Wednesday, July 08, 2015

I've now got Diabetes

Yep, I've now got Diabetes type 2.  I blame the Effexor.  I tried to lose weight.  I gave up starchy foods.

My life will never be the same.  I have to prick myself to take blood sugar readings and I am supposed to eat the diet recommended by Diabetes Australia and all Diabetes trained dieticians.

I have been trialing a very low carb diet but I have not been able to quit added sugar in the form of biscuits, lollies and chocolate.  I cut out sugar in my coffee (and tea).  I've trialled a few 'diet' soft drinks and I have met a bent lancet dud and the conflict of requirements between a diabetes diet and a  either a liquid or low-fibre diet for an ailing gut.  My salvation has been going full-fat and my loss has been in the form of an allergy to egg white.    It too was a safe food for my gut but it eventually caused 2 months worth of hives.

Now, we wonder if the Crohn's disease is coming back and I have also had  the added misery of what feels like a paralysed stomach.  I've been misdiagnosed, more or less abused at the Caloundra Hospital and suffered a lot of intense 10/10 pain, intense 10/10 nausea and presyncope.

I had my 60th birthday in Hervey Bay with Mum, Debbie and the boys.  It was a big deal and it was a good thing to do.  I met Brett's new lady Kerry and her kids! I had not seen Cohen for so long, it was great to catch up with him even though his behaviour especially at school leaved a lot to be desired.  He's even been expelled.

I wasn't feeling brilliant on my birthday but we had spent a lot of my energy doing holiday things already.  I could still go out for tea.  Tea was Thai at Thai Lime Smile or some such name with Mum and Debbie after being very indecisive about what and where we wanted to eat. (as usual it takes a lot more energy than it should getting in and out of cars checking out the different places). Scott and Connor had mud cake at our motel but we had our formal get togethers before Brett had to go back to work ie.  over the weekend.  It had rained a bit and that was the reason Rob did not turn up  I assumed.  He didn't even say why.  He had been trying to get his foot in the door on this family holiday for a long time but when it came to the crunch it was not worth the effort not that I had encouraged it, I just had agreed to lunch with him on that day only.  I would not have driven all the way to Hervey Bay either but he always says things are for certain when they are not.  (He wasn't at my next birthday either - it was raining then too and this time he had to drive from Tewantin to the Caloundra RSL.)  I thought we had long since broken this need for him to be in my presence on 27th April every year.  It had not been practiced anyway.  Still hasn't been. Although he seems to threaten me with his presence anyway?  Not sure what it is all about.  I had just wanted it to be a family holiday. It was and I was grateful for it because my health had been going down the tubes and I was beginning to wonder if it would get the final say for my 60th but it didn't.  By the time I was 61 it was even harder to pull off.

Anyway it was while shopping at Hervey Bay in one of the complexes that Mum talked Debbie and I into getting a free health check on offer.  Debbie was fine but my blood pressure was too high and my blood sugar was 14.  All the investigations started when I got back to Caloundra and months later it was decided I was diabetic type 2 after several tests including the glucose tolerance test that I took my stretcher to so I could lie down for the couple of hours.  Lady at pathology thought it was a great idea me snoozing away the time.

I should have holiday photos in this post but if they don't end up here, check Facebook.