[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

davork

So... gave bloods this morning oh I was supposed to have known there were going to do a urine test too - but with my vast experience of getting blood tests done (this is the second - I think! I suspect they took some when my appendix was trying to escape!) I didnt know this!

As for the latter - apparently Beaumont send these standard letters out for appointments(!) Oh, apparently they dont do the glucose tolerence test anymore at Beaumont(!)

Anywho, I should hear from the Doc once the blood results get back to him - and I'll ask for the last Hba1c score as well as the one from this morning... heck it might have gone down :P

johnnie T2

Today for morning & lunch I went back to similar to what I had last week which was blue fulfill bar for breakfast & a burrito bowl for lunch. I was football training tonight so then had a tesco wrap & KitKat and a monster sugar/calorie free energy drink.

I had stopped eating by around 3:30pm and then had training until after 9. Just got home and tested 6 hours after eating and was 7.2 mmol/l! Find this odd that I’m so high when haven’t eaten in hours when I’d been 6 or below after eating & drinking all day At the weekend?? Feeling very bloated as well after training despite being ages since ate.

questionmark

johnnie T2 wrote: »

Today for morning & lunch I went back to similar to what I had last week which was blue fulfill bar for breakfast & a burrito bowl for lunch. I was football training tonight so then had a tesco wrap & KitKat and a monster sugar/calorie free energy drink.

I had stopped eating by around 3:30pm and then had training until after 9. Just got home and tested 6 hours after eating and was 7.2 mmol/l! Find this odd that I’m so high when haven’t eaten in hours when I’d been 6 or below after eating & drinking all day At the weekend?? Feeling very bloated as well after training despite being ages since ate.

How long after eating do you normally check ?

johnnie T2

questionmark wrote: »

How long after eating do you normally check ?

I only started checking end of last week but it was about an hour normally and was around 6.
But I was eating out and drinking beer on off all Saturday and stil was 6 when got home so a bit confused.

jimf

I seem to remember reading something about excess exercise has the ability to raise your blood sugar

something to do with the liver dumping excess glucose

not yet

jimf wrote: »

I seem to remember reading something about excess exercise has the ability to raise your blood sugar

something to do with the liver dumping excess glucose

When exercising if the body doesn't have enough Glucose the liver will flood the body with the stores it has, this is not a bad thing as you are then depleting the unwanted storage the liver holds.

questionmark

How long after eating and what you have eaten can effect your readings. Eg high fat food such as pizza might not reach its highest till 4 hours after eating , and high sugar like a glass of orange juice might reach its highest 20- 30 min after.
I normally test two hours after I eat a meal. If you give info about what you eat and how long after you tested people might be able to help more. It might also be good to do a test before you eat so you can see the complete picture of the effect of food. Eg blood sugar 4.5 before meal , 6.9 2hours after.

not yet

questionmark wrote: »

How long after eating and what you have eaten can effect your readings. Eg high fat food such as pizza might not reach its highest till 4 hours after eating , and high sugar like a glass of orange juice might reach its highest 20- 30 min after.
I normally test two hours after I eat a meal. If you give info about what you eat and how long after you tested people might be able to help more. It might also be good to do a test before you eat so you can see the complete picture of the effect of food. Eg blood sugar 4.5 before meal , 6.9 2hours after.

This in no way raises BG levels..

questionmark

Yes it dose , Fats empty from your stomach more slowly than carbohydrates and proteins. From the stomach it goes to the intestines, where it is then absorbed into the bloodstream.

not yet

questionmark wrote: »

Yes it dose , Fats empty from your stomach more slowly than carbohydrates and proteins. From the stomach it goes to the intestines, where it is then absorbed into the bloodstream.

I can tell you as fact, Butter, olive oil, animal fat, cheese, nuts etc do not have a huge impact on BG, Carbs and Sugar are the two main factors that raise BG..

Simply google fats and Blood Glucose and it will explain.

not yet

Fat has little and sometimes no effect on blood glucose levels. However, you should still be mindful of fatty foods because consuming too much fat is contributed to insulin resistance, which means cells aren't able to use insulin properly.

Taken from an on line diabetic site.

questionmark

not yet wrote: »

I can tell you as fact, Butter, olive oil, animal fat, cheese, nuts etc do not have a huge impact on BG, Carbs and Sugar are the two main factors that raise BG..

Simply google fats and Blood Glucose and it will explain.

That's because the food you have listed are not going to be eat in large quantities and their for don't make a high fat meal. I am talking about how long it takes the body to react to certain foods.
And foods such as pizza take long to have an effect on blood sugar, obviously it's the carbs in the food that creates the rise but the fat effects the time.

not yet

questionmark wrote: »

That's because the food you have listed are not going to be eat in large quantities and their for don't make a high fat meal. I am talking about how long it takes the body to react to certain foods.
And foods such as pizza take long to have an effect on blood sugar, obviously it's the carbs in the food that creates the rise but the fat effects the time.

So fat as a sole ingredient has little effect on BL, is that what your saying.

gctest50

not yet wrote: »

I can tell you as fact, Butter, olive oil, animal fat, cheese, nuts etc do not have a huge impact on BG, Carbs and Sugar are the two main factors that raise BG..

Simply google fats and Blood Glucose and it will explain.

Who needs to google when you've IDDM :pac:

not yet

gctest50 wrote: »

Who needs to google when you've IDDM :pac:

A diet low in carbs, moderate protein and 70% fat will control BG.

MrMacPhisto

not yet wrote: »

So fat as a sole ingredient has little effect on BL, is that what your saying.

I believe this be correct.

From my experience, when high fat is combined with carb, like pizza or creamy pasta dishes, the carb is broken down a lot slower. My BG is often in a good range 2-4 hours after meal but later in the evening or the next morning my BG would be high. I have started splitting my quick acting insulin to give longer coverage and increasing my overnight basal insulin to cover this when eating such meals.

questionmark

not yet wrote: »

So fat as a sole ingredient has little effect on BL, is that what your saying.

Yes if you had something that was 100 per cent fat and zero carbs it would have very little or no effect on BG. But if u had something high fat such as pizza , chips , burgers , Chinese ect it will have a delayed reaction in your bg , if you tested after 2hours of eating your reading might be fine but may rise hours later.

CramCycle

not yet wrote: »

Having had two readings 6 months apart of 7.2 my doc basically told me I was diabetic.

I cut out sugars, most carbs and had a reading of 6.2ish last time and down around 1.5 stone.

I didn't want to go on the register or start taking meds, simply because I was weary of filling out forms etc in the future. I got a box of strips and a meter from my dad and set about monitoring my bloods. I've since bought another couple of boxes and do my bloods at least twice a day (wife thinks I'm nuts) I have come to realise that a morning reading is not a true reflection of your BG due to the dawn effect. My BG ranges from 5.4 to 6.4 if I eat well and stay off carbs. It can go up to around 9.0 if I have a Indian with nan bread etc. I'm amazed how a couple of biscuits can shoot it up to 7.5ish.

The good thing seems to be it regulates itself after the spikes when I return to no sugar-low carb. I also find ACV really helps control the spikes..

You barely sound Diabetic, most non Diabetics I know have higher BG spikes 3ating those foods.

not yet wrote: »

This in no way raises BG levels..

You clearly don't eat pizza, it raises it slower but it will raise it significantly for a variety of reasons. Pizza is high fat and high carb in many cases.

As for the exercise comments, yep, high intensity exercise will raise BG levels. It's a trick I know other athletes use to treat a hypo.

johnnie T2

CramCycle wrote: »

As for the exercise comments, yep, high intensity exercise will raise BG levels. It's a trick I know other athletes use to treat a hypo.

I would be training a fair amount at high intensity, is it possible that this is causing the high HBA1C rating? you can hardly get diabetes from working out too much?

jimf

johnnie T2 wrote: »

I would be training a fair amount at high intensity, is it possible that this is causing the high HBA1C rating? you can hardly get diabetes from working out too much?

probably not your hba1c of 55 is suggestive of an average blood sugar level of over 8 over the previous 90 days but hey im no doctor or even on meds

davork

So got a call from the doc...

hga1c was 75 down from 100 just over three months ago

diabetic clinic appointment is in just over 2 weeks so we'll see what happens next

banie01

davork wrote: »

hga1c was 75 down from 100 just over three months ago

Well done on the improvement!
I hope that the downward trend continues for you and that you reap the benefits of improved BG control.

johnnie T2

I got the letter from Beaumont Public hospital on Friday - Endocrinology appointment is end of October with Dr. Smith! can I just keep this to be in public system while still attending the private appointment in august?

I am going to Podiatry appointment tomorrow - I don't know if its ideal given I know so little myself now about my condition, but im thinking good to get a peace of mind over my feet at least. I am back playing football so they are fairly battered from the hard ground.

banie01

johnnie T2 wrote: »

I got the letter from Beaumont Public hospital on Friday - Endocrinology appointment is end of October with Dr. Smith! can I just keep this to be in public system while still attending the private appointment in august?

Yes, keep the public appointment.
The public system really is the best place to access the care you need.
I say that as someone with private health insurance and plenty of experience of both public and private system.
The public Diabetes clinics are geared more and more towards integrated and holistic care with quick access to Eye and Renal services as well as other diabetic support services.

Attend the private appointment too, but as I advised you a while back unless you are having issues other than concern the private appointment is IMO at least a waste of money for the reassurance you are seeking.
Expect the appointment to be brisk, so have a list of questions you want to ask with you.

johnnie T2 wrote: »

I am going to Podiatry appointment tomorrow - I don't know if its ideal given I know so little myself now about my condition, but im thinking good to get a peace of mind over my feet at least. I am back playing football so they are fairly battered from the hard ground.

Your feet are primarily of concern in Diabetes as an early indicator of Neuropathic and Vascular damage.
Diabetes causes accumulation of crystalline debris that affects circulation in the smaller blood vessels 1st. To this end your pulse will be checked at a couple of points on your feet and a visual check for any signs of injury or poor healing and circulation.

For nueropathic damage the check is usually sensitivity and touch to see how your sense of touch in the feet is holding up.

As you mentioned earlier, you already have encountered an issue with a cut taking a long time to heal. That can be a few issues and all related to diabetes. In that poor circulation extends healing time and high blood glucose provides a very good environment for infection to grow.

johnnie T2

banie01 wrote: »

Yes, keep the public appointment.
The public system really is the best place to access the care you need.
I say that as someone with private health insurance and plenty of experience of both public and private system.
The public Diabetes clinics are geared more and more towards integrated and holistic care with quick access to Eye and Renal services as well as other diabetic support services.

Attend the private appointment too, but as I advised you a while back unless you are having issues other than concern the private appointment is IMO at least a waste of money for the reassurance you are seeking.
Expect the appointment to be brisk, so have a list of questions you want to ask with you.




Your feet are primarily of concern in Diabetes as an early indicator of Neuropathic and Vascular damage.
Diabetes causes accumulation of crystalline debris that affects circulation in the smaller blood vessels 1st. To this end your pulse will be checked at a couple of points on your feet and a visual check for any signs of injury or poor healing and circulation.

For nueropathic damage the check is usually sensitivity and touch to see how your sense of touch in the feet is holding up.

As you mentioned earlier, you already have encountered an issue with a cut taking a long time to heal. That can be a few issues and all related to diabetes. In that poor circulation extends healing time and high blood glucose provides a very good environment for infection to grow.

I have access to web doctor and they basically all said need more blood tests done etc to verify. I am expecting the private appointment to at least specify definitively what I have and what treatment to start with? and also wanted to start the testosterone therapy. will they be able to at least do this at appointment. I would be disappointed if its a load of vague answers like web doctor can currently give.

the cut was actually on my ankle and was possibly more scarring in nature, I have a sort of blister/hard skin on ball of my foot but this is from going back to running on hard ground I would have expected this anyway. but good to get the check done I suppose?
I am unsure if I am supposed to actively avoid foot trauma now as that would put into question if I should continue in contact sport?

banie01

johnnie T2 wrote: »

I have access to web doctor and they basically all said need more blood tests done etc to verify. I am expecting the private appointment to at least specify definitively what I have and what treatment to start with? and also wanted to start the testosterone therapy. will they be able to at least do this at appointment. I would be disappointed if its a load of vague answers like web doctor can currently give.

the cut was actually on my ankle and was possibly more scarring in nature, I have a sort of blister/hard skin on ball of my foot but this is from going back to running on hard ground I would have expected this anyway. but good to get the check done I suppose?
I am unsure if I am supposed to actively avoid foot trauma now as that would put into question if I should continue in contact sport?

Testosterone therapy is unfortunately notoriously difficult to access in Ireland.
That said the person best placed to advise on its neccessity is an Endo.
Testosterone range in the male population is hugely broad and no Doctor is going to look at a single range. They will take an holistic view and just be aware, you wanting a specific therapy does not mean you will be prescribed that specific therapy

As for the vague answers, well the Endo will only have access to the tests already carried out and will form a base view on that.
Even with actually diagnosing a specific "type" of diabetes you will very likely be initially treated as a T2 and run through the standard treatments until you get into a good control range.
If those treatments don't stabilize your BG, your treatment team may have extra tsts such as GAD, IAA or ICA to specify LADA or other variant of diabetes.

Unfortunately you are entering into a world where there are very few quick, immediate and correct answers.

Contact sport can be an issue, particularly if there is poor glyceamic control and you get cuts.
Football IMO has a very low risk of that.
I played fairly high level rugby for 10yrs post diagnosis and the only injuries that really caused my BG issues were broken bones which restricted my activity.
I never took the view that I should restrict training or participation to avoid issues, I was either fit to play or not fit.

johnnie T2

banie01 wrote: »

Testosterone therapy is unfortunately notoriously difficult to access in Ireland.
That said the person best placed to advise on its neccessity is an Endo.
Testosterone range in the male population is hugely broad and no Doctor is going to look at a single range. They will take an holistic view and just be aware, you wanting a specific therapy does not mean you will be prescribed that specific therapy

As for the vague answers, well the Endo will only have access to the tests already carried out and will form a base view on that.
Even with actually diagnosing a specific "type" of diabetes you will very likely be initially treated as a T2 and run through the standard treatments until you get into a good control range.
If those treatments don't stabilize your BG, your treatment team may have extra tsts such as GAD, IAA or ICA to specify LADA or other variant of diabetes.

Unfortunately you are entering into a world where there are very few quick, immediate and correct answers.

Contact sport can be an issue, particularly if there is poor glyceamic control and you get cuts.
Football IMO has a very low risk of that.
I played fairly high level rugby for 10yrs post diagnosis and the only injuries that really caused my BG issues were broken bones which restricted my activity.
I never took the view that I should restrict training or participation to avoid issues, I was either fit to play or not fit.

I'm unsure what you mean there as the reading appears to be chronically low? the GP almost said I could start receiving in GP but wanted to go to Endo first?
The letter for Beaumont said to go to the diabetic center beforehand to get fresh blood tests carried out - I assume I can still do this for the private appointment. From what you are saying there appears more of the same I will hear from the private appointment - the reason I want to pay for it is if there is something seriously wrong that may not be able to wait until October. do you think I am reading this incorrectly? I don't really want to waste €200 on this and €65 on foot doctor tomorrow.

I guess in terms of my feet I was just worried as saw here that any sores etc can potentially cause amputation which is alarming as playing on hard ground after a summer break etc they are bound to occur.

banie01

johnnie T2 wrote: »

I'm unsure what you mean there as the reading appears to be chronically low? the GP almost said I could start receiving in GP but wanted to go to Endo first?
The letter for Beaumont said to go to the diabetic center beforehand to get fresh blood tests carried out - I assume I can still do this for the private appointment. From what you are saying there appears more of the same I will hear from the private appointment - the reason I want to pay for it is if there is something seriously wrong that may not be able to wait until October. do you think I am reading this incorrectly? I don't really want to waste €200 on this and €65 on foot doctor tomorrow.

I guess in terms of my feet I was just worried as saw here that any sores etc can potentially cause amputation which is alarming as playing on hard ground after a summer break etc they are bound to occur.

Your health, your choice and you seem to have many questions that despite your multiple posts here and input from many contributers other than myself are not being answered to your satisfaction.

Best of luck with your appointments and your prognosis.

CramCycle

Its not a waste, it is 265euro for piece of mind which seems to be a large issue. Is 265euro worth it for increased piece of mind from now until October, only you can answer that.

Don't avoid sport if your a Diabetic, just look after yourself. An improvement in diet and increase in exercise maybe all you need. If your feet haven't had issues yet, will 3 months be the difference between an amputation or not, I doubt it, but that is your call to make. For now, keep them clean and look after them.

As for the testosterone level, is it causing any issues? As banie01 said, Testosterone levels are widely varied across the population, with some world class male athletes having theirs in the toilets and still being competitive. Not everyone is the same, hence why the GP refers you to a group who will be more knowledgeable and understanding. The GP was dead right not to start you on therapy before you were fully assessed by an expert.

jimf

you need to stay away from dr google he never qualified

you seem to be reading the horror stories of what long term uncontrolled diabetes can cause