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"You don't look like a Type 2 diabetic"

S

sunflower27

Member
Messages
24
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Excuse me, but I have to vent some frustrations before my head explodes!

I've recently had some problems with an overactive thyroid recently as well as being T2 for 4 years. I'm pretty sure that the overactive thyroid is making me much more irritable than usual but please bear with me!

Yesterday I had a consultation with an Endocrinologist. After the initial introductions, I started to describe my symptoms, obviously mentioning diabetes. At first he assumed I was Type 1. When I corrected him, out came the dreaded phrase:

"You don't look like a Type 2 diabetic"

My heart sank.I must have heard this comment a hundred times from healthcare proffessionals: From GPs to nurses to eye specialists and now consultant specialists. What is a T2 diabetic supposed to look like? I'm pretty sure there are as many varieties as there are people suffering from it. Perhaps this is why my GP completely failed to diagnose me in the first place, despite numerous visits to the surgery, and I ended up having to get a test done myself at a Lloyds pharmacy. I had a b/g reading of 30.1 when I was admitted to hospital.

In case you are wondering, I am 5'4'' and weigh about 8st 4. My HbA1c results have been normal for the last 3 years and I haven't needed to medication since about 8 months after diagnosis. Yet still, this consultant started talking about putting me on to a low carb Atkins diet. I understand the importance of low carbs for a lot of people, but I have been fine on a sensible diet and really do not want to loose any more weight. I'm a size 8 jeans already. Also I can't see how a high protein high fat diet would help my cholesterol levels which are high anyway (but including high Hdl's too).

Does anyone feel that there is a tick box mentality in the NHS? Isn't it about time healthcare proffessionals actually looked at clinical facts rather than just made judgements on outward appearances? One size does definitely not fit all.

Apologies for the rant.
 
Perhaps they were unthinkingly musing out loud? Is it possible you might have LADA? Maybe that was in his head when he said that?
 
No not LADA. Unless more or less every health care expert I meet is suffering from tourette's, it seems to be the standard comment. Maybe I am just a freak diabetic.
 
My mum keeps comparing my T2 to the days when her dad had it - apparently ' it's nothing ' ... argggg
 
No, Perhaps I should ask next time. I just find it worrying that even experts have preconcieved ideas.
 
sunflower27 said:
No not LADA. Unless more or less every health care expert I meet is suffering from tourette's, it seems to be the standard comment. Maybe I am just a freak diabetic.
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If you've had LADA ruled out, then yes, he should have looked at your notes first!
 
Debzz_ said:
My mum keeps comparing my T2 to the days when her dad had it - apparently ' it's nothing ' ... argggg
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My mother in law is the same. She just 'takes the tablets and gets on with it". She's virtually blind, massively overwieght and has heart problems.
Ignore your mum and lok after yourself.x
 
Its cos all T2s are fat, dontcha know!

Although I would have expected an endocrinologist to know better, and to have a little more discretion.

Congratulations on maintaining your blood glucose at excellent levels, I wouldn't be able to do that without either drugs or low carbing, so it is brilliant if you can.

Just teensy comment though - low carbing does not automatically mean high fat, or high protein, or high cholesterol. There are many, many posters on the forum who low carb with normal protein intake and moderate fat, and for those who high fat, cholesterol levels and/or ratios often improve. But then, I guess we all have preconceptions
 
 
sunflower27 said:
No, Perhaps I should ask next time. I just find it worrying that even experts have preconcieved ideas.
Click to expand...

This is my 28th year as type 1, when I went to my diabetes appointment at my surgery, nurse said " Ah, you are type 2"
me........ no I'm not, nurse ............. says here you are 'late onset type 2' since 24th November 1992, me, no I haven't, that's wrong I think you are looking at someone else................. Apparently, my new GP, who I haven't even met, is an expert on diabetes
( according to the DSN) and also it's only children and young adolescents that get type 1, good god

No wonder you you are angry
 
@sunflower27

Yes, mine too.
I try really hard not to attend appointments with an expectation of hitting a brick wall, yet so often I come out nursing the frustration of banging into that wall hard.

So I feel your pain.
 
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Hi. yep. Angry frustrated and with an overactive thyroid. It's a dangerous combination. I share your pain x
 


well two comments, first high fat and high protein do not nessesarily get your cholesterol higher, as cholesterol is mainly produced by ones own body and not usually affected much from foods.. second do you get the amount daily of protein your body needs ? you need around 0.8 gram pro kg body weight so that a person of 50 kg would need at least 40 grams of protein daily , and that is essential , as the body needs added proteins every day to keep the body healthy to build the cells and muscles and bones and brain.. the body can not create all kinds of proteins , there are 9 essential kinds of proteins , all of them are in eggs.. 1 egg = 7 grams of protein
if one wants to gain muscles and do weight exercises to gain weight one needs more protein ... like 1 gram pro kg body weight.
when going low carb one does not nessesarily loose weight , some do but most can find a level where they do not keep loosing weight... many can just add a handfull nuts more daily and this way keep their weight, and in the low carbing style blood glucose is more leveled and in that way less damaging as the fluctuation in blood glucose is part of the damaging done by the higher blood glucose though not the only damaging aspect
 
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I can empathise with you @sunflower27 I was diagnosed with Graves disease about 25 years ago and lost 3 stone in weight without trying and felt constantly hungry despite consuming plenty of food. I remember feeling pretty crotchety too. I had a bg level of 33.3 when diagnosed with type 2 and have never been very much overweight, in fact I do not want to lose any more. Is your thyroid controlled now? it may be this that is causing the weight loss. I totally agree that the public perception is that type 2 diabetes is caused by being overweight and sedentary - but really an endo should know better or run tests if they suspect a different form of diabetes. Good luck and hope things improve for you soon.
 
I am actually interested to know what a type 2 should like.
Maybe some GP thinks the typical Type 2 looks like one that has given little dietary advice and this advice is almost always boilerplate and wrong, has told that must not check its own blood glucose level and is kept ignorant about the risks that the condition could generate, and of course having a specialist visit every two years.
 

Yes, this has been said to me numerous times.
 
Hi. Thanks for the info. I do eat plenty of good quality protein...chicken, oily fish, dairy, nuts etc. But I also eat carbs in a healthy quantity too...wholemeal bread, wholemeal pasta. basmati rice lots of fruit and veg. I was told to avod egg yolks so I generally only use whites...although this seems to be out dated advice now.
The point I was making about the Endocrinologists advice was that it was so bog standard tick box style without really reviewing my current diet. He also suggested that I try a gluten free diet, although there is no indication as yet that I have coeliacs, or indeed any wheat intolerance. He couldn't understand that all I did was return to my original pre diabetes weight by cutting calories for about 2 months ( I had suddenly put on about 10 kg over 6 months pre diagnosis) and my b/g reading were back within normal range. Perhaps he thought I am constantly calorie counting (I'm not) I just eat normally while avoiding added sugar - as everyone should. He actually mentioned the Atkins Diet which I believe does actually involve high fat and is designed to help you loose weight rapidly.
 
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