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204 Posts
Hello at all of you,
My name is John and I live in the UK.
Some of you may know me from other diabetes forums. I've only just found this one. I'm amazed as to how many different forums there are. Can anyone tell me why there needs to be so many?
I'm a Type 2 who was diagnosed nearly nine years ago in the very early stages of diabetes (at that time with a fasting blood glucose just over 7 and with a HbA1c still in the 5s). I was given the standard UK advice of "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate". I'm a good patient and followed that advice!
However, my situation worsened slowly over the next seven years with my HbA1c rising gradually and the health professionals telling me that things were "satisfactory". However, when my HbA1c reached 9.4% my GP prescribed metformin but still told me to follow the same advice of "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate".
For a while, the metformin seemed to make my levels a little bit better but my HbA1c was soon back to 8.5%. At that stage, my GP doubled the metformin dose but still told me to keep following the "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate" advice.
At that stage, I decided that it was about time that I found out much more about what was happening and started looking for reading matter on Amazon. Motivated by a book that I read about reversing diabetes written by a US doctor called Dr Neil Barnard, I started my improvement programme by changing my diet and at the same time started calorie counting to lose weight. I also decided to disregard my GP's advice and started testing.
Immediately, my blood glucose levels improved remarkably and have continued to do so - my HbA1c readings over the last twelve months dropping from 8.5 > 6.8 > 5.7 > 5.5 and to 5.3% last time. My regular finger prick tests indicate that my present level is even lower today.
I consider that what I have achieved to have been quite simple and am in the process of questioning at every opportunity the advice that Type 2s are given in the UK - and wherever I can campaigning against the quite appalling advice that is being given.
I never consider that anything is forever and I am anxious to interact with others to learn what is achievable in the long term.
My motivation is to keep as far away as I can from the quite horrible diabetic complications that I am so often told about. At present, after nine years, I have no symptoms or complications whatsoever as far as I am aware.
I look forward to getting to know other members and to reading about their situations and experiences.
Best wishes - John
My name is John and I live in the UK.
Some of you may know me from other diabetes forums. I've only just found this one. I'm amazed as to how many different forums there are. Can anyone tell me why there needs to be so many?
I'm a Type 2 who was diagnosed nearly nine years ago in the very early stages of diabetes (at that time with a fasting blood glucose just over 7 and with a HbA1c still in the 5s). I was given the standard UK advice of "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate". I'm a good patient and followed that advice!
However, my situation worsened slowly over the next seven years with my HbA1c rising gradually and the health professionals telling me that things were "satisfactory". However, when my HbA1c reached 9.4% my GP prescribed metformin but still told me to follow the same advice of "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate".
For a while, the metformin seemed to make my levels a little bit better but my HbA1c was soon back to 8.5%. At that stage, my GP doubled the metformin dose but still told me to keep following the "do not test" and "eat plenty of starchy carbohydrate" advice.
At that stage, I decided that it was about time that I found out much more about what was happening and started looking for reading matter on Amazon. Motivated by a book that I read about reversing diabetes written by a US doctor called Dr Neil Barnard, I started my improvement programme by changing my diet and at the same time started calorie counting to lose weight. I also decided to disregard my GP's advice and started testing.
Immediately, my blood glucose levels improved remarkably and have continued to do so - my HbA1c readings over the last twelve months dropping from 8.5 > 6.8 > 5.7 > 5.5 and to 5.3% last time. My regular finger prick tests indicate that my present level is even lower today.
I consider that what I have achieved to have been quite simple and am in the process of questioning at every opportunity the advice that Type 2s are given in the UK - and wherever I can campaigning against the quite appalling advice that is being given.
I never consider that anything is forever and I am anxious to interact with others to learn what is achievable in the long term.
My motivation is to keep as far away as I can from the quite horrible diabetic complications that I am so often told about. At present, after nine years, I have no symptoms or complications whatsoever as far as I am aware.
I look forward to getting to know other members and to reading about their situations and experiences.
Best wishes - John