Hi Sharon

I am Sharon, 46 Married to Chris with Jamie my 8 year old son. I have T2 and have had for 2 years, controlled by Metformin, and I take statins. I am at the moment in diabetic denial, eating what I shouldn't but my bloods are showing OK so is the Hbac. When I eat alot of what I shouldn't I don't test my blood. I am resentful at times of having Diabetes. I haven't got into the embracing the positive mindset yet. When first diagnosed I stopped all sugar etc as told by one GP, going from one extreme to the other and then my health centre's diabetic Dr said I could eat what I want but in moderation, so I do watch what I eat and plump for the salads at home but it is hard when the rest of the family eat normally (by normal I mean sweet things). I do adapt recipes and hardly bake anymore but I feel guilty when I do. It is like dieting, being told you can't eat a certain thing makes you crave it. Just the same. Not having anyone else in my family who has it nor any friends makes you feel slightly the outcast. I have never had a hyper of hypo but I made myself start one and let my blood sugar drop very low one day to see what my own body signs of one were and what it felt like so I became aware should I have one in future. ( I wasn't alone). I am not encouraged by my GP to test my blood as in his opinion it doesn't help. It was invaluable to me when first diagnosed and when I am ill as you feel different when you are ill and when you have eaten something. If I felt different I tested my blood, if I ate something and felt strange, I tested my blood to see the reaction. Now if I feel I have a 'hollow' belly as opposed to a hungry belly I know what my blood sugar is and what I need to do, and if I have the little adrenalin like rushes I know what is going on. You have to learn yourself and find out about your body as everyone is different. I have had a fight on with my GP and he has reluctantly kept my test strips on a repeat presecripton as he wanted to stop them for T2 patients.

The thing that really shocked me about having diabetes is the knock on effect of various things. ie Insurance. Try getting medical or life insurance, they want to double the monthly payments then take half of payout at the end of the policy. Car insurance rises too. I am not aware that it is compulsory to let the DVLA know that you are T2 as it is with T1. Information is not forthcoming from the medical profession you are told not to take anynotice of websites offering cures or things to help. You have it and that it is. I have done alot of research and know I have to sort my diabetes mental block out otherwise I am storing up trouble for the future.

On a positive you get free prescriptions, I have my feet done at the podiatrists free every few months, my eyes tested evey 6 months and an annual check up.

I feel alot better now I have got that off my chest. Thank you and hope this proves to be a worthwhile site for other diabetics. Well done.

Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I've just spent 20 minutes writing a reply and it didn't post it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Going off to sulk!

Right, lets try again. Thanks for your message, Sharon, it's great that you've come over here. I hope this board becomes really popular.

A couple of the things you posted made me nod my head... especially "It is like dieting, being told you can't eat a certain thing makes you crave it." - OH YEAH!!! I know that feeling! And... "You have to learn yourself and find out about your body as everyone is different". I agree wholeheartedly with this - we are all different and react in diverse ways to various things. I think it's really important that, as diabetics, we concentrate on how we react to foods/exercise, etc and not try to see what happens to other people. I have been good and bad in the last 2 weeks - and I've kept a diary so that I can see what I can "get away" with and what I cannot. I have changed my diet hugely and am exercising much more. I hope these changes help, but I am NOT going to give up everything, otherwise my life will not be worth living.

I believe the NHS haven't decided on what is going to be happening with test strips for T2's - but I hope they can see that each diabetic is different and treat us as individuals. The key is to try to encourage people to live a life that will ultimately be the best possible for that individual.

The mind-set is a hugely important factor, though and I don't feel that it's being concentrated on enough. It is NOT enough to just tell people what they can and cannot eat and expect them to cope with the feelings a positive diagnosis has on them. I feel terrible about it but it comes in waves and I sometimes feel very very down about it - yesterday morning I was crying so much, I didn't think I'd get to work (but I did).

I hope this place can have a positive effect on people's lives if only for an outlet for the feelings we have about diabetes.

Sharon
About contacting the DVLA about your T2, by law all drivers must inform the DVLA if they are treated with insulin. All drivers with diabetes, regardless of treatment, must inform DVAL if they develop any relevant complications (decrease in blood glucose control, deterioration in eyesight, for example). DVLA medical standards are published on their website: http://www.dvla.gov.uk/medical/ataglance.aspx

(Help with this response taken from Balance Magazine!!)

Hope this helps.

Hi Sharon.

The only advice I can offer, is to find something completely harmless that you can get hooked on and gorge on that instead !

I was told, 30 years ago, that I shouldn't eat sugary things. At 13, giving up sweets and cakes is not really an option, so I used to include them in my diet, which was fairly strict then. Since I didn't seem to suffer for it, I've carried on doing so. We eat a lot of 'stodge' ie potatoes, rice, pasta, etc which is obviously slow to absorb through the stomach so I eat small portions of cake or a small handful of sweets as a 'reward'. It's not easy to turn down the second slice, but at least you know you haven't given anything up completely. I'd rather have a smear of jam than none at all.

Obviously, if this contradicts with what your doctor tells you, then it may not work for you, but I think, psychologically, you need something to make up for what you can't have. Maybe even a luxurious brand of tea could give you a boost when you're down. DiabetesUK are pretty good at advising on the personal side now.

Rob

Rob, I'd read that "we" could eat anything in moderation, but what can we gorge on?!!! Please don't tell me it's oats or something....!!!