[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

Buford T. Justice XIX

DanielODonnell wrote: »

I am 24 and am 90% sure I have diabetes, it would have been caused by living a poor lifestyle and gaining weight over the past 5 years with university, etc. I am going to get tested in the next couple of weeks.

Does this mean I have confined myself to a lifetime of misery? could I end up dying at 50 even if I lose weight and look after myself? It will be a hard thing to get your head around at 24. My mother talks about diabetes like it is cancer, she tells stories about how her aunt lost her foot during the last years of her life.

It's grand.

Diagnosed 24 years next month and no bits have fallen off yet:p

Just eat properly and get plenty of exercise, ie a normal healthy balanced lifestyle and you'll be grand.

Just a bit of work and thought about what you're about to eat and how much is all the extra work involved really.

I reckon I'll live longer as a diabetic because of improved lifestyle than before I was diagnosed.

Go and get checked and go from there and if you are diabetic, call back and get some advise on management:)

CramCycle

DanielODonnell wrote: »

I am 24 and am 90% sure I have diabetes, it would have been caused by living a poor lifestyle and gaining weight over the past 5 years with university, etc. I am going to get tested in the next couple of weeks.

It is unlikely, if it is, its early onset type 2. Completely reversible in many cases (not all). Get excercising, eat better, find someone to slap you in the face everytime it gets tough for the first while (long while) as it will be tough.

There could be several reasons for the weight gain and (presumably lethargy), Diabetes is only one and at your age, not the most likely.

Does this mean I have confined myself to a lifetime of misery? could I end up dying at 50 even if I lose weight and look after myself? It will be a hard thing to get your head around at 24. My mother talks about diabetes like it is cancer, she tells stories about how her aunt lost her foot during the last years of her life.

No lifetime of misery, in fact, for myself, diabetes has probably guaranteed me a longer and healthier life,a si would have done nothing to help myself without it.

Limb loss is at the extreme, increasingly rare and with any attempt to look after yourself, increasingly unlikely. you will not die any younger if you do look after yourself. Your aunts limb loss may or may not have been diabetes related but most certainly more related to the time she lived in and the treatment available, and potentially her own attitude with people telling her she was not going to do well.

DanielODonnell

I used to work with a man aged around 44 with type 2 diabetes, he is still overweight but not as overweight as he was in the past, he still eats a very bad diet and says his doctors are pumping more tablets into him every time he goes. He doesn't seem to be dying so if you looked after yourself your life would be near enough normal.

I was always interested in fitness and bodybuilding around 5-6 years ago so if I have diabetes it could end up being a good thing and I can start back trying to reach those goals.

My symptoms are eye blurriness, dizziness sometimes and my urine colour is often very strong.

There is another thing, over the last 7 years I have always had a dry mouth and always keep a bottle of water to hand, this was the case even when I was a healthy weight so I wouldn't be sure if it had anything to do with diabetes.

Buford T. Justice XIX

DanielODonnell wrote: »

I used to work with a man aged around 44 with type 2 diabetes, he is still overweight but not as overweight as he was in the past, he still eats a very bad diet and says his doctors are pumping more tablets into him every time he goes. He doesn't seem to be dying so if you looked after yourself your life would be near enough normal.

I was always interested in fitness and bodybuilding around 5-6 years ago so if I have diabetes it could end up being a good thing and I can start back trying to reach those goals.

My symptoms are eye blurriness, dizziness sometimes and my urine colour is often very strong.

There is another thing, over the last 7 years I have always had a dry mouth and always keep a bottle of water to hand, this was the case even when I was a healthy weight so I wouldn't be sure if it had anything to do with diabetes.

The most important thing is to go to a doctor and get tested as soon as possible.

There are a few conditions that can cause similar symptoms so it's best to seek a professional to diagnose what you may have.

It's good that you're aware of the dangers and you can look at it as an early warning to look after yourself better.

CramCycle

DanielODonnell wrote: »

I used to work with a man aged around 44 with type 2 diabetes, he is still overweight but not as overweight as he was in the past, he still eats a very bad diet and says his doctors are pumping more tablets into him every time he goes. He doesn't seem to be dying so if you looked after yourself your life would be near enough normal.

Even without Diabetes, he probably wouldn't be in great shape after awhile.

As Buford says, get tested and a doctors opinion.

uli84

Has anyone passed their driving licence test recently? For how long they are giving the licences in case of diabetes? Thanks!

Buford T. Justice XIX

uli84 wrote: »

Has anyone passed their driving licence test recently? For how long they are giving the licences in case of diabetes? Thanks!

10 year licence, third since diagnosis 24 years ago.

Once you have informed them of having diabetes and your bloods are under control, I don't think they have anymore to do with it?

Oh, and test your blood before driving, you're not insured if your blood is under 5, iirc.

pew

Guys has anyone ever had problems with their diabetes due to stress?

CramCycle

pew wrote: »

Guys has anyone ever had problems with their diabetes due to stress?

Yes, I think the general rule of thumb is that higher than usual stress levels lead to higher BG levels. I was unusual in that times of high stress would cause me to have severe hypos but any other Diabetic I have talked to seems to suffer high and uncontrollable BG levels while their stress levels are higher.

pew

CramCycle wrote: »

Yes, I think the general rule of thumb is that higher than usual stress levels lead to higher BG levels. I was unusual in that times of high stress would cause me to have severe hypos but any other Diabetic I have talked to seems to suffer high and uncontrollable BG levels while their stress levels are higher.

My stress levels are through the roof and have. Been the past few months. My bg levels are not in control and have lead to other illnesses.

uli84

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

10 year licence, third since diagnosis 24 years ago.

Once you have informed them of having diabetes and your bloods are under control, I don't think they have anymore to do with it?

Oh, and test your blood before driving, you're not insured if your blood is under 5, iirc.

Where is your GP? I went locally and he only gave me for 3 years willing to pay again to get it for 10 years

Buford T. Justice XIX

uli84 wrote: »

Where is your GP? I went locally and he only gave me for 3 years willing to pay again to get it for 10 years

Kerry.

Afaik, all the diabetics I know have a 10 year licence.

uli84

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Kerry.

Afaik, all the diabetics I know have a 10 year licence.

Must be my bad luck, in fairness there is some bullsh*t in the ndls book about 3 years for diabetics but when i had the form done in the hospital twice previous times i also got 10 years.

Ah well, maybe NDLS will still give me for 10 years....

Xofpod

Anybody here have experience of haemochromatosis? I'm waiting on the screener to come back but seems a likely diagnosis at this point

Buford T. Justice XIX

Xofpod wrote: »

Anybody here have experience of haemochromatosis? I'm waiting on the screener to come back but seems a likely diagnosis at this point

Two lads that I work with have had diabetes diagnosed and haemochromatosis diagnosed later in the year.

Both are doing fine, btw.

Xofpod

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Two lads that I work with have had diabetes diagnosed and haemochromatosis diagnosed later in the year.

Both are doing fine, btw.

Diabetes fine and under control but the prospect of being bled to treat the haemochromatosis seems medieval. Bring on the leeches....

Buford T. Justice XIX

Xofpod wrote: »

Diabetes fine and under control but the prospect of being bled to treat the haemochromatosis seems medieval. Bring on the leeches....

I find it's better to focus on the positives. There are plans afoot to use your and other sufferers blood to help shortages in donated blood supplies, but I think it's confined to non diabetics now that I think about it:(

pew

Got results from my HBA1C (first time in nearly 2 years getting it done)

8.3 it's high but I was expecting ot to be higher I've been treating my body like a landfill the past while.

But I'm copping on and want it lower next time.

uli84

So today my CGM medtronic pump was showing 3.6 while the actual sugar was 12.2 - how is it even possible...

LemonAid

uli84 wrote: »

So today my CGM medtronic pump was showing 3.6 while the actual sugar was 12.2 - how is it even possible...

If you think that's bad, I tested on my BGM and got LO - then 10.4 - then 5.6 - then 7.1! All scans one after the other.

Buford T. Justice XIX

LemonAid wrote: »

If you think that's bad, I tested on my BGM and got LO - then 10.4 - then 5.6 - then 7.1! All scans one after the other.

I had a blood reading of 26 then 23 then 19 then 14 then 11 then 9 and 9 again. All in the space of about 10 minutes.

It's mad, Ted.

Snake Plisken

Xofpod wrote: »

Anybody here have experience of haemochromatosis? I'm waiting on the screener to come back but seems a likely diagnosis at this point

Both my parents were carriers of the gene and both myself and my brother have haemachromatosis, my brother has to get blood removed once a month they take it at the blood donation clinics as its rich in Iron. Me I don't yet have to get it taken as for some reason the iron levels are near normal although when I am giving bloods two weeks prior to attending the diabetic clinic they tak a sample to test the iron levels. As I got diabetics in my early thirties I think the haemachromatosis played a part possibly damaging my pancreas over time. I think any Irish people should get checked as its known as the Celtic desease!

uli84

LemonAid wrote: »

If you think that's bad, I tested on my BGM and got LO - then 10.4 - then 5.6 - then 7.1! All scans one after the other.

How they get that stuff into the market

jano1

Aeternum wrote: »

Got my HBa1C down from just over 10% at the start of March to 7.7% two weeks ago. Delighted and thought I was heading in the right direction but yesterday the endo has asked me to run my bloods a bit on the high side (fasting BS of 8-9 and post meal of 9-10) for 8 weeks to try and re establish hypo awareness as I've stopped being able to recognise when I'm having one. A bit gutted as I know it's going to cause the hba1c to rise again after all the hard work I've put in. Has anyone else ever been asked to do this? I haven't come across it before but doctors must know best!:)

Also found out my hospital has started running the DAFNE course so I'm doing it in July!

Aeternum, can you tell me please where the DAFNE course is being run? Is there a long waiting list do you know? Thanks

graflynn

uli84 wrote: »

So today my CGM medtronic pump was showing 3.6 while the actual sugar was 12.2 - how is it even possible...

Just like your blood glucose meter, CGM's are not 100% accurate!

graflynn

jano1 wrote: »

Aeternum, can you tell me please where the DAFNE course is being run? Is there a long waiting list do you know? Thanks

http://www.dafne.uk.com/all-courses.html

There is also a similar course called BERGER in Cork and I think there's one other clinic that runs something by a different name.

uli84

graflynn wrote: »

Just like your blood glucose meter, CGM's are not 100% accurate!

Oh man, that's tough, so it was neither 3.6 nor 12.2, hope some breakthrough is coming soon...

On a different topic-does anyone knows which hospitals outside Dublin (within 50-100km radius) have pump clinics?
Thanks!

cocker5

graflynn wrote: »

Just like your blood glucose meter, CGM's are not 100% accurate!

Plus please note the CGM doesnt test your blood it tests the instraterial Fluid (spelling?) so there will be a lag... there are many reasons they can different but such an amount usually...

The area where the CGM is placed isnt a good area of your body - some place are far better than other for getting accurate readings.

Sensor could be faulty (It happens) I have heard the Medtronic arent as accruate as others

Transmitter could be faulty

Your testing strips could be dirty

Dirt of your finger where you pricked

cocker5

uli84 wrote: »

Oh man, that's tough, so it was neither 3.6 nor 12.2, hope some breakthrough is coming soon...

On a different topic-does anyone knows which hospitals outside Dublin (within 50-100km radius) have pump clinics?
Thanks!

did you not test again? and leave it 10 minutes and test again?

if in doubt test and test again...

Aeternum

jano1 wrote: »

Aeternum, can you tell me please where the DAFNE course is being run? Is there a long waiting list do you know? Thanks

I'm doing it in Mayo! I don't know if there's a long waiting list they mentioned it to me at my check up a few months ago and I got straight into the first course being run so I'm not sure if there's much interest locally. I know they ran another course before this I think it was called expert so they might be trying to get people who haven't done any course before