part of the problem is that although LC diets have been around for a while, the LCHF diet is relatively new on the scene, and has been given the green light only as a result of ONE study that shows that saturated fats are not as unsafe as we had been told by the medical profession for many years now. Only one study so far, and everybody and their aunt is climbing on the LCHF bandwagon. I am one of them. Indeed, in terms of my BGL it does seem to work well, and i am not having the cravings I had on an LC only diet. BUT, I too have concerns that (a) I may be missing out on essential micronutrients, and (b) having had one heart attack, I do not need another one so, am I increasing my risk. I think the jury is (or should be) still out on whether this diet is good for the long term. We have only got about 9 months 'evidence' since the report was published. I understand that there may be evidence that LCHF may increase insulin resistance for T1D's due to the high fat content.

I am not amember of the medical profession, merely a T2D, but I can see why we are at odds with them. I remember the controversy over the Atkins diet, and I have personal knpwledge of a friend who suffered badly from that diet.

 

[Squire Fulwood]

F**k 'em.

I'll drink to that.

 

[Prem51]

I suppose that it was just as well that the practice nurse who took my 3 month blood test, or the GP who gave me the results bothered to ask how I had lost around 20lbs and lowered my HbAic from 49 to 44.
But should they have?

 

[Sunstreaker]

I'm sure they are very pleased you lost the weight and that your Hba1c is down. They were probably worries about your decision to stop taking prescribed medication without discussing it with them. Concern can sometimes be interpreted differently by the recipient. I told my DNS I was LCHF but that was because I knew she would be OK with it and not make judgements but I would expect a lecture from some HC Professionals on the appropriateness of this lifestyle change.

 

[Oldvatr]

Yes, weight loss can be as a result of other (non diabetic) causes that may indicate a deteriorating or serious health condition that may need swift intervention. But you has a viable reason for the weight loss, so that was ok. But it is their job to use the 5 minutes or so of the appointment to determine what your general health is, not just the diabetes. I think you would be right to be angry if they neglected to diagnose something that could have life changing consequences if discovered in ER later on, and which could have been diagnosed earlier. I do not think you have the right to be angry with them for doing their job, We have the right to disagree with their methofology, and even to refuse their medication, but by doing so we could be discharging them from their duty and remove them from all liabilities in the future. Why not try interacting sensibly with them, educate them as necessary, just like I have had to do with my care team. As a matter of interest, do you agree with your Local Representative, namely your local MP?

 

[Sunstreaker]

Just thought 2 stone in 3 months I would suggest it's not quick weight loss, that equates to 2lb a week, which is what is recommended as gradual.

 

[RYU]

it wasn't what she was saying that irritated me so much it was literally the sudden change from oh well done to oh no, that's bad you mustn't, you have to!, you shouldn't! for literally everything from self testing to eating 3 meals a day to everything. My other half was with me and even she said that she was not overly pleased. For her that's saying a lot. hell she puts up with me so she obviously has the patience of a saint...saintess maybe, what is the female pronoun of as saint anyway

Before any one asks the main reason I don't eat 3 meals a day is that I used to have a hiatus hernia 13 cms down my throat and acid reflux so if I eat 1st thing in the morning the acid reflux would occur hit the hernia and I'd be puking half a cup of blood every day. I was given medicine for it but worked out it was easier and quicker just not to eat breakfast which eventually lead to not eating lunch either so I'll have a main meal in the evening and that's it. My weight gain wasn't down to my eating habits it was down to the fact that I been placed on pure codeine due to a back injury and when I came off them I suddenly ballooned in weight.

After re-reading this I've just realised that it sounds like I'm always ill that's not the case this all happened over the space of about 6 years.

 

[tim2000s]

@Oldvatr I'm not sure that the people are jumping on eating saturated fats specifically in relation to LCHF. It's possible to eat that way without eating a vast amount of saturated fat.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Well, diabetes lives with you... Not the other way round.

I too have ate 1 meal a day.. Except I've been like this for night on 37 years.. Since I left school at 15.

I have only ever once been told to eat more carbs and I piled on weight.. And it did nothing to control my T1 diabetes.. In fact it made it harder. That was the only time since15 years old that I went over a size 10. I hated it.

I don't know if trying to introduce the supposed "good carbs" contributed toward my slow colonic transit diagnosed afterwards or whether it was the jelly babies they also instructed me to eat...

Like you I can only eat one meal a day for health and digestive reasons and they should treat us as individuals.

Because I always looked so fit nobody ever asked me about my eating... It was only going on to a pump that made people question my eating. Boy, that is one big thing I regret.

Please rant here... It is good to get it off your chest!!
Neither donyou sound as if you're always ill!!!

Things happen... I go to GP now and feel I am always there....or having phone calls from some medic or another!!

You got to do whats right for your health and well being. They should not be goody, goody congratulating at one moment then changing their mind when they hear how you achieved it.

Eating one meal a day and lchf like you I also make sure I check my vitamins and minerals so I get enough each day.

Providing you are living in a way that helps you manage any illnesses etc then good for you. Weightloss, lower bloods- brilliant.

I have never been convinced of 3 meals a day but thats just me. Fortunately at the moment my Gp and consultants and nurses know I manage my health conditions the best I can without relying on NHS drugs unless absolutely necessary.

Having moved.. This is all going to change and I dread it in some ways..... Hope I don't get someone like your nurse!!

Like you I also take my partner with me. Never had to before but after recent other issues with healthcare persons I found it helps a lot...

 

[Oldvatr]

@Oldvatr I'm not sure that the people are jumping on eating saturated fats specifically in relation to LCHF. It's possible to eat that way without eating a vast amount of saturated fat.

I'm, sorry, but a large proportion of the LCHF recipes I have read, and the forum threads as well, recommend saturated fats such as full fat milk and cheese, butter, cream (in preference to milk I may add) and loads of eggs, bacon, sausages. Above all Lard is recommended for frying. So am I misreading this? Even the DCUK Christmas recipes are biased toward saturateds.

 

[NoCrbs4Me]

Okay so in the thread here I posted about how I managed to get my HBa1c down from 10.6 to 6.9 in three months. i've just got back from seeing the diabetes nurse who basically spent the last 5 minutes of the appointment all but making me stand and face the corner If I wanted to be treated like a littler kid I could back in time not go and see a nurse who yes thinks its great that my figures have come down and thinks its great that I've lost two stone in three months until she finds out how I've lost it and all of a sudden its not healthy I should see a doctor I should be taking my metformin and blah blah blah blah. if it was healthy for me to lose the weight, no matter how I lose it then its still healthy and no, I've not been that extreme I've just been following a LCHF diet fair enough I've only been eating once a day but I've always only eaten once a day so wheres the harm in that.

But no all of a sudden I'm staving, myself I need to increase my carbs as foods containing carbs also contain other necessary vitamins etc etc.

I'm beyond fuming right now I want from a high for the 1st time in months (I suffer severe depression) to wanting to seriously do someone some serious harm with a wood chipper and a can of WD40.

I've also just recieved a letter about my P.I.P I've got to see a health consultant this day just keeps getting better and better..... <thats a lame attempt at sarcam

It's surprising how little that diabetes nurses seem to know about nutrition for type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately the current standard of care is that we should eat the same high carb low fat diet that is the current government recommendation for everyone. You'd think they'd see successful results in a patient and consider it a good thing. I was lucky that my diabetes nurse did not chastise me much when I told her I only eat meat. She did want a few more lab tests, though.

 

[Oldvatr]

Hi RYU, I understand now that the anger is in response to the situation you were in at the time, but it then seemed to suffer mission creep into a diatrabe on all the medical attitudes. I replied that I had had similar brick wall attitudes from my team over the past 10 years, but have now turned things around and entertained and educated the team so thay are now much more supportive.

I now control my medication regime and even the dietician I saw last month realised I was not going to be fobbed off with the Eatwell approach. So we discussed realistic targets for LCHFand hypo avoidance instead. We even discussed my interest in herbal supplements, and I was able to show from my readings that I was having some success with one (normally a TABOO subject) and she wants to research it herself so we can discuss it sensibly at my next review, Her letter to my GP was very supportive of my approach. So I suggest that it is possible to get through these brick walls, and introduce enlightenment to the NHS each in our own small ways,

 

[RYU]

Okay after several hours of bitching about it to a friend I've calmed down I can now understand about her worrying about myself testing as It was the first time I'd seen her since I'd started self testing something which I would highly recommend to every diabetic in existence - and surprising enough I think it should also be shown to children at school so that they can learn from an early age exactly what effects us until I was diagnoised as diabetic I never realised that milk continues carbs and sugars stupid I know but there it is. - so my giving her copies of my glucose results over the past 3 months may have been a bit much as I was testing a minimum of 10 times a day when I started but I've now dropped down to once or twice a week as I now know what effects me and what doesn't so Yes that may have freaked her out as it was eight pages of reports - however the doctor did ask me to bring it.

The not eating side of things yes I'm consuming about 500 calories a day and yes I know that's not the recommended amount but I'm trying to lose weight and its working so surely as long as I'm able to walk and talk that should be classed as healthy.

As for the daily recommended vitamins etc surely that's what the multi vitamins I've been taking are for so that's those covered.

as for the medication I'll list everything I'm supposed to be on and you'll hopefully agree with me thats its too much.

5 vit d3 tablets a night (4000mg) - 5 tablets

30mg of Citlopram - 2 tablets

Iron tablet - 1 tablet

another 2 tablets thats I'm unable to remember what they are for right now

efudix - a cream for destroying cancerous and pre-cancerous skin cells

2 metformin a day each with a meal

so hopefully you'll see why I cut out the metformin I was starting to sound like a tube of smarties as I walked it was getting ridiculous with the number of tablets etc.

to put it bluntly I'm sick and tired of being ill. I'm fed up of being with people and thinking hmm can I have that or not or of thinking no I can't go out I'll just depress everyone when I start to feel sick after eating.

Tonight's the first time I've drunk alcohol or even felt like myself since I was diagnosed because I want around a mates who used to be in the same regiment as me and even at his age he's got the same mentality of 'I don't understand or its not effecting me I'll take the P**S out of it' and that's what I needed right now. for the past three months everyone's been tip toeing around the fact that I got diagnoised with T2 diabetes and Bowen's disease (skin cancer) on the same day.

I can understand why, after all I had ten family members die of various types of cancer in a ten year period and, yes we were literally burying some one every 12 months because of cancer so I can understand the reluctance of speaking about it but after today I've had enough, so I went out for a drink around a mates and vented. It seems to have helped so I apologise for posting when not a 100% sober but its been a lousy few months and I'm not seeing a whole lot of hope for the future to be honest, diabetes under control or not so I've honestly and quite truthfully decided my best option is to say 'sod it I'll have fun and if bad stuff happens it happens I'll deal with it then'.

I'm sick of medication, I'm sick of doctors appointments and I'm sick of being ill so this is me putting my head in the sand, hopefully the world will just let me be.

Now that's a rant/vent/outpouring or whatever, sorry folks

 

[Oldvatr]

I use a spreadsheet to log my results. Then I plot them all, and finally I condense it down to 2 graphs that show my running averages for each stage of a trial. These latter ones show what overall effect a change registered i.e. what effect a change of timing of a med. It was these last two that I shared with my doc, and the DCN, and the dietician. It is like doing a precis at school, but it fits in easily within the framework of a GP appointment schedule. I took my laptop, and had all the results there to back it up, but we didn't need to go down to that detail. The main thing was that by using this tool, I showed I understood what was going on with my body, and this allowed my team to come on board and support me. Whereas I was previously limited to 1 test a week, I am now supported for 4 tests a day. Welcome back RYU

 

[RYU]

Yeah I brought the SD Codefree and its data cable so I'm using the GlucoNavii DMS software for that monitor which was really helpful but I'm starting to think that the ENTIRE way that the NHS is looking diabetes is wrong but I'm one person so there's nothing unfortunately that I can do about it

 

[Sunstreaker]

A healthy person is just someone who has not had enough investigations.