# "How I cured myself of diabetes"



## LisaLQ

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1232188/How-I-cured-diabetes.html

Misleading somewhat.


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## aymes

Oooh, there's lots of little bits in that I take issue with, good old Daily Mail eh?!

May need to go into more detail and fly off a bit of an email this evening!

Also interesting to see that the comments section at the bottom of the article has descended into 'T1 vs T2', so ridiculous but sadly something I've seen so many times before, really glad we avoid that here!

Thanks for the posting the link!


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## Northerner

> In most instances, the main cause is being overweight. 'I'd brought it on myself through stress, eating the wrong foods and not exercising,'



What I really dislike about this kind of reporting is the way that people are made to feel guilty for becoming diabetic, and then made to feel even guiltier if they are unable to 'reverse the condition' by lifestyle modifications i.e. diet and exercise. Sure, some may be able to control their diabetes in this manner, but it is also possible that, however hard some people try, it is not enough. It does mention this in the article, but the overall tone is 'get off your fat a**es and stop whining' - similar to telling someone  who is clinically depressed to 'snap out of it' or someone with cancer to 'fight it'. There's no doubt some stories can be truly inspirational, but this kind of story is more  of a wagging finger and blame-exercise in my view.

Rant over!


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## Einstein

A little knowledge is often dangerous - add a journalist and the combination has the potential to become er, even more dangerous.


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## Viki

Surely they have just totally contradicted themselves:

"Two years ago, Janet was able to stop taking her medication completely. She still sees her GP for check-ups every three months. But she no longer experiences any diabetes symptoms, although officially she is still a diabetic"

So shes not cured, shes diet controlled. Its a shame this isnt seen as the achievement it is in itself without attaching a ludicrous, (medically impossible!) headline.

Grrrrr


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## Einstein

Viki said:


> Surely they have just totally contradicted themselves:
> 
> "Two years ago, Janet was able to stop taking her medication completely. She still sees her GP for check-ups every three months. But she no longer experiences any diabetes symptoms, although officially she is still a diabetic"
> 
> So shes not cured, shes diet controlled. Its a shame this isnt seen as the achievement it is in itself without attaching a ludicrous, (medically impossible!) headline.
> 
> Grrrrr


 
We're only jealous because we're type 1's and are so bad and evil we can't be cured, and even if we could we wouldn't want to be cured


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## Freddie99

Bloody journos. Even if you gave them the complete facts in an easy to digest, journalist friendly format (ideally aimed for those with the intellect of a labrador) they could still get things wrong and twist them out of proportion.


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## sofaraway

I wish they hadn't used the cure word in the title. She's not cured, she is now diet controlled and would likely fail a GTT.


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## SacredHeart

Of course it's misleading! It's from the Daily Fail!

I'm not even going to touch the main body of the article, but I do find a size 14-16 being classified as 'big' as a bit stupid.


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## LisaLQ

aymes said:


> Oooh, there's lots of little bits in that I take issue with, good old Daily Mail eh?!
> 
> May need to go into more detail and fly off a bit of an email this evening!
> 
> Also interesting to see that the comments section at the bottom of the article has descended into 'T1 vs T2', so ridiculous but sadly something I've seen so many times before, really glad we avoid that here!
> 
> Thanks for the posting the link!



I kind of left a message about that on there, isn't it sad that there is such "snobbery" (eg. my diabetes is better than your diabetes!).  It's not the same but it's just as serious, just because overweight people are at higher risk doesn't mean all us fatties got diabetes because of that alone.


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## LisaLQ

SacredHeart said:


> Of course it's misleading! It's from the Daily Fail!
> 
> I'm not even going to touch the main body of the article, but I do find a size 14-16 being classified as 'big' as a bit stupid.



They'd have a field day with me.  I dont think one of my thighs is a size 14.  But I've lost a stone so far and dont intend to stop til I'm healthy (no size limit on that IMO), that's all that matters.


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## katie

she was size 20 apparently.


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## Viki

Einstein said:


> We're only jealous because we're type 1's and are so bad and evil we can't be cured, and even if we could we wouldn't want to be cured



Thats not true, I "cure" myself all the time with a great big glass of wine. Its a miracle, levels come right down, no insulin required 

I think the T1 vs T2 thing is really sad. Its society's lack of knowledge of our conditions which make some of us turn in on ourselves.

Thats why you guys and this place is so refreshing, we understand that carbs hate us all, whatever the original cause


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## cazscot

Einstein said:


> A little knowledge is often dangerous - add a journalist and the combination has the potential to become er, even more dangerous.





SacredHeart said:


> Of course it's misleading! It's from the Daily Fail!




Couldnt have said it any better myself...


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## squidge63

I like the Daily Mail, but had to laugh when I read that article, as soon as I read the word "cure" I thought here we go... my dad who still hasn't grasped my diabetes will probably have read that and when I next speak to him he will tell me that I can cure myself... hmmmm 5 injections and 2000mg metformin a day to nothing.. I don't think so...

The other thing that annoys me is when people say "oh it's only mild diabetes" or like a dr said to me recently (orthopaedic), I see you have a little diabetes... !!!! as opposed to what large diabetes..


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## karinagal

squidge63 said:


> The other thing that annoys me is when people say "oh it's only mild diabetes" or like a dr said to me recently (orthopaedic), I see you have a little diabetes... !!!! as opposed to what large diabetes..



Funnily enough, I was told that I had "mild diabetes" too!


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## Copepod

If the last time an orthopaedic doctor had any training in diabetes was more than say 10 years ago, it's quite likely they heard type 2 diabetes described as "mild diabetes". Terminiology has moved on since then.


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## karinagal

Totally agree. To be fair, I think what she was trying to convey is that we might have caught it before my levels were excessively high and possibly I had a better chance of getting it under control. Then again, I might be giving her too much credit!!


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## Shelb1uk

OMG I hate articles like this, the sad thing is the ppl who read it will believe it and be educated by it, albeit incorrectly!!!!!

I for one really want to campaign for better awareness for diabetes, both types....RANT RANT RANT!!!!!!!!!


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## PhilT

It's amazing how ingnorant the press are concerning diabetes and as a result the general public by and large.

The amount of times you hear people saying type 2 diabetes is not as serious as type 1(so type 2's don't get complications like retinopathy or myopathy or kidney problems if they have bad control?), or the other common statement that all type 2 diabetics are overweight, never exersise and eat junk food all the time so it's their own fault they are diabetic! I know lots of type 2 diabetics that could not be considered in the slightest as being overweight and even if they were, no one deserves to have an illness like diabetes.

Maybe instead of putting alot of factually inaccurate and frankly insulting comments in the media they might try actually talking to the people who know best about diabetes, namely us!


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## LisaLQ

Some of the comments on the thread are really sad.  Has there always been this "mine is worse than yours - boo hoo!" kind of thing going on or is it something new?  I think it's very sad that some people commenting are saying that it's offensive to type 1s for them to talk about a cure when "type 1s can only dream of one", well surely it's offensive to type 2s too as there is none for either?!  I know I like to whinge but come on - "my diabetes is worse than your diabetes so ner!" is really pathetic...


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## sofaraway

From my experience the friction bewteen types is fairly common, and other forums this is really evident. Here though I've almost never seen it which has been really nice.


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## katie

Lisa, type 1 diabetes isn't something you are born with, it is something you develop... I was a non-diabetic for 18 years.


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## LisaLQ

Aaah sorry for my ignorance, I always thought it was a lifelong thing - sorry


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## katie

LisaLQ said:


> Aaah sorry for my ignorance, I always thought it was a lifelong thing - sorry



No worries!

I just like people to know that I didn't have to inject myself etc for 18 years of my life, so I was like everyone else once apon a time


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## Tezzz

I get questions a lot of the time... 

I just explain I'm a Type 2. Insulin is needed to let the cells in the body use the glucose in my blood. My body has a resistance to insulin made by my pancreas. I take tablets and exercise to keep my blood glucose to a safe levels. A Type 1 diabetic cannot produce  their own insulin and has to inject insulin. Some Type 2s need extra insulin through injections.

Why can't the papers state these facts?


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## NiVZ

God damn journo's sensationalising things as usual.  Not much excitement in "Woman controls diabetes by eating healthy, exercising and losing weight"

Diabetes is such a complicated condition for both type 1's and type 2's (and type 1.5's and LADA, MODY, etc)  I feel having been diabetic for 13 years I myself am still learning all the time so what chance do non-diabetics have when they are being told we can "cure ourselves" by rediculous articles such as these.

If diabetes could be "cured" do you not think we'd all already be forming an orderly queue at our local GP/NHS trust?

NiVZ


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## LisaLQ

You know, I would have taken the warnings I had more seriously if I hadn't been told that type 2 was curable if you lost weight.  I figured there was no rush to start being more healthy and it wouldn't happen to me anyway, or at least not til I was old.  And then it did, and I thought - oh well, yeah it's a big deal but it's curable right?  When the nurse told me it wasnt and it's progressive in most people, THAT's when I woke up and realised how stupid I'd been.  So stories like this really pee me off, as some people might also be ignoring the warnings they get because they think it's nothing to worry about.


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## LisaLQ

Ps.  I left another message on the DM apologising for the ignorance on type 1...sorry about that.


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## Flower87

Lisa - it's exactly stories like these that lead to our own ignorance too!! I know I certainly have some ignorance about T2, and I'm T1, what on earth must the general public think!?? What a stupid article.

Going back to an earlier comment - I also hate the term 'mild diabetic' as I've been described before: 'She doesn't have it badly'


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## FM001

''How I cured myself of diabetes''

First of all, what a misleading statement!

It is impossible to cure yourself from diabetes.  Diabetes is a lifelong condition where, as yet there are no medical advancements to restore normal pancreatic function.  

What this lady had successfully achieved is to eat a diet which is compatible to the amount of insulin her pancreas still produces.  As she is type 2, it looks like her body can produce sufficient insulin to match the low-carb diet that she obviously is currently eating.  The problem before, as she admits herself, was that she was eating a diet consisting of glucose (chocolate) and fish & chips/takeaways which are extremely high carb foods.  Therefore, her pancreas could not cope and medication would have been necessary.

This lady certainly has not cured herself, and she will always be classed as having diabetes.  What she has achieved, is to control her diabetes by diet, which many other type 2's successfully do.

Toby


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## Minster

i have to say when i read this article i was left dumbstruck that a journalist would even think of putting a piece of work out like this! it is sensationalism at best! the lady clearly is still diabeteic but has been able to get herself to diet and exercise control alone! i for one would love to be diabetes free, but alas i am not able to be and i am ok with that. i have been type1 for a decade now and still i wouldnt say i know everything about diabetes.

as for the snobery between type1's and type2's i would have to say it would be very stupid if it existed. i for one feel we are all in this and no matter type1 or type2 we need to put pressure on the world to hear our voice.


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## stute

Ive lost over 4 stone now in 7 months my consultant says in 6 to 12 months i will be coming off insulin. my long term HbA1c is 7.5 down from 10 a 25% drop, still need to do more another 1 1/2 st though.   eat healthly and our diabetes will improve but never disapear


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## katie

Wow, nice work stute


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## LisaLQ

Well done Stute, I'd love to know how you've done it - I'm vastly overweight (roughly double what I should be at most) and I've lost roughly a stone so far but dont feel any better yet (dont know what my bloods are as I'm not allowed to test).


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## RachelT

Yeah, this losing weight malarkey isn't half as easy as they make out in the papers and magasines. This does really annoy me, but i'll stop that rant there i think...So anyway, losing any weight is a real achievement, well done!

There's two other points to this story, firstly "woman controlls diabetes through healthy living" isn't going to sell any papers. Secondly, she's not just any random woman, she's a hairdresser with celebrity clients! Clearly a woman who dresses the hair and chats with Elle McPherson and Sadie Frost can't be expected to be in the same boat as the rest of us. She's obviously much more important than we are and therefore her diabetes must be either more or less serious. (please note the tone of sarcasm in this paragraph, if you happen to be a good friend of a celebrity, i'm sorry, i'm sure they're really nice in real life...)
Personally. i'm quite glad i'm not Sadie Frost's hairdresser, for one i'm crap with hair and secondly i'd have to confess, i fancy her ex-husband..

RachelT


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