[Diabetes] General Chat and Support Thread

tbh

my mate was offered a transfer to a job in Australia, he was discussing it with his specialist who told him to really concentrate on getting his levels down, as the Aus. immigration would be looking for a report from him and his last Hb1AC result. He proceeded with the application, HBA1C was reasonably good (not CathyMoran good but not terrible) and the specialist wrote a letter which basically said "he has good control, hasn't had any complications, and no signs of any" and he got the visa.

I've heard from an Aussie nurse that the rule of thumb is, if treatment will cost them (aus, mind you, dunno about NZ) $25K+ over four years, you won't get in, otherwise, you're good to go, assuming everything else checks out.

robinph

I was vaguely looking at the idea of getting an NZ residency visa a few years ago and what tbh said would fit in with the impression I got of the restrictions for NZ as well. I think there may have been something with an age cut off as well, such that a diabetic under the age of X would be OK because they assume they will make enough from taxing your employment over the year to cover costs, once you are over a certain age then not a chance as your not bringing them any benefit over your working life.

If you've already got a job sorted though and they are happy with you then that should work in your favour for getting a visa, they (the country) are just concerned about what cost we'd be to their health system which is fair enough. If you have a job then you are worth something to the economy so it's in their interest to let you in I'd have thought.

Royal Legend

Are there any type 2's on here that have tried the Newcastle diet?

I am thinking up the courage to try it. I have been pretty good lately. I either eat porrige for breakfast and lunch during the week and have a dinner in the early evening, I have switched porrige for slimfast for the last week. As well as this I walk about 10k every evening after my dinner, at a brisk pace, it usually takes less than 1 hour 40m. I think it is making a difference, before I started this regime I had lost about 3-4 stone since being diagnosed, mainly by cutting our rubbish, although I used to skip testing over weekends, so as I could indulge in something bad for me I felt that for the last few weeks I was slipping so I gave it a bit of a push. I built upto 10k walks and have now done 6 days in a row. Hopefully I can keep it going, I might need to give the legs a couple of days rest pretty soon. I only test my bloods in the evening before I have my dinner, reading is usually betweee 4.1 and 5.1, has been 4.1/4.3 for the last few days.

CramCycle

Royal Legend wrote: »

Are there any type 2's on here that have tried the Newcastle diet?

I am thinking up the courage to try it. I have been pretty good lately. I either eat porrige for breakfast and lunch during the week and have a dinner in the early evening, I have switched porrige for slimfast for the last week. As well as this I walk about 10k every evening after my dinner, at a brisk pace, it usually takes less than 1 hour 40m. I think it is making a difference, before I started this regime I had lost about 3-4 stone since being diagnosed, mainly by cutting our rubbish, although I used to skip testing over weekends, so as I could indulge in something bad for me I felt that for the last few weeks I was slipping so I gave it a bit of a push. I built upto 10k walks and have now done 6 days in a row. Hopefully I can keep it going, I might need to give the legs a couple of days rest pretty soon. I only test my bloods in the evening before I have my dinner, reading is usually betweee 4.1 and 5.1, has been 4.1/4.3 for the last few days.

Any reason you are considering it? sounds like you are making a great inroads with the system you have. Is it just to change it up a bit and keep it interesting or do you have a specific goal you don't think your current regime can meet?
Your bloods look great (in the evening), do you ever do spot checks at any other times of the day, just to get a picture if they are that good all the time, giving a guess I imagine so, well done with keeping up the exercise 6 days a week, I have been struggling to get out myself recently.

Royal Legend

CramCycle wrote: »

Any reason you are considering it? sounds like you are making a great inroads with the system you have. Is it just to change it up a bit and keep it interesting or do you have a specific goal you don't think your current regime can meet?
Your bloods look great (in the evening), do you ever do spot checks at any other times of the day, just to get a picture if they are that good all the time, giving a guess I imagine so, well done with keeping up the exercise 6 days a week, I have been struggling to get out myself recently.

Early morning they could be around 6.5/7.5, I dont check it enough at other times. When I was good, my bloods in the evening never went above 8, tht was 2 hours after eating. I take 500mg Glucopharge twice a day, 10am and usually around 6pm, plus I take a chlorestoral tablet around 6pm as well

I have it in my head that possibly that i could beat this, maybe its pie in the sky, but the Newcastle diet does look like it may give people an opportunity to beat type 2. I am not sure that I would have the determination to follow the diet for 2 month. One thing that I do notice is that I dont get hypo's as far as I can figure out. If anything, when I exercise, I get stronger the longer it goes on. Fairly knackered for a few hours afterwards though

liliq

Hi all,

Just a question- is there another measurement that's used instead of Hba1c?

My partner got his bloods done a couple of weeks ago, and the GP rang with the result yesterday saying there is a new system being used since either the start of this month or last month, but he didn't catch the unit the GP mentioned so has no idea what his result is, except that the GP said it's a bit high at 71. (And it definitely wasn't 7.1 he says!)

Thanks in advance!

graflynn

liliq wrote: »

Hi all,

Just a question- is there another measurement that's used instead of Hba1c?

My partner got his bloods done a couple of weeks ago, and the GP rang with the result yesterday saying there is a new system being used since either the start of this month or last month, but he didn't catch the unit the GP mentioned so has no idea what his result is, except that the GP said it's a bit high at 71. (And it definitely wasn't 7.1 he says!)

Thanks in advance!

Yes. 71 would be just under 9% in the old measurement. More info here
http://hse.ie/eng/services/Publications/topics/Diabetes/HbA1c%20Information%20Leaflet%20for%20people%20with%20Diabetes.pdf

johnkenn

I would appreciate any advice here on what i need to do. I lost my job just because I was diagnosis with type 1 diabetes.Just because i requested my Manager to adjust my shift so i could be taking my insulin,only for him to tell me that he can not guaranty me job anymore that my 3 months contract i signed have expired. I worked 5 days after the expiration of my contract before i got sick.

robinph

johnkenn wrote: »

I would appreciate any advice here on what i need to do. I lost my job just because I was diagnosis with type 1 diabetes.Just because i requested my Manager to adjust my shift so i could be taking my insulin,only for him to tell me that he can not guaranty me job anymore that my 3 months contract i signed have expired. I worked 5 days after the expiration of my contract before i got sick.

I have moved your post to the Work & Jobs forum:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79842905#post79842905

graflynn

johnkenn wrote: »

I would appreciate any advice here on what i need to do. I lost my job just because I was diagnosis with type 1 diabetes.Just because i requested my Manager to adjust my shift so i could be taking my insulin,only for him to tell me that he can not guaranty me job anymore that my 3 months contract i signed have expired. I worked 5 days after the expiration of my contract before i got sick.

Contact Diabetes Ireland on 1850 909 909, their solicitor should be able to advise you on what your rights are. As far as I'm aware the only careers that end with a type 1 diagnosis are those which involve the emergency services and driving fast vehicles.

liliq

graflynn wrote: »

Yes. 71 would be just under 9% in the old measurement. More info here
http://hse.ie/eng/services/Publications/topics/Diabetes/HbA1c%20Information%20Leaflet%20for%20people%20with%20Diabetes.pdf

Thank you!

sunbabe08

got a question, heading to the states in a couple of months, just wondering do i need a letter from my doctor to explain to immigration the amount of tablets that i have and why i have them?

robinph

No.

But some people feel happier taking a doctors letter with them when going through security.

If you've got them in the original packaging then there shouldn't be any problems. I've never had an issue going through security with pills, vials of insulin or needles in my hand luggage. Wearing an insulin pump has slowed my passage up a bit now going through security, but that is just because I will always set the metal detector off. Never had any real problems.

gerrybbadd

sunbabe08 wrote: »

got a question, heading to the states in a couple of months, just wondering do i need a letter from my doctor to explain to immigration the amount of tablets that i have and why i have them?

I got a letter when travelling stateside last year, but didn't need it at all. I just put all my insulin, needles etc through the xray machine. No problems at all

graflynn

sunbabe08 wrote: »

got a question, heading to the states in a couple of months, just wondering do i need a letter from my doctor to explain to immigration the amount of tablets that i have and why i have them?

Advice for travelling with diabetes can be found in a book for irish people with diabetes on page 31. The book is available online on this webpage http://www.diabetes.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/T1-Starter-Kit.pdf

BlackEdelweiss

I am just back from London last week and was travelling through Heathrow where there is a lot of security checks to go through. There were several signs about what you could not bring in your hand luggage and I was asked by several staff had I got any liquids in my bag. I told them all that I did not except my insulin which they all said was ok. I went through the metal detectors and put my bag through the xray machine. The guy put my bag to the side then called me over and asked me again had I got any liquids in my bag to which I replied no. He then asked me to open my bad section by section which I did wondering why he was bothering about me until we got to the third section from which he pulled out a full bottle of lucozade! I had stuffed it into my bag that morning without even thinking as I would do everytime I go away for more than a few hours. I hadent a clue it was even in there. The security guard gave me such a look, he said did I forget this was a liquid, I said I forgot it was even there, he gave me another stupid look and threw it in the bin.

robinph

Have forgotten bottles of Lucozade loads of times.

One time after running a marathon and flying back with only hand luggage the poor girl on security had to go digging through my smelly sweaty running kit and found a shower gel that had been in the race goodie bag and I didn't even know it was in there as I stuffed everything back in my bag for the flight. She didn't look too keen on any further searching through my bag after that to see what insulin etc I had.

ElBarco

Came across this little gem on another forum. Can't find the original link but I found this funny...

Public service announcement – guidelines to appropriate lancet use.

It has come to my attention that certain members of this forum are not following medical advice regarding the changing of lancets. This is a serious matter, which I know for a fact as a friend of my Grandmother’s Brother’s Educator, who works at a well respected hospital, once knew someone who knew someone who lost a finger due to their inappropriate lancet changing practices. Or they might have lost it to a bandsaw while hypo, but the injury was likely at least partially caused by their dirty lancets. In order to prevent further such injuries I propose the adoption of “National Lancet Changing Day”.

Many of us are now in the habit of changing our smoke alarm batteries on April fools day, due to a successful media campaign. I suggest that all reality checkers adopt a system of changing lancets on December 1st each year – to be known forewith as National Lancet Changing Day. In addition, I would like to propose the following guidelines regarding lancet use:

1) Each time a new blood glucose monitor is purchased, a new lancet should be used. This is not compulsory if a decision is made to continue using the previous lancing device. Extremist behaviour, such as taking a used lancet out of old lancing device and fitting it to new device is to be discouraged.

2) If the owner of the lancing device finds themself performing tests on friends or family (e.g; after forcing them to consume large quantities of soft drink), the lancet should be changed for each participant

3) If there is reason to believe that the lancing device has been “borrowed” by friends, flatmates or siblings and they have tested its ability to lance through wood, plastic or metal, the lancet should be changed. Additionally it is suggested that the lawful owner of the lancing device provides culprit with an opportunity to see just how effective the device is on human flesh when set to 5.5 and used with alternate site testing cap on fingertips. – please also refer to point two after this demonstration.

4) If the lancing device is subjected to conditions of extreme filth (eg; dropped in nightclub toilet) the lancet should be changed, or the lancing device abandoned.

It is my sincere hope that by strict adherence to these rules, cases of finger loss due to crustyolfingerprickeritis subtype 1 will be minimised or even eliminated entirely.

Kind regards,
Diana.

References:

Checker, R.C. (2007). Does repeated use of lancets cause infection: Results of repeated trials on food nazis. Proceedings of the 1st National Conference on Infection Control in Sugary Populations (pp. 34-36).

Croney, O.L. (2005). “I once knew someone who..”: a narrative exploration of the issues of truth and exaggeration within verbally communicated history. Tall Tales, 12 (2), 43-45.

Dickinson, B. (2000). Encouraging sales of medical supplies by scare tactics: why sales of lancets are dropping- the influence of online forums. Journal of Effective Marketing to Niche Markets, 22 (3), 127-130.

Youngun, U, (2006). Reducing landfill and other common excuses for excessive duration of lancet use: Type 1 and associated compliance issues. Journal of Extreme Knowledge in Diabetes Care, 4, 167-180

PucaMama

hi, i have been told months ago i have "glucose intolerance" or "pre diabetes". i dont even know if they are too seperate conditions. ive waited months for dietictians (cant spell it) but no luck. just want to know would a low gi diet while watching calories benefit someone with both glucose intolerance and pcos.

BlackEdelweiss

My diabetes could only be described as erratic for the past 2 years since I was diagnosed. I was having really high readings combined with sudden lows and very rarely settling anywhere in between for any length of time. I would also have very high readings in the morning and this was one of the main problems the consultant was trying to address. The doctors and nurses in the clinic could never work out what was going on and no arrangement of medication could bring it anywhere near under control. Recently I started doing a lot of regular testing and I noticed that my blood was really high after breakfast. I narrowed it down to Special K that I was eating for breakfast and thought this was a bit strange that a small bowl of this so called healthy cereal was sending my blood really high and dident think this was the cause. I had to ring the diabetic nurse one day and I just mentioned it to her at the end of the conversation and she told me that Special K is lethal for diabetics, it is full of sugar even though the box does not indicate this. She told me to avoid it at all costs. I used to have Special K every day, sometimes twice a day. I would have a bowl for breakfast and if I had a hypo I would drink some lucozade and have a bowl of cereal as my carbohydrate to catch my blood on the way back down. I would also have a bowl for my night time snack or when taking my night time insulin.
I have not had Special K for two weeks now and my blood is better than it has ever been. My morning readings are usually under 7, sometimes even a bit too close to 4 for comfort but this is probably because they have upped my night time dosage to try to combat my mystery morning high readings. My lunch time readings are also under 7 usually and although I may still be a bit high after dinner this is probably due to my still not perfected portion sizes but they are generally back down before bed.

I cant wait to see what my Hba1c is going to be after a few months off Special K although I will miss it.

CramCycle

PucaMama wrote: »

hi, i have been told months ago i have "glucose intolerance" or "pre diabetes". i dont even know if they are too seperate conditions. ive waited months for dietictians (cant spell it) but no luck. just want to know would a low gi diet while watching calories benefit someone with both glucose intolerance and pcos.

Short answer: no way of knowing without knowing what your current diet is first but it could be beneficial depending on the circumstances.

To be honest, the simplest advice is stick to a conventionally healthy diet, cut out sugary foods, cut out high fat foods. Its hard to say anything to you without knowing more.

Could you give an example of an average days diet for your self? Including all the little things I never tell my dietician about eg the biscuits at tea break. I find dieticians (some, not all) tell you to cut everything out immediately, you agree, you leave, and you never do because their expectations are unrealistic, whereas the last one I went to in James gave me a week by week breakdown on what to cut down or cut out and if I couldn't because I am human then at least reduce.

That said I am a cyclist and she was shocked at the amount of food I eat at the weekend, the last time I went out on a long spin, I ate the equivalent (in terms of sugar and carbs) of a healthy males weekly diet inside of 24 hours and my sugars never went above 6, averaging around the 3 to 4 mark.

BlackEdelweiss wrote: »

I narrowed it down to Special K that I was eating for breakfast and thought this was a bit strange that a small bowl of this so called healthy cereal was sending my blood really high and dident think this was the cause. .

I love special K but its ridiculously expensive so its rarely bought unless on special offer, I think it has a lot of fructose syrup in it which is why the bloods shoot off in a crazy direction for alot of people but if I remember correctly there recommended portion is tiny and this sugar doesn't last long if your in anyway active but it will spike for everyone, non diabetics included. I still love it but yes it is not great, particularly if you didn't know, there ads are misleading, ie the special K diet only really works if you do exercise afterwards and you only have a small bowl, and the rest of your diet is perfectly balanced.

tbh

CramCycle wrote: »

Including all the little things I never tell my dietician about eg the biscuits at tea break.

:eek::D

I've my first visit at the pump clinic on August 17th. Just a general info session.

robinph

tbh wrote: »

:eek::D

I've my first visit at the pump clinic on August 17th. Just a general info session.

Fantastic news.

Lots of these guys :eek: :eek: :eek: will soon turn into lots of these guys

You'll soon wonder what you were worried about.

Crazy Pet

Okay, I've had it with "some" irresponsible Journalists & Broadcasters, especially in RTÉ and the BBC. I have not put every thing I know about Type 2 Diabetes in this long post so as to just highlight the main issues I have with the way the media has stigmatised so many in society. Journalists say the public has a right to know, well I say yes they do and it should always be the whole truth not just an admittedly large part of it, but the whole truth. :mad:

I am writing this post on behalf of a female friend who was originally diagnosed as being the victim of a spider bite and then laterally as being in her mid thirties "Ah sure you getting older now" she was told by her GP,... well done the Irish medical profession. I am happy to say that she is a happy, healthy,.. relatively speaking type 2 Diabetic. It took 18 months for her to get a proper diagnosis, and even then it came from a triage nurse in A & E, and was later confirmed by a professor and his medical team.

Let me enlighten all those willing to read and learn something new that they don't tell the general public about when it comes to type 2 Diabetes. The following is a generalisation and rule of thumb set of statistics, that none the less might help people correct their thinking on what has been a hot topic in the media for the last 5 years.

About 4 out of every 5 Diabetics in the World are thought to have type 2 Diabetes.
And here's another biggy folks:
About 1 out of every 5 type 2 Diabetics have no excess weight issue what so ever.

Now for some Facts:

No one yet knows the root biological cause of type 2 Diabetes,...weight & lifestyle issues are considered for "Most people" to be a huge risk factor for developing the metabolic disorder possibly as a result of certain previously inactive genes being turned on, or perhaps complex issues within the digestive system, but as I just mentioned no one knows yet what the root biological cause is, and what I've mentioned are just two avenues of research being carried out globally. It is not all about the pancreas itself but what might trigger it to change.

Type 2 Diabetes is not technically classified as a disease, however it is in the process of being possibly redefined as one.

You can't catch Diabetes from another person no matter how intimate you may be with them. That much we do know.
It is not contagious, any more say than a person's hair colour or eye colour.

You can have Diabetes for years and not know it, until you become increasingly unwell.

Gestational Diabetes (common these days) can possibly mean an increased risk for the Mother and her Baby of developing diabetes later on in life, however this does not mean it is a definite certainty.

There is no cure for Diabetes yet, many many Diabetics lead active happy fulfilling lives, it's the complications that can cause serious issues, especially for those that don't manage their condition well. People who watch programmes that claim to have someone as they put it "free from their Diabetes", usually avoid the word cure for many reasons. Mainly because if the person featured gains weight their diabetes symptoms will reappear.

As we age, we are "ALL" considered by modern medicine to be at increased risk (Increased risk,.. means just that and does not mean certainty) of developing a range of conditions which we're all familiar with,.. including type 2 Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetics may control their condition by:
1) For some diet and exercise.
2) For many others diet and exercise and medication in the form of a couple of tablets a day.
3) For some diet and exercise and medication in the form of Tablets and or Insulin injections using possibly syringe, injector pen or Insulin pump.

Type 2 Diabetics are just ordinary people, they may be your Dad, Mum, Brother, Sister, Aunt, Uncle, Cousin, Brother in law, Sister in law, Best Friend, Work Colleague, Teacher, Lover,...or You.

So for all those over paid bigoted people who work in the media and look down their noses in a misguided and judgemental fashion at those less fortunate then themselves, just remember this;
You too, might some day become a member of the significant and growing fraction of the global population who have Diabetes.

5live

Well yesterday was the 20th anniversary of my diagnosis with diabetes. Took the family out for a meal, including desserts:p, and the bar i have been waiting for, a standard Cadbury Dairy Milk. I only had 2 squares(bloody kids:D) but it was a damn fine piece of chocolate. Time flies and would have flown much faster if i wasnt on the incorrect insulin for 11 years:mad:.

Heres to the next 20 years:)

On the special k for breakfast, Blackedelweiss, i changed over to porridge last year and cut my hypos by 90% i would say. I would be very active in the mornings and it sorted out my morning readings brilliantly. Porridge is not the most exciting choice and can be hard to face sometimes but may be worth looking into

Bannasidhe

5live wrote: »

Well yesterday was the 20th anniversary of my diagnosis with diabetes. Took the family out for a meal, including desserts:p, and the bar i have been waiting for, a standard Cadbury Dairy Milk. I only had 2 squares(bloody kids:D) but it was a damn fine piece of chocolate. Time flies and would have flown much faster if i wasnt on the incorrect insulin for 11 years:mad:.

Heres to the next 20 years:)

On the special k for breakfast, Blackedelweiss, i changed over to porridge last year and cut my hypos by 90% i would say. I would be very active in the mornings and it sorted out my morning readings brilliantly. Porridge is not the most exciting choice and can be hard to face sometimes but may be worth looking into

Porridge is what keeps me going. There is a notable difference in both my energy levels and frequency of hypos when I have the bowl of porridge for breakfast (I do put in a half teaspoon of honey but I make two portions so I can 'ding' breakfast every second day).

It can be hard to face every bloody morning but I can honestly say that if I don't have the porridge I am less then firing on all cylinders, starving an hour after breakfast and a cranky, lethargic anti-Christ within 2 hours.

tbh

Crazy Pet wrote: »

Okay, I've had it with "some" irresponsible Journalists & Broadcasters, especially in RTÉ and the BBC. I have not put every thing I know about Type 2 Diabetes in this long post so as to just highlight the main issues I have with the way the media has stigmatised so many in society. Journalists say the public has a right to know, well I say yes they do and it should always be the whole truth not just an admittedly large part of it, but the whole truth. :mad:

Hi CP -

Just for everyones info, this post was moved from Ranting and Raving - as such, you're probably preaching to the choir in this forum, but the mods of R&R and myself felt that this forum was probably the most natural fit. Also, if you haven't seen this thread, you might find it useful.
So if people are wondering why there's a rant in this thread, it's our fault, not the OPs

CramCycle

Crazy Pet wrote: »

s:
No one yet knows the root biological cause of type 2 Diabetes,...weight & lifestyle issues are considered for "Most people" to be a huge risk factor for developing the metabolic disorder possibly as a result of certain previously inactive genes being turned on, or perhaps complex issues within the digestive system, but as I just mentioned no one knows yet what the root biological cause is, and what I've mentioned are just two avenues of research being carried out globally. It is not all about the pancreas itself but what might trigger it to change.

A slight correction as this is slightly misleading, the root cause can vary significantly from patient to patient but in a significant number of cases either the root cause or a trigger factor that activates or compliments the root cause can be attributed. Basically, there is no SINGLE cause that explains all T2DM patients and their symptoms but in the majority of cases if funding and interest was there you could identify the trigger and/or the root cause to a large degree of certainty.

Type 2 Diabetes is not technically classified as a disease, however it is in the process of being possibly redefined as one.

I am pretty sure it is a disease in the majority of cases as it comes under the general classification of a disorder and/or syndrome.

You can't catch Diabetes from another person no matter how intimate you may be with them. That much we do know.
It is not contagious, any more say than a person's hair colour or eye colour.

A disease isn't contagious by definition eg type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease but is not contagious, T2DM fits the general classification of a disease, the redefinition you refer to is presumably the one that journalists have picked up on (but not referred to as far as I know) in Nature Medicine which is looking at the symptoms of type 2 diabetes as an autoimmune disease in mice with a predisposition to the development of type 2 diabetes instead of a metabolic disorder/syndrome.

tbh

Found this today:

Diabetes etiquette for people who don't have diabetes

BlackEdelweiss

I would have porridge quite a lot but mainly when the kids are at school and we are all having breakfast together. Family breakfast goes out the window with the holidays and I then go for more regular cereals as I have something about making enough porridge for one, laziness probably. I would still have eaten it in the evening or nighttime during the school year though, I thought it was a good snack or a good carb after a hypo.
My blood has been almost perfect fort the last month, it does go up a bit but my morning readings and my pre meal readings are always in the good zone. This is combined with a bit more regular exercise but I have to watch this as well as it seems to bring on hypos, I have had 4 or 5 hypos in a day a few times. I have to make sure to have a snack between insulin shots, this is harder than it sounds as my blood was so high for so long I did not have to have snacks so I forget at times.