@ Kelly

I had my check up with the Diabetic clinic practice nurse yesterday and it looks like I am doing okay. My HBA1-C test last time, a month after being put on Metformin, was 49 which is an average of 6.5. I discussed my diet and the nurse was very pleased with the way I had adjusted to the sugar and carb reductions she recommended last time.

One thing that might be of interest is that after fasting from 6pm the night before I took a glucose reading and it showed 8.5. She explained that the liver stores glycogen, especially in sporty people, and it will release this as needed to get the body going after sleep so often there will be elevated levels first thing. She advised not to use the self test as they are not good for Type 2 as it is the average over three months that is important and the HBA1C is the most reliable indicator of how things are going.

I felt a bit relieved after this and now I will see my doctor in a couple of weeks to see how my latest blood test went. Perhaps I can get him to look at my Dupuytrens finger at the same time.

DWD

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Well done on those results

Your D2 advisor at least seems to know what they are talking about - many of the issues Mrs k_e went through were as a direct result of poor advice from the people that are supposed to know better....

Jo now only uses her home meter to check the 'trend' - she tends to ignore what resdings it produces are these bear no relationship to the 'pro' measurments taken at her appointments.

Great to hear of positive progress though.

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sent from my laptop using my fingers - because we REALLY need to know where it's come from.....

My stepson was type 2 diabetes diagnosed many years ago. Never really managed to control it and a few years ago lost half his right foot to the condition. I tried to tell him, time and time again, that he really should listen to the diabetes nurse and follow her advice. His idea of controlling his diabetes, was to do his blood /sugar test,, dial in the necessary amount of insulin on his injector, then eat as much crap as he could for the next hour. I asked him why he did this and his reply was "It's to counteract the insulin I've just put in. Tried many times to explain to him that there's differing types of insulin. Some longer lasting than others (Actrapid. Lantus, Levemir etc) He never took one bit of notice and continued like this .. Last November the 5th, he'd stayed at his sisters house overnight, with his son.. My daughter in law got up at 8:40 in the morning and found him dead, his son curled up next to him on the sofa. I'd been on nightshift and was just getting ready to go to bed, when we got the fateful phonecall from her about quarter to nine. Missus was heartbroken and just kept telling me to put the kettle on. I simple hugged her and told her to get her coat on. Arriving at her daughters 10 minutes later was heart rending. Got the grandson out of the room quickly and dressed and off to one of the neighbours. Waited for the police and emergency services. They arrived and did their stuff. A few hours later the undertakers arrived to remove her son to the hospital morgue..

Absolute nightmare, I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. He had a post mortem on the Monday which was inconclusive, but nothing suspicious. Got an interim death certificate a few days later, so at least we could organise a funeral. Service was on the 24th of November at the local crematorium. Finally got the results from the Coroners court in late February. A combination of the diabetes, a heart condition and CAP (community acquired pneumonia) was the cause.
Still not got over it (don't suppose you ever do).. I think in my line of work though, I do see death now and again (HCA in a local hospital) and am more professional in my approach to death. (I'm and End of Life colleague on our ward)
Her lad's still with us ( at least his cremated remains are) Just waiting till we can go and place him in his fathers grave. Even there, there's problems. My wife has paid for a double plot, so she can be buried there when her time comes. According to the deeds for the plot, she's allowed 2 burials, and up to 8 cremated remains to be buried there... Of course there's a catch though. She's got to be buried there before any cremated remains can be placed in the grave. Looks like doing this surreptitiously so the council don't know.
Sorry to bring something so sad to this thread, but I'm just trying to show what diabetes can do to a person/ family ,,,, and if it makes just one diabetic sit up and take notice, then that's got to be a good thing.

Kind Regards lads.

JJ

Thank you for sharing that story John, it is very sad and perhaps it might have been avoidable if he had been more careful.

I think that is one of the reasons I talk of it on here because if both my and Kelly's wife's experiences help someone else on here then it is a good thing. It is more common these days and you read a lot more about it. The trouble with Type 2 diabetes is that is a silent killer and you have to do your bit and modify your lifestyle as well as take your meds. This abuse of insulin is quite common as Mrs D had a colleague at work who she recognised was diabetic as he was drinking loads of water and was very tired all the time. After badgering him he finally went to the Doctors and was diagnosed with Type 1. He used to top up on insulin so he could have eating binges and he is probably going the way as in the sad case above now but she no longer is in touch with him.

I am a bit paranoid about this as I have tried to keep myself fit all my life and I still have copped for it but I have to accept it and just get on with it as best I can.

So make sure you look after yourself and if in doubt get some urine test sticks which will show if you have sugar in your wee. If there is see your Doctor and follow the guidance given. You will probably never feel ill but the damage is being done and you just do not know it.

DWD

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I echo DWDs sentiments in this too - a tragic but very poignant example of how bad things can get if you don't treat the subject with the attention it deserves.

It's by no means a fatal illness for anyone - providing you are aware of the problem and the specific issues that lead to degeneration and are prepared to do something about it you can make a difference.

I don't want to disillusion anyone about the methods Mrs k_e used to reduce her symptoms as the technique, whilst widely adopted by many and with good result, doesn't work for everyone. But the over riding fact that losing weight and increasing exercise can only be GOOD for you regardless of how it deals with T2D (or T1 for that matter) is something to be taken on board.

Your description of how 'bad' it became was a tragic example of the way many become complacent of their health - you have my sympathies and condolences John.

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You can say that again.

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Take it easy, a forum is only a collection of opinions. Above, are mine.

Which is correct? Metre or Meter? Click the link. to find out more.

No such thing as "Thou shalt put this wire here, Thou shalt put that wire there" .............Take a picture BEFORE you do the job.

If gloom had a voice, it would be me.

How to post a picture on this forum Click here

My condolences too joinerjohn.

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Take it easy, a forum is only a collection of opinions. Above, are mine.

Which is correct? Metre or Meter? Click the link. to find out more.

No such thing as "Thou shalt put this wire here, Thou shalt put that wire there" .............Take a picture BEFORE you do the job.

If gloom had a voice, it would be me.

How to post a picture on this forum Click here

.. the over riding fact that losing weight and increasing exercise can only be GOOD for you regardless of how it deals with T2D (or T1 for that matter) is something to be taken on board.

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sent from my laptop using my fingers - because we REALLY need to know where it's come from.....

Well done on those results dwd! My wife is a nurse and is amazed by just how many patients lose feet,legs and eventually die due to not taking diabetes seriously.

Thank you all so much from both me and my wife.

Went to the Doctors this morning to review the blood tests taken when I saw the nurse a couple of weeks ago. I am pleased that my HBA1-c is now 48 a little bit lower and my blood sugar on the day was 6.5 so I was bang on my target. My cholesterol was a bit high at 5.6 as now I am 'at risk' through Type 2 it should be around 4. The Doctor said that my statin should be increased so I had to 'fess up that I was not taking it. I promised to work on my food fat content so we will see.

So apart from a miserable diet it is all looking quite good now.

DWD

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Yeah.... statins....... hmmmmm.

Both me and Mrs k_e have been told to take them. We've both refused. At Jo's last T2 meeting she was told her cholesterol was 'too high' but she replied with 'I'm a 50 year old woman, what do you expect?' - and they had no answer! The reading aside, she's more than willing to try to reduce it by conventional methods such as porridge (!) and more exercise which she freely admits is lacking.

The benefits (so called) aren't great enough for us to consider taking statins on a permanent basis - for permanent they are - so if we ever did consider doing so it would be for a lot more reasons than just the doctors simple 'insistence'. Somehow (and judging by some of the answers we've had in the past about our health) we reckon there's an ulterior motive to being pressed on the subject so will bide our time.

But great readings on the HBa-1C DWD All pointed in the right direction!

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sent from my laptop using my fingers - because we REALLY need to know where it's come from.....

My uncle was 6' 8" and an ex guardsman. He was a diabetic but still drank, smoked etc. Unsurprisingly he died early just shortly after losing a leg to diabetes. I was one who carried him in to the church. Before we lifted him from the hearse my uncle whispered to me

I hope I've got the side where his legs missing (referring to the weight of the coffin)

Not exactly the time and place to go into a fit of giggles