# Had enough



## Emmal31 (Nov 23, 2009)

I'm so fed up of high blood sugar levels  I just wish this stupid diabetes would go away whilst I'm pregnant. I had an appointment last friday and was told I've got poor control and that I look too big for the week i'm in. Was told that I'm also measuring too much as well.The consultant started going on about the baby being used to my high blood sugars and that when she's born she'll have problems with her levels, as if i'm doing this on purpose and I want her to be born big with problems with her blood sugar levels.  

I'm testing about 8 times a day and injecting about 8 times or more a day too which is just ridiculous I don't know what more I can do to get my blood sugar levels down. I feel so stressed and emotional all the time mostly because of diabetes.This friday I've got my 2nd growth scan and I know she's going to be measuring more than she should be I'm angry that she's been affected by my diabetes. Last night I refused to eat dinner because I didn't want my levels to go high yet again. I know I shouldn't skip meals but I just felt at my wits end last night with high blood sugar levels. 

To top it off I've got a swollen ankle so I can't even get out of the house at the min very easily, I've got a doctors appointment tomorrow to see why it's swollen. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!


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## Steff (Nov 23, 2009)

hi there emma sorry to hear your having a bad time you aint having it easy , wish they was a magic wand sometimes so we could pick and choose our diabetes but hay it aint guna happen , but i can only say stick in there you know at the end of all this your going to have a lovely baby girl, its easy words on a screen and i wish i could do more for you , regarding the swollen foot I read somewhere that growths in your uterus i.e. pregnancy, fibroid tumors, etc. can cause swelling of the feet /ankles because the growths put pressure on the uterine cavity which in turn puts pressure on the main vein that transports blood to the extremities. i can suggest a few things to you

 Elevate your feet and legs. Place a pillow under your heels, and prop your feet on a chair or high stool.

Soak your feet in cool water.

Reduce your salt intake. Salt causes you to retain water.(probs have already)

hope some of that helps hun xxxxxxx ((hugs))


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## rachelha (Nov 23, 2009)

sorry to hear that you are feeling so fed up.  It is not fair that you can not just enjoy your pregnancy without the diabetes taking over everything.  I am afraid I dont really have any advice, just sympathy.  As Steff says it will all be worth it in the end when you have your little girl in your arms. 

Try not to be too hard on yourself.  

((hugs))


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## Copepod (Nov 23, 2009)

Hi Emma
No easy words, I'm afraid, but you're doing the right thing seeing doctor tomorrow regarding swollen ankle. As it's just one ankle, it's less likely to be a sign of pre-eclampsia, but a doctor or midwife would probably check your blood pressure level, and urine for protein to exclude the possibility. In the end, all that matters is a healthy mother with a healthy baby, even if it's tough getting there - that's what my sister and her husband kept saying when she was pregnant with each of their daughters.


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## Northerner (Nov 23, 2009)

Hi Emma, I'm afraid I can't offer any advice, only some hugs and sympathy {{{{Emma}}}}

I think it's awful that the doctor is telling you off. Sure, there is such a thing as tough love if he truly believed you were being complacent about your control, but he must be particularly stupid if he doesn't see that that is not the case with you. He should be offering constructive advice not admonishment. And I don't think 8 tests a day is too much - I often test 7 times a day and I'm not even pregnant!

Hope things improve for you soon, and you can enjoy your pregnancy more


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## Twitchy (Nov 23, 2009)

Emma you poor thing - I'm so sorry you are being treated like this, it's not fair & it's not helpful at all!!!   I am starting to wonder how the nhs selects it's consultants for the antenatal appointments...(would offer some suggestions but they are unprintable!)

Have they actually offered you any actual useful help?  It's so frustrating isn't it...I too hate my diabetes, & I hate my stupid body for letting me down - it sucks doesn't it.  Stupid diabetes, stupid sodding doctors & their stupid sodding attitude problems - RANT!!!!

Wish I could help...in the meanwhile here is a big sympathetic hug ((((((())))))) from someone who knows just how you're feeling!!!!  

Just remember, you are doing your best - you know your body & you are doing the best you can - that's all anyone can ask.  Please try to take care of yourself (please keep eating hun - starving yourself won't help either you or baby)...just try not to let the buggers get you down - you deserve better & frankly I think they are letting you down.  (I find a good howl on the OH's shoulder helps...been doing a fair bit of that recently!!!!)

All the best,

Twitchy x


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## Admin (Nov 24, 2009)

*Insulin!*

Hi Emma - you are entering the third trimester - when insulin requirements almost double (mine did!) for pregnant women - it was a shock to my system how much more I needed. This reduced at about wk 36/7 and went back to normal immediately after the birth. Most important thing is keeping those levels down. There is no guarantee your pink bump will be large, but I did find doctors and nurses automatically assume it is going to be big just because you are diabetic which irritated the hellout of me. I was told all along I  would have a large baby - and although he wasn't a 6lber - he was way off the 10lbs they predicted. There were non diabetics that had far larger babies in the ward I was in in hospital - in fact Zac was one of the smaller babies at 7.13lbs! 
Bump sizes are no indication of the weight of your baby - fluid and all sorts can affect it. So just put your fingers in your ears and go la la la and know that you are doing the best for yor baby!

If you need any more help and want to chat privately - please feel free to message me.

Cheers Admin xx


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## allisonb (Nov 24, 2009)

Oh Emma, I'm sorry you're having such a rough time.  It is hard being pregnant and having diabetes and I'm shocked that you're not getting the support you need from your team.  They shouldn't be telling you off, they should be helping you manage what is a practically impossible task!  You're absolutely not testing too much.  I get through on average about 10 test strips a day and am injecting and eating constantly to keep my BS down.  It's a tough time and you're doing really well.  Admin is right, the size of you and your bump does not necessarily indicate the size of your little girl.  I'm huge at the moment and only 24 weeks.  Everyone keeps saying very unhelpfully that I have ages to go yet but the hospital say that they baby is no bigger than he should be.  

I have to say though love that whilst I completely understand where you're coming from, missing meals isn't going to help is it.  Why don't you try something low carb if it's worrying you?

Keep your chin up, you're doing what you know is right for you and your baby and not getting the support that you both deserve.  Try not to let it get you down (I know it's easier said than done) and continue to do what you know is right.  At the end of this you'll have a beautiful little girl and it'll all be worth it x


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## PhilT (Nov 24, 2009)

Emma, sorry to hear you are having such a tough time. Your consultant sounds like a total ass! It seems to be the luck of the draw whether or not you get a sympathetic doctor when you are diabetic. 

As Admin says bump size is no indication of baby size, a friend of mine hardly showed at all right up to just before she gave birth, yet her daughter was a big baby.

Anyway hope things get better and try not to let things get you down too much.

Maybe you could get a photo of your consultant pin it on the wall and throw darts at it, sure that would make you feel better.


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## Emmal31 (Nov 24, 2009)

Thanks for all your kind replies they really helped. I can honestly say that I've had no helpful advice to get my levels down.I've just been trying to sort them out myself as best as I can. Been crying on my husband's shoulder a lot recently partly due to high levels and hormones. I really dread going to the hospital once a week to be told off like a child, one of my appointments I was told by another obstrician? (spelling) guy that if i wanted the pregnancy to continue then I would have to get on top of my levels and that was when they were mostly 6's and 7's. You can imagine how angry I was by that comment. My dsn are a little bit more sympathetic they keep saying don't be too hard on yourself which is easier said than done. 

Can anyone suggest what foods I can eat to low carb, I'm willing to give it a go but I am very fussy with what I eat. 

I like Philt idea of throwing darts at a picture of my consultant.


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## rachelha (Nov 24, 2009)

Can't believe your obstetrician said that to you - that makes me SO angry


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## PhilT (Nov 24, 2009)

Don't these Doctor's know that getting you stressed about your BS levels is likely to make them worse!


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## Twitchy (Nov 24, 2009)

Emmal31 said:


> I really dread going to the hospital once a week to be told off like a child



I so know what you mean!!  It's really obscene, this lack of helpful support, & frankly I'm fed up.  I've come to the conclusion that the "care" I am receiving can't really get much worse so have decided to approach the "PALS" organisation (Patient Advisory Liaison Service) for some help - whether that is in making a formal complaint, or just help getting to see a doc who actually seems to understand things a bit better...either way I need to do something!!  

Stick with it chook - not long now & whatever you're being told, you're doing a good job in extremely tough circumstances.  Until I read Admin's comment I forgot how much insulin resistance goes up - I guess just keep whacking up the doses & keep checking as much as you feel you need to...after all, DAFNE suggests before each meal & before bed (so at least 4 + for any big snacks), DUK suggest also about 1 hr after meals (2hrs might be more realistic though! So another 3 tests) & everyone agrees to test before you drive & before/after you exercise (+++...)...now if the consultants aren't bright enough to add those up to equal more than 4-5 a day even with a minimally hectic day, then I don't know how they got through medical school!!   So stick to your guns - you're doing a good job! Hug!!! (((())))


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## Emmal31 (Nov 25, 2009)

Twitchy said:


> I so know what you mean!!  It's really obscene, this lack of helpful support, & frankly I'm fed up.  I've come to the conclusion that the "care" I am receiving can't really get much worse so have decided to approach the "PALS" organisation (Patient Advisory Liaison Service) for some help - whether that is in making a formal complaint, or just help getting to see a doc who actually seems to understand things a bit better...either way I need to do something!!
> 
> Stick with it chook - not long now & whatever you're being told, you're doing a good job in extremely tough circumstances.  Until I read Admin's comment I forgot how much insulin resistance goes up - I guess just keep whacking up the doses & keep checking as much as you feel you need to...after all, DAFNE suggests before each meal & before bed (so at least 4 + for any big snacks), DUK suggest also about 1 hr after meals (2hrs might be more realistic though! So another 3 tests) & everyone agrees to test before you drive & before/after you exercise (+++...)...now if the consultants aren't bright enough to add those up to equal more than 4-5 a day even with a minimally hectic day, then I don't know how they got through medical school!!   So stick to your guns - you're doing a good job! Hug!!! (((())))



Thanks twitchy that made me feel a lot better! My levels yesterday didn't go above 6.4 so i'm really pleased don't know what I did different but i'm just so glad they've come down so hopefully friday I won't be told off again fingers crossed .  xxx


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## cazz_mm (Nov 26, 2009)

Hi, I only found out I was pregnant a few weeks ago and (think) I'm about 9 or 10 weeks and my blood sugars have already gone haywire 

When did yours start goign bad? Unfortunately my pregnancy wasn't planned, so they have never been great, but now I feel like I have absolutly no control at all!

xx

PS - what the docs have said to you was well out of order!!


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## Emmal31 (Nov 26, 2009)

Hi Cazz,

They started going haywire about 20+ weeks, my pregnancy was also not planned but I had relatively good control before. I haven't had such bad control like I have done the past 9 weeks since diagnosis almost 2 years ago. 

xx


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## Admin (Nov 27, 2009)

Emmal31 said:


> Can anyone suggest what foods I can eat to low carb, I'm willing to give it a go but I am very fussy with what I eat.



Emma - you don't really need to change what you eat - but reduce carbs - so if you have spag bol - more mince and less spaghetti! Smaller jacket potatoes - and try soya milk (unsweetened)  instead of ordinary milk on cereal - I have got used to this now - though I still refuse to use it in tea! Vegatables (apart from potatoes and parsnips!) are a brilliant low carb source which you can stack high on your plate!

What kind of food do you like/dislike?


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## Emmal31 (Nov 27, 2009)

Admin said:


> Emma - you don't really need to change what you eat - but reduce carbs - so if you have spag bol - more mince and less spaghetti! Smaller jacket potatoes - and try soya milk (unsweetened)  instead of ordinary milk on cereal - I have got used to this now - though I still refuse to use it in tea! Vegatables (apart from potatoes and parsnips!) are a brilliant low carb source which you can stack high on your plate!
> 
> What kind of food do you like/dislike?



Thanks for the suggestions, I'm quite happy with my control again it's suddenly behaving itself again!  So I'm not really going to worry about low carbing I'll try and cut down a little on what portion of carbs I eat though. xx


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