# Not diagnosed yet



## Mary Walters (Feb 12, 2010)

Hello folks.

It looks like I am about to be diagnosed this week, I will be suprised if not TBH.

I fall in the 'at risk' category. Mother was diagnosed at around 58, and my brother at about 60. I am 64 and have been having prick tests for about 5 years on and off, plus the odd fasting test.

I had a prick test about 3 weeks ago which was 4.5. Then last week I had 3 'funny turns' at work, I went home and right to make appt with senior nurse. 2 days after I went for a fasting test, the results of my previous bloods, taken the day of funny turns was 7.1. I have 3 pals at work who diabetic and are helping me loads. But I noticed Tez was close to my 7.1 also.

Thanks for reading x


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## Northerner (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Mary, welcome to the forum 

Diagnosis is made if you have symptoms (thirst, going to loo a lot) plus fasting level of 7 or more, or a random test greater than 11. They may decde to do an oral glucose tolerance test - a diagnosis is made in this case if you are more than 11 2 hours after drinking 75ml of lucozade or similar. Non-diabetic people are normally in the range 3.5-6.5 but can be lower or higher occasionally depending on circumstances.

Try not to worry until confirmed - not easy, I know! Let us know how you get on, there is lots of help and support here whatever happens


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## Mary Walters (Feb 12, 2010)

Thanks Northerner, yes I could drink the sea dry, and often have to leave my work to go to loo between breaks.

The girls at work are very supportive I must say, one told me off for having cherry lucozade yesterday bless her.

I am trying to be positive and my son is saying 'you don't know yet', but looks suss.

I must admit, over last 9 years I have had hospital proceedures where the nurses have said ' what about your diabetes', and I've been whaaaaat.

x


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## Steff (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Mary and welcome to the forum i hope the resutls dont take to long please come back on and let us know how it goes x


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## Northerner (Feb 12, 2010)

Mary Walters said:


> Thanks Northerner, yes I could drink the sea dry, and often have to leave my work to go to loo between breaks.
> 
> The girls at work are very supportive I must say, one told me off for having cherry lucozade yesterday bless her.
> 
> ...



If it is confirmed Mary, which I admit does seem likely, then it could be a very good thing. Once you know, then you are able to act and get treatment - you'll no longer want to drink the seas dry and spend less time in the loo! Many people actually find that the adaptations to diet and lifestyle result in them feeling much healthier than they have for a long time - so there are positives!


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## wallycorker (Feb 12, 2010)

Hi Mary,

I will say to you what I've just said to Mar JB in another post:

"Irrespective of whether or not you receive the bad news of diabetes diagnosis, I suggest that you stick around these diabetes forums and take heed of what advice you will be given. It sounds likely that you are at least pre-diabetic and it may not be too late to avoid diabetes developing by making some quite simple changes to your diet in particular and your lifestyle in general. 

Believe me diet is very powerful!"

Please see the other thread to read my full posting to Mark JB - it might be very relevant to you.

Good luck and best wishes - John


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## Old Holborn (Feb 13, 2010)

Mary Walters said:


> Hello folks.
> 
> It looks like I am about to be diagnosed this week, I will be suprised if not TBH.
> 
> ...


 
Hi Mary and welcome.


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## Mary Walters (Feb 13, 2010)

Thanks for the welcome folks xxx

I read what was said to JB, is good advice.

Even if I am not diagnosed on Weds, I will still use the forum cos I am still at risk no matter what. I know I need to lose at least 3 stone and am on Orlistat from GP, yes, one of my pals at work told me I can't take them if diagnosed, or Slimfast, but that makes me hungrier anyways lol.

Oh yeah, whats HbA1c please????


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## Steff (Feb 13, 2010)

Hi Mary hope this link answers your questions 

http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/easdec/prevention/what_is_the_hba1c.htm


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## wallycorker (Feb 13, 2010)

Mary Walters said:


> Thanks for the welcome folks xxx
> 
> I read what was said to JB, is good advice.
> 
> ...


Hi again Mary,

You seem to have got the message about how to deal with this situation no matter what the GP tells you. Stick with it and stay healthy!

As I have said earlier in my earlier post to mark, personally, I think that the diet change to less starchy carbohydrates - i.e. cereals, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice - is more important than weight loss or exercise. However, I do recommend that you try to do something towards those aspects too.

In very simplistic terms HbA1c is a test to measure an average of what your blood glucose readings have been doing over a three or four-month period. They usually take a reading from you every three or six months or so to check for deterioration. If it gets to that stage for you then make certain that you turn that around on them and register improvements.

Good luck and best wishes - John


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## Mary Walters (Feb 13, 2010)

wallycorker said:


> Hi again Mary,
> 
> You seem to have got the message about how to deal with this situation no matter what the GP tells you. Stick with it and stay healthy!
> 
> ...



Hi John

Thanks for the reply again.

So, you are saying limit carbs?? I do eat bread twice most days, cereals, potatoes every day. Rice and noodles once/twice a month on average.
I eat biscuits a couple of times a week, here again, one of my pals at work tells me malted milk and rich tea beat, not choccy ones lol.
I tend to grab go ahead yougourt topped biscuits for break at work, or a sarnie from chiller according to shift time.
 xx


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## wallycorker (Feb 13, 2010)

I'm saying limit the *starchy* carbs - i.e. in particular cereals, bread and potatoes - personally, these days, I eat very little of any of those (hardly any is what I mean - I don't say none - but it really is hardly any). I'm very careful with rice and pasta too - if I eat these I now eat only small amounts of things like brown rice and spelt or pulse pasta. Things that I used to eat a lot of such as pizza - I now avoid like the plague.

Personally, I've found through testing that I can eat carbs in fruit and veg form without it doing hardly anything to my blood glucose levels. However, a lot of other people say that fruit sends their levels high so you would need to test to find out how it affects you. Whatever the case, I would prefer to take any carbohydrate that I eat as fruit because I believe that it has so many nutritional advantages.

I'd keep away from even thinking about biscuits of any type because it is a very dangerous habit for a diabetic. I do vcery occasionally eat a single biscuit and that isn't going to harm anyone - and very, very, very occasionally I might just have two together because they came as a pack of two - as I did earlier this week because a pack was given to me on a train ride. I was given another pack that I put in my poc ket and they are now in a cupboard at home.

Certainly the less carbs that you eat the lower your blood glucose levels will be because the starchy carbohydrates turn into sugar almost immediately they enter your body. I still eat quite a lot of carbs compared with many other well-controlled diabetics but almost all of it as fruit and vegetables.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes - John


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## Northerner (Feb 13, 2010)

Mary Walters said:


> Hi John
> 
> Thanks for the reply again.
> 
> ...



Hi Mary, what you need to find is what you can happily tolerate in terms of different sources and quantities of carbs, and the only way you can do that is by establishing a program of testing to see how you are affected. Look at the following in our Links section:

http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=5836
http://www.diabetessupport.co.uk/boards/showthread.php?t=5835

These will give you a lot of good, solid information.

As John says in his latest reply, it is not a case of avoiding ALL carbs, but determining what works for you. Some people fnd they only need to reduce by small amount, or make only slight changes to their normal diet. 

The better options to choose are Low GI versions e.g. brown, seeded bread rather than white, or basmati rice instead of ordinary long grain.


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## Mary Walters (Feb 13, 2010)

Ahhh, I have just gone back to wholemeal bread, and sometimes eat brown rice.
As for biscuits, I mostly grab them for convenience at work cos of short break times. One of my pals said no sarnies out of chiller cos of mayo, does it count the same if I make my own??

Thanks again folks, I do appreciate this xx


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## wallycorker (Feb 13, 2010)

Mary Walters said:


> .........One of my pals said no sarnies out of chiller cos of mayo, does it count the same if I make my own??..........


Hi again Mary,

Personally, I'd say try to avoid "sarnies out of chiller cos of" *bread*!

John


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## Northerner (Feb 13, 2010)

Mary Walters said:


> Ahhh, I have just gone back to wholemeal bread, and sometimes eat brown rice.
> As for biscuits, I mostly grab them for convenience at work cos of short break times. One of my pals said no sarnies out of chiller cos of mayo, does it count the same if I make my own??
> 
> Thanks again folks, I do appreciate this xx



I think is is much better to make your own because you ca choose the bread and fillings. 'Bought' sandwiches are often made with inferior bread and may contain little extras like too much salt (bad for blood pressure) or even sugar. There are some especially good breads you can get which are very low GI i.e they release glucose very slowly into the blood. Examples are Burgen or Vogel bread, but if you can't find them, then any seeded loaf like granary or multigrain is good - wholemeal alone is actually not a great deal better than white, you need the grain/seed content to slow the digestion.

I wouldn't try to make too many drastic changes straightaway, you need to establish lifestyle and diet choices that you can live with and also let your body adapt gradually. Everything in moderation! Try calculating how much carbohydrate you eat within a day by looking at the packets or by buying a carb values book (Carb Counter: A Clear Guide to Carbohydrates in Everyday Foods (Collins GEM) is a good option). The suggested daily requirement is 230g for adults, but a lot of Type 2 diabetics find 130-150g more suitable - some will go much lower if necessary, but then food choices can become limited or less 'balanced'.

Hope this helps!


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## Mary Walters (Feb 13, 2010)

Yes I really should make my own sarnis and take them in, I haveben on meds for high blood presssure for years.

I am also prone to leg ulcer on one leg and have open excema, so thats not good.


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## Mary Walters (Feb 17, 2010)

Well, apparently I am not diabetic hmmmm.


With your permission I would like to remain a member and will try to follow t2 diet.

Thanks folks xxxxxxxxxxxx


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## LisaLQ (Feb 17, 2010)

Oh well that's good news 

If it's any use, Boots Shapers have a prawn/mayo sarnie made in oatmeal bread.  It's the only one they do, though!


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## Tezzz (Feb 17, 2010)

Can I throw a spanner into the works and say that *exercise* is important too. I don't go bonkers on the exercise, but I walk wherever possible now.

After starting to briskly walk for 20 minutes to work (with the ipod on) and back each day my medication has reduced along with my HbA1c.

I realise that not everybody can do exercise, it just works for me and it's free.


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## Steff (Feb 17, 2010)

Mary by all means stay as long as you want yore more then welcome , p.s good news on the not being diabetic x


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## Northerner (Feb 17, 2010)

Mary Walters said:


> Well, apparently I am not diabetic hmmmm.
> 
> 
> With your permission I would like to remain a member and will try to follow t2 diet.
> ...



Hi Mary, you are more than welcome to stay! Great news that you are not diabetic! It's clear that you recognise the dangers though, and want to start following a healthier (diabetes-friendly!) diet and lifestyle. I'm sure that this will give you much more energy and hopefully relieves those symptoms you have been getting. Please ask any questions you may have, and hopefully we can help you to steer a path away from the possibility of diabetes in the future


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## Mary Walters (Feb 17, 2010)

Thanks all, much appreciate it xx

I have walked more today then I have for months, to docs n back 3/4 mile? Then got off bus a stop before, on to neighboruing estate to the shop and around another 3/4 mile home, am shattered now lol. MK is not a very walk friendly place, too many redways and underpasses, don't trust them, elderly woman alone is easy target.


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## am64 (Feb 17, 2010)

Mary Walters said:


> Thanks all, much appreciate it xx
> 
> I have walked more today then I have for months, to docs n back 3/4 mile? Then got off bus a stop before, on to neighboruing estate to the shop and around another 3/4 mile home, am shattered now lol. MK is not a very walk friendly place, too many redways and underpasses, don't trust them, elderly woman alone is easy target.



welcome mary and i am glad the diagnoises didnt come! ... however you are very welcome anyway to stick around the forum and take support in loosing that wieght if you need it. maybe you should try and keep to a T2 type diet low gi no sugar diet anyway... some people suggest low carb but find what suits you...up your exercise asmuch as you can ... you can justdo 5 mins more each day or week can have amazing results . 
Sorry i was quite amused by your statement that MK is not pedestrian friendly as my Dad was involved with its early design and how it was to be a people friendly place !!! lots of parksand easy access...the main thing was for cycling can you do that ??? or is it just as bad as walking around in MK ??


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## Mary Walters (Feb 20, 2010)

am64 said:


> welcome mary and i am glad the diagnoises didnt come! ... however you are very welcome anyway to stick around the forum and take support in loosing that wieght if you need it. maybe you should try and keep to a T2 type diet low gi no sugar diet anyway... some people suggest low carb but find what suits you...up your exercise asmuch as you can ... you can justdo 5 mins more each day or week can have amazing results .
> Sorry i was quite amused by your statement that MK is not pedestrian friendly as my Dad was involved with its early design and how it was to be a people friendly place !!! lots of parksand easy access...the main thing was for cycling can you do that ??? or is it just as bad as walking around in MK ??



Hiya, I hate the redways and underpasses, I don't feel safe on or under them, even in daylight. I am used to walking to where I want on proper pavements from A to B. I used to walk everywhere when I lived at home in midlands. I would find it nigh on impossible to walk to work from where I live.
No I can't ride a bike lol. xxxxxxxxxx


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