For those with diabetes, how did you know/find out?

SexyGreyFox

SexyGreyFox

SexyGreyFox

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So basically were you feeling lethargic etc and went to the GP and they confirmed or was there another way you found out?
Obviously don't turn this into a medical thread, I just want to know how your journey please.
I reckon my journey was completely different than anyone else.

Thanks
 
danoliver1 said:
Fasting blood sample then sugary drink wait 2 hours then take another blood sample. We then compare the two results 2hr sample blood glucose levels should be back to normal in non diabetic patients.
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My wife had the pleasure of doing one of these when she was pregnant and already feeling sick all the time, it wasn't a pleasant 2 hours sat in the clinic :o
 
Feek said:
Please return with an update soon.
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OK you asked for it :)

Unlike other people I wasn't suffering any side effects and all these years on still haven't (really) suffered any side effects.
One night I was singing on stage with my rock band, I came off at half time and a friend asked me if I was diabetic.
I told him no but he insisted I get checked out because he could 'see signs' but I said I can't be diabetic because I run marathons/half marathons so I'm FAF.
After the gig he insisted I get checked out because to this day I've never asked him what he saw.
Anyway, went to Lloyds Chemist who told me go to the GP who sent me for the Glucose Tolerance test.
Two weeks later I'm being told I'm diabetic, I'm arguing the toss because I'm probably the fittest person he sees and he asks me what food I eat to run marathons.
I was eating all high carb foods and that is what gave me diabetes.

The only way to explain my diabetes because I've never had a 'warning' unlike other people is that it's like a pimple on my leg :)
It gets slightly bigger so I have more tablets, a few months later it grows and I have more tablets and I'm now on maximum dosage of 4 tablets but still I haven't had any warnings unlike other people, I've just got a pimple that's getting bigger. Hope that makes sense.

I've now just failed my latest HbA1c test and told I've got to inject but nothing has ever happened to me to be panicking.
On Friday my wife arranged for a Cousin to visit me behind my back, he suffers really bad with it and he gave me a right talking to and said to do everything I can to stay away from injections - THIS IS MY FIRST WARNING IN 20 YEARS.
I'm going to beg the Nurses for a 3 month waiver to completely change my lifestyle and eating habits and hopefully in 3 months I get the HbA1c reading down and try my best to keep it going.
 
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Are they saying you have T1 or T2?

Did they tell you the HBA1C result?

I felt something was wrong and was insistent when the doctor said I was fine. They did a blood test to put my mind at ease and about a week later the receptionist called me to arrange an appointment and blurted out that I had been diagnosed with T2 diabetes.

With hindsight, an early warning was that I had been losing weight for months while still eating like a pig. Back then, I was fortunate my body was still capable of ensuring my blood glucose dropped below 12 mmol/l which prevented severe ketoacidosis.
 
str said:
Are they saying you have T1 or T2?

Did they tell you the HBA1C result?

I felt something was wrong and was insistent when the doctor said I was fine. They did a blood test to put my mind at ease and about a week later the receptionist called me to arrange an appointment and blurted out that I had been diagnosed with T2 diabetes.

With hindsight, an early warning was that I had been losing weight for months while still eating like a pig. Back then, I was fortunate my body was still capable of ensuring my blood glucose dropped below 12 mmol/l which prevented severe ketoacidosis.
Click to expand...

I've had T2 for over 20 years but no side effects

Yes I have an HbA1c of 67 and should be below 58.
I had 3 operations turned down because I was above 58 and then last Feb 2022 it came down to 56 so they operated, within months it was back above 70.

You're the only person I've ever heard of who lost weight because of diabetes.
 
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It sounds like you have a lifestyle that somewhat helps to manage your condition.

I was diagnosed about 5 years ago with HBA1C at 58 and it had dropped to 47 at my checkup a year later. I managed it with diet and exercise regardless that I was mostly clueless about it all.

I had it checked middle of last year and it was back up at 58.

I recently had a period of about 5 months where I had stopped managing my condition. It was enlightening but also damaging. I added about 10kg in weight and my condition drastically worsened.

It became evident that most of the glucose receptors in my body had become incapable of functioning properly with regards to insulin and my kidneys were heavily overworked disposing of some of the excess blood glucose.

I'm now in my 5th week doing what I can to "solve" it again.

I don't have a choice anymore, my blood glucose sky rockets and it remains high for long periods, unless I exercise almost immediately after consuming fast acting carbs.

Exercise results in having working glucose receptors for a period of time.

Exercise and healthy eating is cumulatively reversing my condition.

When I was diagnosed my blood glucose homeostasis was 5 mmol/l and after a couple of years I had blindly managed to get my body to reduce it to 4 mmol/l.

Currently my blood glucose rarely drops below 7 mmol/l so I have a long way to go to having a healthy metabolic system again.

I consider myself fortunate that I still have the opportunity to win and I will not falter again.
 
str said:
It sounds like you have a lifestyle that somewhat helps to manage your condition.
Click to expand...

Well no, my lifestyle choices are rubbish because that's why I'm on maximum tablets and now looking at injections.

This is what I take now and I can't have any more :
Empagliflozin 25mg tablets
Gliclazide 30mg x 3 modified-release tablets
Glucophage 500mg x 4 tablets (Merck Serono Ltd)
Alogliptin 25mg tablets
 
SexyGreyFox said:
Well no, my lifestyle choices are rubbish because that's why I'm on maximum tablets and now looking at injections.

This is what I take now and I can't have any more :
Empagliflozin 25mg tablets
Gliclazide 30mg x 3 modified-release tablets
Glucophage 500mg x 4 tablets (Merck Serono Ltd)
Alogliptin 25mg tablets
Click to expand...

I see, well you have been having the right medicine to mitigate your condition, but now you're faced with a more drastic level of medication.

My having a very early diagnosis gave me the choice of managing my condition without medication.

The best advice I can offer is for you to take small steps towards 3 hours per week of specifically zone 2 exercise to start with and minor dietary changes for example time restricted eating and a slight reduction in fast acting carbs.

The effects of doing so is cumulative and could provide you with the opportunity to manage your medication to whatever level suits you instead of moving on to insulin injections.
 
SexyGreyFox said:
One night I was singing on stage with my rock band, I came off at half time and a friend asked me if I was diabetic.
I told him no but he insisted I get checked out because he could 'see signs' but I said I can't be diabetic because I run marathons/half marathons so I'm FAF.
After the gig he insisted I get checked out because to this day I've never asked him what he saw.
Click to expand...

Would be very helpful to this thread if you could contact him and ask him what he saw...
 
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