TiaLi
Active Member
Right, so this might be a bit of a rambling and emotional post but that's a reflection of how I'm feeling at the moment. Would really appreciate people's thoughts:
When I was first referred to the bariatric team and had my initial bloods taken I was assured by the nurses
everything was fine, and that I was not diabetic since my glucose levels were within the normal range. My gp has always said the same. However, during my first meeting with Professor Patel a year later, he said that my HbA1c from a year ago (the one everyone kept telling me was fine) actually WAS within the diabetic range. He therefore ordered another test, since the diagnostic procedure requires the A1c to be elevated over two consecutive tests.
So - I gave them bloods. Never heard anything back, which I assumed meant that everything was fine. I mean, what is the point in testing for a serious disease if you're not going to actually look at the results, right? Fast forward 9 months to my surgery day. During my meeting in the morning with the anaesthetist and one of the other surgeons on Professor Patel's team they casually mention that oh yes, I have diabetes. I got really confused and asked why no one had contacted me. No one could tell me why.
I took these news back to my gp, who was very sceptical and said none of her blood tests had indicated this, nor had she received any information about this. When asking about it again during my 6 week checkup with the bariatric team (basically asking if they could forward the bloods from that second A1c check that Professor Patel ordered), they couldn't find it on my records.
When they took my bloods at 3 months post-surgery I therefore specifically demanded a copy of the results so I could track things myself. The A1c at this time was 4.7% - that is well within the normal range.
When I had my six month checkup with the dietitian recently I asked once again about this and demanded a clear answer: do I have diabetes or not? The A1c at my 3 month post-surgery bloods was 4.7% so how on earth is that diabetes? What am I supposed to do? No one seems to be able to give me a clear answer or what I am supposed to do next in terms of treatment. She promised to check with the endocrinologist.
...which brings us to today. When coming home today there was a letter waiting for me - a copy of the letter the dietitian has sent to my gp. In it she among other things addresses my questions on the diabetes front, and says that the endocrinologist attached to the bariatric team can confirm that the A1c they measured before surgery indeed did meet the criteria for diabetes (it was 7.3%). They further state that the diabetes however appears to be in remission since the A1c from my six month test is 5.3%.
I find myself reacting very strongly to these news. My mother got type 2 diabetes when she was about 60, and while she is now controlled on Metformin she has peripheral neuropathy and consequent trouble with her balance at times. She also has the beginning of some eye issues, though I'm not entirely clear on whether they definitely are associated with the diabetes. Remission or not - I don't WANT to have the diabetes label on me. My glucose may be fine now, but lots of studies show it is a progressive disease and that glucose control actually doesn't have a dramatic impact on long-term complications like renal issues. I feel like I've been handed something akin to a death sentence. What's even the point in weight loss, eating healthily etc if this is just going to get worse and worse anyway? I'm 40 now, which is quite early to get this disease. So if I compare myself to my mother I see myself being in a worse state than she is when I reach 60, because I will already have had 20 years of progression by that time.
Yes, I know this sounds dramatic and is a very emotional response. But everything just feels very dark. Are there any people on here with type 2 diabetes who can share some of their experiences and thoughts with me? At what age were you diagnosed? How long have you had it? Does it HAVE to progress or can you actually stay in remission? Doctors seem to have very different views on this.
Thanks for listening to me rambling...
When I was first referred to the bariatric team and had my initial bloods taken I was assured by the nurses
everything was fine, and that I was not diabetic since my glucose levels were within the normal range. My gp has always said the same. However, during my first meeting with Professor Patel a year later, he said that my HbA1c from a year ago (the one everyone kept telling me was fine) actually WAS within the diabetic range. He therefore ordered another test, since the diagnostic procedure requires the A1c to be elevated over two consecutive tests.
So - I gave them bloods. Never heard anything back, which I assumed meant that everything was fine. I mean, what is the point in testing for a serious disease if you're not going to actually look at the results, right? Fast forward 9 months to my surgery day. During my meeting in the morning with the anaesthetist and one of the other surgeons on Professor Patel's team they casually mention that oh yes, I have diabetes. I got really confused and asked why no one had contacted me. No one could tell me why.
I took these news back to my gp, who was very sceptical and said none of her blood tests had indicated this, nor had she received any information about this. When asking about it again during my 6 week checkup with the bariatric team (basically asking if they could forward the bloods from that second A1c check that Professor Patel ordered), they couldn't find it on my records.
When they took my bloods at 3 months post-surgery I therefore specifically demanded a copy of the results so I could track things myself. The A1c at this time was 4.7% - that is well within the normal range.
When I had my six month checkup with the dietitian recently I asked once again about this and demanded a clear answer: do I have diabetes or not? The A1c at my 3 month post-surgery bloods was 4.7% so how on earth is that diabetes? What am I supposed to do? No one seems to be able to give me a clear answer or what I am supposed to do next in terms of treatment. She promised to check with the endocrinologist.
...which brings us to today. When coming home today there was a letter waiting for me - a copy of the letter the dietitian has sent to my gp. In it she among other things addresses my questions on the diabetes front, and says that the endocrinologist attached to the bariatric team can confirm that the A1c they measured before surgery indeed did meet the criteria for diabetes (it was 7.3%). They further state that the diabetes however appears to be in remission since the A1c from my six month test is 5.3%.
I find myself reacting very strongly to these news. My mother got type 2 diabetes when she was about 60, and while she is now controlled on Metformin she has peripheral neuropathy and consequent trouble with her balance at times. She also has the beginning of some eye issues, though I'm not entirely clear on whether they definitely are associated with the diabetes. Remission or not - I don't WANT to have the diabetes label on me. My glucose may be fine now, but lots of studies show it is a progressive disease and that glucose control actually doesn't have a dramatic impact on long-term complications like renal issues. I feel like I've been handed something akin to a death sentence. What's even the point in weight loss, eating healthily etc if this is just going to get worse and worse anyway? I'm 40 now, which is quite early to get this disease. So if I compare myself to my mother I see myself being in a worse state than she is when I reach 60, because I will already have had 20 years of progression by that time.
Yes, I know this sounds dramatic and is a very emotional response. But everything just feels very dark. Are there any people on here with type 2 diabetes who can share some of their experiences and thoughts with me? At what age were you diagnosed? How long have you had it? Does it HAVE to progress or can you actually stay in remission? Doctors seem to have very different views on this.
Thanks for listening to me rambling...
