I have now been diagnosed type 2 diabetic for 3 months and have been following dietary advice very carefully.
However because of my Brain Tumour and some joint pains I am very limited on the exercise I can do.
I used to walk a lot, but my joints object now (waiting for an appointment for X rays)
Been to see my Diabetes Nurse this morning and had bloods taken. My blood sugar was up from 7 on diagnosis, to 17.
I have managed to put on weight.
My eyesight is changing daily - currently everything is rather fuzzy close to - OK for distance.
Dr and Nurse aren't too helpful. Suggested calorie counting using www,myfitnesspal and armchair exercises.
When I told her that I hadn't felt totally well for 15 years (menopause, Brain Tumour, Dental Implants, joint pain, eye problems - she answered "Well you've had plenty of time to get used to it!"
I nearly swung for her 
I have looked at the Diabetes UK website for help - hoping to find a local group that I can talk to, but they just seem to offer lectures.
May try to speak to a mentor, but I'm feeling very down about all this. Not sure where to get help or where to go from here.
@learning2me wrote:I have now been diagnosed type 2 diabetic for 3 months and have been following dietary advice very carefully.
However because of my Brain Tumour and some joint pains I am very limited on the exercise I can do.
I used to walk a lot, but my joints object now (waiting for an appointment for X rays)
Been to see my Diabetes Nurse this morning and had bloods taken. My blood sugar was up from 7 on diagnosis, to 17.
I have managed to put on weight.
My eyesight is changing daily - currently everything is rather fuzzy close to - OK for distance.
Dr and Nurse aren't too helpful. Suggested calorie counting using www,myfitnesspal and armchair exercises.
When I told her that I hadn't felt totally well for 15 years (menopause, Brain Tumour, Dental Implants, joint pain, eye problems - she answered "Well you've had plenty of time to get used to it!"
I nearly swung for her
I have looked at the Diabetes UK website for help - hoping to find a local group that I can talk to, but they just seem to offer lectures.
May try to speak to a mentor, but I'm feeling very down about all this. Not sure where to get help or where to go from here.
Hello Learning, I am sorry you are having a really rough time with your health, You have my sympathy as I know what it is like.
I have posted 3 stories below, perhaps you might like to read them, they are of 3 people who have had their health very much improved by Join slimming world and following the food optomising program. I have only posted one about diabetes as there is so many and not enough space lol. I myself have been on this programme since January mainly to lose weight but my health too has greatly improved aswel. It would be worthwhile looking into as it is a healthy food programme cutting out fats and sugars (not completely as we all need some) but really healthy eating and not starving yourself either. I am amazed at the amounts that I am allowed to eat and still lose weight and stay with bags of energy. It works very well too when you are limited to the amount of exercise you can do.
It maybe be worth checking it out but I would say though, as you have several health issues that you discuss things with your doctor before attempting anything on your own. The slimming world consultants are well trained and know the importance of Doctors help and support, they would not agree to help you if it was not in your best interests health wise.
‘I set myself up for a pain free future'
Seamus Bunting from Belfast joined Slimming World with his wife Karen and lost 8st 5lbs to help him conquer chronic pain. Read his story here…
"When I was just 14, I started having the excruciating, shooting pains in my feet that are typical symptoms of gout. It’s well known that an unhealthy diet and being overweight both make the condition worse. As I got older, though, I still couldn’t keep myself away from fatty red meat, red wine, cheese, butter and deep-fried, oily foods – even though I feared I might eventually end up in a wheelchair if the disease progressed.
"Despite the dire warnings – my high blood pressure, my frequent absences from work with gout attacks and the constant pain in my joints – I didn’t actually take action about my weight until January 2012 , when I found out that my new uniform would need to be custom-made in Paris at a cost of £300. This became a talking point around the office. The humiliation I felt about my big frame, together with my wife Karen’s fears about me having a heart attack, spurred me to seek out Lyndsay’s Slimming World group.
Karen does most of the cooking and switched to making meals the Slimming World way at home. We still enjoyed our favourites – like steak and chips and cooked breakfasts – it was just that now they weren’t coated in grease.
"I couldn’t believe how much better I felt as the weight began to come off – quickly at first, then a steady 2lbs or so a week. Karen also lost 3st and looks fantastic. Most amazing of all, my gout attacks completely disappeared, the aches and pains in my joints gradually diminished and my blood pressure is now normal.
"When I got down to 16st I decided to start exercising, beginning with a simple mix of walking and running. On my first outing, I barely managed a mile. I persevered, though, and now I’m at my target weight I go out for up to 30 minutes at a time. It took 15 months to change my life and at times I still can’t believe it. I’m 8st 5lbs lighter and I’ve gone from feeling like I was destined to a fifth decade filled with pain, to being an optimistic and energetic husband and father. I’m still “famous” at work because of my weight – the difference is I’m now that man who’s dropped five uniform sizes, so I don’t mind a bit!"
“Losing weight helped me take control of my epilepsy”
Daniel Hassall from Sandbach, Cheshire has epilepsy and would regularly suffer up to 30 seizures a day. Since joining Slimming World and losing 5st his seizures have reduced dramatically and he’s thrilled to be able to live a much more normal life. Doctors are amazed at his transformation and he's been crowned Slimming World's Young Slimmer of the Year 2014.
"I'd struggled with my weight ever since I was diagnosed with epilepsy aged five. I put on weight as a side effect of the drugs I was given, and it was definitely coupled with bad eating habits too.
"Over the years I spent a lot of time in and out of hospital. I'd suffer up to 30 partial seizures a day and one grand mal (full) seizure every couple of weeks, often leaving me with lasting side effects such as memory loss, extreme tiredness and low self-confidence.
"Things had got pretty bleak and I was miserable, I felt like I was always just waiting for the next big seizure. While I was lying in my hospital bed I overheard the doctors saying that perhaps some of my seizures could be weight-related because my weight and my epilepsy together might be too much for my heart and my brain to cope with. Then another patient Richard, who’d actually gone blind because of his epilepsy, told me that he and his wife had lost 8st with Slimming World and that had really helped him. I became determined to do something about my weight – it felt like my only option.
"I was apprehensive about joining a slimming club and instead tried other weight-loss methods including dieting alone and going to the gym. Unfortunately the diets left me feeling hungry and my fitness regime had disastrous results as I suffered six grand mal seizures. I knew I was going to cause myself some serious damage if I carried on, so I remembered what Rich had said and went to Slimming World with my mum.
"I’d put off going to Slimming World because I thought I’d be in a room full of women and I was so nervous that I don’t think I said more than one word to anyone, but my Consultant Julie and all of the other members were really welcoming – and they weren’t just old women!
I soon started to feel more comfortable and now I love going to the group every week. I’ve made so many friends and they’ve been a constant encouragement.
“I’ve always been a sucker for fast food because I wasn’t much of a cook and it was quick and easy, but I’ve learned about healthy eating at Slimming World. I’ve realised that it doesn’t mean starving yourself and there are lots of healthy meals that are really simple to make – I love having a big bowl of tuna pasta and can make a great chicken curry and rice.”
"I lost 6lbs in my first week and I've lost 15 inches from my waist altogether, going from 47” to 32”. As I lost weight I was able to start exercising without triggering a seizure and I'm now teaching martial arts as a volunteer.
"Slimming down has had a huge impact on my epilepsy - my doctors can’t believe it! They thought there might be a link between my weight and my epilepsy but they never expected losing weight to make such a big difference so they’re delighted – and so am I. Walking into my Slimming World group was without doubt the best decision I’ve ever made – it’s changed my life – and I really want to share my story with other people who have epilepsy to make them aware of what a difference losing weight could make.
“Before I lost weight I was a shadow of the person I am today, back then I’d never have dreamed I could stand at the front of a group of people but now I’ve got a new level of confidence and that’s thanks to my Slimming World group. I’ve always felt like an outsider because of my epilepsy and my Slimming World group is the first place I’ve ever felt worthwhile and part of something. I’ve found true friends in Julie and the other members and I’d tell anyone who wants to lose weight, especially to improve their health and quality of life, to go for it – they won’t regret it!”
‘I said goodbye diabetes, hello future'
Alwyn Beckles from Nelson, Lancashire, joined Slimming World to help him improve his health. He's lost a jaw-dropping 12st 5½lbs and shares his story here...
"Before, everything I ate was unhealthy, from sausage-roll breakfasts to evening takeaways. With type-2 diabetes and high blood pressure and cholesterol, I should have looked after myself better, but I pretended it was impossible because I spent so much time on the road. The truth was that at my size and with several failed diets behind me, I thought I was beyond help.
"In 2012, a friend died from a heart attack. Like me, he’d been overweight and ate a lot of fatty foods. It was the first time I’d connected my lifestyle with the possible consequences, so when in February my stepdaughter Sophie suggested I join Slimming World, I found myself saying yes. I didn’t believe it would work – especially when I heard I could eat unlimited pasta and potatoes – but a week later I weighed in 8lbs lighter.
"Changing my eating habits wasn’t exactly a hardship. My wife Mandie also wanted to lose weight and made delicious low-Syn dishes like sticky gammon and mushy pea curry. The leftovers made a much tastier lunch than pies, and for snacks I’d buy fruit from the supermarket where I was working. Don’t get me wrong – I still had weeks when I ate too many Syns. The difference was I no longer had the urge to fill up on unhealthy fried foods.
Five months later, I received my 5st award and felt confident enough to join a gym. I even agreed to go ballroom dancing with Mandie – not bad for someone who used to struggle to climb stairs!
"Slimming World is a family affair now. I’ve reached my target, Mandie’s nearly at hers, and our children are all regular guests at group. The boys are so young, they don’t remember when Mum and Dad were too overweight to play. My only regret is that I didn’t join earlier, to be an active stepdad to their brothers and sisters. Fingers crossed I’ll now be around a bit longer – my GP says I’m free of diabetes symptoms and my blood pressure and cholesterol are normal – and that might make up for it a little."
http://group.slimmingworld.com/
I hope you are able to find some help and support, several of my own family suffer with diabetes so I understand how debilitating it can be if not controlled. My very best wishes, Linda.
