given up

Now catherine 08220

I have been type 2 for the past 20 years and even now my health does get worse because my diabetes fluctuates from time to time.

At the moment I am a little worried myself as I have to go back for more test following a recent retinopathy test.

Now including my 2 diabetic medication I am also having to take a further 10 different prescriptions, so as I look at my diabetes I think it's the least of my worries.

You could do the same. Just ignore your diabetes (yes you have it), but follow medical advice/treatment and while you carry on with your day, you will find yourself a lot better because you have not let diabetes take over your life.

No what you mean Mark there are lots of things going on at the moment problems with my mental health issues memories that I didn't think where bad and are not helping with my consent high blood sugars.

All that I can suggest Catherine is think about what foods that you have eaten in the past where your sugar levels have dropped suddenly. As for myself it is Liquorice.

All that I am saying is think about the most recent event where you have had something to eat and suddenly your sugar levels dropped, then try that plan of attack.

but if that doesn't work then your gp will need to know.

It scares me

Hi Lovelane09

are you type 1 or 2 ?

on tablets or injection ?

or just diet control ?

If your only diet control, stick to it and you will be surprised how you can turn it around. But if you are on some kind of medication of any kind, stick to it. In the long run you will be glad you did.

so diabetes is not scary, but not taking care can have bad results

I'm on the cusp apparently just pre diabetic but only just pre so no meds I still need to find out what I should and shouldn't eat

Hi Lovelane09

All that you need to do is take on board to deal with this. With that in mind, if you are boarder line for diabetes they may want to run another test to confirm either way. If not, you may be diet and exercise and all you need to do is eat sensible and plenty of exercise and by the next test may work in your favour.

Remember diabetes is not scary, just what may happen, so be careful.

My diet is ok but I realise I need to take exercise and I will I don't want to get to the stage whereby I meed meds and if I have type 2 I will work to make sure I. Manage it as best I can.  Thank you

That is great to hear Lovelane09, I would like to take this time to wish you all the best and I know that you will overcome come this as you seem to be a good strong person.

Also if you ever need to talk, just go onto the discussion q/a and put your worries down and they will always find me.

Your humble servant

x

Thank you x

Mark is right. It is great that you know what to do, you can now focus on preventing and avoiding becoming a diabetic. Just because you are prediabetic it doesn't mean you will eventually become one, now is the time to become HEALTHY!

Apart from exercising, you should look into which diet is best for you and which is the most effective. I would gladly help you with that if you want?

Mu111 thank you, I've been advised by my diabetics nurse to look at diabetisuk uk website, she said it's very helpful but have not looked yet I dnt know how drastic a change I'll have to make in my diet or how much exercise I should take, my diet is I believe fairly good, don't do junk food, ping meals and rarely have processed food. I guess it would be easier if I did, I'd kmow to stop them , i guess it's harder when you have what I believe a healthy diet, I'm not really overweight by more than a few pounds either

 

All you need is a good healthy diet, plenty of fruit & veg, pasta, rice. But if your diet is as you describe it, then you are on the right tracks. So keep up the good work.

It can be hard to figure out what is going wrong or what you're doing wrong when you know/believe that you are doing everything you can right. Diabetes UK is the biggest supporter for diabetics in the UK and they do have many resources to help people. They have this section with tips for recipes you can do which is quite useful to be honest.

Reaching your ideal weight is a good sign to knowing you are reaching a healthy lifestyle but even then you can still be malnourished and not be as healthy as you think.

I'm 5lb overweight I don't take sugar in my tea but have half a spoon in coffee & have 4 cups a day. Should I stop taking sugar completely ? 

Do I stop eating cakes biscuits abd all sugary foods ? Alcohol ? I just don't know where to start. 

Hi there Lovelane09

I would cut out biscuits, cakes and sugary foods and replace with fruit, as fruit has their own natural sugars.

Alcohol is ok but you will need to limit yourself. But as for sugar in hot drinks, it is not recommended but it is down to your own preference. But be careful as your body can tend to store sugar as your body can't dispose of it like before.

Finally liquid intake, you will find that your intake will increase, but you will know what you are happy with in time.

Everything will become clear as time passes.

Everything in moderation is the order of business

I agree 100%

I worry as I thought I'd be the last person to get it, they say it's a lifestyle illness and I've always thought I was healthy

at what stage do ypu need meds and what do they do to help 

? I know I'm a bit paranoid at the mo but it's just how I feel

im scared I'll have to have a limb amputated and go blind within a few yrs

I in my opinion and my recommendation is to take out as much sugary foods out of your diet as possible. This does not include natural sugar like Mark said, for example in fruits. Refined sugar is harmful to everyone because it destroys our cells without us noticing, it does this in long term, the result of this: illnesses, premature aging and diseases such as obesity and diabetes. I mean our body is made up of cells, so by destroying them what good are we doing to ourselves, apart from a nice taste in our mouths.

And don't worry, you have realised that you need to make a change, which in your case is sooner better that later. This is a good sign!

mu111 you are 100% correct. As we know the more sugar we take in breaks down and what the body don't need it stores in the form of fat which is not good.

Without sounding prejudice ( which I apologize in advance) to my understanding is that if someone is over weight and diabetic and loses weight stands a good chance of beating diabetes.

I would be grateful if that I am wrong for someone to correct me and I will apologize for any error.

But as I said mu111 is quite correct in what was said.

Hi Lovelane,

When I was diagnosed as diabetic I was amazed at how many of the people I knew were also diabetic without my knowledge and none had amputations or were blind.

I only spoke to 1 person who had suffered TEMPORARY deterioration in vision as I had, and we had both returned to normal once our glucose levels were under control ( about 6 or 7 weeks later)

If you are diagnosed as diabetic your eyes and feet and kidney function are checked and you are given advice on diet etcand a glucose monitor to help you keep track of how you're doing..So stop panicking!!

In the meantime,give up the cakes and biscuits and sweets and chocolate.Give up or reduce the sugar in your tea and do everything else in moderation.

Don't forget,if you have to take medication,it's just pills.

My medications for hypertension have probably saved me from a stroke or worse for the past 20years.

Look up the Diabetes UK website as there's a lot of good info there.

And good luck.   

 

Whys this gone way off?:-(

What you mean ? Maybe bring it round to the way you want it then, you only have to say and I'm sure others will respond.   Hope ypur feeling a little stronger 

 

Sorry,I don't understand your message

Hi Catherine, I know we've started talking about other subjects in your thread. We really should have made a new thread to talk about this, but this is what forums are about discussing topics with each other, right?

I do hope you are better both emotionally and physically, did you think about the message I set you?

I wouldn't agree with the pasta and rice part. Starch in the form of pasta, rice, bread and potatoes quickly turns to sugar in the bloodstream.  Try googling 'DietDoctor' for the high fat and low carb way of eating HFLC.

 

Hi Lovelane, I also would have thought exactly the same thing until my dr told me I was prediabetic.A year earlier I had had a health check and they discovered high blood pressure. As i also had some arthritis in my knee I decided to alter my lifestyle [cut out salt and reduced my carb intake and took up walking every day in order to lose weight]. I wasn't quite overweight [BMI 23.9] but lost a lot of weight over several months [BMI now 19]. Then I discovered the HbA1c test done in the health check was on the prediabetic level and the dr said not to worry, he would do the test again and the changes I'd made would have sorted it out.  However the test came back at the same level at which point the dr said I was prediabetic and 'just to watch my diet, no medication until the numbers reach nearer to 50'. Not a real help but actuallty at this point diabetes is reversible. Once you reach the tipping point of 48 it is only controllable but not reversible. He also mentioned that his own grandfather was diabetic yet never had an ounce of fat on him and eventually needed medication. He lived to 95.

So prediabetes is an early warning not a death sentence!

So. Uch information but everyone seems to contradict dietary advice some say no sugar cakes biscuits but pasta and rice ok some say no pasta and rice I just don't know what advice to accept I don't want to live like a monk I want to enjoy life but want a balance

 

What actually is your prediabetic HbA1c level Lovelane?

Have you read 'Diet Doctor' on the web.  This is all about controlling diabetes by reducing carbs. My opinion is that you cannot do it without that control. Forget the NHS dietary advice - it is all wrong, totally outdated and hopeless for diabetics or prediabetics. Certainly cakes and biscuits are full of carbs and triglycerides but pasta and rice are also full of carbs and they make you FAT !

IMHO part of the reason for the obesity and diabetes epidemics we now have is the rubbish dietary advice dished out by people who should know better. Of course I realise there is no one single solutionr to the problem and this is just my opinion.

I don't have any figures, I was just told I'm pre diabetic I wasn't given ANY info re diet also, do I need a machine for measuring my blood sugar? 

In the meantime I'll look at diet doctor and check out the diabetis uk site too 

thanks for ypu help, I'm NOT overweight I don't eat rubbish and I'm not aware of any of my family had it so why is it happening to me?

Don't worry, it hasn't happened yet and if they haven't given you any figures to go by then why not ask. You can stop this disease in its tracks at this stage but you do need information. My dr said he would have the metformin ready for when my numbers reached close to 50 [?] and they will, he said. He seemed convinced of it. I thought 'No, you won't get me on pills if I can help it'  - I will have to wait and see how the A1c is at the end of the year.

I don't want to take meds either but the nurse said it almost inevitable I will be diabetic any time soon 

I would suggest minimising as much as possible sugars (refined/processed sugars) and carbohydrates of fast absorption. The more you can minimise these the better but it is upto you. You can stil have the occasional piece of cake or sugary treat but then you must know the effects it will have on you. Diabetes and many other diseases are the result of a disorder in the metabolism, in diabetics and prediabetics it can be hyperinsulinemia which affects the insulin levels. Even if your diabetes doctor says you are bound to become diabetic I personally think that is wrong, you can still get better again and live a long and healthy life

Nothing like the nurse being the doom monger is there?! I agree with all that Mu has said below plus reduce ALL your carbs. The mindset that we need carbohydrate for energy is being questioned. High fat, especially natural fat eg.butter cheese, cream etc is no longer being demonised and gives you energy. Protein makes you feel fuller for longer. Some of the high carb diets don't work as they just give you a quick fix then the hunger kicks in again and it all becomes a viscous circle.  Apart from being prediabetic are you also overweight? You may have already mentioned this but I may have missed it.

Jane that's it I'm mo more than 4 or 5 lbs overweight 

 

Yes Jane! carbohydrates do create a vicious circle damaging the cells in your body, this includes the damaged pancreas diabetics have meaning blood sugar levels cannot be controlled properly. These types of carbohydrates can actually become addicting to people without them realising. All of this because the cells are in need of "fuel" and they tend to intake the carbohydrates as they don't have the right nutrients that they actually need to work properly.