# Hello, newbie diabetic from Brum



## Guyfrombrum (May 20, 2013)

Hello people,

IC4 Male, 30 years old and found out i'm diabetic (type 2) on the 11/04/13 

I was shocked at first (in tears) but to be fair i can only blame myself. Many years of body abuse so no surprise something went wrong.

On the plus side it was my wake up call which i took very seriously. 

So it started by me noting that i was going through a lot of fizzy drinks. I'm talking five cans of Pepsi within an hour. When they ran out i would get thirsty and crave more. I was feeling tired and needing to pee a lot. At that point a work colleague advised me to see the doctor. 

So i called NHS direct, who via various health centres, etc, eventually i found myself in A & E thinking 'come on'. Anway a lovely nurse came, tested my pee and blood sugar level (which was 18 m/mol and some sugar in my urine). Then the nurse told me that from now on things are going to be different.

I walked home and told the wife. She was pleased  Although not as pleased as my mother who has type 1 and only gave me the 'control your diet' lecture a month earlier. In fact when i did go to tell my mum someone had already told her and she just had this 'look' on her face. The look is best described as someone has just old her i eat babies. It was THAT bad. Anyway, i high fived my mum, told her we have something in common and now we can do bonding activities like checking our sugars together, taking medications together which was shortly followed by a sharp clip round the ear and then the 'told you so' lecture started 

So i have been learning alot about food, carbs, sugar, what i can and can't eat and i be honest it has been an uphill struggle. I poured all my fizzy drinks in the house down the sink. Gosh, the sink has never been cleaner. Plus water goes down the drain faster now 

Then i set about my diet. To be fair the diet has even surprised myself as well as everyone i know.

Remember i was diagnosed on the 11/04/13. 

At that point my weight was 15 stones.

This morning it was 13 stones!

Two stones lost in just a little over a month. 

I feel lighter, a lot weaker and all i've done is cut out all the crap food i was eating. My favourite meal 'was' cod and chips with curry sauce. I tried some chips on Saturday. All i could taste was a layer of oil. It was sickly and horrible.

I've given up cigarettes and started e-cigs instead as i need my nicotine. Gradually i will give that up too.

Plus on the bright side yesterday after a chicken and salad BBQ i tested my sugar level and it was at 7.7m/mol. I'm confident that i can control myself enough to get off the tablets by the end of the year (Metaformin or something like that).

Did i mention tablets? I'm not sure wether they are genuine sugar reducing types or simply designed to break wind. There is no stopping them! I'm on three a day at the moment.

Next is another 'bloods' at the end of the month which i hate and a visit to the optician.

On Saturday i'm seeing a gym instructor who is diabetes trained to advise on a training regime. I want to be back to 15 or maybe 16 stones but this time muscle and no fat. Target for that is this time next year. I might spray some WD40 on my old pushbike too.

Anyway that's enough about me.

Just a few quickies though....

Tired
Thirsty
Weak
Can't work till late
Going bed at around 2130hrs
Erection issues

Is this all normal for type 2 30 year olds?


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## Northerner (May 20, 2013)

Hi GFB, welcome to the forum  Sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but great to hear that you've already made such good progress towards getting things under control - well done! Your body (and mind!) has been through a lot over the past few weeks, so it's not surprising that you still feel a bit knocked about. This is a major thing that has happened to you, and one of the things that will be causing you to suffer a bit is the fact that your body will have been used to much higher blood sugar levels up until recently and it will be trying to adapt.

Have a browse of our Useful links thread for some good links to information and resources to help you understand what is going on and what to expect. It can be especially useful to follow a good, methodical testing regime, so have a read of Test,Review, Adjust by Alan S  as a useful guide.

 Many people find that the adjustments they make mean they can eventually come off the medication, but try not to look too far into the future, just concentrate on getting good, regular readings on your meter. If you have any questions, please let us know!


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## Mark T (May 20, 2013)

Welcome to the forum Guyfrombrum


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## LeeLee (May 20, 2013)

Hello GFB, welcome to the forum.  Sorry I can't answer your 'man' question, but well done for making such a positive start on your D-journey.  The other symptoms should improve once you get your blood sugar levels under control.  

As for Metfartin, the wind problems reduced to a mostly tolerable level for me after about 1-2 months - but I always regret eating a high-carb meal, I can barely live with myself!  If the problems persist, ask your doc if you can have the slow-release version instead, many people find it easier on the gut.


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## Steff (May 20, 2013)

Hi GFB a warm welcome to the forum

just to add to the last thing u asked, yes normal for me im 30 and t2 mind u i dnt get erection issues(not yet anyways)


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## HOBIE (May 20, 2013)

Hi Guyfrombrum. You sound as if you have started with a good attitude. Your into cars etc (good) Summers here so get on that bike around cannals of Brum


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## Redkite (May 20, 2013)

Hi GuyfromBrum and welcome!  Love your comments about the fizzy drinks scouring out the sink! 

I was just wondering about your diagnosis and whether the docs are sure you are not type 1 with slow onset?  (Sometimes assumptions are made that if you are adult and overweight you must be type 2).  Since you say your Mum is type 1, and you have lost a lot of weight very quickly, and are still feeling tired and thirsty etc.


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## Guyfrombrum (May 20, 2013)

Thanks for the warm welcome guys. 

I don't think it's type 1 as although my mum has it, she isn't my real mum i was adopted as a wee lad so i don't know for sure. I hope it's not type one as it's hard enough pricking my finger i would never be able to inject myself.

The doctors did carry out two 'bloods' and the 'urine' tests before they prescribed the Metafarty tablets.

I think the reason i'm getting tired is as 'Northerner' mentioned earlier i'm taking in a lot less sugar than before plus my daily food intake in a third of what it used to be. 

I'm really looking forward to a diet and gym plan now. I've never actually had any sort of muscly looking body so now's my chance to build one. Plus i'm climbing Ben Nevis later in the year and i'd like to not die whilst doing it so i need to get fit.


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## ypauly (May 20, 2013)

There are a few of us from brum on here. Welcome to the forum.


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## Taz (May 21, 2013)

Welcome GFB and good look mate with your D journey


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## Sarah1983 (May 21, 2013)

Hi, I've recently been diagnosed too.  Can't help with the erection problems but I've not felt tired or weak, quite the opposite in fact.  I felt tired and weak before being diagnosed but now they've got my blood sugar down I've got a lot more energy.  If you've made a massive change in diet though perhaps that could account for you feeling weak and tired?


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## Guyfrombrum (May 21, 2013)

Lol, maybe i should have kept the man stuff quiet 

I think you are right. The diet will change will be a major contributing factor to feeling tired and weak. However i still can't figure out why my mouth becomes so dry. I'm practically on water all the time. Mind you lots of water can never be a bad thing


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## Northerner (May 21, 2013)

Guyfrombrum said:


> Lol, maybe i should have kept the man stuff quiet
> 
> I think you are right. The diet will change will be a major contributing factor to feeling tired and weak. However i still can't figure out why my mouth becomes so dry. I'm practically on water all the time. Mind you lots of water can never be a bad thing



It could be that your levels are still elevated, particularly after eating, so you are becoming dehydrated as your body tries to flush out the excess sugar in your urine - hence needing the loo more. Ideally, you need to test your levels both before and one or two hours after eating so that you can build up a picture of how various meals are affecting your levels, Do you have a mter and strips, or have you been nicking your mum's?


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## HOBIE (May 21, 2013)

Love the bit about "Metafarty" tablets .  Good luck doing Ben Nevis


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## Guyfrombrum (May 21, 2013)

I've got my own meter. I will also admit that pricking myself takes along time. It doesn't even hurt but for some reason there is a mental block which stops me from pricking myself. I'm slowly overcoming it. 

My urine is still very yellow, i'll be having another urine test soon so i'll see whats going on there.


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## DebbyC (May 21, 2013)

Hi GFB

I was diagnosed in March this year with type 2, I was so thirsty I could drink a lake and tired, nodding off at 8:30pm on the sofa like a little old lady . But I think my glucose levels are coming down now as I have so much more energy than before, Im not as thirsty, and I've stopped getting up in the night to use the loo. I have my next blood test in July, they won't give me a meter, but I'm still working on it.  Wish I could loose more weight, I've only lost 4lbs so far, but hey it's a start. You sound like you have the right attitude. Like me I think life is for living, if i've got to make the changes, just do it and get on with it. I haven't been given meds as yet, I'm trying to control with diet and exercise so fingers crossed the next blood test will be a good one. Keep doing what your doing and just to let you know you have inspired me to carry on with what I'm doing too


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## itsallgood (May 21, 2013)

Probably won't work for everyone but I'm on 4x500mg of metfartin and I find eating a few brazil nuts every day really seems to calm the old guts down a lot. Chew them up _very_ small though, to a pulp, before swallowing or they may scratch your barking spider when they eventually exit.


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## Northerner (May 21, 2013)

itsallgood said:


> Probably won't work for everyone but I'm on 4x500mg of metfartin and I find eating a few brazil nuts every day really seems to calm the old guts down a lot. Chew them up _very_ small though, to a pulp, before swallowing or they may scratch your *barking spider* when they eventually exit.


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## Sarah1983 (May 21, 2013)

Guyfrombrum said:


> I've got my own meter. I will also admit that pricking myself takes along time. It doesn't even hurt but for some reason there is a mental block which stops me from pricking myself. I'm slowly overcoming it.



I'm the same when it comes to stabbing my finger, doesn't hurt but it takes me ages to screw up the courage to press that little button.  Yet I've got no problems injecting insulin   In hospital they took blood from my ear lobes rather than my fingertips, much preferred that but it's a bit tricky to do yourself.


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## Newtothis (May 21, 2013)

Welcome to the forum guyfrombrum from Amanda from Brum x


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## Mark T (May 21, 2013)

You might want to enquire if there is a diabetes clinic at the local hospital that has a specialist nurse that deals with "male" issues and see if you can get referred.

Although they will probably advise to loose weight and bring down your average blood glucose levels since part of the issue can be the high blood glucose levels damaging the blood vessels and nerve endings.


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## everydayupsanddowns (May 21, 2013)

You've had a lot of advice already, so just another welcome to the forum


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## delb t (May 22, 2013)

Hi welcome from another Brummie -glad you found us


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## Northerner (May 22, 2013)

delb t said:


> Hi welcome from another Brummie -glad you found us



Blimey, there's a lot of you Brummies! Hoping for a good turnout at the Birmingham Meet in September!


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## delb t (May 22, 2013)

maybe its something in the water here!!!!!!!!


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## Guyfrombrum (May 23, 2013)

Thank you soo much for the warm welcome guys.

Thanks for the advice too.

I think i might have fixed the man issue problem. Initially i convinced the wife that diabetes increases my drive which was brilliant for me as i got a lot of 'aww poor husband' good time  However i noticed it becoming more and more difficult over the last couple of weeks and after discussing it with the wife. My experiment is for her to look really good then see if i have a problem or not 

Gosh, i love anonymity.


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## bennyg70 (May 23, 2013)

Haha I couldnt help but laugh at some of your posts! I know I shouldnt..

Welcome, Im from the posh side in Wolverhampton


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