# Type 2 new diagnosis



## Mike P (Jun 16, 2018)

Hi. Spent a few days in hospital recently with an "angry gallbladder" and currently waiting for surgery to remove it. During blood tests they found my blood glucose levels to be "quite high" and gave me a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. I was discharged before the results of the HbA1c test was through. Went for pre op assessment appointment when was told that HbA1c was 94, apparently their cutoff level for operations is normally 77 so anaesthatist will decide whether or not to delay the op. 
They have put me on 500mg Metformin twice a day which I am hoping will help. I have cut out sugar in my drinks and am trying to reduce my carbohydrate intake (I have yet to hear from my GP so assume I will have to contact them). I am finding it very difficult to get my head round what I can and cannot eat and not knowing if they are going to operate is doing my head in. I am reading a lot and there seems to be a lot of conflicting information so am getting quite confused.
I hope that I will be able to understand and get things straight in my mind, this forum seems a good place to start that process.


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## Ralph-YK (Jun 16, 2018)

Welcome to the forum Mike from a fellow T2.  Yes it is big when you've got several things on.
The usual advice here is the self test before and after eating. And keeping a food diary.  That way you can see what affect food has on your levels, along with any changes you make.  Hopefully after a couple of weeks you'll start to see a pattern.


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## Mark Parrott (Jun 16, 2018)

Hi Mike P & welcome to the forum.  Watch out for carbs.  They raise our BG (blood glucose).  So that means bread, rice, pasta, cereals, potatoes (& other starchy veg) & anything made with flour.  Things like meat, fish, dairy & green leafy veg are fine.  I replace regular bread with Burgen Soya & Linseed which is lower carb & higher fibre, have cauli rice or Bulgar Wheat to replace rice, soya bean spaghetti instead of the regular one & replace potatoes with turnip, butternut squash, celeriac or swede.  I also make cakes & desserts using almond flour, coconut flour or soya flour & replace the sugar with sweetener (Xylitol).  Alcohol in moderation is fine, but watch out for beers & lagers that are higher carb & alcohol also lowers BG so be careful if you are on BG lowering meds (Metformin is fine).


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## Lyn68 (Jun 16, 2018)

Hello Mike and welcome I was only diagnosed a few weeks ago so fairly new at this myself. The food part is a bit of a mine field but just take it one step at a time. I became a bit obsessive about yogurt of all things. Apart from the obvious sugars it’s all about the carbs reduce your intake. You will get loads of advice on here from those that know far more than me but find what works for you.


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## Mike P (Jun 16, 2018)

Thanks for your replies, all helping greatly. Checked the bread bin as my wife had bought a "seedy loaf" this week to find it's a Burgen soya and linseed loaf so heading in the right direction without realising it. Already stopped sugar in tea and coffee and reducing potatoes with dinner, will be cutting them out completely as soon as I find a palatable alternative. Not panicking as I have now read several posts on this forum and can see that the condition is manageable. I think that with a couple more weeks to get used to the idea life will be slightly more enjoyable than it is at the moment. It's good to know that I am not alone with this and that everyone is shocked when they receive the diagnosis.


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## Martin9 (Jun 16, 2018)

Hi @Mike P ..welcome to the club no one wants to be in, basically as Type 2 diabetics we have trouble with carbohydrates that's both the simple sugars found in sweets, cakes, syrups, jams etc and the more complex starches found in rice, pastas, potatoes wheat products etc ..
Counter intuitively we are allowed proteins and healthy fats so lean meat, leafy vegetables, eggs nuts, cheese are all good.
Beware of breakfast cereals even the considered healthy varieties like weetabix are full of carbs, so better to have a small  bacon & egg.and also fruit can be full of sugar so limit that too..
It's also a good time to lose any excess weight you may be carrying now try to get your BMI within the normal range...but the low carb healthy fat diet will take care of that itself ..
Good luck with the op if it goes ahead..!


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## CathyB (Jun 16, 2018)

Hi Mike, welcome   As the others have said, carbs are the enemy  you will pick it up if you keep reading, I’ve managed to get my bg down to normal levels in 3 months by cutting carbs and walking regularly, the weight is also coming down without much effort....bonus   Some ideas from me...replace mashed spuds with mashed swede or butternut squash, experiment with stir fry veg & meat, chilli with grated cheese, home made curry with cauliflower rice, cauliflower cheese (watch what flour you use as that has carbs), high meat content sausages, home made burgers with cheese but no bun!......Rule of thumb for veg, if it grows below the ground leave it alone, above the ground is probably ok.  Good desert, full fat Greek yoghurt with a few almonds or sugar free caramel sauce 
It’s doable Mike, I thought it would be awful but I’m eating healthier, not eating as much and feeling SO much better


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## Mark Parrott (Jun 16, 2018)

Mike P said:


> Thanks for your replies, all helping greatly. Checked the bread bin as my wife had bought a "seedy loaf" this week to find it's a Burgen soya and linseed loaf so heading in the right direction without realising it. Already stopped sugar in tea and coffee and reducing potatoes with dinner, will be cutting them out completely as soon as I find a palatable alternative. Not panicking as I have now read several posts on this forum and can see that the condition is manageable. I think that with a couple more weeks to get used to the idea life will be slightly more enjoyable than it is at the moment. It's good to know that I am not alone with this and that everyone is shocked when they receive the diagnosis.


It's funny what we get used to, such as having potatoes or rice or pasta with every meal, when really when you think about it, these don't really taste of anything much.  I find potatoes very bland these days since changing to much tastier veg.  It's amazing what you can do with a cauliflower!  Not only rice, but makes good mash too.  Sweet potato is a bit of a hit & miss thing.  Some can tolerate it, some can't.  I'm having a roast tomorrow & will be having roasted turnip & radishes instead of potatoes.  Roasting radishes is a recent discovery.  They are just like new potatoes.  Amazing, really.


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## JMyrtle (Jun 16, 2018)

You can make a cheese sauce using cream cheese or Philadelphia and milk instead of flour, sounds odd but you warm the milk in a small bowl  in the microwave, whisk or stir in the cream cheese, season, reheat and add grated cheese if you so wish.
You can also make a pepper sauce for steak using the same method while  the steak is resting by using the cooking juices in the frying pan with cream instead of the milk and adding black pepper to taste but no port or brandy!


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## SB2015 (Jun 17, 2018)

Welcome Mike
There is a lot to take in at the beginning and it sounds like you are already making a good start.  As you have said the condition is manageable, and there are plenty of people on here who have improved their levels just by adjusting their diet and levels of exercise.

I know that many people with T2 diagnosis have found the book Type 2 Diabetes: The First Year by Gretchen Becker, taking you through things step by step, and offering many useful tips.

A lot of people also find it useful to start to test their own BG levels, in order to get information about how different foods and activity impact on their levels. Very often people with T 2 cannot get test strips on prescription so they use a SD Codfree meter, for which the strips are a lot cheaper than for others.

If you have any questions do ask, and remember nothing is considered a silly questions. People are here tohelp.


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## CathyB (Jun 18, 2018)

JMyrtle said:


> You can make a cheese sauce using cream cheese or Philadelphia and milk instead of flour, sounds odd but you warm the milk in a small bowl  in the microwave, whisk or stir in the cream cheese, season, reheat and add grated cheese if you so wish.
> You can also make a pepper sauce for steak using the same method while  the steak is resting by using the cooking juices in the frying pan with cream instead of the milk and adding black pepper to taste but no port or brandy!


Oh wow!  Just made your cheese sauce and have to say, even if I wasn’t diabetic I would prefer this method......yummy!  Can’t wait to try the pepper sauce now, thank you


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## Mike P (Jun 25, 2018)

Really fed up today. Had a phone call from the local hospital offering me a gallbladder operation on Friday. They called back 10 mins later to let me know that they were going to have to cancel that offer as my BG levels are to high. I am also being taken off the waiting list until my GP informs them that blood sugar levels are under control and I am fit for the operation (apparantly my diagnosis "is in the early stages so it could take quite a while to sort out"). I have been out of hospital now for over 3 weeks and have yet to hear from my GP. They have added Metformin to my regular prescription so I guess they are on top of things but totally frustrated as I don't know where I am with regard to the diabetes. I am being very careful with carbs and have lost some weight so hope all is headed in the right direction but with the fear of another gallbladder flareup in the back of my mind not feeling to cheerful.


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## Bubbsie (Jun 25, 2018)

Mike P said:


> Really fed up today. Had a phone call from the local hospital offering me a gallbladder operation on Friday. They called back 10 mins later to let me know that they were going to have to cancel that offer as my BG levels are to high. I am also being taken off the waiting list until my GP informs them that blood sugar levels are under control and I am fit for the operation (apparantly my diagnosis "is in the early stages so it could take quite a while to sort out"). I have been out of hospital now for over 3 weeks and have yet to hear from my GP. They have added Metformin to my regular prescription so I guess they are on top of things but totally frustrated as I don't know where I am with regard to the diabetes. I am being very careful with carbs and have lost some weight so hope all is headed in the right direction but with the fear of another gallbladder flareup in the back of my mind not feeling to cheerful.


Mike are you testing your own blood sugars...that would be one way for you to see how you are coping with your diabetes...I have looked at the thread and I cannot see any mention of self monitoring your blood glucose...if you want information on how to do this...or are wanting to know what the benefits are I would echo the advice of @SB2015 and try to get a copy of Type 2 Diabetes The First Year...it's so informative and will take you through all the explanations you need...give you advice on cutting carbs & explain how beneficial that is...there is no doubt your HbA1c result is on the high side however we have had many here who were diagnosed with higher levels (myself included) and have managed to reduce those considerably...obtain good control of our diabetes...yes it is disappointing your operation has been cancelled...however...I think you'd be surprised how well you can control your diabetes once you find a suitable diet...think about testing your BG's it will show you what effect different foods have on your diabetes & it can prove a real incentive once you understand how this condition can be controlled...it will & does get better honestly...good luck...if you have specific questions post them here...I'm sure one of us could help you...please try to read the book.


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## Bubbsie (Jun 25, 2018)

JMyrtle said:


> You can make a cheese sauce using cream cheese or Philadelphia and milk instead of flour, sounds odd but you warm the milk in a small bowl  in the microwave, whisk or stir in the cream cheese, season, reheat and add grated cheese if you so wish.
> You can also make a pepper sauce for steak using the same method while  the steak is resting by using the cooking juices in the frying pan with cream instead of the milk and adding black pepper to taste but no port or brandy!


I'm going to try that sauce JM...particularly after @CathyB 's recommendation


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## Mike P (Jul 3, 2018)

Had my confirmation letter from the hospital saying they have returned me to the care of my GP until I am considered "Well enough" for the gallbladder ooperation. Two days later I hear from the day surgery unit to let me know that the anesthetist has confirmed that my blood sugar levels are to high and they have passed me back to my GP. They will reasses my condition in two months. So all I need now is the GP to take some interest and hopefully things will eventually work themselves out. At least I wont be called for an op in the middle of our family holiday. I asked "what happens if my gallbladder flares up again", reply was "you come back in and we do the operation as an emergency". Interesting to note that in an emergency situation blood glucose levels are relatively unimportant, for elective surgery they won't take any risks.


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## Drummer (Jul 3, 2018)

I suspect that you might get some twinges from your gall bladder if you are lowering your carbs and eating more natural levels of fat - as it is fats which stimulate the gall bladder to empty itself - the bile is made from cholesterol amongst other things so that can be a good thing.
A fellow I persuaded to try low carb some years ago was waiting for a date for removal of his gall bladder, and was told to go in as an emergency if he got various symptoms. As he didn't he waited, and waited - then was called in to  be assessed and when an ultrasound was done was told to go away as he did not have gall stones.


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## Mike P (Jul 5, 2018)

Good news, I think, Had a phone call from my GP practice calling me in for a blood test next Friday. I would seem that the GP is interested in me after all.


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## Mike P (Jul 21, 2018)

Ok so I went in for my blood test and gave the nurse both barrels as I feel that I had been launched out of hospital with no support. She said they have me down for Diabetes Education and had I had an appointment through yet. This led to an introduction to the Diabetes Nurse who tried to get me an appointment there and then but they were fully booked. My holiday and hers follow on from each other so earliest I can have a Diabetes Review appointment is August 20th. Long wait but it is progress of a sort, although they will insist on saying that it's early days, doesn't feel like that from where I'm sitting.
I can't wait that long without knowing if things are improving so I took your advice. After loads of thought I purchased a Codefree meter. It arrived yesterday and I have plucked up the courage to use it. It is easy to use but even though it doesn't hurt I still get very nervous waiting for the lancet to trigger.
Bearing in mind that at the end of May in hospital my finger prick tests were coming out at between 13 - 15, my first attempt had a reading of 11.2 (about 2 hours after a breakfast of muesli containing dried fruit!). I was fairly happy that I have been doing the right thing and whilst still high it is heading in the right direction. Later, 2 hrs after dinner with my daughter & son in law (Chicken, vegetables with sweet potato chips) I tried again... 9.1!
So today I thought I should do it properly, before breakfast 9.1 (no change overnight) 2hrs aftter breakfast (scrambled egg on Burgen Linseed & Soya toast & my morning Metformin tablet) 8.6! Obviously a good breakfast for me.
I am beginning to feel that perhaps I will be able to get on top of this. Just have to survive a holiday while keeping blood glucose under control and not upsetting the gall bladder and look forward to seeing the nurse in August.


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## CathyB (Jul 22, 2018)

You can do this Mike, it’s not as bad as you think it might be, honestly!  The only thing I miss now is ice cream, I don’t think I could go back to rice, pasta and potatoes now, I love that i don’t get that awful bloating any more  you already have the evidence in what you have done so far. Get creative with stir fry food, different vegetables, cauliflower rice and mash.....honestly. It’s worth it  keep sharing here so you get the encouragement and advice


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## Mike P (Aug 14, 2018)

Ok finally I spoke to  doctor last week who gave me my HbA1c results from 14th July (couldn't get them earlier as have been away on holiday. Current A1c level 68 a good improvement from 94 in May. He asked if I was coping with my diet and I was able to tell him that I have had no support (apart from you kind people) since leaving hospital in June. He has booked me in for "Diabetes Education" whatever that means and has increased my Metformin to 2 x 500mg tablets twice daily, reduce to 3 if I suffer from the dreaded stomach upsets, all ok so far (fingers crossed). Doctor is hopefull for a good HbA1c result in October when he would consider informing the hospital that I was ok for the gall bladder op. Been checking BG levels whilst away on holiday and it would appear that I am averaging 8.6 which is a lot better than the 13 - 15 in hospital. The only possible proplem on the horizon is coping with a 5 day break in France in September without spiking my BG to much bearing in mind next A1c test will be early October. So thanks to all the support from my online friends I am feeling more positive about it all.


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## Diabetes UK (Aug 14, 2018)

Great news @Mike P , great reduction in your HbA1c and progress with your GP in referring you to a diabetes education course. It would likely be an X-Pert, or DESMOND or could be something specific to your local area. Glad that the support you have had online has provided some positive feelings about everything.
Enjoy your holiday!


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## Drummer (Aug 14, 2018)

Wow - I am impressed that you can eat oats, toast and sweet potato and get those results - high carb foods are just not on my menu and I am just on the very top edge of normal for Hba1c.


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## Mike P (Aug 22, 2018)

Had my appointment with the Diabetes nurse this week, not as bad an experiance as I was expecting. She was happy with my bloods everything normal, liver and kidney function all ok, Cholesterol 4.7 (frankly I'm amazed at that number), slightly raised lymphocytes that she put down to being affected by my gallbladder.
DN said that I didn't need to test BG levels as I wasn't going to have a hypo, I told her that I needed to know that what I was doing was having the correct affect as I couldn't wait 3 months for the next HbA1c test without some indication that the situation was improving. Extremities were checked and sensation and blood supply to feet was ok, I have decreased sensation in my toes that the nurse hoped would improve as the BG level reduces. I await the call for diabetes education and diabetes eye scan and have been told that I would be called back to see the nurse in 4 months as I was newly diagnosed but normally would be every 6 months with an annual foot inspection and eye scan.
One thing she said that will stick in my mind, "Well done you are doing well, but don't forget to have a life". I took her advice and had a very large icecream whilst out with my daughter and her children - sheer bliss!. BG result the following day 8.4!
I think, no I KNOW,. I can get this thing under control


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## Drummer (Aug 22, 2018)

I don't think that was what the nurse meant by having a life.


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## Mike P (Aug 23, 2018)

I realise that but they were just to tempting. It's only the second ice cream I have had since the end of May so just a treat! I was delighted that my BG hadn't spiked to much.


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## Ralph-YK (Aug 24, 2018)

Drummer said:


> I don't think that was what the nurse meant by having a life.


Shush.  *Looks round quickly and lowers my voice* We're pretending we don't know that and that is what she mean.


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## Mike P (Sep 25, 2018)

Ok so the system works, but very slowly! Last week I received a letter offereing me a place on a diabetes education course (DERIK Diabetes Education and Revision In Kent). I had to ring to book a place. Phoned up and yes they could get me on a course on November 22nd! I will be interested to see if they can teach me anything that I haven't already found out from this fine forum. I realise that type 2 diabetes is a long term illness but things happen so slowly that it's easy to think that you have been forgotten.
Following on from my last diabetes nurse appointment I was told to phone in for a diabetes blood test in early October and to book and appointment with the nurse two weeks after that. So 10 mins waiting on the phone for someone to answer only to be told "I cant book diabetes appointments that has to be done by my colleague, I will email her". It would appear that I cannot book blood tests or diabetes nurse appointments I have to wait for them to contact me!
Oh well, I suppose I will learn the system one day.


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## Mike P (Oct 13, 2018)

Wow, what a year it has been so far. Just about coming to terms with gall bladder problem and T2 diabetes. Last weekend I ended up in hospital with pericarditis (inflamation of the sack that encloses the heart). My heart stopped in the catheter lab during my angiogram, thankfully restarted quickly after CPR. My Bg spiked to 16.7 and  was placed on an insulin pump for a day to help me through the "crisis". When I left after 5 days Bg was back down to 8.4 after a meal, best reading was 5.4. So back at home now after 5 days on a cardiac ward and I find that they have found I have a multinodal Thyroid that may need further investigation. I am waiting for a call from my GP for a Hba1c test, a followup appointment with the cardiac team and eventually an appointment for the removal of my gall bladder. Whoever was it that said that retirement was fun, I have spent more time in hospital since retiring than the previous 65 years. Mentally this is becoming a hard year to cope with. One thing I do know is It's great to be alive!
The NHS need to look hard at their menu, if you are gluten intollerant there are loads of options however there is little to assist a diabetic. The "healthy eating options still contain plenty of potatoes, white rice and white pasta. The sweet options have almost nothing that I felt I could eat. It was suggested that yoghurt would be a good option. The full fat youghurt on offer had 13.9g suger! Not exactly diabetic friendly. Now back to the hard work and my low carb diet and hope that my Hba1c hasn't been blown sky high by the hospital spikes.


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## trophywench (Oct 13, 2018)

I've never found hospital food to be that helpful to anyone if it's more than a day or two.  Luckily I was diagnosed in high summer and the salads were good at that time, but weren't on offer at all this time last year where I was.

How is a high carb plus sugar meal helpful to a cardiac person or anyone else at all even when they haven't got a medical problem?


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## Mike P (Oct 15, 2018)

Fed up today. The hospital managed to get my bg to around 8 when I left. Not had that much to eat and following my low carb diet that had reduced bg from 15 down to 8 over the past few months. Just checked my and got a result of 18 after breakfast. Looks like my body is still fighting the infection and I will have to start from scratch again.


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## Drummer (Oct 15, 2018)

What was for breakfast?


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## Mike P (Oct 15, 2018)

I had a bowl of Jordans Country Crisp Nuts. That has served me well in the past often dropping my bg but never raising it more that 1.5 points. My system is all over the place at the moment and I feel absolutely awful. My wife is trying to persuade me that I should go back to the hospital but I'm not sure.


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## Drummer (Oct 16, 2018)

Ah - they are over 50 percent carbs - no wonder you feel bad.
They would not feature on my menu nor would I think that they were low carb.


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## Mike P (Oct 19, 2018)

Sorry for the delay in responding, I lost the argument and ended up in hospital for 3 days being treated for pneumonia. Back home now but not entirely sure the infection is cleared yet as still have a few days of antibiotics to finish off. Am back testing Bg but not expecting anything reasonable until the chest has completely cleared up.
I have a feeling that the recent high Bg levels were increased due to the infection and worry now that the HbA1c test, that I am expecting to have any time around now, will be skewed by the higher levels because of the infection. This will of course affect the decision to refer me for my gallbladder op and could well delay this.
I will be happy when this period of health problems is consigned to history. Just really frustrated as I thought that things were going well and I had a grip, if only slightly, on the control lever for my blood glucose.


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## Mike P (Dec 12, 2018)

Following my bout of pneumonia I was at home for 3 days and felt really unwell, was persuaded to visit my doctor who took usual obs, blood pressure etc. and put me in an ambulance direct to A&E with suspected sepsis. It turned out to be a chest infection but gave me another 4 days in hospital on antibiotics. Back home I decided that I wouldn't test my blood sugar until I was feeling well again as the results, if high, wouldn't help my mental state whilst recovering. Iv'e been home now for three weeks and feel much better. I have been on the DERIK course, very enlightening! I knew a lot from what I had gleaned from this forum but it was very interesting hearing from a dietician and being able to debate diet was fun. I would recommend it to anyone. I had to have a followup blood test and persuaded my doctor to do an A1c test at the same time. The results showed some raised inflammation markers (follow up blood test this week) the HbA1c result 50 and my current BG 7.0. Feeling much happier.


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## Mike P (Dec 22, 2018)

If ever anyone needed a reason to keep on top of their blood sugar levels I received mine this morning. The results of my eye screening. Apparantly I have some background retinopathy (small changes to the blood vessels in the eye) that don't require treatment at this time and if BG is kept under control shouldn't need any treatment in the future. The emphasis being on keeping BG under control. OK I get the message and will try to be good this Christmas.

May I take this opportunity to wish everyone on this forum a very Happy Christmas and a healthy, and BG spike free, New Year


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## Eddy Edson (Dec 22, 2018)

Mike P said:


> If ever anyone needed a reason to keep on top of their blood sugar levels I received mine this morning. The results of my eye screening. Apparantly I have some background retinopathy (small changes to the blood vessels in the eye) that don't require treatment at this time and if BG is kept under control shouldn't need any treatment in the future. The emphasis being on keeping BG under control.



Ditto! The really *big* spur to getting things under control. Seems to be working for the moment; my 6-month exam a few weeks ago showed no progression. Phew!


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